key topic 1

• Who ruled England from 1042 until January 1066?

  Edward the Confessor
• What was a significant event that occurred due to Edward the Confessor's death?

  Invasion of England by William of Normandy
• What characterized Anglo-Saxon society?

  • Hierarchical structure
  • Clear roles for king and advisers
  • Nobles claimed succession after Edward's death
• What was the role of the king in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Head of government making important decisions
• What was the Witan in Anglo-Saxon England?

  A council of powerful nobles advising the king
• How many earls were there in Anglo-Saxon England?

  About six earls
• What was the role of earls in Anglo-Saxon society?

  Governed areas for the king and upheld law
• What were the two subdivisions of land in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Shires and hundreds
• Who looked after the shires in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Sheriffs
• What were ceorls in Anglo-Saxon society?

  Free men who owned their land
• What was the percentage of slaves in the Anglo-Saxon population?

  About ten percent
• What was the blood feud in Anglo-Saxon legal customs?

  A cycle of retaliation for severe wrongdoing
• What was wergild in Anglo-Saxon law?

  Compensation based on social rank
• What was the role of the tithing system in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Groups of men responsible for each other's behavior
• What were the two types of courts in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Shire and hundred courts
• What was the purpose of trial by ordeal?

  To determine guilt or innocence through tests
• What type of economy did villages have in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Subsistence economy
• What was the role of craftsmen in towns?

  Traded hand-made goods
• What percentage of land did the Church own in England?

  25 percent
• Who were the two archbishops in Anglo-Saxon England?

  Canterbury and York
• Who was the most powerful family in England during Edward's reign?

  The Godwin family
• What was Harold Godwinson's title after his father's death?

  Earl of Wessex
• What was the significance of Harold's marriage to Edith of Mercia?

  Secured support for the Norman invasion
• What event did the Bayeux Tapestry depict regarding Harold Godwinson?

  His trip to Normandy in 1064
• What happened to Tostig in October 1065?

  He was banished by King Edward
• When did Edward the Confessor die?

  5 January 1066
• What did Edward reportedly specify on his deathbed?

  Harold Godwinson should look after the kingdom
• What are the key terms related to Anglo-Saxon England?

  • Anglo-Saxon England: History from the fifth century to 1066
  • Hundred: Subdivision of a shire with its own court
  • Reeve: Chief law officer of a town or district
  • Sheriff: Chief officer of the Crown in a shire
  • Shire: County area in England
• What are the key individuals related to Edward the Confessor and the succession crisis?

  • Edith Godwinson: Sister of Harold, married to Edward
  • Harold Godwinson: Earl of Wessex, leading nobleman
  • Tostig: Harold's brother, Earl of Northumbria
  • William of Normandy: Edward's cousin, claimant to the throne
• What are the key events leading to the Norman Conquest?

  1. Edward's death in January 1066
  2. Harold Godwinson's claim to the throne
  3. Tostig's exile and rivalry with Harold
  4. Harold's promise to William of Normandy
  5. William's invasion of England