Part Two: Life Under The Normans Flashcards
What was the Feudal System?
- A hierarchy of land ownership
- A system of government used to rule England
Describe the power and responsibilities held be each person/group within the feudal system:
King
Directly owned 20% of the land, 25% was owned by the church
Describe the power and responsibilities held be each person/group within the feudal system:
Barons and Bishops
Granted large areas of land. They swore fealty and paid homage and promised money and service.
Describe the power and responsibilities held be each person/group within the feudal system:
Knights
Promised to be loyal to their Barons and Bishops for land.
They controlled day-to-day life in their manor or village.
Describe the power and responsibilities held be each person/group within the feudal system:
Peasants
- Had to obey the lord of their manor for land.
- Gave some crops and worked some days without pay.
- Most could not leave without permission.
Describe the power and responsibilities held be each person/group within the feudal system:
Slaves
- Made up 10% of the population.
- Rapidly declined as they were expensive to keep and the Church disapproved.
In what way was the Anglo-Saxon feudal system similar to the Norman feudal system?
- Based on land ownership
- King controlled the most land
Explain the main changes William made to the feudal system when he became king
- Normans replaced Anglo-Saxons
- The King had far more power
- The peasants were more exploited
What was ‘Forest Law’ and why did he cause so much hatred amongst the English population?
Reserves for Royal Forests that Anglo-Saxons could not use. If they did, punishments included being blinded.
It deprived the rich of their sport and the poor lost a source of food and their crops were often damaged.
Describe the role of a knight in Norman England
- Made an oath to their Lord
- Always had to carry out military service as a part of the more formal feudal system.
- Probably had to serve for at least 40 days
What were ‘Marcher Lords’ and how ere they different to the other barons within the Norman feudal system?
They were almost independent rulers in their areas, tasked with preventing any raids from the Welsh.
They could:
- create their own laws
- keep their own armies
- build castles without the King’s permission
What was the ‘Curia Regis’?
The King’s Great Council who would give advice and play a part in decision making
What was the role of the king in Norman England?
- They were the only one who could make laws for the whole kingdom.
- Could control taxes on a national level.
- Serious cases (royal pleas) were only heard by the King or his court
- Had to be a good warrior, just, pious, and generous
How did ‘Inheritance Law’ change under the Normans?
Property was passed on intact to the eldest son. If there was no heirs it returned to the Lord, and if he was underage it was kept temporarily.
What was ‘Government by Writ’?
It was a short document which gave notifications and orders to be sent around the country.
An order issued in writing which was called a writ
What was the role of a Sheriff / Castellan in Norman England?
- Making annual payment the King
- Presiding over shire courts
- Collecting taxes
- Raising armies
- Looked after royal castles and forests
Describe the court system in Norman England and the role of each court within this system
- King’s Court: murder, treason, arson, robbery, rape
- Shire Courts: disputes over land, crimes involving violence or theft
- Lord’s Courts: dealt with crimes, disputes property transitions or announced new laws
- Hundred Courts: dealt with minor disputes
- Manor Courts: dealt with day-to-day life in the village
Describe how the law was enforced by the following groups within Norman England:
Constables
- Power to arrest
- Break up fights
- Prevent fires
- Held the key to the stacks
Describe how the law was enforced by the following groups within Norman England:
Watchmen
- Tried to make sure that people kept to the curfew
- There to prevent crimes
- Catch criminals
Describe how the law was enforced by the following groups within Norman England:
Hue and Cry
The system for catching criminals after an offence. Everyone had the duty to raise the alarm.
Describe how the law was enforced by the following groups within Norman England:
Tithing
A group of 10-12 freemen who promised to prevent each other from committing a crime.
If one did, they had to reveal who or the whole group would be punished
Describe the following ways that suspects and criminals were tried in Norman England:
Oaths
People who knew the accused were called to give an account and comment of the character.
To ensure they told the truth, they had to swear an oath on a holy book or relic.
Describe the following ways that suspects and criminals were tried in Norman England:
Trial by Ordeal
- Cold water: Blessed by a priest, the guilty would float and the innocent would sink
- Hot iron: Accused would carry a red hot iron for 3 paces. 3 days later, if the wound was infected, they were guilty. If not, they were innocent.
Describe the following ways that suspects and criminals were tried in Norman England:
Trail by Battle
For serious offences, between the accused and the accuser.
In theory, God would intervene to help the person in the right.