Normans Flashcards
Constables:
Power to arrest, break up fights and prevent fires.
Held key to the stocks.
Not paid much, had other work too.
Watchmen:
Make sure curfew was kept.
Prevented crime and caught criminals.
Many did not take role seriously and regarded duty time as a chance to drink with friends.
Hue and cry:
Everyone had a duty to raise the alarm if they saw a crime and everyone who heard alarm had to catch suspect.
If people ignored the hue and cry they would be fined.
Tithing:
10-12 freemen who promised to prevent each other from committing a crime.
If one of them did they had to reveal the guilty one or whole group would be fined.
However, many guilty men escaped.
Murdrum fine:
Protected Normans against Anglo-Saxon hostility.
If a Norman was killed and a suspect was not found within five days the whole hundred would be fined.
Helped reduce attacks against Normans, but when attacks did occur the fines provided valuable income for King.
How were offenders punished?
If accused found innocent, accuser had to pay compensation to King and accused.
If accused found guilty for less serious offences they would pay compensation to victim.
Anglo-Saxon times freemen had a value called ‘wergild’ placed on their life which would be paid to family. This slowly declined in Norman times with execution&physical mutation being used more often.
Domesday survey:
1085 all resources and property in England.
Land disputes took up time in court, this reduced them.
Allowed William to charge rents and tax more efficiently.
Presented to King at Salisbury August 1 1086, tenants swore loyalty to King.
Final survey by William Rufus.
How was it gathered? (Domesday survey.)
Country divided into 7 circuits.
Commissioners asked every hundred about land ownership/what had changed since 1066.
Some Northern areas not covered because not yet fully under Norman control. London and Winchester not covered. Country Durham not included.
