SECTION 1

Question 1

Who was the king of England in 1066 and why was the succession uncertain?

Answer 1

Edward the Confessor. When he died, he had no clear blood relatives to take the throne.

Question 2

Name the four claimants to the throne in 1066:

Answer 2

1) Edgar Aetheling.2) Harold Hardrada.3) William, Duke of Normandy.4) Harold Godwinson.

Question 3

Give a positive of Edgar Aetheling:

Answer 3

1) He was the nearest blood relative as his grandad was Edward’s half brother.

Question 4

Why was Edgar Atheling a bad claimant to the throne? (4)

Answer 4

1) No money.2) No soldiers.3) No military experience.4) Only 14 years old.

Question 5

Give 3 positives of Harold Hardrada becoming king:

Answer 5

1) He was an experienced ruler - he was the King of Norway.2) He was the leader of a ruthless army - Varangian Guard.3) He had the support of the north of England as those with Scandinavian roots supported him.

Question 6

Give 3 negatives of Harald Hardrada becoming king:

Answer 6

1) Not a relative.2) Foreigner.3) Already King of Norway.

Question 7

Give 2 positives of William, Duke of Normandy becoming king:

Answer 7

1) He was a capable ruler in Normandy.2) He sent soldiers in 1051 to help Edward and was promised the throne.

Question 8

Give 2 negatives of William, Duke of Normandy becoming king:

Answer 8

1) His relationship to Edward was illegitimate and flawed.2) He was not the only one promised the throne.

Question 9

Give 4 positives about Harold Godwinson becoming king:

Answer 9

1) He had the most powerful family in England.2) The controlled Wessex which was the strongest of the earldoms.3) He inherited his dad’s earldom in 1053 which made him the richest in England.4) he was a skilful military leader.

Question 10

Give 2 negatives about Harold Godwinson becoming king:

Answer 10

1) Not a blood relative.2) Tried but failed to overthrow Edward the Confessor in 1053.

Question 11

What kind of castles did William build to establish control?

Answer 11

Motte and bailey castles - made from wood.

Question 12

Describe the MOTTE in a motte and bailey castle:

Answer 12

The motte was an earthen mound encircled by a ditch and palisade (fence). A tower, often called a KEEP, was built on top of the mount.

Question 13

How was the ‘KEEP’ in a motte and bailey castle hard to attack?

Answer 13

The ditches made it harder for attackers to reach the keep.

Question 14

Describe the BAILEY in a motte and bailey castle:

Answer 14

The bailey was the outer area of the castle which was defended by a wooden palisade and ditch.

Question 15

Where were the troops stationed outside a motte and bailey castle?

Answer 15

In the bailey with their horses, they could retreat to the motte for extra protection as the keel was the safest area.

Question 16

Why were castles built? (2)

Answer 16

STRATEGICThey housed soldiers who would put downy any attempted rebellion in their area. SYMBOLICCastles were also a permanent reminder to the English of who was now governing the country.

Question 17

By the end of William’s preparations, how much troops and tools did he have?

Answer 17

7,000 soldiers including cavalry and archers.3,000 horses.700 ships.

Question 18

Give 3 examples of William’s preparations for the BATTLE OF HASTINGS?

Answer 18

1) The pope gave him a papal banner which showed God was on his side.2) He called all his lords and knights from Normandy and beyond.3) He built pre fabricated castles to take to England to keep his troops safe and to control the surrounding land.

Question 19

What affected Harold and his soldiers in the Battle Of Hastings?

Answer 19

They had just marched north and fought off Tostig and Hardrada at STEMFORD BRIDGE. They covered 200 miles in under a week and were exhausted. His troops were exhausted and Harold was over confident.

Question 20

What factor helped Willian’s success?

Answer 20

The weather had delayed William travelling so he had lots of time to prepare.

Question 21

In the actual battle, why did William have an advantage?

Answer 21

Harold relied on foot soldiers whereas William had heavily armed cavalry. The English relied on a shield position but the Norman’s attacked.

Question 22

Write a brief summary of WILLIAM RUFUS 11 (William’s son).

Answer 22

Went to England 7/8th September 1087 with a letter which ordered Lanfranc to help him. Crowned king on the 26th.1088 Bishop Odo plotted rebellion, Rufus was informed and divided it with a combination of promises and a reminder of their oath of loyalty. Odo surrendered.

Question 23

Write a a brief summary of Henry 1 (William’s son).

Answer 23

2nd August 1100 Rufus died in hunting accident. Suspected Henry did it (young bro) as he swiftly oil the throne.1107 Henry 1 ruled both Normandy and England as his father had done - the NORMAN CONQUEST remained intact.

Question 24

How did William establish control in his first stop - HASTINGS? (Mention Romney too)

Answer 24

He waited at Hastings but the main English earls didn’t surrender to him - they wanted Edgar as their king. Left a garrison of soldiers at Hastings while he went to Romney to punish the town for their role in killing Normans.

Question 25

How did William establish control in his 3rd and 4th stops - DOVER and CANTERBURY?

Answer 25

Dover - they swiftly surrendered knowing how William dealt with Romney. Left the town and left a garrison of soldiers to defend his position.Canterbury - the citizens promised to be loyal to William.

Question 26

How did William establish control at his 5th stop - WINCHESTER?

Answer 26

He sent troops to take control of this important city which housed the royal treasury and QUEEN EDITH surrendered. Harold’s sons fled to Ireland.

Question 27

How did William establish control? Refer to EDGAR AETHELING.

Answer 27

English still didn’t want William to be King. Concerns about Edgar’s age made people lose support. Once William started his violent stuff in the south, In December Edgar and many English nobles swore oath of loyalty to William.

Question 28

When was William crowned King? By who? Where?

Answer 28

Christmas Day.Archbishop of York, Ealdred.Westminster Abbey.

Question 29

Dealing with powerful English Lords. Refer to Legitamacy:

Answer 29

William claimed he was the rightful heir to the throne - that he had been promised the throne by Edward the Confessor. To help prove this, he ensured there was continuity from Edward’s reign.

Question 30

To help prove his legitimacy, William ensured continuity from Edward the Confessor’s reign. Give 2 examples of this:

Answer 30

1) ROYAL WRITS continued to be written in English until the 1070’s.2) Stigand remained ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY until 1070.

Question 31

Dealing with the powerful English lords. Refer to William’s supporters:

Answer 31

English lords who pledged loyalty were allowed to keep their lands. Earls Edwin, Morcar and Waltheof were allowed to keep their titles and land. Others were able to buy land from him.

Question 32

Dealing with the powerful English lords. Refer to punishment for opponents:

Answer 32

William delay harshly with those who had died at Hastings. Seized their land, disinherited their families and gave it to Normans who has fought for him.

Question 33

Did William ever feel secure enough to leave England after establishing control?

Answer 33

Yes, MARCH 1067. But he took some of his potential enemies with him so he could watch them closely. Included:1) Archbishop Stigand.2) Edgar Aetheling.3) Earls: Edwin, Morcac & Waltheof.

Question 34

Dealing with the early revolts. Refer to taxes:

Answer 34

They started collecting taxes to pay for building castles and to pay the Norman soldiers. This made the English hate them.

Question 35

Dealing with early revolts. Describe William’s change of strategy:

Answer 35

William knew peaceful tactics were not working so the next rebellion gave William an excuse to violently crush English rebellions.

Question 36

What caused the Harrying of the North?

Answer 36

The north had always been a difficult area to control, even for the Anglo Saxon kings.

Question 37

What were the events of the Harrying of the North?

Answer 37

1069 - William appointed Robert Cumin was appointed to take care of the area. He travelled north with an army numbering into hundreds, killing them etc. The Northumbrians fought back.

Question 38

What did the HARRYING OF THE NORTH result in?

Answer 38

A general uprising which encouraged the return of Edgar Atheling and others - led an attack on York. William promptly put down the rebellion and built a second castle in York and put WILLIAM FITZ OSBERN in charge which reflected how seriously William took the uprising.

Question 39

DEALING WITH EAST ANGLIA.How did this start?

Answer 39

Many of his followers were clamouring for a return to Normandy, he paid them off by taking money from the monasteries.Danes were joined by King Swein 1070, wanted to take England out of Norman Hands.

Question 40

How did William deal with King Swein in the east anglia revolt?

Answer 40

Swein had already given up on the idea of conquering England and resigned himself to the tradition of viking raids. William made a favourable deal and Swein returned to Denmark.

Question 41

How did William deal with Hereward during the East Anglia revolt?

Answer 41

Hereward was joined by Earl Morcar but they were soon defeated and Morcar was imprisoned for the rest of his life. Hereward was held for some time but given his lands back eventually as he was a nuisance not a serious threat.

Question 42

From 1072 there was relative stability in England. What helped this?

Answer 42

William made an agreement with King Malcom of Scotland called “The peace of Abernethy” and Malcom made William his superior and expelled Edgar Atheling from his court.

Question 43

What was the EARLS REVOLT in 1075 caused by?

Answer 43

Roger, Earl of Hereford became dissatisfied with his position as his father William Fitz Osbern had been able to rule more freely and had more influence. He plotted with the Earl of East Anglia Ralph de Gael and persuaded Earl Waltheof to be involved.

Question 44

Why was the earls revolt of 1075 unsuccessful?

Answer 44

Waltheof did not join in, he fled to Normandy hoping to save his own position. Roger&Ralph lost all their land and Waltheof was beheaded. This was the last major revolt against William.