Revolt of the Earls

• The revolt of the earls in 1075 was the last major revolt against William's rule
• Conspirators in the revolt of the earls in 1075
• Main conspirators

  • Bride's brother Roger de Bretai
  • New husband Ralph Deguile
  • Honored guest Wolfioff
  • Bride Emma Fitz Osborne
• Emma Fitz Osborne, the daughter of King William's oldest friend William Fitzosman, is important to this story
• Roger de Bretai, the Earl of Hereford, was the son of William Fitz Osborne and the Earl of a marcher eldon with additional powers
• Marcher earldoms were given special powers due to being on the border with Wales
• Ralph Deguile, the Earl of East Anglia, grew up in Brittany and was the son of an Anglo-Norman
• Wolfioff, the Earl of Northumbria, was the last Saxon earl of England and had rebelled twice before
• Reasons for the revolt of the earls in 1075
• Reasons for the revolt

  • Loss of lands
  • Loss of privileges
  • Loss of power
  • Resentment of being the only Saxon earl left
  • Opportunities to rebel
• Plan of the plot in the revolt of the earls in 1075
• Plan of the plot

  1. Raise armies in their earldoms to unite and overthrow William's rule

  2. Strike whilst William was in Normandy leaving his regent Landfrank in charge

  3. Rely on Anglo-Saxon support for extra strength

  4. Get support from Knute, son of King Swain of Denmark

  5. Divide the kingdom into three and share it between themselves
• Plotters planned to get support from the Danish fleet led by Knute, son of King Swain of Denmark

  They arrived late, saw the revolt failing, raided the coast, and left
• How rebels hoped to catch William out

  William was in Normandy, so he would find out later and be slow to react, creating a perfect time for a revolt in England
• How Archbishop Landfrank knew what was happening

  Earl Warfield switched sides and gave the plan away to Landfrank, ruling his region on William's behalf, allowing Landfrank to respond quickly before William returned to England
• How Landfranc responded

  Quickly and decisively, Saxon support never materialized, and the earls were quickly defeated by the army raised by Landfrank
• Roger was captured and imprisoned for life by William
• Ralph fled back to Brittany, and William besieged his castle at Doll but had to withdraw
• Ralph was exiled and became a wanted man, but he got away with it due to his wife successfully resisting William in their castle
• Wolfeyoff fled but was executed by William for betraying the plot to Landfrank
• Revolt failed due to Wolfioff betraying the plan, Landfrank responding quickly, Danes arriving too late, Saxons failing to support, and William having time to deal with the rebellion
• Revolt of the olds of 1075 was the last major rebellion against William and was a dismal failure, showing the strength of William's power by 1075