Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
Government in Anglo-Saxon England (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How was Anglo-Saxon England Governed? - Summary
Anglo-Saxon England depended heavily on the connection between national and local government. The king decided on all the laws of the land with the advice of the Witan. This was then passed down through the earls.
At this stage, local government systems would take over. Earldoms split into shires that were further divided into hundreds, tithings and hides. Thegns and shire reeves governed these smaller parts of land.
All in Anglo-Saxon society were clear about their role and responsibilities for the running of the country. Without the support of the hierarchy underneath, the king could not successfully rule England.
The Witan
The Witan was a council of important English aristocrats
The Witan included earls and archbishops
The Witan advised the king on matters such as:
The threat of foreign powers
Religious issues
How to resolve land disputes
The king did not have to listen to the Witan
The king chose the representatives for the Witan and how often it met
The Witan did hold one important power
When a king died, it had to approve who would become the next king
The Power of Anglo-Saxon Earls
The king chose the earl for each earldom in England
The Viking King of England, Cnut, chose the boundaries for each earldom in 1015
Cnut chose Godwin to become the Earl of Wessex
Godwin was not a Viking. He was an Anglo-Saxon thegn
The king bestowed earldoms on his loyal supporters
Cnut chose Godwin to become Earl of Wessex because of his honesty and loyalty
The king needed the earldoms to help him govern England
As a result, the king gave earls several of his powers
What royal powers did the earls possess?
The Limits to Anglo-Saxon Earls
Under a powerful king, earls had limited power
Strong, warrior kings like Cnut demanded obedience and loyalty from their earls
Earls faced harsh punishments if they defied the king. Punishments included:
The loss of the earldom
Exile
Death
Thegns could demand that the king remove an earl from his position
In 1065, Edward removed and exiled Tostig, the Earl of Northumbria and son of Godwin
The Northumbrian thegns protested against Tostig for the way he ruled Northumbria
This limited an earl's power
Without the support of thegns, the earl could not govern the day-to-day life of his earldom
The Shire, the Hundred and the Hide in Anglo-Saxon England
The king divided his local government into shires, hundreds, tithings and hides
How was the local area divided in Anglo-Saxon England?
The functions of shires
Each earldom could contain many shires
Shires were important for the earl for multiple reasons:
Social | Political | Economic | Military |
|---|---|---|---|
Shires had their own courts to hear criminal cases and decide on the punishment | Each shire had a political representative of the king. They were called shire reeves | Each shire contained a burh. Burhs were walled towns. They were the centres of trade for each shire | Shires had to provide soldiers for the army. The army and the soldiers within it were called the fyrd |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students struggle to understand the connection between shires, hundreds, tithings and hides. Try to remember that the names of many counties in England today are based on Anglo-Saxon shires. An example of this is Northamptonshire. This should remind you that a shire is the largest measurement below an earldom.
The Shire Reeves
Shire reeves were local government officials that operated in each shire
They were sometimes referred to as sheriffs
The king communicated to the shire reeves through letters
The king closed each letter with his royal seal. This indicated to the shire reeve that the orders were genuine
Duties of a shire reeve
Collect rent from people using the king's land
Collect geld tax
Geld tax was a land tax that the king used to pay off Viking invaders. It was originally called Danegeld
Collect fines imposed by the shire courts
Act as witnesses to oversee judgements in the shire courts
Ensure that each hide provided men for the fyrd
Upkeep roads and walls
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you to what extent the Anglo-Saxon way of government was similar to the Norman style of government. Information about how the Normans governed England is here. The shire reeves (or sheriffs) are a strong example of similarities between the two systems.
What was the Fyrd?
The fyrd was the military force available to the king in times of war
Historians believe that there were two types of fyrd
Types of fyrd
| The select fyrd | The general fyrd |
|---|---|---|
Area of service | Could fight anywhere in England for the king | Only fought in their local area for the king |
Members | Consisted of thegns and their followers | Consisted of the general population |
Training and equipment | Well-equipped with weapons, armour and horses. The thegn would train these men together | Could have limited weaponry such as pitchforks and clubs. The soldiers did not receive any training |
Length of service | Could only serve the fyrd for 40 days. This was because they could not let the management of their land suffer | Could only serve the fyrd for 40 days. This was because they could not let the management of their land suffer |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of government in Anglo-Saxon England
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of Anglo-Saxon government was shire reeves (1). Shire reeves collected taxes, rent and fines from the shire to pass onto the king (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering ‘Describe one feature of…’ questions, the two marks are given to you for:
Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)
Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
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