Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Revolt of the Earls, 1075 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How was the Revolt of the Earls Different to Anglo-Saxon Resistance? - Timeline & Summary
The Revolt of the Earls in 1075 showed that William faced unrest from his own people. Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Gaul were Norman earls. They gained power through their fathers' loyalty to William. Their success and wealth were reliant on their faithfulness to William. This showed that rebellion could occur from any section of society. A key similarity between this rebellion and the Anglo-Saxon rebellions is the motivation for revolt. The earls complained of a loss of land and power during William's reign. These reasons motivated Edwin and Morcar, Hereward and the North of England to rebel against William. William's pursuit of centralised power affected both Anglo-Saxon and Norman aristocracy. |
Which Earls Revolted in 1075?
Name of earl | Earldom | Nationality | Life in 1066 | Life after the Norman Conquest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ralph de Gael | East Anglia | Norman | Ralph's father served Edward the Confessor. Ralph spent his childhood in Normandy | William gifted Ralph's father with the earldom of East Anglia. Ralph arrived in England in 1069 to inherit the earldom after his father's death. Ralph had married Roger de Breteuil's sister in 1075 |
Roger de Breteuil | Hereford | Norman | Roger's father was William FitzOsbern, the Lord of Breteuil in Normandy | William heavily rewarded Roger's father for his loyalty. Roger became the Earl of Hereford after FitzOsbern died in 1071 |
Waltheof | Northumbria | Anglo-Saxon | Watheof's father, Siward, was the Earl of Northumbria. He died in 1055. Tostig took Waltheof's claim to the earldom. In 1065, Waltheof became the Earl of Northamptonshire | Waltheof submitted to William and kept the earldom of Northamptonshire. After his involvement in the Northern rebellions in 1069, Waltheof submitted again. William pardoned him. In 1072, William gave Waltheof the earldom of Northumbria as an apology for the Harrying of the North |
Reasons for the Revolt of the Earls, 1075
Worked Example
Describe one feature of the Revolt of the Earls in 1075
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of the Revolt of the Earls is the reduction of the Norman earls' power (1). Roger was especially angry at William's control of the sheriffs in the Marcher earldoms (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.
What Happened in the Revolt of the Earls, 1075?
Why was the Revolt of the Earls Defeated?
The weakness of the earls | The strength of the Norman reaction |
|---|---|
Waltheof broke his promise and informed Lanfranc of the plan. This allowed the Normans to stop the revolt before it even began | Lanfranc responded well to Waltheof's information. He sent scouts to Hereford and East Anglia to gain information on Ralph and Roger's preparations. They saw that the castles and troops in both earldoms were increasing in strength |
The earls did not back down when they knew that the Normans had uncovered their plan. Lanfranc wrote to Roger pleading him not to rebel. Roger continued with the plan | Lanfranc used the Church to respond to the revolt. Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester and the abbot of Evesham trapped Roger in Herefordshire. He excommunicated Roger, limiting his power with the Norman aristocracy |
The earls did not consider how long a Danish fleet would take to arrive in England. The Danes arrived with 200 ships, but after William returned from Normandy. The Danes did not want to fight William in battle. Instead, the Danes raided the East Coast and pillaged York Cathedral before returning to Denmark | The Normans managed to gain Anglo-Saxon support against the rebellion. A combined Norman and Anglo-Saxon military force prevented Ralph from leaving East Anglia |
What Happened to the Earls after the Revolt?
Ralph escaped to Brittany
His wife, and Roger's sister, held Norwich castle
She managed to negotiate safe passage to Brittany for herself and Ralph's followers
Any of Ralph's rebels that remained in England were blinded or exiled
William travelled to Normandy and attacked Ralph's castle at Dol
Ralph's soldiers forced William to retreat. William's army could not match new Norman military tactics
Waltheof fled England
William promised that he would forgive Waltheof if he submitted to him
When Waltheof returned, William imprisoned him
William executed Waltheof in May 1076
William captured Roger
William imprisoned Roger for the rest of his life
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question based on this section could ask you to explain why the Revolt of the Earls failed. There are multiple reasons. However, the key reasons for Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Gael's failure were:
Waltheof's betrayal
The lateness of the arrival of the Danish fleet
Lanfranc's reaction
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 failure of the Revolt of the Earls. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the Normans to stop the plan or for the plan to fail
L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how significant this factor is for the failure of the Revolt of the Earls
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