Topic 1

• Anglo Saxon England Pre 1066

  Population - roughly 2 million people, mostly in the South and East, 97 percent peasants

  Defence - not many castles but roughly 3000 housecarls and fyrd fought when earls needed

  Government - ruled by Edward the Confessor but split into earldoms - 5 main with Wessex being the most powerful.

  Witan were advisors
• Anglo Saxon England Pre 1066

  Religion - mostly Catholics + ruled by the Pope, the church made rules for living and was a major land owner, heard legal cases and set laws on marriage and inheritance

  Economy - Foreign raiders such as Vikings targeted England. England had strong trade links with Scandinavian countries such as Norway, France and Denmark

  Minting system - made their own coins
• Godwins

  Powerful ruling family that controlled a large area of England by 1066
• Earl Godwin

  Born is Sussex and died in Winchester. Wessex was his earldom.

  Father in law to King Edward and related to Cnut through his wife Gytha.
• Godwin and Edward the Confessor Disagreement

  1052 - Godwin exiled from England as he was unhappy with the king's favouritism to his Norman friends whom he gave many positions in his court.

  Godwin agreed to publicly apologise to Edward and in return the king reinstated the earls, their lands and power, and the power of the Godwins increased.

  Godwin died in 1053 and his son Harold took over as earl of Wessex
• Edward the Confessor

  King from 1042-1066

  Controlled law-making, money, land ownership, military and taxation

  Limits to his power included the Godwin's family's influence and the oath sworn by every boy to the king
• Earl in Anglo-Saxon England

  Given many of the king's powers to help run the country

  Collected taxes, administered justice, and had military power

  Depended on the support of the thegns in their earldom
• Social System in Anglo-Saxon society

  King and elite aristocracy at the top

  Slaves at the bottom

  Earls controlled earldoms

  Thegns were local lords with more than 5 hides of land

  Peasants made up of most of the population

  King was the most powerful person
• The Witan

  Council advisors to the king

  Made up of important people such as earls and archbishops

  Discussed threats and disputes

  Had a large role in choosing the new king

  King declared who was on the Witan and when it met
• Local Government

  Fyrd was the army of peasants, one man from every 5 hides

  Shire reeves carried out the king's instructions by collecting fines, enforce the law, provide men for the fyrd and maintaining roads and defences

  Collected geld tax to pay off vikings
• Economy in Anglo Saxon England

  Suited to growing crops and likely traded wool and cloth

  Traded with other countries

  Major cities were London and York

  Important towns included Norwich and Lincoln
• Influence of the Church

  Organised into areas controlled by bishops

  Local priests were ordinary people

  Abbots and abbesses ran monasteries and nunneries

  Religion was important in everyday life
• Edgar Aethling's claim

  Great Nephew of King Edward and the closest blood tie

  His father was named successor before his death

  Was an anglo-saxon so he had support of many earls

  Caused rebellions against the Normans after 1066

  Aged 14 in 1066
• Harald Hardrada claim

  King of Norway and ruler of Denmark with a large army

  Unpopular but a good warrior

  Related to Cnut and his ancestor was promised the throne

  Had the support of Tostig
• Harold Godwinson claim

  Earl of Wessex - very rich

  Skilled military leader

  Claimed Edward promised him the throne on his deathbed (Novissima Verb)

  Had support of most earls and the Witan

  His sister was Edward's wife Edith
• William Duke of Normandy Claim

  Cousin of Edward through his mother

  Claimed he promised the throne on holy relics

  Successful warrior
• Battle of Gate Fulford

  8th September 1066 - Harold disbanded army from waiting in the South for William and returned to London

  20th September - Hardrada and Tostig attack in the North-East with 300 ships and around 10,000 men

  Hardrada sailed up the River Ouse towards York

  Edwin and Morcar ran the English army of 4500 men

  Battle was in a marshy area called Germany Beck near Fulford Gate

  English army fought bravely with the shield wall but did not expect the flank by Hardrada

  English tried to flee but the Norwegians hurled bodies into the bank so they couldn't get across
• Battle of Gate Fulford

  24th September 1066 - York surrendered to the Vikings, 150 hostages were exchanged at Stamford Bridge
• Battle of Hastings

  28th-29th September - William crosses the Channel landing in Pevensey

  October 14th 1066 - Battle of Hastings

  Harold placed is troops on top of Senlac Hill with his shield wall

  William used archers, cavalry and infantry but was unsuccessful against the shield wall as cavalry struggled to travel up the hill William used feigned retreat to guide anglo-saxons away from their advantage on the hill which eventually broke the shield wall

  Harold was shot in the eye and William won

  Bayeux Tapestry shows the battle
• Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?

  Preparations

  Gathered 8000 men from all over france, some were attracted by the papal banner and some were knights trained from the age of 3.

  Papal Banner - Lanfrac persuaded Pope that the church needed reform and made the invasion a holy war

  Flat bottom ships to transport horses and fat pack castles

  Flat Pack castles - allowed William to put up temporary castles quickly

  Recruits were promised land and riches
• Why did William win the battle of Hastings?

  Luck

  Both Hardrada and William launched invasions at the same time

  Weather delayed William's invasion and Harold's army were tired

  A lot of fyrd deserted since it was harvest season
• Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?

  Leadership in Battle

  Papal banner - soldiers thought they would go to heaven if they died

  Highly organised divisions, archers and cavalry

  Was on horse-back so had more control over troops
• Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?

  Could've waited for extra troops

  Used old Anglo-Saxon techniques that the Normans were aware of

  Harold fought on foot so he struggled to communicate with his troops

  Fatigued army, troops had to march from York to Pevensey
• William's First Steps as King

  1 - Secured ports in Kent and stopped Anglo-Saxon trade and strengthened fortifications

  2 - Secured Canterbury (centre of church)

  3 - Went to London but was unsuccessful because the anglo-saxons so he burnt the area of Southwark (near London)

  4 - Sent his troops to Winchester (royal treasury) and marched toward London on the way he harried the south by destroying homes and farms to intimidate
• William's First Steps as King

  5 - Edgar Aethling, archbishops Stigand and Ealred, Edwin and Morcar and the Witan submitted to William at Berkhamsted and swore an oath to obey him. William promised to be a fair king.

  6 - William crowned on Christmas Day 1066 by archbishop of York in Westminster Abbey since archbishop Stigand was corrupt - this showed he was a holy man and true king of England
• Norman Castles

  There was no castles in England prior to the Norman invasion

  The first castle was built in Pevensey, the landing site of William and his forces. This was the flat pack castles and was brought from Normandy.
• Norman Castles

  Norman castles were Motte and Bailey. A raised mound with a keep set in a larger enclosed bailey. The entire structure was surrounded by a wooded palisade and often a moat or ditch. Access would be controlled by a draw bridge.
• Norman Castles

  The Normans built castles throughout the country to suppress the local population.

  The highest concentration of castles was on the Welsh boarder

  As well as being practical, castles were a symbol of Norman suppression.
• Purposes of Norman Castles - Strategic

  Strategic:

  Built in areas of unrest and rebellion

  Place of protection for Normans with soldiers to deal with threat

  First built in Pevensey, Hastings, South Coast

  By 1086, 48 big castles and 500 small castles were built
• Purposes of Norman Castles - Symbolic

  Symbolic:

  Permanent, visible and symbolic reminder of Norman power

  Built on mounds in order to appear large

  Previous anglo-saxon structures were recycled for their building despite the Normans having enough resources to build them new

  166 houses in Lincoln were destroyed to build castles
• Purposes of Norman Castles - Economic

  Economic:

  later became hubs for trade and taxes

  3/4 of castles founded from 1066 to 1135 and were centred around towns

  metal works, butchers etc attracted settlers
• Importance of Norman Castles

  Castles were powerful defensive structures but it was also the place which ordinary people associated with authority. They were important centres of administration and local government. Tax collectors, officers of the court and market traders could also be found within the walls of a castle. Because they were home to large garrisons, castles eventually became the centre of local activity.
• Importance of Norman Castles

  The lord who controlled and maintained a castle was to some extent responsible for the security of the in surrounding towns and villages, and the presence of a castle created a sense of security for the community. Their presence certainly helped maintain order in England.
• Rebellion of the Welsh Border

  Welsh boarders had always been a problem as they were an area of wild, untamed land that was a refuge for English outlaws and difficult to rule.

  1067 - Edric the Wild thegn of Herefordshire started a revolt with a large amount of English followers.

  Gained support of the Welsh Princes and managed to steal property along the border

  Edric failed to attack but attacked again in 1069
• Rebellion of the Welsh Border

  1069 - reached Cheshire and Staffordshire

  Edric and followers approached Norman castle in Shrewsbury and the commanders at the castle held them at the gates and William led his forces personally to meet them in battle. The rebels were defeated.
• The Revolt of Eustace

  1069 - Soon after the Welsh Rebellion

  Revolt led by Eustace who was King Edward's brother in law and also Count of Boulogne

  Attacked Dover castle in Kent

  William of Poiters suggested that the thegns in Kent invited Eustace and offered him their support but this was not true

  Eustace was defeated by the knights in the castle
• South West and Exeter Rebellion

  1068 - Exeter rebelled against William's rule

  King dealt with it by besieging the city with an army of Normans and Englishmen.

  City held out for 18 days

  Exeter was forced to surrender and the king built a castle on the highest ground, leaving his half-brother Robert of Mortain in charge
• South East and Exeter Rebellion

  On his way back to London, William supressed Bristol and Gloucester.

  Three of Harold Godwinson's sons landed on the Somerset coast in attempt to defeat William but were unsuccessful
• Rebellion of the Norman Earls

  1075 - William faced a rebellion from his own Norman Earls

  Ralph de Gael was the leader and was joined by Roger de Breteuil who was the Earl of Hereford and the son of William FitzOsbern

  William had forbidden Ralph's marriage and his sheriffs had been hearing legal cases in Roger's land instead of Roger himself

  Norman earls had the support of the Earl of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, Waltheof
• Rebellion of the Norman Earls

  King Philip I of France encouraged Roger to rebel

  Philip didn't want Normandy to be more powerful than the rest of France

  so he was eager to distract William

  Ralph and Roger were promised aid from overseas so their rebellion posed a serious threat to William