AS / NC 1060-1066

• The social system

  King

  Earls

  Thegns

  Peasants

  Slaves
• The King

  Most powerful person. Protect his people from attack and make laws.
• Earls

  Second most important. Land owned by an earl was called an earldom.
• Thegns

  Local lords who lived in a manor house and held more than 5 hides of land. Provided men for the Fyrd (army).
• Peasants

  Made up most of the population and worked for their local lord. Ceorls could go work for another lord if they wanted to as long as they still did some work for their local lord.
• Slaves

  Made up about 10% of the population. Viewed more as property. Very normal for Anglo-Saxons but Normans thought it was cruel.
• Edward the Confessor


  King from 1042 - 1066. Every boy swore an oath to the king when they reached 12 years old. Controlled : Law-making, money, land, military and taxation.
• Edwards Strengths

  His Earls and Thegns were a powerful military force.

  Respected law maker, he kept things peaceful.

  He was pious (very religious), kings claimed to have a close link to god.
• Limits to Edwards power

  Earl Godwin (Wessex) was very powerful, could put pressure on Edward.

  1050 Edward forced Godwin into exile, 1051 Godwin came back with an army and Edward gave him his earldom back to prevent a war.
• The witan

  Council of advisers to the king, made up of earls and archbishops chosen by the king, it discussed threats and disuputes and had a large roll in choosing the next king. The king did not have to follow its advice.
• Earldoms

  Earls were given many of the kings powers :

  Collected taxes, kept a third, very rich.

  In charge of justice and legal punishment in their earldom.

  Great military power, highly trained bodyguard soldiers called housecarls.
• Legal system

  Collective responsibility, someone didn't want to join the fyrd the whole tithing would be punished.
• Blood Feuds

  Grudges held between families which often lasted generations. If someone was killed, the victims family had the right to kill someone from the murderer’s family.
• The Wergild system

  Meant that instead of taking revenge, the victims family received compensation from the murderer’s family. A ceorl was worth 20 shillings, a Thegn 1200 shillings and an earl or archbishop 3600 shillings.
• The Economy

  England was well suited to growing crops, and likely traded with other countries (silver from Germany).

  The biggest cities were London and york, important towns included Norwich and Lincoln.
• Burhs

  Each shire had a burh, these were well fortified and linked by roads. The kings laws said that more valuable trade had to take place in a burh, so that trade tax could be paid.
• Villages

  Consisted of a few houses scattered in the countryside, Houses were made of wood and straw. Lots of relatives lived together. Thegns also lived in the countryside, but their houses were bigger and better built then peasant huts.
• The Church

  Organised into large areas controlled by bishops, who were rich, important people.

  Local priests were often not well educated.

  Abbots and Abbesses ran monasteries and nunneries.

  Religion was an important part of everyday life because people worried about what would happen when they died. For example, Edward devoted time to rebuilding West Minister Cathedral.
• The Godwin Family

  Earl Godwin was made Earl of Wessex by king Cnut in 1018, Godwin helped Edward become king and Edward was married to Godwins daughter Edith.

  Harold Godwinson, 1053 Earl of Wessex.

  Tostig Godwinson, 1055 Earl of Northumbria.

  Leofwine Godwinson, 1057 Earl of Kent.

  Gyrth Godwinson, 1057 Earl of East Anglia.

  Wulfnorth Godwinson, 1051 given to Edward as a Hostage.

  Edith of Wessex, 1045 married Edward the confessor.
• Godwinson power - Land

  Had lots of land making them almost as rich as the king.
• Godwinson Power - Church

  Godwinsons convinced Edward to appoint bishops who were loyal to them.
• Godwinsons power - Political

  Political marriages, Edith Godwinson and Edward, Harold Godwinson and Edith of Mercia.
• Harolds Embassy to Normandy

  what happened?

  Harold landed in Ponthieu where count Guy of Ponthieu took him prisoner.

  William of Normandy rescued Harold, Harold then spent time in Normandy helping William in two military campaigns.

  Harold made an oath to William - possibly swearing to support William’s claim to the English Throne.
• Harold’s Embassy to Normandy

  why was it significant?

  Shows that Harold was Edward’s trusted adviser as it was clearly an important embassy.

  The Normans used it to boost Williams claim to the English throne.

  After Harold took over as king from Edward in 1066 the Normans used this embassy to portray Harold as an oath breaker.
• Rising against Earl Tostig 1065

  reasons

  Tostig was a southerner but Northumbria had strong Viking links.

  People felt he abused his power (he had killed powerful rivals).

  Taxed Northumbira heavily.

  He didn’t defend Northumbria from an attack by Malcolm 3rd of Scotland in the 1061.
• Rising against Earl Tostig

  response

  Harold agreed that his brother Tostig had pushed Northumbria too far.

  Kind Edward ordered an army to put down the rising but Harold and other earls didn’t follow his order, this shows weakness in the kings power.

  Edward was forced to accept the rebels demands.
• Edward the Confessors death

  Edward died on the 5th of January 1066. He had no children which meant there was a succession crisis.

  The bayeux Tapestry shows Edward on his deathbed holding out his hand to Harold.

  The Witan met quickly and Harold was crowned the same day as Edwards burial 6th janurary 1066.
• 1066 Claimants for the Throne

  Harold Godwinson

  Claim - Appointed by Edward on his deathbed. Family connection, proven military success and influence with the earls.

  Strength of claim - Good, supported by witnesses (though ones loyal to him). Good chance of success.
• 1066 Claimants for the Throne

  William, Duke of Normandy

  Claim - An agreement supposedly made with king Edward in about 1051 and confirmed during Harold’s 1064 embassy.

  Strength of Claim - Backed by the pope but no real evidence. Good chance of success, the Normans were strong warriors.
• 1066 Claimants to the Throne

  Harald Hardrada

  Claim - Complicated, he had essentially inherited the claim from previous viking kings

  Strength of Claim - Weak, thought the Danelaw may have welcomed a Viking king. Exiled Tostig went to Harald for support together they had a strong army and fleet.
• 1066 Claimants for the Throne

  Edgar Aethling

  Claim - Royal blood, Edward’s nephew and natural heir

  Strength of claim - weak, he was a blood relation but the witan wanted a strong king to see off threats from Scandinavia and Normandy
• Harold Godwinsons Reign

  Harold was crowned quickly because the Witan feared an attack by William, he faced several challenges as king:

  Challenges from powerful earls, Including the old rival the Earl of Mercia.

  The North, would they accept Tostigs brother as their new king?

  Tostig, was looking for allies in Europe.

  William, was reportedly getting ready to invade.
• The Battle of Gate Fulford

  20th september 1066

  Harald Hadrada and Tostig attacked in September 1066. They were blocked just outside York by the new Earl of Northumbria Morcar and his brother Edwin (Earl of Mercia) at Gat Fulford.

  The battle was a defeat for Morcar and Edwin, should’ve fought within city walls.

  Harold heard about the attack and marched North.
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge

  25th september 1066

  Harold surprised Hardrada and Tostig at Stamford Bridge. Both Hardrada and Tostig were killed.

  Harold won because:

  The vikings left their armour on their ships.

  He had the element of surprise.

  Hardradand Tostig had fought at Gate Fulford 5 days before.

  The vikings we’re (wrongly) under the impression that the English hates Harold.

  Harold’s men broke the viking shield wall.
• The battle of Hastings

  14th october 1066

  After leaving York, Harold stopped in London for around 5 days to gather troops. He then continued south and met William at Senlac Hill, near Hastings.

  The battle began in Harold’s favour, but his strong shield wall gradually broke down. At one point a rumour went round that William had been killed, so he tipped his helmet to show he was still alive. Harold Godwinson and his brothers Gyrth and Leowife held their position on the top of the hill. Eventually they were killed, but their housecarls fought on to the last.
• Why did William win?

  tactics and leadership

  William used cavalry to break up Harold’s shield wall.

  The Normans tricked the English into false security by pretending to retreat.

  William delayed his invasion until Harold had disbanded the sourthern fyrd.
• Why did William win?

  Harolds leadership and bad luck

  Harolds army had been out since May.

  Harold’s men were poorly disciplined, which caused the shield wall to break up.

  Harold didnt have the element of surprise.
• William in Power, 1066-87

  Rewarding Anglo-Saxons

  William wanted a trouble free takeover.

  Earls like Edwin and Morcar kept their earldoms.

  He promised that Edwin could marry his daughter.
• William in Power, 1066-87

  Rewarding his own followers

  He sent rich gifts to the pope and church supporters in Normandy.

  He introduced a heavy geld tax to raise money to pay mercenaries.

  He gave land to family members and advisers, half-brother Odo (bishop of bayeux) was given all of Kent.
• Marcher Earldoms

  Three new earldoms centred on Hereford, Shrewsbury and Chester, William wanted to make the border between England and Wales more secure.