Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2016

Last exams 2025

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The Revolt of the Earls, 1075 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Revision Note

Zoe Wade

Written by: Zoe Wade

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

How was the Revolt of the Earls Different to Anglo-Saxon Resistance? - Timeline & Summary

The Revolt of the Earls in 1075 showed that William faced unrest from his own people. Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Gaul were Norman earls. They gained power through their fathers' loyalty to William. Their success and wealth were reliant on their faithfulness to William. This showed that rebellion could occur from any section of society.

A key similarity between this rebellion and the Anglo-Saxon rebellions is the motivation for revolt. The earls complained of a loss of land and power during William's reign. These reasons motivated Edwin, Morcar, Hereward and the North of England to rebel against William. William's pursuit of centralised power affected both Anglo-Saxon and Norman aristocracy.

Which Earls Revolted in 1075?

Name of earl

Earldom

Nationality

Life in 1066

Life after the Norman Conquest

Ralph de Gael

East Anglia

Norman

Ralph's father served Edward the Confessor. Ralph spent his childhood in Normandy

William gifted Ralph's father with the earldom of East Anglia. Ralph arrived in England in 1069 to inherit the earldom after his father's death. Ralph had married Roger de Breteuil's sister in 1075

Roger de Breteuil

Hereford

Norman

Roger's father was William FitzOsbern, the Lord of Breteuil in Normandy

William heavily rewarded Roger's father for his loyalty. Roger became the Earl of Hereford after FitzOsbern died in 1071

Waltheof

Northumbria

Anglo-Saxon

Watheof's father, Siward, was the Earl of Northumbria. He died in 1055. Tostig took Waltheof's claim to the earldom. In 1065, Waltheof became the Earl of Northamptonshire

Waltheof submitted to William and kept the earldom of Northamptonshire. After his involvement in the Northern rebellions in 1069, Waltheof submitted again. William pardoned him. In 1072, William gave Waltheof the earldom of Northumbria as an apology for the Harrying of the North

Reasons for the Revolt of the Earls, 1075

Illustration of three historical figures with speech bubbles: Ralph de Gael, Roger de Breteuil, and Waltheof, expressing dissatisfaction and rebellion plans against William.
An illustration showing why each of the earls decided to rebel against William in 1075

Worked Example

Describe one feature of the Revolt of the Earls in 1075

2 marks

Answer: 

One feature of the Revolt of the Earls is the reduction of the Norman earls' power (1). Roger was especially angry at William's control of the sheriffs in the Marcher earldoms (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.

What Happened in the Revolt of the Earls, 1075?

Flowchart explaining a rebellion plan: Roger tells Waltheof. They plan with their territories. Waltheof contacts King Sweyn for fleet support. They wait till William leaves. Plan fails due to Waltheof informing Lanfranc and the Danish fleet arriving too late.
A flow diagram showing the events in the Revolt of the Earls in 1075

Why was the Revolt of the Earls Defeated?

The weakness of the earls

The strength of the Norman reaction

Waltheof broke his promise and informed Lanfranc of the plan. This allowed the Normans to stop the revolt before it even began

Lanfranc responded well to Waltheof's information. He sent scouts to Hereford and East Anglia to gain information on Ralph and Roger's preparations. They saw that the castles and troops in both earldoms were increasing in strength

The earls did not back down when they knew that the Normans had uncovered their plan. Lanfranc wrote to Roger pleading him not to rebel. Roger continued with the plan

Lanfranc used the Church to respond to the revolt. Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester and the abbot of Evesham trapped Roger in Herefordshire. He excommunicated Roger, limiting his power with the Norman aristocracy

The earls did not consider how long a Danish fleet would take to arrive in England. The Danes arrived with 200 ships, but after William returned from Normandy. The Danes did not want to fight William in battle. Instead, the Danes raided the East Coast and pillaged York Cathedral before returning to Denmark

The Normans managed to gain Anglo-Saxon support against the rebellion. A combined Norman and Anglo-Saxon military force prevented Ralph from leaving East Anglia

What Happened to the Earls after the Revolt?

  • Ralph escaped to Brittany 

    • His wife, and Roger's sister, held Norwich castle 

      • She managed to negotiate safe passage to Brittany for herself and Ralph's followers

      • Any of Ralph's rebels that remained in England were blinded or exiled

    • William travelled to Normandy and attacked Ralph's castle at Dol

      • Ralph's soldiers forced William to retreat. William's army could not match new Norman military tactics

  • Waltheof fled England

    • William promised that he would forgive Waltheof if he submitted to him

      • When Waltheof returned, William imprisoned him

      • William executed Waltheof in May 1076

  • William captured Roger

    • William imprisoned Roger for the rest of his life

Examiner Tips and Tricks

An exam question based on this section could ask you to explain why the Revolt of the Earls failed. There are multiple reasons. However, the key reasons for Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Gael's failure were:

  • Waltheof's betrayal

  • The lateness of the arrival of the Danish fleet

  • Lanfranc's reaction

This is a 12-mark question. Ensure you write three paragraphs that:

  • P - Make a point about the question

  • E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made

  • E - Explain why this evidence caused the failure of the Revolt of the Earls. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the Normans to stop the plan or for the plan to fail

  • L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how significant this factor is for the failure of the Revolt of the Earls

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Zoe Wade

Author: Zoe Wade

Expertise: History

Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.