Norman England c1066-c1100, Part One: Conquest and Control Flashcards
1
Q
When did Edward the Confessor become king?
A
1042
2
Q
When did Edward the Confessor die?
A
5th January 1066
3
Q
What was the population of England in 1066?
A
2 million
4
Q
What was the state of England when Edward the Confessor was in power?
A
- Wealthy
- Peaceful
5
Q
How was society structured under Edward the Confessor?
A
The feudal system: king, earls and clergy, knights and peasants.
6
Q
Who were the Godwins?
A
A powerful family
7
Q
How much land did the Godwins have?
A
Wessex: most of Southern England. They were very powerful.
8
Q
When were the Godwins exiled?
A
In 1052, after the Earl of Wessex refused to obey the king.
9
Q
When did the Godwins’ exile end?
A
When they came back with a large army, forcing the king to accept them back.
10
Q
Who were the four claimants to the throne in 1066?
A
- Harold Godwinson
- Edgar the Aetheling
- William, Duke of Normandy
- Harald Hadrada
11
Q
What was Godwinson’s claim?
A
- That Edward promised him the throne over his deathbed.
- He was ‘sub-regulus’, a ‘deputy king’.
- He had the support of the Witan
12
Q
When was Godwinson crowned?
A
6th January 1066, same day as Edward the Confessor’s funeral.
13
Q
What was Edgar the Aetheling’s claim?
A
- He was Edward’s great-nephew. Only blood relation.
- He lived with Edward and treated as his adopted son.
- However, only a teen in 1066 and lacked skill and experience.
14
Q
What was William’s claim?
A
- Edward promised him the throne when he went to visit him in England
- Godwinson promised to support his claim to the throne in 1064 over holy relics. Oath binding in the eyes of God.
15
Q
What was Hadrada’s claim?
A
- He was related to King Cnut.
- He claimed his father, Magnus, was promised the throne by Cnut’s son Harthacnut.
16
Q
What was William’s military experience?
A
- He was Duke of Normandy since he was seven
- He conquered Maine in 1063
17
Q
What was the significance of the Papal Banner?
A
It symbolised the support of the Pope. It meant William had God’s favour and helped him gain wider support for the invasion.
18
Q
How did William prepare for the invasion?
A
- Flat-bottomed boats, for horses.
- ‘Flat-pack’ castles could be quickly put up.
- William spent a fortune building a large fleet.
19
Q
Where did William cross the Channel?
A
He stationed his fleet in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, cutting the distance across to only 33km.
20
Q
How many men were in William’s army?
A
Around 8000
21
Q
How was William able to recruit so many soldiers?
A
Many were willing to fight under the Papal Banner, in a Holy War.
22
Q
What day did William land in England?
A
28th September 1066
23
Q
Why was the English coast undefended when William arrived?
A
Harold was forced to send his men home after months of waiting as it was harvest time.
24
Q
How many ships did Harald Hadrada have?
A
300 ships
25
Where did the Vikings land?
The sailed up the river Humber and landed 10 miles from the city of York.
26
When was the battle of Fulford Gate?
20th September 1066
27
How many Vikings fought at the battle of Fulford Gate?
Around 7000
28
Who led the English army at Fulford Gate?
**E**dwin, Earl of M**e**rcia
Mo**r**ca**r**, Earl of No**r**thumb**r**ia
29
How big was the English army at Fulford Gate?
Around 3500 men
30
What was the outcome of the battle of Fulford Gate?
* English surprised the Vikings, but they were outnumbered, defeated.
* The English scattered, but Vikings had significant casualties.
31
When was the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
25th September 1066
32
How many miles did the English army walk to get to Stamford Bridge?
190 miles
33
Who led the English at Stamford Bridge?
Harold Godwinson
34
What was the outcome of Stamford Bridge?
* The Vikings defeated
* Hadrada, Tostig dead
35
When did Godwinson receive news of William's landing?
Just three days after Stamford Bridge
36
What was the size of the English army at Hastings?
Around 7000
37
Why were the English exhausted at Hastings?
They had walked 300km south to Hastings.
38
What was the English army's main stategy?
The shield wall. All soldiers were on foot.
39
What type of soldiers did William have?
Highly skilled archers and cavalry
40
William's army, size?
Around 7000 men
41
Where did both armies fight at Hastings?
The English on top of Selnac Hill. The Normans at its base with marshy land either side.
42
How did the Battle of Hastings start?
9am. Arrows fired fly over the Anglo-Saxon shield wall. Cavalry charges unsuccessful. Feigned retreat starts wearing down the shield wall.
43
After the brief ceasefire to recover the dead, what change in tactics did William enact?
He moved his archers to the front. They fired in the air and the arrows landed behind the shield wall, causing chaos.
44
What tactics won the day for William?
Combination of feigned retreats, constant arrow fire and a full-scale cavalry attack.
45
What did the Normans do when they landed in England?
They burnt villages and built the first motte and bailey castles.
46
What day did William have himself crowned?
Christmas Day, 1066
47
Where was William crowned?
Westminster Abbey
48
Who built Westminster Abbey?
Edward the Confessor
49
Why was William's capture of Winchester significant?
It was the base of the English treasury, where the royal income was collected.
50
Why was William's capture of Canterbury significant?
Canterbury was the centre of the English Catholic Church.
51
Who was Stigand?
Stigand was the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time of the Norman invasion. He had a reputation for corruption. William had him removed in 1070.
52
How quickly could motte and bailey castles be built?
In a matter of weeks.
53
What were motte and bailey castles built of?
Built of wood.
54
When did castles start being built in stone?
By 1070
55
How many castles did William build?
By 1086, around 48 large castles had been built in England.
56
What is APICS?
The purposes of castles:
**A**dministration
**P**rotection
**I**ntimidation
**C**ontrol
**S**ymbolism
57
Name some castles at Norman times.
Pevensey Castle
Chepstow Castle
Pembrooke Castle
58
Name the different parts of Motte and Bailey castles.
Outer bailey
Outer bailey wall
Moat
Inner bailey
Motte
Gateways and gatehouses
Keep
59
Where were castles built?
* High ground
* Near towns
* Near water and other resources
60
Who were Edwin and Morcar?
They were brothers.
They were Harold's brothers-in-law.
--> They led the Battle of Fulford Gate.
--> They led a rebellion against William in London after Battle of Hastings.
61
Who was involved in the revolt at the Welsh border?
A Herefordshire thegn, Edric the Wild.
62
What did Edric the Wild do?
Revolted against William in favour of the Welsh princes.
63
How far did Edric the Wild's revolt go?
They reached Shrewsbury Castle but William personally led a group of soldiers to defeat them.
64
What was the revolt of Eustace?
Eustace was the Count of Boulogne and Edward's brother-in-law. He attacked Dover Castle while William was in Normandy. He was easily defeated. He later made peace with William.
65
When did the city of Exeter revolt?
1068
66
How did William respond to unrest in Exeter?
He besieged the city for 18 days.
67
What did William do when Exeter surrendered?
He built a castle there and left his half-brother, Robert of Mortain, in charge.
68
What other rebellions was William forced to address in the South-West?
Bristol and Gloucester
69
What revolt in 1075 did William not expect?
A revolt from his own Norman Earls.
70
How did William address the 1075 rebellion?
He let his allies deal with it. Bishop Odo and Lanfranc put down the rebellion with brutal force.
71
What was the outcome for the 1075 rebels?
Waltheof beheaded. The other earls were blinded and killed. Roger was only imprisoned because of William's friendship with his father.
72
Who led the 1075 rebellion?
Ralph de Gael and Roger de Breteuil. Supported by Waltheof
73
When did Edgar the Aetheling make claim on William's throne?
In 1068, Edwin, Morcar and Edgar fled north. King Malcom of Scotland gave his support to Edgar as he had recently married his sister.
74
What murder increased tension in 1069?
In January 1069, newly appointed Norman earl, Robert of Commines was murdered by a group of English rebels.
75
Whose support did Edgar have?
King Malcom of Scotland's support. The Vikings combined their armies with Edgar's.
76
How did William respond to the threat of Edgar in the north?
He paid the Vikings to abandon Edgar; the English leaders scattered.
To teach the north a lesson, he burnt everything down, ordered livestock to be killed, and the salting of the land.
77
What was the significance of the Harrying of the North?
* Between 100,000 and 150,000 people died from starvation that winter.
* The Pope condemned William's actions. William gave a lot of money to be forgiven.
* In the Domesday book, 1086, 80% of Yorkshire said to be 'waste'.
78
When did the Harrying of the North happen?
Winter 1069-70
79
Who was Hereward the Wake?
The son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia
80
Why was Hereward angry?
William had confiscated land from his father and killed his brother.
81
Whose support did Hereward have?
King Swegn of Denmark, Morcar (Edwin had been killed).
82
How did Hereward's army attack William?
Using guerrilla tactics and evading capture.
83
What was Hereward's most famous attack?
The looting and burning of Peterborough Abbey in 1070.
84
How did William deal with King Swegn?
He paid him to leave England
85
How did William's army get to Hereward's base?
He convinced the monks of Ely Abbey to reveal the secret route to it.
86
Where were Hereward and Morcar based?
On the Isle of Ely.
87
What was the outcome of William's attack on Hereward's base?
Most of the rebels were arrested, including Morcar. Hereward escaped.
