The Harrying Of The North: Reasons, Features And Impacts

Question 1

What where the five reasons as to why William carried out the harrying of the north ? VPFFA

Answer 1

• Vengance for the deaths of his Norman supporters
• Punish rebels so they wouldn’t dare rebel again
• Fear due to the widespread nature of the rebellions
• Frustrations at the constant rebellions- kept on happening
• Anger at the failure of English leaders to accept him

Question 2

List the events of the harrying of the north by place and say abit about it ?

Answer 2

Starts in Yorkshire(centre of rebellions)
Then spreads north to Durham and Northumberland
Then lancashire, Cheshire and down towards the welsh border

Question 3

What was it like for Williams troops ?

Answer 3

They faced appalling conditions and drove them close to mutiny
This was heightened when they had to cross the Pennines

Question 4

What where some things that William did during the harrying of the North?

Answer 4

Burning homes
Destruction of crops
Killing of farm animals- risk of starvation
Local people killed if they showed any sign of resistance
Salting of the land making it useless for farming and the effects are still ongoing to today

Question 5

How damaging was the harrying ?

Answer 5

Very damaging
-Tones of people killed
- leaving the region due to famine
- for nine years people left the north
We get all this ink from the Orderic Vitalis

Question 6

How did it affect the land and where do we get this info ?

Answer 6

Some land became worth nothing such as
Shippen and Sturton previously worth 80 shillings now waste
What does Waste suggest- no houses and no farming taking place

All from the doomsday book

Question 7

How do some historians describe the harrying of the north ?

Answer 7

A genocide however many historians believe the damage is over exaggerated although it was still a very big problem

Question 8

What are two reasons for why historians believe the doomsday book( where we get a lot of our info on the harrying of the north) is exaggerated ? Think Scots and the word waste

Answer 8

• some of the damage may of been delt by the Scots who frequently invaded during the 1070’s
• does waste mean there are no people or farming or could it mean the conditions are so chaotic the Domesday officials couldn’t get a value ?

Question 9

When was the harrying of the North ?

Answer 9

1069-1070 was the main time period however sources vary in their dates

Question 10

What are two short and two long term affects of the harrying of the north ?

Answer 10

Short
- Many death
- Destruction of homes
Long
- Increased Norman landownership in the north
- Greatly reduced chances of further rebellion

Question 11

What did William build as he travelled from place to
Place ?

Answer 11

Castles
Such as the ones at Chester and Stafford which gave him greater control for the North