revolt of edwin & morcar

• • 1068, edwin & morcar fled from william’s court to go north & were joined by many protesting against william due to his injustice & tyranny
• | causes of the revolt

  • Edwin’s resentment: William promised Edwin could marry his daughter but went back on his word
  • Made Edwin’s earldoms small & less important
• | causes of revolt

  • bad government: odo & fitzOsbern seized land unlawfully & let soldiers assault anglo saxons without punishment
• | causes of revolt

  • morcar’s resentment: morcar’s earldoms reduced in size; granting some to copsi
  • loss of land meant a loss of power & money
• | loss of lands

  • anglo Saxon chronicle 1067 said when William returned, he gave away every man’s land
  • William’s followers seeking to expand their grants by every means possible
• | castles

  • castles resented as they symbolised Norman domination
  • castleries controlled by castellan who call on people in areas to give things the castle required
• | taxes

  • william’s heavy held tax of december 1066 resented
  • William used English wealth for the good of Normandy
• • when William was informed of the revolt, he took his forces north, building castles
• • william went to warwick, mercia, and built castles
  • Successful show of force
  • Edwin & morcar were quick to surrender as soon as william established control in warwick
  • Citizens of york sent william hostages show their obedience once Nottingham fell
• | threats on borderlands

  • marcher earls led raids into Wales
  • Rebellions against william could count on welsh support
• • edgar escaped to scotland
• | outcomes of the revolt & its failure

  • revolt collapsed quickly after Edwin & Morcar surrendered, william pardoned them but kept them as ‘guests’ at his court where he could keep them under control
• | outcomes of the revolt & its failure

  • escape of edgar to Scotland created a new centre of resistance to William’s control
• | outcomes of the revolt & it’s failure

  • though Edwin & Morcar’s revolt had gathered support from the country, William’s show of strength convinced many the revolt was useless
• | outcomes of the revolt & its failure

  • why did edwin & morcar surrender so quickly?
  • could be because it was a test to see whether william was able to respond
• | outcomes of the rebellion & its failure

  • why william had no need to compromise with the rebels was that his castle-building proved exceptionally effective at imposing control