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What did William the Conqueror do with Anglo-Saxon thegns?
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What did William the Conqueror do with Anglo-Saxon thegns?
William replaced thegns with under-tenants. This class were vassals of the tenants-in-chief. This means that under-tenants lacked the powers that thegns held in the Anglo-Saxon system.
Define the feudal system in the context of Norman England.
The feudal system is a structure of power. People of higher rank gave people land and protection in return for food and military service. In Norman England, the king was at the top of the system followed by tenants-in-chief and under-tenants. Peasants were at the bottom of society.
Why did William the Conqueror introduce the feudal system?
William introduced the feudal system to reduce the cost of maintaining an army. This system shifted the responsibility of paying, feeding and equipping soldiers onto under-tenants. This reduced the financial burden on the king.
Define a fief in Norman England.
A fief was land held by an under-tenant in return for services to a lord. It was also known as a feud.
What did tenants-in-chief have to provide to the king in Norman England?
Tenants-in-chief had to provide a set number of knights, tax and service in the baronial courts to the king.
What did under-tenants provide to peasants and ceorls in Norman England?
Under-tenants provided land to farm to peasants and ceorls. This was vital for them to grow crops and raise livestock for the country.
What legal responsibilities did tenants-in-chief have in Norman England?
Tenants-in-chief could have a large number of fiefs, called a barony. They had to judge tenants' land disputes in the barony.
True or False?
Knights only had a military role in Norman England.
False.
Knights had military, social and political roles in Norman England. Many knights became local lords and tried cases in the manorial court. They needed stables and blacksmiths which gave work to some people in the area.
What were three ways someone could gain landholdings in the Norman feudal system?
Someone could gain landholdings through:
Relief payments
Homage ceremonies
Manual labour for their lord in exchange for land
How could someone lose landholdings in the Norman feudal system?
Landholders could lose land by not providing soldiers or labour, refusing to pay taxes or going against their act of homage. In such cases, William could force the forfeiture of the land. He could then give this land to someone else.
How close a relationship did the Church and the government have in Norman England?
The Church and the government had a very close relationship. Clergymen helped develop laws, issue the king's writs, represent the king in negotiations and advise the king on personal and national matters.
What year did Lanfranc replace Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury?
Lanfranc replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070. After the Anglo-Saxon rebellions in 1068-1071, William replaced the Anglo-Saxon clergy with Normans.
How was Lanfranc's approach as the Archbishop of Canterbury different to Stigand's?
Lanfranc aimed to remove corruption from the Church whereas Stigand was accused of simony (giving church jobs to people for money). Lanfranc was also the Head of the Church in Norman England. Stigand had little control over archbishops.
True or False?
One of Lanfranc's reforms was to allow clergymen to marry.
False.
Lanfranc banned the clergy from marrying. Lanfranc believed that Anglo-Saxon clergy were immoral. He did not want Norman priests to act as normal people in society.
Define archdeacon in the context of Lanfranc's reforms on the Norman Church.
An archdeacon is a role below bishops but above priests in the Church hierarchy. Lanfranc increased the number of archdeacons. This improved the Church's control over parish priests.
How did Lanfranc increase the Norman Church's legal power in 1076?
Lanfranc increased the Church's legal power by establishing exclusive bishop courts to hear and try legal cases involving the clergy.
Define Normanisation.
Normanisation refers to the process by which the Norman rulers exerted more control and influence over England. William aligned Church practices with Norman customs and procedures.
Give two reasons why the English Church was Normanised in the 11th century.
The English Church was Normanised so:
It could spread political messages to the people
The Church could protect land under their control from Anglo-Saxon rebellion
How did Normanisation increase William the Conqueror's power?
Normanisation increased William's power because he had control over choosing bishops and overseeing Church courts. William controlled what the Church could communicate to the Pope. English clergymen had to obey William over the Pope.
True or False?
Normanisation only affected the Church, not the rest of England.
False.
Normanisation affected many aspects of English society. Norman castles, a loss of Scandinavian trade and the restrictions of earls and thegns are all examples of the Normanisation of England.
Name three ways that the government of England changed under William the Conqueror
The government of England changed because William:
Centralised power
Reduced the power of the earls and the size of earldoms
Relied on regents to rule England when he returned to Normandy. This changed when he decided that Normandy was easier to rule through regents
True or False?
William the Conqueror kept some aspects of Anglo-Saxon government including measurements of land and the Witan.
True.
William kept the hide, the hundred and the shire for tax purposes. He also used the Witan, especially in 1085, when England was under threat of a Danish invasion.
Did Norman sheriffs have more or less power than Anglo-Saxon shire reeves?
More.
Sheriffs were very powerful in society, answering only to the king. Anglo-Saxon shire reeves were less important and had to report to earls.
Define the demesne in terms of Norman sheriffs.
The demesne was the land that the king or a tenant kept for his own use rather than granting the land as a fief to an under-tenant. Sheriffs collected geld tax and monitored the king's demesne
Which two courts reduced the legal responsibilities of sheriffs in Norman England?
The two courts that reduced the legal responsibilities of sheriffs were the Church courts and the manorial courts.
Define a castellan in Norman England.
A castellan was the governor of a castle and its surrounding lands. Castellans were local lords but accountable to a tenant-in-chief. Sheriffs could be a tenant-in-chief or a castellan.
Did Anglo-Saxons have a positive or negative view of Norman sheriffs?
Negative.
Many people resented the Norman sheriffs. Anglo-Saxons considered Norman sheriffs to be greedy and corrupt. Norman sheriffs had replaced many Anglo-Saxon shire reeves.
What percentage of England became a royal forest under William the Conqueror?
Around 30% of England became ‘royal forest’ under William. Forest land meant that William reserved and protected the land for hunting by law. This took land away from other landholders.
True or False?
The Forest Laws were deeply unpopular in Norman England.
True.
The Forest Laws changed traditional ways of life. People could no longer use the land for farming, grazing or hunting, This created resentment among ordinary people.
How did William the Conqueror enforce the Forest Laws?
William enforced the Forest Laws by introducing harsh punishments, such as blinding, on those who broke the laws.
How did the Forest Laws provide money to William the Conqueror?
The Forest Laws provided money to William the Conqueror because people could purchase hunting rights. William could also fine those who broke the Forest Laws.
True or False?
The Domesday Book aimed to discover who was religious in England.
False.
The Domesday Book aimed to discover information about landownership in England. William wanted to know who owned what pieces of land, how much land was worth and if there were land disputes.
When was the Domesday Book completed?
The Domesday Book was completed in August 1086. It took around eight months to complete.
Define arable in the context of the Domesday Book.
Arable is land that is used to grow crops. William wanted the Domesday Book to identify which land was arable in England. The function of land in England would determine how much tax landowners needed to pay the king.
How did the Domesday Book help William militarily?
The Domesday Book helped William militarily because it listed how many men each tenant-in-chief could provide as soldiers to William. This was important in 1085 when William feared a Viking invasion from Denmark.
How did the Domesday Book determine who owned which pieces of land in Norman England?
The surveyors listened to each person's claim to the land. They also interviewed key people in the hundred. This helped the surveyors decide who owned the land. This information was written into the Domesday Book.
Did the Domesday Book help William increase or decrease tax?
Increase.
William used the Domesday Book to impose a large geld tax in 1086.
Define the Norman aristocracy.
The Norman aristocracy refers to the noble class of Normans who held significant power and influence in Norman England.
How did the Norman aristocracy influence English cathedrals?
The Norman aristocracy paid for all of the English cathedrals to be rebuilt in the Norman style.
True or False?
Many Norman aristocrats could not speak English
True.
The first wave of Norman settlers could not speak English. They relied on interpreters to translate into French. Written English almost disappeared by the 12th century.
Who was Bishop Odo?
Bishop Odo was William the Conqueror's half-brother. He was the Bishop of Bayeux.
Did the Bishop of Odo have a good or bad reputation in Norman times?
Bad reputation
Odo was not well-respected in Norman times. People in Normandy believed that Odo was greedy and immoral. However, Odo had given a lot of support to William.
What year did Bishop Odo fall out of favour with William the Conqueror?
Bishop Odo fell out of favour with William the Conqueror in 1082.
When William died, why did Bishop Odo not support the rule of William's son, William Rufus?
Odo did not support the rule of William's son, William Rufus because he believed that William's eldest son, Robert Curthose, should be king.
When did Bishop Odo start a rebellion against William II?
Odo started a rebellion against William II in 1088. Odo's brother, Robert of Mortain, joined the revolt.
True or False?
Odo's rebellion was the only uprising in 1088.
False.
Odo's rebellion triggered other uprisings across England. Roger de Montgomery and Roger de Lacy started a significant rebellion in the West.
Did Bishop Odo's rebellion succeed or fail?
Fail.
Odo's rebellion failed to gain support from the Norman aristocracy and the English. William II also had better tactics to eliminate the threat of Odo's invasion.
What were the two sides to William the Conqueror's personality?
The two sides of William's personality was:
William was a cruel person willing to do anything to remain in power
William was devout and was a caring husband
Who was William the Conqueror's eldest son?
William the Conqueror's eldest son was Robert Cuthose.
Did William the Conqueror treat Robert Curthose kindly or cruelly?
Cruelly.
William gave Robert the nickname 'Curthose', which means 'short stockings.' This nickname mocked Robert's physical appearance.
How was Robert Curthose's rebellion against William the Conqueror resolved in 1080?
Robert's mother Matilda reunited Robert and William in Easter 1080. She demanded that Robert ended his rebellion and William reinstated Robert as heir of Normandy.
When did William the Conqueror die?
William the Conqueror died in September 1087 after suffering significant injuries from a horse riding accident.
Why did people think that William the Conqueror's funeral showed God's anger at William?
William's funeral showed God's anger at William because when the attendants tried to place William's body in a stone tomb, William's abdomen burst. The smell meant that the mourners ran out of the cathedral.
True or False?
William allowed only one son to inherit his titles.
False.
William allowed both Robert Curthose and William Rufus to inherit titles. Robert became the Duke of Normandy and William Rufus was King of England.
Why did Robert Curthose oppose William Rufus becoming King of England?
Robert opposed William becoming King of England because Robert was the eldest son of William the Conqueror. He believed that, following Norman tradition, he should inherit all his father's land and titles.
What did William Rufus do to gain popularity in England in 1088?
William gained popularity in England for defeating Bishop Odo's rebellion in 1088. Robert Curthose's alliance with Odo made his claim to the English throne weaker.
Why did Robert Curthose have to share the rule of Normandy with William Rufus?
Robert Curthose had to share the rule of Normandy with William Rufus because William Rufus used money to bribe the Norman barons for their support. As some of the barons did not support Curthose rule, both brothers had to rule Normandy together.