The Normans and Land Flashcards
Why was land important for the Normans?
Land ownership provided food, money, followers and fighting men. It was therefore a source of power in England during William’s reign.
What percent of the land did William gift to the church?
25%
What percent of the land did William keep for himself?
The king directly owned about one fifth of the land.
By 1087, how much land was owned by William’s tenants-in-chiefs?
50%
By 1087, how many tenants-in-chiefs did William have? How many were Anglo-Saxon?
~190 (only 2 were Saxon)
Half the land owned by the tenants (25%) in chief was held by how many people?
11, notably these included William’s greatest supporters, such as Odo and William FitzOsbern.
How much land did the Anglo-Saxons get in Norman England?
By 1087, less than 5% of the land was held by Anglo-Saxons, and this was mostly in the form of smaller estates.
How many thegns held land in 1066, in comparison to 1086?
There were about 4,000 thegns holding land in England when William took over in 1066. These were a potential threat to his rule. William took land from the thegns. By 1086 only four Anglo-Saxon thegns remained.
