Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Uprising Against Tostig Godwinson, 1065 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
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
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
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
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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