The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 Topic One: Anglo Saxon England · The Norman Conquest 1065-1087...

Society structure

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The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic One: Anglo Saxon England

Key dates

890 Anglo Saxon objects like the Alfred

jewel and the Fuller brooch were made

by goldsmiths.

960 Dunstan became Archbishop of

Canterbury.

988 English church leaders declare

Dunstan to be a saint after his death.

1000 English Kings had strong central

control. Their land was divided into

shires. Most shires had several royal

‘burhs’.

1000 Slavery still existed in England. Thralls

formed about 10% of the population.

1003 Viking invaders returned.

1011 Viking raids destroy much of

Canterbury.

1014-

1042

The Kings of England were Danes.

They kept the system of shires, burhs

and royal mints.

1050 Foreign merchants travel to England to

buy works of art.

1065 Stigand became Bishop of Winchester

and Archbishop of Canterbury.

1066 5% of all the land in England was

owned by women. They lost the legal

right to own land after 1066.

The King - Top and controls the country. He owned more land

than anyone else and controlled taxes.

The Earls - The king’s chief advisors who decided who should

be the next king when the current one dies.

The Thegns - Owned lots of land, to be a thegn you had to owne

250 hectares of land. There were roughly five thousand.

The Ceorls - Were the vast majority of people in England. Some

had special skills such as carpentry, Most worked on the land.

Thralls or Slaves - These were the property of their masters,

they were not free to seek work anywhere else.

‘Golden Age?’ What was Anglo-Saxon England really like in 1065?Arguments for life being ‘golden’

Anglo Saxon Society:

• Democracy – Earls advised the king and thegns ran local courts. Ceorls who

made up the majority of the population took part in local decision making.

• Women had some equal rights. They owned 5% of land in England, could divorce

their husbands and their wergild was the same price as a man if killed

Anglo Saxon Culture –

• Foreign traders travelled to England to buy works made by English Craftsman.

• The Alfred Jewel is evidence of their remarkable skill

Anglo Saxon literature:

• The Exeter book still in Exeter Cathedral contains 1000s of riddles as well as

religious sermons. Many are very rude and show that the Saxons had a sense of

humour

• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle told the history of Britain since the Romans showing

that the Saxons had a strong sense of national identity

• Poems like Beowulf were performed to audiences out loud. This story is still told

today.

Not really so ‘golden’

Anglo Saxon society

• Ceorls mainly worked on the land. They were not as free as historians

make out by 1065 as tightly controlled by the thegn, whose land they lived

on, who they had to pay rent and do work for.

• Thralls were slaves. Unlike Ceorls they were not free to seek work

elsewhere and were property of their thegn. Like animals, they could be

branded or castrated and had no wergild (value) if they were killed.

• 95% of landowners were men, showing that women were not truly equal.

Anglo Saxon religion:

• The Pope was angry at religion in England as although Catholic, the

English Church was considered backward and corrupt e.g. Priests could

still marry and were poorly educated.

• Stigand was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1065. He was accused of

‘Pluralism’ as he was also being paid as Bishop of Winchester.

• He was also accused of ‘simony’ – selling Church positions off to the

highest bidder.

KEY VOCABULARY/ TERMS

wergild, Earls, Thegn, Ceorl, Thrall, Vikings, burh, culture, simony,

The Value of Life:The value of a social group is known as

‘wergild’. If someone was killed the person

responsible would have to pay a the correct

‘wergild’.

The value of a women was exactly the same

as a man but if a woman was pregnant her

value would be increased by 50%.

1. Which group frequently tried to invade Anglo Saxon England?

2. What were Anglo-Saxon slaves called?

3. Who were the most powerful landowners after the king?

4. What owned 250 hectares of land and were expected to help keep

control and fight if needed?

5. Give one way women were equal in society.

1. What term describes the cash value of someone life?

2. Give one way Anglo Saxon England was a Golden Age.

3. Give one way it was not a Golden Age.

4. Which religious leader was corrupt?

BUG and bullet point an answer to the question:

❑ In an article for the BBC History Magazine in 2012, the historian Ryan

Lavelle argued that late Anglo- Saxon England was ‘by no means a

golden age’. How far do you agree with this view?

❑ In 2008, a book was published with the title The Battle of Hastings: The

Fall of Anglo-Saxon England. The book’s author, Harriet Harvey Wood,

argues that the late Anglo-Saxon period in English history was

‘wonderful and astonishing’. How far do you agree?

Answer these questions using the knowledge organiser. Use these to test yourself/get someone to quiz you.

The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Two: Invasion


Edward the Confessor, Witan, Bayeux Tapestry, fyrd, York, Edwin and Morcar, Vikings,

The rivals for the throne

Edgar the Aethling. The great nephew of Edward. Had

the support of many Anglo-Saxon earls.

Harald Hardrada- believed he should be king based on

prior Viking ownership of English crown before Edward

became king.

Harold Godwinson- most powerful earl in England as Earl

of Wessex. Was deputy king in 1060. Claimed Edward

promised him the throne on his deathbed. Had the

support of the Witan.

William, Duke of Normandy- Distant cousin of Edward.

Claimed Edward had promised him the throne after

helping Edward with the Godwin rebellion of 1051. This

was shown in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Key dates- 1066

5 Jan King Edward the

Confessor dies

6 Jan King Edward buried

and Harold

Godwinson

crowned king

8

Sept

King Harold has to

disband his fleet

and southern army

20

Sept

Battle of Fulford

Gate

25

Sept

King Harold defeats

Harald Hardrada at

Stamford Bridge

28

Sept

William lands at

Pevensey

6 Oct King Harold arrives

back in London

11

Oct

King Harold leaves

London

14

Oct

Battle of Hastings

William prepares to invade

French Support

William had a good relationship with

the King of France. He was the most

powerful man in north-west Europe. He

had a stable base around Normandy.

Support from God

William sent Lanfranc to ask for the

Pope’s blessing. Alongside this, the

Pope also gave him a Papal Banner

ensuring support and a cause of a Holy

War.

Getting across the Channel

He halved his journey to England by

moving his fleet to the mouth of the

River Somme.

Military Prep- the fleet

William built flat bottomed boats that

could transport horses. He also built

‘flat pack’ castles which could be put

up quickly when they landed.

Military Prep- the army

William began to mobilise straight after

Harold’s coronation. The Papal Banner

allowed William to recruit men from all

over France. Eventually, around 8,000

were ready to cross the English

Channel.

Battle of Fulford Gate

Harold waited for William during Spring and Summer

but had to send the ordinary peasant soldiers (fyrd)

home to harvest their crops on 8th September.

Hardrada then invaded with 300 ships, sailing up the

river Humber and landing near York. Earls Edwin and

Morcar led the northern army against him in what was

known as the Battle of Fulford Gate.

Both sides suffered great losses but the Vikings

triumphed, whilst Edwin and Morcar were forced to

flee.

Battle of Stamford Bridge

Defeat at Fulford meant Harold had to move

quickly. He marched north with a private army and

covered the 190 miles in 4 days catching the

Vikings by surprise.

The Vikings were camped on the opposite side of

the river Derwent and had not defended it properly.

The resulting battle was long and bloody, and saw

both Hardrada and Tostig killed. It was said only 24

of the 300 ships returned to Norway

Harold's victory was short lived as William arrived 3

days later on the south coast of England.

1. Who was King in January1066?

2. What was Harold Godwinson’s claims to the English throne?

3. What was William’s claim to the English Throne?

4. What was Harald Hardrada’s claim to the English Throne?

5. What was Edgar Aethling’s claim to the English Throne?

1. What happened at the Battle of Gate Fulford?

2. What happened at the Battle of Stamford Bridge?


❑ According to historian Jacob Deacon, ‘William of Normandy had no

legal claim to the English throne. Edward’s deathbed promise of the

kingdom to Harold Godwinson replaced his earlier promise to William’.

How far do you agree?

❑ Explain the significance of the Battle of Stamford Bridge in deciding the

outcome of the battle for the English throne in 1066.


The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Two: Victory


thegn, shield wall, feigned retreat, housecarl, fyrd, knight, archer,

Key dates

11

Aug

William ready to

launch an invasion

from Normandy

28

Sept

William lands at

Pevensey; King

Harold marches

south

6 Oct King Harold and

the remnants of his

army reach London

11

Oct

King Harold leaves

London, choosing

not to wait for

30,000

reinforcements,

and marches to

meet William

13

Oct

King Harold

reaches the South

Downs

Who was more prepared?

The Anglo-

Saxons

The

Normans

Type/size of

army

Fyrd; 7,000 Mixture of

trained

mercenaries;

7,000

Specialist

troops

Housecarls

and thegns

Knights

Weapons

and armour

Hand to

hand

Hand to

hand and

ranged

Battle StyleShield wall

formation

Various

Position in

battlefield

Top of

Senlac Hill

Base of

Senlac Hill

Previous

experience

Harold very

experienced

William very

experienced

State of the

army

Exhausted

after march

Well rested

Extra

support

Witan and

some

brothers

King Philip I

of France

and the

Pope

The Events of the Battle

Began at 9am with a volley of arrows from the Norman archers. This proved ineffective as they were

shooting uphill. Norman infantry then charged but were repulsed by the very effective Anglo-Saxon shield

wall.

Some Normans began to run away and the fyrd began to chase after them leaving their safe position on

the hill. These men were easy targets for Norman cavalry and so the Normans used this trick (feigned

retreat) to drain numbers from the shield wall.

Norman cavalry then charged in, after midday, which led to heavy casualties on both sides. The feigned

retreat tactic was used again and ate away at the shield wall.

By 4pm, the Normans began to break through the side of the shield wall and it was at this time that Harold

was killed. With this, the Anglo-Saxon fyrd broke ranks and fled.

Why William won the battle

William’s Strengths

➢ Highly trained, well prepared and

well rested army.

Harold’s Weaknesses

➢ Tired and weakened force after

previous battles and a long

march.

Luck

➢ Change in weather delaying

William tied in with Hardrada’s

invasion in the north.Norman Knight Norman Archer

1. What happened at the Battle of Hastings?

2. Who was more prepared for the battle, the Anglo-Saxons or Normans?

3. What were the English specialist soldiers called?

4. What soldiers did the Normans have that the English did not?

5. How did luck play a part in William’s victory?

6. What tactic did the Normans use to finally break the English shield

wall?


❑ How far do you agree, in the words of historian John Gillingham, that

William was a ‘Lucky Bastard’?


Rebellions against

the Normans

After Hastings

.

The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Three: Rebellion and response

Key individuals

Edwin and

Morcar

Edwin was the elder brother of Morcar. Edwin and Morcar were serial

offenders, yet each time received a Royal pardon.

Hereward the

Wake

Hereward the Wake, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local

resistance to the Norman Conquest of England.

Edgar Atheling An heir to the throne of England in 1066 when Edward the Confessor died.

He was also the most popular choice among the people.

Eadric the Wild An Anglo-Saxon noble who led a resistance movement against William.

Gytha The mother of Harold Godwinson, who lived in Exeter and may have been

the cause of that city's rebellion.

Key dates

1067 Anglo-Saxon rebels in Kent launched an

unsuccessful attack on Dover castle. They were

supported by Eustace II of Boulogne.

1067 The Anglo-Saxon thegn Eadric the Wild attacked

Hereford castle.

1068 Some men that William had given land to

deserted him and went back to Normandy with

their followers.

1068 Edwin and Morcar launched a rebellion with

support from the Welsh.

1068 William built a castle in Exeter after the uprising in

the town in response to tax increases.

1069 Nobles of Northumbria joined forces with Edgar

Atheling and King Svein of Denmark in a major

rebellion.

1069 William paid the Viking Danes off and they quickly

abandoned the Anglo-Saxons rebels.

1069-

70

William and his troops marched through

Northumbria, burning villages and slaughtering

their inhabitants. They also caused a famine by

deliberately destroying all food supplies and

livestock.

1070 There was an uprising in East Anglia led by an

Anglo-Saxon thegn called Hereward the Wake

whose lands had been confiscated.

1071 Hereward was joined by other rebels, including

Morcar. The Normans besieged the island of Ely

and eventually defeated the rebels.

1071 35 castles built in England to enforce Norman rule

across the land.


negotiation, siege, Harrying, Danelaw, salting, outlaw, guerrilla tactics, Ely,

‘Brutal Slaughter’ Is this how William gained full control of England, 1067-71?

Brutal slaughter:

London, November 1066 – William’s knights invited London to submit to his

rule. They burnt houses all along the south bank when the English refused and

fought back.

Harrying of the North, 1069-1070 – In January 1069, Norman Earl Robert

of Commines was murdered by English rebels and Edgar the Aetheling who

had attacked the city of York. Alongside this, Vikings had invaded in the

Summer, joined with the English army and captured the castle at York after

defeating a Norman army.

William paid for the Vikings to leave and laid waste to the areas around

York, burning and salting the fields and killing all living creatures. It was

recorded that 80% of Yorkshire became uncultivated and unpopulated.

Innocent women and children starved as a result, along with any hiding

rebels.

Peaceful solutions:

William claimed all English lands as his own but

allowed earls and thegns to buy back their land

from him. He only gave the lands of those who

died at Hastings as a reward to his Norman

soldiers.

Building of castles – William built castles in areas

of resistance and put his trusted allies in charge to

consolidate his power. Castles were a powerful

symbol of Norman dominance over the Saxons.

Exeter, 1068 – William pardoned rebels in return

for their loyalty. To consolidate his power he took

the lands of Gytha (the mother of King Harold &

shared it among Frenchman who supported his

invasion).

1. What happened after the Battle of Hastings?

2. Where and when was William crowned king?

3. Who were Earls Edwin & Morcar?

4. How was Robert Cumin killed?

5. What was the Harrying of the North?

6. How did the Harrying of the North end?

1. Who was Hereward the Wake?

2. What happened during the attack on Ely?

3. Give one way William showed peaceful methods against the Anglo-

Saxons?

4. What was the name of Harold Godwinson’s mother?


❑ According to the 12th century monk Orderic Vitalis William used ‘brutal

slaughter’ to gain control of England. How far do you agree?

❑ Historian Robert Bartlett claims the ‘Normans devastated the North of

England’ How far do you agree?


The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Four: Castles

Military fortresses or status symbols? – What can research tell us about early Norman castles?

What was new?

• The first mottes: In 1051, a monk from

Peterborough Abbey complained that Normans

established new buildings. He called these

“castles”.

• William landed at Pevensey in 1066, where he

strengthened the defenses of an old Roman fort.

• The massive walls and towers were useful for

defending the Norman army.

• The Normans used the same approach of castle-

building at Hastings as they did in Pevensey, but

it contained a motte, and was strongly defended.

• The Tower of London became the main fortress

for William between 1075-1079.

• The Normans used castles to secure the

southeast of England. Early castles, such as

Pevensey, Dover and London did not contain a

motte, but were simply enclosures built into

existing fortifications.

Where were castles built?

• William faced rebellions from 1068-71 from the

Saxons since they were forced to build castles.

• Royal castles were built between 1068-1071 at

Exeter, Warwick, Nottingham and York. Between

1071-1087 500 castles were built.

• William secured England after 1067 by building

castles at Lincoln, Cambridge and Huntingdon;

this protected the road to the north.

• William’s barons also built castles: often built on

top of Roman forts, and were used to control

rivers and roads.

• Most castles were made of wood, but many

contain ringworks (simple enclosures of earth and

timber).

• Norman castles built between 1071-1087 had

more to do with settlement rather than conquest.

• Most of these castles were built in the countryside

– this could suggest they were used as a status

symbol like Exeter castle which had a gatehouse

built facing inwards.

• Hen Domen castle on the English Welsh border

however was used for military reasons as it had a

deep ditch and a tower to allow soldiers to look

out over roads and river crossings.

What were castles used for?

Traditional historians: E.g. Armitage: She argues

that castles played an important military role in the

Norman Conquest.

Revisionist historians, Higham & Barker: They

argue that castles were more about showing off

status.

Recent interpretation: Morris: He argues that

castles were military fortresses and were crucial in

English occupation.

Approach 1: Examining stone structures

Approach 2: Surveying earthworks

Approach 3: Looking at landscapes

Approach 4: Digging castle sites

Exeter

castle which

had a

gatehouse

built facing

inwards

Reconstruction

of Hen Domen

castle on the

English Welsh

border

1. Where did William build his first two castles?

2. Name another location where William built a castle.

3. Give one aim of building castles.

4. What did William use the Tower of London for?

1. How many castles were built between 1071-87?

2. Name one castle that was used for status rather than military.

3. Name one physical feature that shows a castle was used for status.

4. Name one physical feature that shows a castle was used for military

purpose.


❑ Historian Ella Armitage argued that ‘castles played an important military

role in the Norman Conquest’. How far do you agree?

❑ In their 1992 book, Timber Castles, Higham and Barker suggested that

the wooden castles built by the Normans were ‘also often designed to

show the status of their owners’. How far do you agree?


The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Five: Conquest and control

Key events

1070 England continued to be a rural society with

90% of the population working in agriculture.

1070 Government documents were increasingly

written in Latin.

1070 William began to systematically replace English

earls and thegns with Norman nobles.

1083 Shrewsbury Abbey was founded by the Norman

Earl Roger Montgomery.

1085 England was facing the threat of an invasion by

King Cnut IV of Denmark. In order to defend the

country, William needed to know what military

and financial resources were available to him.

1086 William carried out a clear written record of who

owned what.

1086 Anglo-Saxon elite had been almost entirely

replaced with Normans.

1086 The number of slaves had fallen by around

25%.

1086 Peasants were forced to pay rent to a lord for

land which they had once owned.

1087 Only one of England’s fifteen bishops was

Anglo-Saxon but the majority of priests were

Anglo-Saxon.

1150 There are 1000 castles built across England

and Wales.


Domesday survey, Domesday book, Feudal system, baron, nobility, peasant, social hierarchy,

The Domesday Book

King William faced the threat of Viking invasion in 1085 and

needed to enforce a tax to pay for his army. He ordered for a

survey of what people had, to be made to help him raise the

tax.13,000 towns and villages were visited.

The survey was carried out in 1086. It became known as

‘Domesday’ or ‘Day of Judgment’.

Once done, it showed that William and his family owned 20%

of the country, the Church 25%, 10 members of the

aristocracy 25% and the remaining 30% owned by 170

people. Only 5% of land was owned by the English.

It also shed light on England’s population. In 1086, there were

roughly 2,000 knights alongside 10,000 Noman settlers in a

population of 1.5-2 million people.

The Feudal System

Before the Norman invasion, England was ruled by the

King and his earls. Their form of feudalism was based

lordship. The Norman feudal system was based on

reward.

This system was based on give and take and was similar

to what already existed in England. However, land

ownership remained with William himself who used the

nobles to run the country. Peasants worked in the fields.

In this way, everyone knew their position in the social

hierarchy.

1. Why did William carry out the Domesday survey?

2. When was the Domesday book completed?

3. How many towns and villages were surveyed?

4. What does Domesday mean?

5. How much of English land was owned by the English after the

conquest?

1. What was the system of Feudalism based on?

2. What four groups made up the Feudal system?

3. How many of England’s bishops were English in 1087?

4. What % of peasants continued to work in agriculture from 1070?

5. How many castles were built across England and Wales by 1150?


❑ An encyclopedia entry about the Domesday Book says that book was

used ‘to settle land disputes and collect taxes’. How far do you agree?


The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 – Topic Five: Conquest and control


Norman Yoke, Forest Law, changes, continuities, cathedrals, Stigand, Lanfranc, farming, ploughing, castles,

The Church

They are rebuilding our

cathedrals and making them

larger. He built them in

Winchester, Canterbury, York

and Ely. King William was very

religious and gave a lot of

money to churches. Rebuilding

cathedrals is a good way to

worship God and it makes work

for English men so that they can

feed their families. The King has

worked hard to end corruption

and replaced the corrupt

Archbishop of Canterbury

Stigand with the more devout

Lanfranc.

Punishments and law

The Normans say we can

no longer hunt for meat.

These new Norman forest

laws say only the King and

his lords are allowed to

hunt deer and other

animals. If you are caught

with a weapon in the forest

then they cut off two of

your fingers to make sure

you never go hunting with

a bow again. The second

time they put your eyes

out. If a Norman is found

dead then everyone in the

area has to pay a large

fine.

Language

People in Winchester have a fancy new fashion. They

call their sons after King William’s sons, William,

Robert and Henry. They say they prefer these new

French names to our old Saxon names like Ethelred.

French became the language of government and the

King’s court.

Lords and masters

Our old lord was killed with Harold at the great fight at

Hastings and we’ve got a new Norman lord who is

loyal to William so we have to be careful. Most people

are afraid of how their new foreign lords will treat

them. Earldoms are now smaller and poorer so it is

harder to challenge the King’s power.

Defences

There were no castles before 1066.

They just build them to intimidate us

and they knock down people’s homes

to build their castles. I hate castles

and I hate watching Norman soldiers

ride past. They’re so arrogant. They

look at you and talk and you don’t

know what they’re saying.

Government

We still use the same coins and pay the same taxes. These

Normans haven’t changed the way the country is governed

but it’s harder to get away with anything any more! Why are

they asking all these questions about our village? They are

even counting every sheep and pig. Are they going to collect

even more taxes or take our animals back to their farms in

Normandy?

Farming

The Normans haven’t

changed how we farm the

land. I need to plough my

land whether my lord is

Norman or Saxon. We still

depend on the harvest to

have enough to eat. Best

get on with the ploughing!

Home life

Most things in the village have not

changed at all since the Normans came.

We still live in the same houses and wear

the same clothes. The Normans haven’t

changed what I eat or drink.

The Norman Yoke myth is the idea that

the Norman rule was an oppressive

burden for us Anglo-Saxon people.

1. Give one example of something Norman lords did not allow

peasants to do on their land.

2. Name one new law introduced by the Normans.

3. Who replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury?

4. Name a place William started building a cathedral after 1070.

5. Give two ways life for Anglo Saxons did not change after the

Norman Conquest.


❑ Orderic Vitalis described Norman rule as a ‘burdensome yoke’. How far

do you agree?

❑ In 2017, the historian R. Kennett stated, ‘The Normans changed

England for the better’. How far do you agree with this view?


The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 Topic One: Anglo Saxon England · The Norman Conquest 1065-1087...

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