⌛️ Norman Conquest Of England, 1066-93 Flashcards
After the Battle of Hastings what was William’s priority?
The English who had not fought at Hastings showed no signs of submitting, William now had to take priority to gain control of the South East, he deployed terror tactics that meant Dover and Canterbury surrendered without resistance. William then cut London off from the North and in doing so panic hit London and the remaining English leaders surrendered
When was William crowned King of England?
On Christmas Day, 1066
Explain the rebellion in 1067
William saw no signs of English resistance and felt confident enough to return back to Normandy where he showed off his English prisoners. However, in summer a rebellion broke out in Kent which was lead by Eustace of Boulogne - Eustace appeared to have been motivated by more power. However, the rebels were easily defeated by the Dover Castle. As a result Eustace fled
What was the first true rebellion?
Began in Exeter partly in response to increased taxation to fund Norman occupation but also possibly inspired by the presence of Harold Godwinson’s mother in the city. William took this as a serious threat and dangerously crossed the sea back to England marching his forces, despite the harsh winter conditions.
William lay siege to the English rebels and the Exeter men attempted to rally support but failed and were forced to submit to William. To ensure his future control, he established a castle and staged a march through the rest of Devon and Cornwall to underline his strength
What was the first event that lead to the harrying of the north?
The greatest threat to Williams rule came from the north. The first time of trouble was in 1068 with Edgar the Atheling (Edwards great - nephew) and Edwin and Morcar. William aware resistance was building in the North staged a series of lightning raids and devastated the land, this worked and Edwin and Morcar surrendered, he then established a castle in York
What was the second event that lead to the harrying of the north?
In 1069 rebels attacked Durham, killing the Norman earl. Edgar the Atheling assumed leadership of the rebellion. Similar to Harold’s quick march in Stamford Bridge, William was able to defeat the rebels at York - Edgar escaped back to Scotland- and William established a second castle in York
What was the third event that lead to the harrying of the north?
In Summer 1069, a Danish fleet of 240 containing trained warriors appeared off the coast of Kent. The fleet raided its way up the east coast of England. Yorkshire now descended into rebellion and Edgar of Atheling arrived with a force to join the Danish in support of the rebellion. William also had the threat of a Scottish invasion as the Scottish king had strong links with Edgar. William reacted with speed and brutality and headed North, where he staged a march, devastating the land
What was the harrying of the north?
William split his troops up into smaller groups and they set about harrying the North and the surrounding areas - entire villages were razed and their inhabitants killed, livestock slaughtered and stores of food destroyed. Many innocent people died from hunger
Explain the East Anglian rebellion
East Anglian became the last resistance to the Normans. In 1070 English rebels began gathering on the Isle of Ely where Hereward the Wake emerged as the chiefs rebel leader- he was a local whose lands were confiscated by Normans
Why was the Isle of Ely an ideal location?
It was surrounded by vast marshland, and the stone walls of the abbey provided a stronghold. It was strategically located to allow the Danish fleet to strike. Furthermore the sea access also meant Ely could receive reinforcements from the thousands of English exiles
How did William defeat the rebels?
William realised the Danes were the most important factor and brought them off again and they sailed home. He then trusted the capture of the rebel base with his deputies, but Hereward was able to use the benefits of the geography and his military skills to ambush and hold of the Norman attacks. In 1071, Morcar joined the rebellion. William then took command of the operation and sent a fleet to block the island, this allowed his army to launch a successful attack. Hereward disappeared and Morcar was imprisoned for the rest of his life
What was the revolt of the three earls?
In 1075 there was a revolt of the three earls - earl of Norfolk, earl of Hereford and earl of Northumbria. The aim was to divide the kingdom into three, with one of them becoming the king
Why did the revolt fail?
William remained in Normandy and relied on Lanfranc to sort the issue. Lanfranc was helped by gaining warning of the plot when the earl of Northumbria have cold feet and confessed all. Despite this the two remaining earls pressed ahead with the plan. In an attempt to isolate the north of England, they failed to gather local support and crucially the Danish army never materialised. They were in no position to take on the Norman army and the earls fled. The earl of Norfolk escaped but the earl of Hereford was captured
What treaty did William and the Scottish king sign in 1072?
It was a treaty that meant the Scottish king made homage to William and officially recognised him as the king of England
