Actions after conquering England

• journey to London


  built castles and laid waste to villages on the way. took control of Dover and Winchester then circled London and cut it off from possible reinforcements from the Midlands and North
• crossing the Thames


  built a castle in Wallingford then one in Berkhamstead where submission of earls took place
• why was it important to take control of Winchester

  it housed royal treasury + seen as capital
• submission of the earls


  Stigand, Aldred, Edwin and Morcar were intimidated by William so submitted to him. William promised to be a gracious lord.
• William's actions towards Saxons

  promised to work within Edward's laws and alongside the Saxon earls and lords. allowed some Saxon earls to keep titles and most of their land. gave Saxon thegns the opportunity to buy back land from him provided they did not fight at BoH. did not replace the archbishops
• William's actions towards Normans


  allow his followers to hold the land of those who had fought at BoH eg Godwinsons' land. paid the mercenaries with money from new geld tax and royal treasury. sent gifts to Pope
• William's priorities


  prevent rebellions. ensure Norman loyalty. deal with future Danish invasions. collect taxes and set up a system for controlling England while in Normandy
• the feudal system


  the organisation of medieval society. the granting of land in return for military service and loyalty. William owned all the land in England and could grant it to tenants-in-chief
• knight service


  providing knights for the King's army or to garrison castles 40 days a year
• villeins


  anglo saxons who worked the land but did not own any. could live on their lord's demesne if they did labour service 3 days a week
• act of homage


  ceremony in which a vassal promises loyalty to a lord. pledge of loyalty
• oath of fealty


  oath of loyalty during act of homage
• fief


  piece of land given to a vassal in return for military support or service
• vassal


  becoming a vassal means you owe support and allegiance
• relief tax


  payed to the king when swearing loyalty to him
• forfeiture


  if a tenant-in-chief rebelled or did not fulfil his duties, the king could take his land back
• sheriffs


  (shire-reeves in Anglo Saxon times but now had more power and could keep some of the taxes they collected) followed king's instructions (writs), collected geld taxes and carried out justice in the kings court
• what was a forest


  any area of land chiefly used for hunting. had their own legal system. named forests as the latin word 'foris' means to be outside the normal legal system
• how were the forests used

  designated area for hunting as a hobby and training for war. occupied by wealthy. 12 villages destroyed for William's New Forest in Hampshire. Anglo Saxons had not set aside land to hunt
• the forest laws examples

  blinded or executed if caught hunting in a forest. not allowed to own a bow. illegal to cut down trees or collect wood for fuel or to repair homes
• administration of forest laws

  forest officials held their own courts and were appointed specifically for this role
• significance of the forests

  harsh laws and huge areas of land established without rebellion, confirming William's place as king
• murdrum fine


  the fine imposed on a local community if the murderer of a Norman was not found within five days
• tithings


  group of 10 men (12+) responsible for bringing each other to court if necessary
• hue and cry


  the alarm that citizens were required to raise upon the witness of a criminal offence
• three new earldoms


  marcher earldoms- Hereford, Shrewsbury and Chester.
• size


  marcher earldoms were smaller than anglo saxon earldoms. this meant the earls had less power so were less of a threat to the king
• creating settlements


  earls were able to create towns and markets and establish churches so as to encourage the colonisation of England
• legal power of earls

  sheriffs now worked for the earl. sheriffs controlled shire courts so earls had power over the majority of the legal system in their earldom
• exemption from tax


  earls did not have to pay tax on their lands in the marcher earldoms
• the right to build castles

  marcher earls could build castles whenever they needed to without applying to the king
• location of marcher earldoms

  the border between wales and england as wales had been a threat to Edward the Confessor's rule