Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Changes in Landholding after 1071 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why did William Need to Reform Landholding? - Summary
From 1066 to 1071, William needed to temporarily resolve issues around landholding. Anglo-Saxon land, like the earldoms owned by the house of Godwin, needed overseeing. William entrusted the earldoms to Normans. As William eliminated rivals in Mercia, East Anglia and the North, William needed to reform the process of landholding. Before 1071, Norman 'heirs' received land forfeited from Anglo-Saxon and Norman rebels. A Norman could own different pieces of land distributed around the country. After 1071, William created blocks of land from Anglo-Saxon earldoms. William chose castellans and tenants-in-chief to govern this land. This increased Norman control over the English local government. William moved away from traditional practices of land tenure. William felt this control was necessary after the Anglo-Saxon rebellions. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Be careful to not confuse landholding with landownership. A landholder is someone who has a legal right to use a piece of land. A landholder does not always legally own the land. On the other hand, a landowner is someone who has the right to possess a piece of land. They have the power to sell or transfer the land to someone else.
How was Land Held in Anglo-Saxon England?
Under Edward the Confessor, there were two methods of land tenure:
| Who granted the land? | What was given in exchange for the land? | How long did the person hold the land for? |
|---|---|---|---|
Bookland | The lord | The person promised loyalty to the lord. The follower received a charter showing their right to the land | The person held the right to the land forever. The land was passed down to heirs or the person could sell the land |
Lease | The landowner | The person gave money to the landowner | The lease gave a time limit on the landholding, for example, two generations |
Both types of Anglo-Saxon landholding came with conditions
For every five hides of land, the landholder had to provide one soldier to the fyrd
The landholder had to pay geld tax on the land
The new thegn had to pay tax to their lord
Failing to meet these conditions could result in losing the land
How did William the Conqueror Change how Land was Held in England?
Similarities and differences between Anglo-Saxon and Norman landholding
Similarities | Differences |
|---|---|
Landholders continued using the lease system of land tenure. William became the landowner of England | William stated that he owned all the land in England. Previous Anglo-Saxon landowners were technically landholders in this new system. They had to pay William money to retain their land |
Similar to the bookland system, landholders could pass down land to heirs | Heirs had to pay William a tax to inherit the land |
Landholders could lose their land if they did not make their financial responsibilities | William enforced landholding rules more strictly than Anglo-Saxon kings. William punished those who broke the rules with the loss of their land. This could leave people with no source of income |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of landholding in Norman England
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of landholding in Norman England was who owned the land (1). In Norman England, everyone was a landholder as William declared that he owned all the land in England (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering ‘Describe one feature of…’ questions, 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.
Land and the Tenants-in-Chief
Tenants-in-chief had significant powers over landholding. They could:
Reallocate the land after a thegn died
Tenants-in-chief could make their followers 'heirs' to the thegn's land. This removed the rights of the thegn's own heirs to the land
Remove a thegn's land
Tenants-in-chief could seize the land of any thegns who rebelled or did not meet the conditions of landholding
The lives of thegns changed drastically in this system
In 1071, the changes to landholding caused some thegns to rebel
An example of this is Hereward the Wake in Ely
After William suppressed the Anglo-Saxon rebellions, this landholding system stopped uprisings from the thegns
Thegns that stayed were dependent on their Norman lord
Many thegns left England to work as mercenaries in Europe
The Impact of Landholding Changes on Peasants
The life of peasant farmers worsened in Norman England
Tenants-in-chief worked peasant farmers harder than Anglo-Saxon thegns and earls had. Norman lords wanted to earn more money from the land
Ceorls experienced the biggest change under Norman rule
In Anglo-Saxon times, ceorls:
Leased land off of a lord
Could work for multiple lords
Had independence
In Norman times, ceorls:
Decreased in numbers. Some ceorls retained their land, but this was rare
Were brought under the control of Norman tenants-in-chief
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