Lesson 1 C1000-1500

Question 1

What was the population in c1000?

Answer 1

Around 2 million

Question 2

What was the three sections society was split into? (c1000-1500)

Answer 2

• Law maker - made by king
• law influencers - laws and punishment influenced by Christian church
• law enforcers - police did not exist so village communites expected to enforce laws = collective responsibility

Question 3

How important was the king to establishing law and order? (Anglo - Saxon) and who had to obey the kings authority?
C1000-1500

Answer 3

• before Ethelred, communities had made their own laws and punishments were quite basic but the king made and enforced laws and relied on his advisors.
• All nobles (given land ) , freeman and serfs ( if serf started fight with noble = crime)

Question 4

How was law and order maintained in Anglo-Saxon period and what happened if they broke the oath? C1000-1500

Answer 4

• Oath taken by all freemen from age of 12 to avoid involvement in any major crimes
• your family would be responsible and could be punished
  You and your family forced into exile
  relatives of victims would receive compensation for injury/death = wergild

Question 5

What did the Anglo - Saxons believe about community?

Answer 5

• local community should police behaviour and God was the final judge of innocence and guilt
  victims responsibility = seek justice
  Whole community = take part in delivering justice

Question 6

Define hundred and tithing

Answer 6

• Each hundred split into ten tithing
• Tithing were responsible for enforcing law + order into communities, If one accused of crime then the other make sure he pays fine or goes court or tithing would pay fine for them.

A shire reeve, local man appointed from community to make sure punishments are carried out and people go to court , met regularly with one man from each tithing

Question 7

Explain the hue and cry ( Anglo - Saxons )

Answer 7

• Anyone who witnessed a crime was expected to raise a hue and cry for help. Anyone who heard it was expected to help and capture suspect

Question 8

Court system in Anglo - Saxon

Answer 8

• If suspect did not admit to crime or not caught in the act, there innocence and guilt was determined by court.
  Different courts for diff crimes

Royal courts = national court, dealt with most serious crime
Shire courts = lesser crimes dealt
Hundred courts = petty crimes dealt

Question 9

How did society change when William became king? (Normans)

Answer 9

• After the battle of Hastings in 1066, role of king became more powerful, Normans kept most of the existing English laws.
• William of Normandy conquered England. Under William punishments and laws became more centralised, and less decisions were made by local community. Punishments became harsher.

Question 10

How did William control people of England?

Answer 10

• With the Norman feudal system
  Monarch = head
  Barons = given land to govern
  Knights = loyal to king + baron
  Peasants = given land to work for

Question 11

New crimes under Normans

Answer 11

• The Normans used laws to control Anglo - Saxon population and protect rights of Normans .
• Murdrum law = Anglo - Saxon murder Norman = culprit not caught = special penalty, sum of money paid by hundred where body was found. Murdering Norman = most serious crime.
• Forest laws = He kicked off millions of acres of land, which he and nobility used for hunting.
• Other people would have to pay for hunting rights to hunt in royal forest or else it would be poaching
• Seen as a social crime and seen as unfair

Question 12

Was there rebellion against the Normans?

Answer 12

• The Norman invasion was not welcomed by the Anglo - Saxons and there was much resistance for the first few years, including large rebellions in York and East Anglia.
• Punishments were more harsher, William would order death penalties for rebels himself but also those not directly involved
• estimates suggest 100,000 people starved to death due to destruction of farmland and animals under Williams orders in area with rebellion

Question 13

Continuity and change in Norman law enforcement

Answer 13

• Continuity = The Anglo - Saxon system of tithing , the hue and cry , court system. law enforcement remained on communal responsibility.
• Change = The Normans introduced trial by combat ( show power and military nature ) as another way of settling disputes, 2 people fight until one was killed or surrendered (put to death anyway) .
• Change = use of ‘ foresters ‘ to police royal forests and enforce forest laws, dealt with suspects harshly and feared hated by local community