Norman C&P

• How did Normans gain control of England? (Norman Period)

  - In the Battle of Hastings 1066 , the Normans led by William the conqueror invaded England

  - This became known as the Norman conquest

  - William replaced Anglo-Saxon nobles with Normans but didn't make changes to the law
• Why did William I tighten his control in 1069? (Norman Period)

  - William and the Normans faced opposition from many English nobles.

  - Serious rebellion in the north of England 1069

  - Serious crime against authority so William couldn't afford to lose control, reacted swiftly with force.
• How did William respond to the rebellion in 1069? (Norman Period)

  - Marched to the area and devastated it

  - The Normans killed hundreds of people, burned crops and homes, and destroyed livestock.

  - This brutal response became known as the "Harrying of the North"
• How did William further tighten his control in 1069? (Norman Period)

  - Replaced remaining Anglo-Saxon nobles by taking their land and giving it to Normans

  - Many of the earls who had enforced the law during Anglo-Saxon times were replaced by nobles more willing to support William

  - He kept most laws the same so he could be seen as the rightful successor
• What two new laws did William I introduce? (Norman Period)

  The Murdrum fine

  The forest laws
• What was the Murdrum fine? (Norman Period)

  - Protected Normans from violence

  - If a Norman was murdered and the killer wasn't caught, local Anglo-Saxons had to pay a fine
• What were the forest laws? (Norman Period)

  - Large areas of England were "royal forest" , land reserved as a hunting ground for the king and certain nobles

  - Denied ordinaries to hunt wildlife or gather food.

  - Those who defied this law were guilty of the new crime of poaching - hunting on other people's land
• How were poachers punished? (Norman Period)

  - Harsh punishment

  - Blinded, fingers removed so they couldn't draw a bow, be executed
• Why were the forest laws unpopular? (Norman Period)

  - They changed the way many ordinary people lived

  - Those who had previously been able to live off the land could now be executed for trying to feed their families.

  - This attitude (being unfair) meant that poaching was a social crime, an offence not thought to be wrong by most people
• What were the main aims of punishment? (Norman Period)

  Deterrence and retribution
• How was there continuity and change from Anglo-Saxon to Norman punishment? (Norman Period)

  Continuity:

  - Execution for treason, mainly hanging

  - Corporal punishments like whipping for minor crimes

  Change:

  - Wergild replaced by a new system of fines that went to the king rather than the family, highlighting centralisation and growing power of the king

  - Range of punishments for the same crime, decided by court
• What was the change and continuity of determining guilt from Anglo-Saxon to Norman times? (Norman Period)

  Continuity: Trial by ordeal

  Change: New trial by combat
• What was trial by combat? (Norman Period)


  - Used when other methods like oaths failed

  - Accuser and accused would fight each other to death or until one of them surrendered

  - The loser would be judged guilty

  - Trial by combat also used to settle land disputes
• Why was trial by combat both a trial and punishment? (Norman Period)

  - A verdict of guilty was decided as the loser was killed

  - Even when somebody surrenders they'd be found guilty and mutilated or killed anyway.
• Why were communities still important in law enforcement? (Norman Period)

  - People continued to live in small, rural communities

  - Still under supervision of local nobles, shire-reeves, reeves.

  - Catching and trying criminals mostly the same: hue & cry, tithings ; shire and hundred courts all remained
• What were changes to local law enforcement from Anglo-Saxon to Norman times? (Norman Period)

  - Normans built castles in strategic locations to help prevent unrest

  - Earls lost power, sheriffs began to act as the king's main representative, taking over shire courts

  - By 1100, all nobles replaced by Normans
• What was the curfew law?

  • Ensured that all fires and candles were put out at a certain time indicated by a bell
  • Ensured no secret meetings plotting against the Norman's at night
• How did William I assert his dominance over the Anglo-Saxon population with the introduction of the poaching law?

  • The poaching law, which made it illegal for ordinary people to hunt on private land, was a tool for William I to assert his dominance.
  • By making hunting a criminal offense, William controlled access to vital resources, ensuring that the Anglo-Saxon population remained reliant on his laws for survival.
  • This harsh restriction was designed to make life more difficult for the people, showing that their actions were monitored and that they were under constant control of the Norman regime.
• How did the Murdrum fine benefit William I's control over the kingdom?

  • The Murdrum fine benefitted William I by consolidating his power.
  • By making the king the beneficiary of the fine, it ensured that any crime against a Norman would be punished and the money would go directly to the crown.
  • This reinforced William’s authority, as it showed that the king was the ultimate source of justice, and anyone who harmed a Norman was ultimately defying royal authority.
• How did the Murdrum fine show centralisation of power under William I?

  • The Murdrum fine shifted the responsibility for punishing the murder of a Norman to the king, rather than the victim's family.
  • This centralisation of power prevented local communities from administering justice, ensuring that the king controlled the legal system.
  • It also allowed William to maintain direct control over law enforcement, reducing the influence of local elites and asserting his authority across England.