Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Church in Norman England (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Important was the Church in Norman England? - Summary
The Norman Church was incredibly important to William. The Church filled key roles in society such as:
Helping William control England's finances. The Church managed land and collected taxes. They also made written records of what people owed and passed this on to the king
Managing the law. Bishops and abbots acted as judges in shire courts due to their legal education. The Church also kept legal documents safe
Passing political messages to their congregation. This helped to legitimise William as king and reduce the number of rebellions
Providing William with knights for his army. They also ensured that knights had sufficient landholding and the money and equipment to serve the king
William believed that the support of the Church was fundamental to his success as King of England. As a result, he acted to bring the Church under his control. This conflicted with the authority of the Pope. Archbishops like Lanfranc had a complicated choice: whether to show loyalty to William as king or the Pope as head of the Church. This dilemma continued into the medieval period.
The Norman Church and Government
A concept map showing how involved the Church was in the Norman government
At first, William retained Anglo-Saxons in key Church positions
He believed gaining the support from Anglo-Saxon clergy would :
Reinforce his legitimacy as Edward the Confessor's heir
Allow for a smooth transition from Edward's reign to William's
After the Anglo-Saxon rebellions in 1068-1071, William replaced the Anglo-Saxon clergy with Normans
Lanfranc replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070
Comparing Stigand to Lanfranc as Archbishop of Canterbury
Lanfranc was an Italian monk
He ran a monastery in Normandy
People knew Lanfranc as a teacher and lawyer
Why did the Role of Archbishop of Canterbury Change?
Lanfranc wanted the role of Archbishop of Canterbury to be:
Chosen by the king, not for political advantage
The most important Church position in England that could bring uniformity to the Church
He wanted to bring a clearer hierarchy into the government of the Church
Free from corruption
Lanfranc wanted the clergy to live holy lives
Not motivated by greed for more money or land
How did Lanfranc Reform the English Church?
Lanfranc's reform | Why was the reform needed? |
|---|---|
New laws banned the clergy from marrying or having sexual relationships. Lanfranc did allow priests to remain married if this occurred before the passing of these laws | Lanfranc believed that Anglo-Saxon clergy were immoral. He did not want Norman priests to act as normal people in society |
In 1076, the Church established exclusive bishop courts to hear and try legal cases involving the clergy. The Church delivered all trials by ordeal | Lanfranc did not want the hundreds courts to hear Church cases. It made the Church separate from society and increased its legal power |
The Church built cathedrals in strategically important places like Chichester and Salisbury | Anglo-Saxon cathedrals were in isolated positions. The Norman cathedrals gave the bishops security and allowed them to manage their diocese better |
Lanfranc increased the number of archdeacons - a role below bishops but above priests in the Church hierarchy | Archdeacons increased the Church's control over parish priests. Archdeacons also assisted Church courts and enforced discipline in a bishop's diocese |
Lanfranc brought legal documents from Normandy over to England | Lanfranc wanted to bring elements of the Norman legal system to England. It helped him introduce new laws to the English Church |
Lanfranc revived monasteries, especially in the North. The religious standards of English monasteries improved | In Anglo-Saxon England, the levels of spirituality and number of monasteries had declined |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Lanfranc's reforms on the Church
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of Lanfranc's reforms was to increase the Church's legal powers (1). In 1076, the Church created exclusive bishop courts to try legal cases involving the clergy (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.
The Normanisation of the Church
Why was the Church Normanised?
The king could use the Norman archdeacons and bishops to spread political messages to the people
Even though most priests were Anglo-Saxons, they were heavily controlled by the Norman clergy
Anglo-Saxon priests had to follow Norman church procedures
The Church held 25% of the land in England
Norman clergy protected this land from Anglo-Saxon rebellion
How did Normanisation Increase William's Power?
New bishops paid homage to the king
The king chose who would become bishop
The king oversaw the Church courts
Key decisions in the Church had to gain William's approval
William controlled what the Church could communicate to the Pope
This forced the Norman clergy to listen to William over the Pope
How was England Normanised?
Change | Continuity |
|---|---|
Castles and Norman-style churches dominated Norman England. Castles became more important for trade than burhs | Life in villages remained very similar under Norman rule. Peasants still provided labour for a lord and faced many challenges in life |
The Harrying of the North and the end of trade with Scandinavia impacted the economy of the Danelaw. Parts of Yorkshire remained wasteland throughout William's reign. Instead, Normans traded with Normandy. Cities grew in size | William's royal household remained in the same structure as Edward the Confessor's. The king had personal servants, administrative workers and advisers. Normans replaced Anglo-Saxons in these roles |
William had more power over tenants-in-chief than Anglo-Saxon kings had over earls | William continued to charge geld tax to his subjects. Normandy did not have a similar tax to the geld tax. William raised the amount of geld tax people had to pay to make himself wealthier |
William replaced thegns with knights. Knights had less independence than thegns, who began rebellions against William. Knights were controlled by tenants-in-chief and were poor in comparison to thegns | In Anglo-Saxon times, invasion caused a combining of cultures. For example, in the Danelaw, Danish tradition mixed with English customs. The Norman Conquest caused a similar exchange to create an Anglo-Norman culture |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you how far you agree that Norman society was different to Anglo-Saxon society. When approaching this style of question, consider:
The extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Use words like 'partially' or 'fully' to explain this
The strength of both sides of the argument. The Normans built castles, which changed towns and the way that people lived. However, life in villages remained very similar in Norman England to before 1066
Concluding your thoughts with a reflection on key concepts. You should consider short- and long-term consequences, importance and impact. For example, the desire for and control of land continued to impact society from the Anglo-Saxons to the Norman rule of England. Therefore, the basis of society remained the same in Norman England, showing that there was little change between the two types of rule
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