The Feudal System Flashcards
Before the Normans, who were the English ruled by?
The King and the Anglo Saxon aristocracy- the earls
How was England divided?
Into earldoms and governed by earls like Godwin of Wessex
Who could the Saxon king make an Earl?
Anyone
What did the Saxon expect in return for earldom?
Patronage - oaths of allegiance
What happened during war in anglo Saxon England?
King requested to be support of troops from an Earl who had to give the service of their housecarls and fyrd
What did William initially allow Saxons to keep?
Their earldoms
What did William do with large areas without an Earl (mostly because they were killed at Hastings)?
Split them into smaller areas and appointed Normans to govern them
What were the Normans appointed to govern earldoms called?
Barons or tenants-in-chief
When was the last English Earl beheaded?
1076
Who was the last English Earl?
Earl Waltheof
Who did land ownership remain with?
William
Who did the king give land and titles to?
Barons and earls in return for patronage and military service
What did barons give to their knights?
Protection, shelter, food and sometimes land
What did knights guarantee?
Military aid and loyalty to the king
% of land controlled by the church
25%
How could military service for knights be avoided?
Paying a scutage tax
How did the king assert more control over tenants?
Charging fees when they died, controlling the marriage of their widows and redistributing land when there was no male heir
How many English thegns held land in Saxon England?
4000
Who was land mostly owned by in Norman England?
King, church, barons and bishops
How many barons and bishops owned Norman land?
200
What was a lot of land took over as under William?
Royal Forests
How did the size of land William gave out change?
Much smaller often confined to one county
What did distributing smaller amounts of land prevent?
Barons getting too powerful and building a power base from which to challenge the king’s position
Under the Saxons, property and land was divided among all the sons, how did William change this?
Introduced primogeniture where did he property was passed on to the eldest son
