Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Changes in Landownership, 1066-1087 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Much did Landownership Change under William the Conqueror? - Summary
William revolutionised the way that landownership worked in England. William reduced the power of Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. Under Edward the Confessor, the house of Godwin owned nearly half of the land in England. After the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon nobility held less than 5% of the land. By 1087, there were only two powerful Anglo-Saxon landowners: Thurkill of Arden and Colswein of Lincoln. William also ensured English land came under his power. After his coronation, William declared that England's land belonged to him. He retained around 20% of the land for himself. 50% went to the Norman aristocracy, which held much smaller pieces of land than the Anglo-Saxon nobility had under King Edward. 20% of the land went to the Church, in which Normans held all the senior positions by 1096. Breaking the land into small landholdings meant that no Norman aristocrat could become too powerful. Retaining more land as royal land meant that William had direct access to resources and soldiers, ensuring that he could force the loyalty of his subjects. |
What are Tenants-in-Chief?
A tenant-in-chief was a large landholder in Norman England
They swore an oath of loyalty to the king to receive their land
A tenant-in-chief is sometimes called a baron
William created approximately 190 tenants-in-chief
11 men held half of the tenants-in-chiefs' land
The majority of the 11 men were William's relatives or key Norman nobility like Odo of Bayeux or William FitzOsbern
One of these 11 men was a loyal non-Norman called Allan the Red from Brittany
Tenants-in-chief had military responsibilities
William expected the tenants-in-chief to stop rebellions on their land
Tenants-in-chief provided soldiers for William's army
Worked Example
Describe one feature of a tenant-in-chief
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of a tenant-in-chief was their military requirements (1). The tenants-in-chief had to provide soldiers for William's army when required (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Some students confuse a Norman tenant-in-chief with an Anglo-Saxon earl There were many similarities between the two roles. Earls and tenants-in-chief often received their land for their loyalty to the king. They had to give soldiers to the king when asked. Tenants-in-chief were given the title of earl, for example, William de Warenne was the Earl of Surrey. However, tenants-in-chief were not as powerful as Anglo-Saxon earls. William reduced the size of earldoms to ensure tenants-in-chief had limited wealth. Most Norman tenants-in-chief had more wealth than an Anglo-Saxon thegn, but not as much as an Anglo-Saxon earl.
How did Anglo-Saxon Rebellion Affect Landownership?
The Anglo-Saxon rebellions in 1068, 1069 and 1070-1071 showed that William could not trust Anglo-Saxon nobility
The execution of Waltheof in 1076 removed the last powerful Anglo-Saxon earl
In Norman England, land equalled power and wealth. The rebellions of Anglo-Saxon earls motivated William to:
Transfer a large amount of land from Anglo-Saxon nobility to Normans
Consider how much land was too much to grant a loyal supporter
He wanted to avoid how powerful earls had become under Edward the Confessor
William needed to limit the soldiers and resources each landholding Norman had access to
Some rebellions had started from the actions of Anglo-Saxon thegns
Hereward the Wake was an example of this
By 1087, William made thegns:
Dependent on their Norman lords
Hold much smaller areas of land
How did Anglo-Saxons Lose Their Land Under William?
Why was forfeited land important to William?
William used forfeited land to reward his followers
Those who lost their land had to name a Norman as the 'heir' of their land
This included the land taken from rebellious Normans
Forfeited land created new earldoms
The land of several previous owners could combine to make a new landholding
New earldoms were necessary for unruly parts of England like the borderlands
Some Normans forced Anglo-Saxons to forfeit their land
Land grabs could occur by violence or through corrupt sheriffs
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question based on this section could ask you to explain why Anglo-Saxons lost their land by 1087. There are multiple reasons, as shown above. However, the key arguments are:
Anglo-Saxon earls' involvement in rebellion forced them to forfeit their land
William needed Anglo-Saxon land to create new earldoms
Normans performed illegal land grabs
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 the Anglo-Saxons to lose their land. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the need for Anglo-Saxon land to be in William's hands
L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how significant this factor was to the loss of Anglo-Saxon land
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