Norman England (1066 - c.1100)

Question 1

List 2 changes William I made to the feudal system.

Answer 1

• Anglo-Saxon nobles were replaced with Norman ones
• Knights were now in between nobles and freemen, so the social structure then became king, nobles, knights, freemen and serfs

Question 2

List 3 things William I did to establish his control in England.

Answer 2

• He brutally put down rebellions in York and East Anglia
• His punishments were severe: he caused food shortages that killed 100,000
• Castles were built to show his power and authority

Question 3

What was the Murdrum fine, and when and why was it introduced?

Answer 3

• Norman law introduced that made a hundred pay a heavy fine if a Norman’s murderer was not captured and executed
• 1070
• It protected the Norman’s authority, decreased the number of revenge murders and made people come forward with the truth

Question 4

What were the Forest Laws, and when were they introduced?

Answer 4

• Norman laws that banned ordinary people (who could not afford to pay for hunting rights) from hunting (and carrying weapons) or gathering wood (even fallen branches) from the King’s forests
• 1072

Question 5

Were the Forest Laws popular? What happened as a result?

Answer 5

• They led to bitterness as they took away essential resources and even homes in order to create hunting grounds
• This created social crimes; illegal acts that many don’t regard as a crime

Question 6

What continuity was there in regards to crime between Anglo-Saxon and Norman England?

Answer 6

• Most of the Anglo-Saxons’ laws were kept

Question 7

List 3 changes to crime in Norman England.

Answer 7

• Poaching came into existence through the Forest Laws
• Social crimes were created
• Serfs who left their village were now committing a crime

Question 8

List 2 changes to law enforcement in Norman times.

Answer 8

• Trial by combat was introduced; it was fought between wealthier people over large amounts of money or land as it was considered more dignified
• Men who escaped trial/ punishment became known as ‘outlaws’ and could be killed with no legal consequences
• The same was true for women who became ‘waived’

Question 9

List 3 parts of law enforcement that stayed the same under the Normans.

Answer 9

• Collective responsibility: tithings and the hue and cry
• Trial by ordeal
• The idea of the King’s peace became known as ‘the King’s mund’

Question 10

List 3 changes to punishment under William I.

Answer 10

• Wergild was paid to the King’s officials
• Trial by combat resulted in the loser’s death either on the battlefield, or their execution afterwards
• More capital and corporal punishment was used

Question 11

What changes were there to the Church’s involvement in crime and punishment before 1100?

Answer 11

• Church courts were set up to deal with churchmen
• They rarely gave out the death penalty, so were seen as more lenient