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The Uprising Against Tostig Godwinson, 1065 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Revision Note

Zoe Wade

Written by: Zoe Wade

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Who was Tostig Godwinson? - Summary

Historians believe that Tostig was the third son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Since the reign of Cnut in 1016, the house of Godwin was powerful in Anglo-Saxon England. By the 1060s, the house of Godwin held nearly as much land as Edward the Confessor.

When Edward exiled Godwin in 1051, Tostig also went into exile. During this time, he married Judith, the half-sister of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders. Tostig returned to England with his father in 1052 to see Godwin's earldom and power restored.

Tostig had a good relationship with Edward the Confessor, the King of England. Edward feared the power of the Godwins and wanted to ensure their support. This began Tostig's rise to power in Anglo-Saxon England.

The Earldom of Northumbria in 1055

Map highlighting Northumbria with annotations: bordered Scotland, experienced Viking attacks, ruled under Danelaw, and was an important earldom due to its size.
A concept map showing key aspects of the earldom of Northumbria

Why was the earldom of Northumbria difficult to rule?

  • There were key differences in the Danelaw

    • There were more ceorls in the Danelaw

      • This meant peasants had more freedom 

    • The people in the Danelaw paid less tax

      • Geld tax originally paid the Vikings not to attack England

      • As many Vikings settled in Northumbria, the tax was not taken from them

  • There were language barriers

    • Southerners would struggle to understand people from Northumbria

    • Northumbrians had different words for key terms

      • The hundred was a wapentake and a hide was a carucate

How did Tostig's Actions as Earl of Northumbria Lead to a Rebellion?

  • Edward the Confessor gave Tostig the earldom of Northumbria in 1055

    • The Earl of Northumbria, Siward, died in 1055

      • Siward had a son called Waltheof

    • Tostig ruled Northumbria for ten years

  • Tostig's style of rule caused a rebellion against him in 1065

Causes of the uprising against Earl Tostig

Action

Why did this cause an uprising against Tostig?

Edward chose a southerner to become the Earl of Northumbria 

Northern nobility had always ruled Northumbria. Northumbrians believed that the South was interfering with the Danelaw

Tostig increased taxes in Northumbria

The Danelaw had been exempt from high taxes. The increase angered the Northumbrians

Tostig accused his enemies of false crimes to take money and land away from them

Northumbrians accused Tostig of abusing his power as earl and applying Southern laws to the North

Tostig had a friendship with Malcolm III, King of Scotland

Northumbrians did not think that Tostig prioritised the protection of the earldom. After Malcolm raided Northumbria in 1061, Tostig agreed to peace terms rather than getting revenge

In 1064, Tostig murdered two of Gospatric's followers. Gospatric was an important Northumbrian aristocrat. Gospatric was also assassinated. He was on his way to complain about Tostig to King Edward

Tostig had invited Gospatric's followers to York as guests. Killing people under hospitality was a serious offence. As a host, Anglo-Saxon standards dictated that Tostig would protect his guests and treat them with respect. This was the trigger event for the uprising

The events in the uprising against Earl Tostig

Flowchart illustrating the actions of Northumbrian rebels: march to York, kill Tostig's followers, declare Tostig an outlaw, and ask Morcar to rule Northumbria.
A flow diagram showing the stages of the Northumbrian rebels' uprising against Tostig Godwinson

Worked Example

Describe one feature of Tostig's rule of Northumbria between 1055-1065

2 marks

Answer: 

One feature of Tostig's rule of Northumbria was high taxes (1). As Northumbria was in the Danelaw, they resented paying higher taxes under the rule of Tostig (1).

Examiner Tips and Tricks

A different exam question based on this section could ask you to explain why there was an uprising against Tostig. There are multiple reasons, as shown in the table above. However, the key issues for many Northumbrians were:

  • Tostig's ignorance of the Danelaw

  • Tostig's abuse of his power as earl to raise taxes

  • The murder of important Northumbrian aristocracy

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 an uprising against Tostig. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused resentment between Tostig and Northumbrians

  • L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how significant this factor is in causing the uprising against Tostig

Harold Godwinson's Response to the Rebellion Against Tostig

  • The Northumbrian uprising against Tostig began in October 1065

  • Edward assembled his advisers to decide how to react to the uprising

  • His advisers decided that:

    • Tostig's actions in Northumbria were wrong

    • Tostig's brother, Harold, should meet with the Northumbrian rebels and agree to peace terms

    • Edward should exile Tostig

      • Tostig's exile began on 1st November

Reactions to the response of the uprising

An illustration showing Harold and Tostig's reactions to the events during the uprising in Northumbria in 1065
An illustration showing Harold and Tostig's reactions to the events during the uprising in Northumbria in 1065

Did the Rebellion Against Tostig Weaken Edward the Confessor's Power?

  • The reaction to the uprising against Tostig weakened Edward the Confessor's power

  • Edward ordered his earls to raise an army to support Tostig

    • Harold and the other earls ignored the king's demands

  • Edward was not a warrior king

    • He could not lead an army himself to help Tostig

  • Edward had to accept the peace terms

    • Luckily, the Northumbrian rebels made reasonable demands. They wanted another southerner, Morcar, to rule. They could have asked for a northern earl like Waltheof

  • The event showed that, sometimes in Anglo-Saxon England, earls held more power than kings

    • Edward was reliant on the earls for military campaigns

      • If all of the earls worked together, they could ignore the requests of the king

        • This went against their oath of loyalty to the king

      • As Edward was a weak military leader, he could not react against 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.