Events Explained

• Harold Godwinson's rise to power

  • 1045 - Harold's sister Edith married King Edwards, making them brothers in law
  • 1053 - Harold succeeded his father, Godwin, as Earl of Wessex, making him the richest man in England
  • 1057 - Harold's brothers, Leofwine and Gyrth became Earls of Kent and East Anglia
  • 1065 - The rise against Tostig
  • 1066 - Claimed Edward promised him the throne on his deathbed, Archbishop Stigand and the Witan supported him, not teenager Edgar Aethling
• William's claim to the throne

  • William, Duke of Normandy, claimed that Edward had promised him the throne possibly in return for his help defeating the rebellious Earls
  • In 1064, Harold Godwinson swore an oath on holy relics during his embassy to Normandy saying that William could become King, so the pope supported his claim
  • Norman sources claim that Harold did this willingly after William saved his life
  • Saxon sources say Harold agreed to secure the release of a family member that William was holding hostage
• Rising against Tostig 1065

  • Northumbrians were never happy about southerner Tostig Godwinson being their Earl
  • In 1061, when Malcolm III of Scotland invaded, Tostig agreed peace terms with his friend rather than retaliating
  • He taxed Northumbria more than Danelaw was used to
  • Northumbrians invited Morcar (brother of Edwin, Earl of Murcia) to be their new Earl
  • King Edward objected but Harold agreed, exiling his unpopular brother
  • Harold then married Edwin and Morcar's sister
• Viking Invasion September 1066

  • Tostig landed in the North with Harold Hardrada, King of Norway and successor to the Viking Kings of England
  • Harold Godwinson was in the south having expected William to attack first
  • Edwin and Morcar chose to face the Vikings rather than wait behind the walls of York
  • The vikings won the Battle of Gate Fulford, Edwin and Morcar lost thousands of men
  • Hardrada was defeated after Godwinson marched north in just 5 days and took him by surprise at Stamford Bridge
• Battle of Hastings October 1066

  • At first the Norman knights struggled to charge uphill and break the Saxon shield wall
  • A rumour swept through the Norman army that William was dead, many began to flee
  • Some of the inexperienced fyrd chased the Normans down the hill, breaking the shield wall
  • William lifted his helmet to show he was alive
  • His troops surrounded the chasing fyrd and repeated his feigned retreat twice more
  • Harold was killed by an arrow to the eye, the Saxons fled
• Norman Invasion Sept-Oct 1066

  • After months of waiting, the wind changed and William set sail 2 days after the Battle at Stamford Bridge
  • William pillaged Wessex, forcing Harold's tired, depleted army to rush south
  • The Norman army were all professionals, Norman knights were famous across Europe
  • The Saxons were mostly fyrds with farm tools
  • Many Saxon housecarls had been killed or wounded in the 2 battles with the Vikings
  • William's scouts spotted the Saxons approaching Hastings, forcing Harold to set up to defend on Senlac Hill
• Submission of the Earls Winter 1066

  • After Harold's death, the Witan crowned Edgar Aethling as King in London
  • William weakened Edgar by capturing the royal treasury in Winchester
  • He went around London to Berkhamsted to cut off northern reinforcements
  • Edgar, Edwin and Morcar submitted to William there
  • In exchange, Edwin and Morcar remained Earls but their Earldoms were smaller
  • William gave his Norman followers Godwinsons land and money from the new taxes
• Revolt of Edwin and Morcar 1068

  • The brothers hated that their Earldoms were reduced in size and that William I had not let Edwin marry his daughter
  • Saxons hated William's high tax and castles
  • Odo and William FitzOsbern had seized Saxon land and let soldiers rape local women
  • Edwin and Morcar took Edgar north to gather men
  • William I marched into Merica and retook control of Warwick and Nottingham building castles there
  • The brothers surrendered and became William I 'guests'
• Rebellions in the North 1069

  • William I made Robert Cumin the new Earl of Northern Northumbria
  • Looting by his men led to riots in Durham. Cumin was killed
  • The uprising spread to York
  • Edgar returned from Scotland (he fled after 1068 revolt)
  • William laid waste to York and built 2 new castles there
  • Later that year, King Sweyn landed a Danish army in the Danelaw and joined Edgar's troops to attack York
  • William paid the Danes to leave
• Harrying of the North Winter 1069-70

  • William I wanted to punish the north for 3 rebellions and Robert Cumin's murder
  • The failed rebellions had led to guerrilla warfare against Norman soldiers, the rebels were hard to find and fight
  • William wanted to ensure the northern Danelaw could not support Sweyn if he returned
  • Homes, food, seed, land and livestock were destroyed
  • Over 100,000 died, many from starvation and some cannibalism
  • Villages from York to Durham were left uninhabited
  • The North did not rebel again
• Rebellions at Ely 1070-71

  • Danish fleet returned to the Danelaw and landed in Ely, East Anglia not the north
  • Sweyn allied with Hereward the Wake, a thegn who had been exiled by Edward and had returned to find his lands had been given to a Norman
  • They raided Peterborough abbey together but the Danes returned home with their gold
  • Sweyn knew they lacked the support to face William I
  • Morcar joined Hereward but William captured Ely
  • Last major Saxon rebellion