The Submission of the Earls, 1066 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why was the Submission of the Earls Important for William? -Summary

Ensuring that all the Anglo-Saxon earls submitted to William's rule was important for the success of the Norman Conquest. The battles of 1066 had destroyed the power of the house of Godwin. Tostig died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and William's army killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings. This still left powerful Anglo-Saxon earls. For example, Morcar ruled Northumbria. Northumbria was a large earldom with a defiant Anglo-Danish community. 

William could not function as king without the support of the earls. Earls and thegns fulfilled key government roles in English society. When the earls surrendered to him, William did not punish them. He wanted to build a system of loyalty and mutual benefit between himself and the earls. The submission of the earls was the first step in securing England under William's leadership.

What Happened After the Battle of Hastings?

• The remainder of Harold's army fled to London

  • William waited in Hastings to see if the Anglo-Saxon earls would surrender to him

    • No earls came

  • Harold's widow, Edith, escaped to Chester for her safety

• The Witan declared Edgar Aethling the new King of England

• Key figures in England supported Edgar's appointment, such as:

  • Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury

  • Ealdred, the Archbishop of York

  • Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria

• The people of London wanted to fight against William

• William brought the south coast under his control

  • He sent troops to capture Winchester

    • Winchester housed the Royal Treasury

  • He secured the coastline

    • William wanted to ensure his ships could come over from Normandy with reinforcements and supplies

• William and his army rested to recover from illness

  • William and some of his men were ill for a month in Dover

  • If Edgar and the Anglo-Saxon earls attacked at this stage, it is likely that they would have won

The Duke of Normandy Marches to London

• William led his troops to London

  • He needed to force the Anglo-Saxon earls to surrender

• William's army destroyed homes and farms on their journey to London

  • Towns quickly surrendered to William's forces to avoid any more destruction

• London was very different to the other towns on William's route

  • London was a fortified town

    • This would protect the residents from William's attacks

    • They would not willingly surrender to William

• Instead of heading straight to London, William led his soldiers to Berkhamsted

  • Berkhamsted was roughly 30 miles northwest of London

  • William wanted to draw the earls away from the fortifications of London

Why did the Earls Submit at Berkhamsted?

• When William arrived, Edgar Aethling, Edwin and Morcar were at Berkhamsted

  • All three submitted to William

    • They swore oaths of loyalty to William

    • They gave William hostages as a guarantee of their oath

  • William accepted the earls' submission

    • He assured them that he would act like a 'gracious lord' to them

The positions of William and the Anglo-Saxon earls

• Historians debate how strong the earls' position was

  • Some sources state that Stigand had already surrendered to William at Wallingford

    • This meant that the earls lost the support of the Church

  • Other sources show that William forced Edwin and Morcar to submit twice: once at Barking and again at Berkhamsted