Saxon Towns And Villages

Question 1

What was the country divided into

Answer 1

Earldoms controlled by an earl

Question 2

What was each earldom divided into

Answer 2

Shires controlled by shire reeves

Question 3

What was each shire divided into

Answer 3

Hundreds (equal to 100 hides in some areas)

Question 4

What was each hundred divided into

Answer 4

Tithings (ten households)

Question 5

Who was the shire reeve

Answer 5

The kings representative in local government

Question 6

What was the role of the shire reeve

Answer 6

The king issued writs (orders) to the shire reeve.
The reeve had to collect the geld tax (land tax)
Judge at the shire court
Provide men for the fyrd

Question 7

What was a Hide

Answer 7

A hide of land was a measurement of land equal to around 120 acres

Question 8

What obligations did each hide carry

Answer 8

Having five hides of land meant you could become a thegn and you must provide one man for the fyrd

Question 9

What was collective security

Answer 9

If one member of a tithing broke the law the rest were responsible for bringing him to court or would be punished themselves

Question 10

What was hue and cry

Answer 10

When people In the community would call on all the others to help them track down a criminal

Question 11

What was the fyrd

Answer 11

An army made up of one man from every five hides

Question 12

What was the select fyrd made up of

Answer 12

Well equipped thegns and their followers

Question 13

How long was service in the fyrd for

Answer 13

A fixed 40 day period because they couldn’t leave their farm for too long

Question 14

What would happen if someone refused to join the fyrd

Answer 14

There would be a consequence for the whole tithing

Question 15

What were blood fueds

Answer 15

Grudges between families which often lasted generations

Question 16

What happens if someone from your family was killed

Answer 16

You had the right to kill someone from the murderers family

Question 17

What is the wergild system

Answer 17

Instead of taking revenge the victims family received compensation from the murderers family

Question 18

How much was each person worth when killed

Answer 18

Ceorl- worth 20 shillings
Thegn - 1200 shillings
Earl or archbishop - 3600 shillings

Question 19

Why was Anglo Saxon England one of europes wealthiest countries

Answer 19

Had strong trading links across the seas
England’s towns were trading though almost everyone worked in farming
There was a good climate for farming especially in the south and east for críos and livestock in the west

Question 20

Who did England have strong trade links with

Answer 20

Across the North Sea to Scandinavia and across the channel to Normandy and flanders

Question 21

What boosted the earning of the king and the income of his nobles and the church

Answer 21

The efficient tax system when they kept some of their income for themselves

Question 22

Why trade be taxed

Answer 22

Central control of money supply and trading centres (burghs) meant that money was reliable and kept its value

Question 23

What was the population in 1060

Answer 23

2 million

Question 24

How many people were nobles (thegns)

Answer 24

4000-6000

Question 25

What percentage of the population was made up of peasant farmers

Answer 25

90% and they depended on thegns for land and work

Question 26

Why was anglo Saxon society flexible

Answer 26

Peasant farmers could become thegns if they did well as acquired more than 5 hides of land

Question 27

What did a thegns land holdings mean

Answer 27

They could afford weapons armour and horse so were expected to always be ready to serve their lord in battle

Question 28

What would happen to slaves that did badly

Answer 28

They may have to sell themselves into slavery

Question 29

How could slaves be freed

Answer 29

By their masters and turned into peasants

Question 30

What were burghs

Answer 30

The fortified town of the main shire

Question 31

What happened within the burghs

Answer 31

People from the countryside would take refuge in the burgh when vikings would invade All important trading happened there (according to kings law) so that it could be taxed

Question 32

What percentage of people actually lived in burghs during 1060

Answer 32

10%

Question 33

What made burghs difficult to attack

Answer 33

Strong walls and ramparts

Question 34

By 1060 what were the 2 biggest cities

Answer 34

York and London with populations of more than 10000 people

Question 35

Why did towns grow larger

Answer 35

Good trading links

Question 36

Who did York have strong trading links with

Answer 36

Denmark

Question 37

Who did London have trading links with

Answer 37

Normandy France Germany flanders

Question 38

What were houses made from

Answer 38

Wood and straw and lived in by numerous relatives

Question 39

What did the thegns that lived in the countryside live in

Answer 39

Manor houses that were larger and better built and often had their own church and priest and would often provide services for the whole village

Question 40

3 reasons why England had strong economy

Answer 40

Climate for farming Strong trading links Efficient tax system that was stable

Question 41

What was each area of land the church owned ran by

Answer 41

Bishops

Question 42

Who were bishops

Answer 42

Rich and important often serving on the witan as the kings advisors

Question 43

Who did bishops oppose

Answer 43

Local priests employed by thegns and their Manor House and they eventually became under the control of bishops

Question 44

Who were local priests

Answer 44

Ordinary members of community and not very educated Many couldn’t read Latin Had small land holdings like peasant farmers Some married going against the reforms of priests required to be celibate

Question 45

What were the monasteries and nunneries

Answer 45

Religious institutions that were populated by monks and nuns who devoted their lives to God Monasteries also provided an important role in scribing religious texts Monks also did work in local communities and weren’t isolated from the local villages

Question 46

Why was religion very important in Anglo Saxon times

Answer 46

People wee worried about what would happen to them after they died Believed they were punished in afterlife for sins and sought to reduce this period of punishment by being pious in their lives

Question 47

What acts of Edward the confessor show that religion was very important to him

Answer 47

Rebuilt Westminster cathedral and sought to reflect Gods will in the way that he ruled