The Legacy of Resistance to 1087

• William is reported to have regretted his decision to lay waste to the North

  He acted out of frustration and anger, not cool strategic thinking
• The Harrying was William's response to a rebellious north that was very different to the south of England
• The Harrying was extraordinarily violent and brutal, some historians have called it a 'genocide'
• It was on a much larger scale than the similar tactics William had used in Wessex previously
• Between 1066-87 the Normans replaced the Anglo-Saxons as landholders
• Landownership in 1087


  • Over half of all land in England was held by 190 'tenants-in-chief's (only two of them were Saxon), 11 of these men owned over half of the land between them
  • A quarter of the land was held by the Church which was run by Normans
  • The King owned 20% of the land himself
  • Less than 5% of the land was owned by Anglo-Saxon nobles, typically in very small estates
• How Anglo-Saxons lost their land

  1. By forfeit: If anyone acted against the king, their land was forfeit

  2. New earldoms: This allowed land ownership to legally rearranged by putting together different blocks land seized by forfeit

  3. Theft and corrupt dealings: There were both straightforward thefts and seizures of land and corrupt dealings that left Saxons with less land than before
• After Hastings William had been able to put Normans in charge of land forfeited in the south west (previously owned by Saxons who fought against William at Hastings)
• Following the Harrying of the North he was able to do the same to land in Mercia and Northumberland
• Before 1071, what an Anglo-Saxon held was passed on to Norman 'heirs' wherever it was in the country, this meant landholders often had multiple plots of land in different places
• After 1071 this was changed so that blocks of land within the same region were owned by the same person – this ensured strong Norman lords across the country
• Anglo-Saxon ways of 'owning' land


  • Bookland: Lords gave out pieces of land to their followers, with a document to prove ownership
  • Leases: Land was loaned to someone for money, for a set period of time
• Under the Saxons, land ownership carried taxes such as the 'fyrd obligation' (five hides = one soldier) and the Geld and inheritance taxes
• Changes in land holding under the Normans

  • There was only one landowner, the king. Everyone now had land tenure from the King
  • Anglo-Saxon landowners had to pay William money to keep the right to use their land, this was very unpopular
  • Norman followers did not have to pay this chalarge, but if the Norman died and his son inherited it, then the son had to pay a tax
• William's much more strict approach made him far more powerful than the Anglo-Saxon kings had been
• William's 'tenants-in-chief' were also very powerful, they could give land to their followers, dispossessing Saxon thegns. They could take land away from thegns who were a threat to them
• Many thegns left England, choosing exile rather than serving a new Norman lord, they worked as mercenary soldiers
• Life for the peasants had been hard under the Saxons. But it got harder with the Normans because the landowners were stricter about collecting taxes
• The free peasants or 'ceorls' didn't own the land they worked on, they leased it from the lord and were independent farmers. Their number fell after the Normans took over. Peasant independence was reduced
• William's military skill and strength

  • Many believed that God was showing his favour
  • He was ruthless in using military force to put down the Saxon rebellions
  • His military strength kept him in power and increased his legitimacy in the eyes of the English who had always respected great warrior kings
• William continually stressed his legitimate claim to the English throne throughout his reign (Edward the Confessor's promise and Harold's broken oath)
• He argued that God had given him victory at Hastings because Harold had broken his promise
• Royal Ceremonies


  1. William made sure he was seen wearing his crown at ceremonies three times a year

  2. It was here he brought together his Witan to discuss important issues for the kingdom

  3. He made sure he travelled to different parts of the kingdom to do this, having been officially and properly coronated at Westminster Cathedral
• William took control of the minting of coins
• The coins had an image of William on them, as did his royal seal. This seal appeared on all official royal documents
• William and his royal court travelled around the country, meeting with important local families and officials – this was his way of showing his authority in the different regions
• There would always be huge celebrations arranged for a royal visit
• William constantly used the fact that he owned all the land in England, to exercise his power. Taking land from rebels and enemies, giving it to followers and friends
• William took oaths very seriously, held large ceremonies where all men would swear to serve him loyally. He did this especially during times of danger, such as the threat of Viking invasion in 1086 – thousands of landholders were made to attend and swear loyalty to the king