revolt of the earls

• 1075 - Rodger, Ralph and Waltheof
• Roger 


  earl of Herefordshire

  he assumed he would inherit all his fathers perk of having a marcher earldom (William FitzOsbern) - he didn't

  meant he was less rich and powerful

  angry
• Ralph 


  brother in law to Roger

  Earl of East Anglia
• Waltheof

  Earl of Northumbria

  Anglo Saxon

  contact with King Sweyn

  (traitor)
• they tried to overthrow William and then they would split England into 3 equal parts
• William was in Normandy - Lanfranc = deputy
• they hoped the Anglo Saxon peasants would help them -Waltheof was Anglo Saxon - they also hated William for the way he treated them
• what went wrong

  1. Waltheof changed his mind - told Lanfranc
  2. Lanfranc sent men to Herford and East Anglia - reported rebels were strengthening their armies
  3. Lanfranc used his powers to excommunicate (Roger cut off from the church - meant he would go to hell)
  4. Norman knights prevented Roger crossing the River Severn - trapped in Herefordshire
  5. East Anglia - Anglo Saxons turned on Ralph and joined the Normans
  6. Lanfranc told William what had happened - he came home just before King Sweyn (saw what was happening, robbed and left)
• results


  Ralph - escaped abroad

  Waltheof - escaped but was tricked back into coming back and then was executed 1076

  Roger captured and imprisoned for life
• William won
• effects of the revolt - good or bad 


  Anglo Saxons - eg Bishop Wulfstan joined loyal Normans in stopping the revolt from happening

  William needed to be careful with Norman Earls - they were resenting his power and wealth

  Executing Waltheof showed he will stamp out any Anglo Saxon rebel with links to Denmark (Denmark = problem)