William Taking Control After Hastings

Question 1

What does patronage mean?

Answer 1

Giving lands and positions or power to people to ensure their loyalty.

Question 2

What does concession mean?

Answer 2

Compromising or giving what your enemy wants to make them support you.

Question 3

What does legality mean?

Answer 3

How William tried to show that he was rightfully king.

Question 4

How did William use concessions to take control?

Answer 4

After he claimed the throne when the city of Exeter rebelled he did not punish or tax them hoping to win their support.

In 1069 a rebellion consisting of Vikings joined up with the English army to overthrow William. William payed the Vikings to return to their ships and leave in England.

Question 5

How did William use patronage to gain control?

Answer 5

The people got new Norman lords, who had been given English lands as a reward for fighting in Hastings.

English lords who pledged loyalty to home were allowed to keep their lands.

Edgar Aetheling was given land along with earls Edwin and Morcar who were given lands and titles.

Question 6

How did William use legality to gain control?

Answer 6

William claimed he was the rightful heir to the throne - had been promised it by Edward the confessor before he died.

To prove legitimacy of his claim he tried to ensure there was continuity from Edward the Confessors reign.

Question 7

How did William use military presence to gain control?

Answer 7

In 1068 city of Exeter refused to swear loyalty to him. William besieged the city for 18 days and then left it guarded by his half brother Robert of Mortain , earl of Cornwall and his soldiers.

In 1068 after he made Edwin and Morcar submit after they rebelled, he went on to build castles in Nottingham, York, Lincoln, Huntington and Cambridge to impose military presence to prevent further rebellions.

Normand made English build castles for them everywhere. No place was within a days journey to a castle.

Question 8

How did William use terror to gain control?

Answer 8

1067-1069 many rebellions took place so William started to violently crush them.

William had waited a fortnight for the earls and lords at Hastings to surrender. He left a garrison of soldiers and went to Romney to punish the town.
He was angry and the towns had taken late in killing Norman’s during the battle of H so he burnt much if the town and killed many. -1066

Harrying of the North.

Question 9

Who led the rebellion that caused the harrying of the North?

Answer 9

In 1069 there was a rebellion in the north supported by Edgar Aetheling and king Swein of Denmark (with soldiers ina fleet of 240 ships).

Question 10

How did William react to the rebellion in York in 1069 and how did this help him gain control?

Answer 10

The rebels attacked York. William defeated them quickly and built a second castle. He put William Fitz Osborn in charge.
Then he laid waste to York and the areas surrounding it burning the fields and homes and killing any living thing in site. Slaughtered many people this put revels of from attacking again. Made land infertile for crops or animals.

Question 11

Who was Hereward wake and why didn’t he like William?

Answer 11

Hereward had a grudge against William and normal earls as they confiscated lands from his father and brother. So he joined the rebellion with the English Earls and their foreign support. They set up base in an abbey on the isle of Ely.

Question 12

Give the events in order of the rebellion involving Hereward Wake in the Isle of Ely.

Answer 12

• William besieged the Island.
• William built a rampart across the marshland 3km long and a defensive platform on the track.
• too many Norman soldiers crossed the rampart at once so it sank into the marshland.
• William built a sledge tower and ‘apparently’ brought witch to torment h rebels. Stood at top of tower and chanted spells.
• Hereward set fire to the area, sledge tower and part of the bridge.
• Hereward was betrayed by the monks, who told William about a secret route.
• rebels surrender and Hereward disappears.

Question 13

What was the revolt against the northern Earls in 1075?

Answer 13

In 1075 Ralph de Gael (earl of east Anglia), Rogerde Breteiul (Earl of Hereford) and Waltherof (earl of Northumbria) 3 of the most powerful men in England plotted to overthrow the king. This involves Norman’s and Anglo-saxons and the men decided to split England between them. They had support of Danish King, Cnut.

Question 14

When did the rebel’s time their revolt (revolt of the northern Earls)?

Answer 14

When William was in a Normandy, with Archbishop Lanfranc in charge if England.

Question 15

What was Waltheoff’s history of rebellion against William?

Answer 15

Earl of Northumbria, last English Earl. At 16he submitted to William in 1066 and rebelled again in 1069 before submitting again. He was pardoned and married king William’s niece Judith.

Question 16

Why did Waltheoff rebel (in the revolt of the northern earls)?

Answer 16

With his background of rebellions against William, the last surviving major Anglo Saxon earl appeared as an ideal conspirator who could raise Anglo Saxon support. He also had strong contacts with the king of Denmark.

Question 17

Why did Waltheoff rebel in (the revolt of the northern Earls)?

Answer 17

He was given lands in the south of England and made earl of Northumbria in 1072. However, he was only given half of Northumbria and was much less wealthy than Norman Earls.

Question 18

Why did Roger, earl of Hereford resent William?

Answer 18

He inherited some of his fathers land but resented that he was give far less power and land than his father.

Question 19

Why did Ralph, Earl of Norfolk resent William?

Answer 19

He came form Brittany and he and his father fought for William at Hastings. His father dies around 1069 and he inherited most of his lands and tittles but was still given less power.
However he did defend Norwich in 1069 against a Danish attack but still resented the lack of power given to him.

Question 20

Why did William want to reduce power given to Earls that led (to the revolt of Northern Earls)

Answer 20

William reduced the power of the Bretuelis now that FitzOsbern was dead. Also William had introduced his own sheriffs into the Marche earldoms, where before the war,s controlled everything for the selves. Roger therefore experienced a frustrating loss of authority.

Question 21

Who was Roger earl of Hereford?

Answer 21

The son of King Williams oldest friend William FitzOsbern, who had played a major part in the invasion and conquest and was Williams most trusted supporter until his death in 1071.

Question 22

What were the four reasons that the northern revolt failed?

Answer 22

The Danes did not arrive in time to support rebellion.
Armies of the earls were prevented from combining.
Waltheoff reported the plot to Lanfranc.
Revolt was poorly planned and never had much support.

Question 23

How did the Danes not arriving in time contribute to the loss of the northern revolt?

Answer 23

They arrived with a huge fleet of 200 ships but by then William had returned to England. The fleet could have stretched Norman defences beyond their limit. However rather than invade they raided the east coast and ransacked York Cathedral before going home. The Anglo Saxon chronicle said the two leaders Cnut and earl Hakon dared not join battle with William himself.

Question 24

How did the armies of the earls not combining contribute to the loss of the northern revolt?

Answer 24

Preparations were made to counter the revolt in the West, Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester and the abbot of Evesham used their troops to prevent Roger crossing the Seven river, keeping him in Herefordshire. The same thing happened in the East with the Normans and the Anglo-Saxon joining together to stop Ralph from breaking out of his earldom of East Anglia.

Question 25

How did Waltheoff reporting plot to Lanfranc contribute to the loss of the northern revolt?

Answer 25

Lanfranc sent men to find out what was happening in Hereford and East Anglia. They reported that the rebels were strengthening the defences of their castles and building up troop and readying for a combined attack. Lanfranc wrote letters to Roger trying to convince home not to rebel and how loyal his father was to William. He used the power of excommunication to cut roger off from the church until he dropped his plans for the revolt.

Question 26

How did the lack of planning and support contribute to the loss of the northern revolt?

Answer 26

The plans were vague and optimistic. They hoped to get Danish support and the support from the English people. Hoped to defeat Williams forces and take over England, splitting it into 3 parts. Waltheoff the North, Roger the West and Ralph the east. They hadn’t decided who would be king and COULD have led to further conflict over the crown if they had beaten Williams armies.

Question 27

Then link between why the revolt failed is…

Answer 27

If Waltheoff hadn’t had told Lanfranc the armies if the earls wouldn’t have been prevented from combining.

Question 28

After the failed Northern Revolt what happened to Ralph of Norfolk?

Answer 28

Cornered by royal army, some of his men captured but managed to flee to Norwich then overseas to Brittany. Left his wife Emma to defend Norwich castle against kings army. Eventually surrender and negotiated safe passage for her and her men to join Ralph. Men captured suffered blinding and mutations as a warning not to rebel.

Question 29

After the failed Northern Revolt what happened to Roger of Hereford?

Answer 29

He was captured. All his lands were taken by the king and he was imprisoned for life, dying sometime after 1087. He was the son of Williams closest friend so would have felt build for killing him?

Question 30

After the failed Northern Revolt what happened to Waltheoff earl of Northumbria?

Answer 30

Put on trial but it took months for William to decide a punishment. Then in May 1076, he was taken out of prison and executed. Initially his body was thrown in a ditch but retrieved and buried in a monastery upon his wife’s request.

Question 31

Why did Waltheoff have a more severe punishment than Falph and Roger.

Answer 31

Ralph and Roger had never rebelled before and were Norman’s.