Why is William the Conqueror worth remembering?

Question 1

How strong was William’s claim to the throne?

Answer 1

Weak - he was the illegitimate son of Robert Duke of Normandy and a distant cousin of Edward.

William claimed Edward had promised him the throne on a visit to England in 1052.

William had the support of the Pope Alexander II he had sent the Norman monk Lanfranc to Rome to get his support.

He said that Harold had broken a sacred oath where he swore to support him.

Question 2

How did William’s army differ to Harold’s?

Answer 2

The Saxons had a group of highly trained foot soldiers called Housecarls. They used a tactic of forming a shield wall, but the majority of the army was composed of the Fyrd. These were brave but untrained farmers.

William’s army was more sophisticated. He had cavalry, archers and foot soldiers which were organised into 3 groups, the Breton, Normans and Flemish.

Question 3

What big advantage did Harold have at Hastings?

Answer 3

His army was positioned on the top of Senlac Hill. It hard to fight up hill so William’s army was disadvantaged.

Question 4

Was William lucky in the timing of the battle of Hastings?

Answer 4

William did have some good luck in the timing of the battle of Hastings, as it was held after Harold’s army had endured a 4 day march over 190 miles after their victory at Stamford Bridge.

Question 5

How did William increase the power of the monarchy through building?

Answer 5

William increased the power of the monarchy more generally by creating a more centralised system of Royal control by establishing 500 motte and bailey castles throughout England and Wales.

Question 6

Describe a motte and bailey castle.

Answer 6

The motte was a hill with a keep on top for security, The bailey houses buildings and land where people could live and keep animals within a wall. Early castles were built in wood for speed and later in stone. as it was more permanent and could withstand fire.

Question 7

How did William use land as a tool to ensure loyalty.

Answer 7

William successfully used land as a method of ensuring support from the nobility. Soon after the conquest, William began to divide up land amongst his supporters. Harold’s land was given to William Fitz Osbern and land from Harold’s brothers was given to Ralph the Staller and William’s brother Bishop Odo. In some cases, Saxon Earls were allowed to keep their land in exchange for loyalty, for example Edwin and Morcar in the north.

Question 8

How did William punish disloyal nobles?

Answer 8

William was ruthless when it came to stripping any opponents of their property. An uprising in Devon and Cornwall in 1068 was crushed and land taken from the Saxons and given to Norman’s as a punishment. That pattern was repeated throughout William’s reign

Question 9

How did William respond to rebellions?

Answer 9

William also enhanced his political control through his efficiency in eradicating any opposition. If there was any disloyalty William was quick to act. During the harrying of the north, William burned and destroyed property and damaged land in response to an Anglo Saxon uprising. As a result thousands of Saxons died of starvation.

Question 10

How many Normans were there controlling the Saxons?

Answer 10

Normans were far fewer than the Saxons. This meant they had to use all forms of control - castles, land distribution, ruthless treatment of rebellions.

Question 11

How did use of existing Anglo Saxon government structures help William?

Answer 11

William cleverly used many of the structures of government that the Anglo Saxons already had in place. The country was divided up in to areas called shires and boroughs. The Saxons were prolific law-makers and there was a tax called the Geld that people accepted. By using these existing systems, William was able to take control of the country very effectively in a short time.

Question 12

What is the essay structure for: Assess the career of William the Conqueror?

Answer 12

Introduction
Military: Good military tactics and some luck
Castles: Good consolidation of power – castles
Land: Division of land among loyal supporters
Rebellions: Ruthless put-down of rebellions
Power: Good use of existing power structure
Conclusion

MCLRP

Question 13

What was the date of the battle of Stamford Bridge where Harold defeated the Vikings near York?

Answer 13

20 September 1066.

Question 14

What was the date of the Battle of Hastings?

Answer 14

14 October 1066.

Question 15

Describe the Saxon army:

Answer 15

The Saxons had a group of highly trained foot soldiers called Housecarls. They used a tactic of forming a shield wall, but the majority of the army was composed of the Fyrd. These were brave but, ultimately untrained farmers.

Question 16

Describe William William’s army:

Answer 16

William’s army was more sophisticated. He had cavalry, archers and foot soldiers which were organised into 3 groups, the Breton, Normans and Flemish.

Question 17

What was the major disadvantage that William’s army had in the battle?

Answer 17

William’s army was at an immediate disadvantage because they were forced to fight the Saxons up the hill from their position on lower ground.

Question 18

What clever tactic did William’s army use to trick the Saxons’s?

Answer 18

William exploited the inexperience of the Saxon army, by pretending to retreat, causing the Saxons to break rank and chase them. Once both armies were on flat ground, William’s force surrounded Harold’s, easily overpowering it.

Question 19

How did building help once he had won the crown?

Answer 19

William’s first measure was to order castles to be built in London, Hereford and Winchester. In all 500 motte and bailey castles were constructed around the country.

Question 20

What do motte and bailey castles provide:

Answer 20

This network gave William and his supporters secure places to inhabit and defend land. They also provided a fortified area for a nobleman’s troops to be based.

Question 21

What is a motte and bailey castle like?

Answer 21

The motte was a hill and on top of the hill was a keep. The Bailey below enclosed buildings where people could live, work and keep animals.

Question 22

How did motte and bailey castles evolve over time?

Answer 22

Firstly they were built in wood and then in stone. Stone was more permanent and importantly fire resistant.

Question 23

How did William use land to strengthen his power?

Answer 23

William successfully used land as a method of ensuring support from the nobility.

Question 24

Give some examples of how William rewarded his supporters with land:

Answer 24

Harold’s land was given to William Fitz Osbern and land from Harold’s brothers was given to Ralph the Staller and William’s brother Bishop Odo.

Question 25

Did William allow some loyal Anglo Saxon supporters to keep their land?

Answer 25

Yes Saxon Earls were allowed to keep their land in exchange for loyalty, for example Edwin and Morcar in the north.

Question 26

How did William punish landowners who were disloyal?

Answer 26

An uprising in Devon and Cornwall in 1068 was crushed and land taken from the Saxons and given to Norman’s as a punishment.

Question 27

What did William do when faced with rebellions?

Answer 27

He was ruthless and quick to act. During the Harrying of the North, William burned and destroyed property and damaged land in response to an Anglo Saxon uprising. As a result thousands of Saxons died of starvation.

Question 28

Why was control of the Saxon population incredibly important?

Answer 28

This was especially important because the Normans were far fewer than the Saxons.

Question 29

How was England organised under the Saxons? Why was this important to William’s success when he took over as king?

Answer 29

The country was divided up in to areas called shires and boroughs. The Saxons were prolific law-makers and there was a tax called the Geld that people accepted. By using these existing systems, William was able to take control of the country very effectively in a short time.

Question 30

Here’s good concluding paragraph to: why was William the Conqueror a successful leader or important historical figure?

Answer 30

Overall, William the Conqueror had a highly successful career as a military and political leader.

He took the crown against accomplished opponents, as a result of his superior skills and tactics.

However, the victory would not be enough to secure England.

William’s organised approach to ruling the land and securing loyalty of his followers by giving them land was the key to turning the victory at Hastings into a kingship.

William accomplished this in very difficult circumstances and we can say that his career as a conquering king was highly successful.

Question 31

Here’s a good introduction paragraph to: why was William the Conqueror a successful leader or important historical figure?

Answer 31

William the Conqueror took the English throne in 1066. He was a highly successful and competent monarch, achieving significant victories in the military and political spheres.

He had a frailer claim to the throne than the other two claimants, Harold Godwinson and Harrold Hardrada but he won the battle of Hastings as a result of his superior military tactics.

He also consolidated his victory extremely effectively by methodically establishing fortifications and land ownership patterns across England which supported his rule.

At a time of poor communications and extremely challenging travel William’s achievements stand out.

It can also be argued he was the founder of early modern England.

Question 32

How many days had Harold’s army marched when they traveled from the battle of Stamford to Senlac Hill?

Answer 32

Harold and his army marched for 7 days from Stamford in Yorkshire to Senlac Hill. A journey of around 250 miles.

Question 33

When did William and his army land in England?

Answer 33

They landed in Pevensey on September 28th 1066.