Rebellions and Wales

• 1068 Mercia


  • Edwin and Morcar were a challenge to William's rule
  • began to gather allies
  • William led an army north, ensuring no revolts, and building castles
• 1069 York


  • Robert Cumin murdered in Durham
  • Uprising in York, Edgar supported before crushed
  • Sep, Edgar joined forces with Sweyn, rebellions all over
  • William paid Danes to leave, and punished north to stop further rebellion
• Harrying of North 1069


  • burnt homes, mass killing, crops ruined
  • turned into a wasteland
  • likely aim to make north inhabitable to crush rebellions
• Revolt of Earls 1075


  • de Gael and de Breteuil angry at losing power over William's centralised control
  • defiance acts, resistance in North
  • Waltheof told Lanfranc of plan, who got revolt crushed
  • Gael fled, Breteuil captured, Waltheof executed
  • tightened control over nobility and last serious rebellion
• Marcher Lords and Border Controls

  • Wales wasn't a united country, so couldn't control it like England
  • border constantly under threat of attack
  • granted larger areas of land to most trusted earls
  • Marcher Lords tasked with prevented raids, extra powers to make own laws to help armies build castles
  • Scotland border, 1072 Treaty of Abernathy, Malcolm III swore fealty, Bishop of Durham would quell Scottish threats