Anglo Saxon and Norman England Edexcel GCSE

• Anglo Saxon Social System

  King-->earls--> ceorls(free peasants)-->peasants-->slaves
• Slaves

  -10% of the population

  -Bought & sold, not always harshly punished, slaves part of everyday life
• Thegns

  -Local Lords

  -4000-5000 by 1060, holds land (Hides - 120 acres)

  -Lived in a manor house with a separate church

  -Part of aristocracy class
• Earls

  -Competed to be Kings favourite

  -they could earn rewards & honour

  -Some Earls challenged the Kings power
• Power of the Anglo Saxon King

  -Made laws, money (silver coin), gave & took away land, raised an army & fleet, decided on tax, protected the people from attack. (all boys at 12 swore oath to the king)
• Edward the confessor(Power)

  -Led the army but not a warrior

  -Used powerful Earls, Godwin especially. Kings gave out the land and wealth of people they defeated to their own followers.

  -He was a respected lawmaker, understood quarrels could unrest communities.

  -He was Pious (religious), Kings were seen as god’s link on earth.
• Earl Tostig Godwinson

  -Earl of Northumbria for 10 years, Northumbria had bandits/robbers, Tostig hunted them down (much less safe place after his exile).

  -Tostig used his power to benefit himself, he warned/threatened rich families. -Showed Earls could solve & create problems
• Local Anglo Saxon Government

  -Shire (area) ,used the Shire Reeve.

  -each shire had a Burh (fortified town) & military (provided soldiers for the fyrd).

  -Shires were divided in to hundreds (unit of land)

  -Tithings (groups of 10 households).
• Shire Reeve (Sheriff)

  -Local government official, worked in the earldom.

  -Collected revenue, Geld tax (land tax), collect fines from the shire court, enforced/witnessed the law, provide men for the fyrd & forced the upkeep of roads and forts.

  -King issued orders-writs, sealed with his stamp.
• Fyrd (military service)


  -Every 5 hides had to provide 1 man for the fyrd & battle equipment -

  -Select fyrd-fight anywhere. (Thegns, well equipped, weapons, armour & horses)

  -General fyrd- men who fought in local area.

  -Military service fixed at 40 days so men could get back to their farms.
• Blood feuds/Wergild

  Blood feud-if a family member was killed, the family could kill a member of the murderers family.

  Wergild was the solution- the murderer was fined for killing someone and had to pay the family of the victim (different cost dependant on status)

  (1 shilling =£100 today)
• events leading up to Harold becoming Earl of Wessex

  -1053 Godwin died, by the 1060’s the Godwins controlled most of England.

  -Harold succeeded to become Earl of Wessex. Gaining Wealth, Influence and Power

  -1055 Tostig becomes Earl of Northumbria.
• Military Challenges to the Godwinson's

  -Only Aelfgar Earl of Mercia could challenge the Godwins power. After being exiled twice he teamed up with Welsh King Llywelyn.
• Harold’s Embassy to Normandy

  -1064/5 Harold went to Normandy on a mission from King Edward. Captured by Guy of Ponthieu. William demands Harold is handed over. Harold helps William with military campaigns. Given weapons and armour.

  -Harold passes on Edwards message and swears oath to William upon holy relics.

  -The normans thought Harold was an oath breaker and went to plan Williams accession to the throne. The AS's thought that Harold went to Normandy to recover relatives held hostage by William
• Risings Against Tostig

  -Northumbria different from Wessex. Viking settlers, Danelaw, different language.

  -Tostig was a southerner. Northerners had always governed Northumbria.

  -Tostig ruled for 10 years, allowed Malcom III to invade, taxed heavily, brought in southern laws, assassinated high-born rivals.

  - 1065 Rebels march on York, kill 7 Housecarls. Invite Morcar to lead them.
• Death of Edward 5th Jan 1066 


  -No children and therefore a succession crisis. Bayeux Tapestry shows Edward dying with Edith, Harold, Stigand, and ministers around him. Harold had the military power, and the support from other nobles. Crowned king 6 th January.
• Rivals to the throne


  -Edgar Aethling (King Worthy)(1051-1126). Nephew of Edward. Royal blood. Considered too young and weak to defend the realm.

  -Harald Hardrada (1015-1066). King of Norway. Viking raider, Danelaw may welcome. 15,000 warriors + support from Tostig.

  -William (1028-1087) -Ambitious, claimed Edward had promised him the throne. Edward knew William well (distant cousins). Edward spent time in Normandy while in exile. William’s claim to the throne had the backing of the Pope -Normans were the most renowned warriors in Europe
• Gate Fulford 20th September 1066 


  The Vikings landed with 300 warships and marched to york but were stopped by an army of earls. The English Earls(Edwin and Morcar)were beaten by the Vikings(Hardrada and Tostig). They were outnumbered, and Hardrada and his Housecarls were battle hardened veterans. -Edwin and Morcar had positioned themselves with a marsh at their rear. When they tried to retreat, the English got stuck in this and were easily cut down.
• King Harold’s march north

  -Warned quickly by beacons that the Vikings had landed. Took his own Housecarls north. Marched 185 miles in 5 days. Strategic masterstroke. -Harold thought it was now too late in the year for William to cross the channel, and the wind was still blowing from the north when Harold set off, which he knew would keep William in Normandy.
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge 25th September 1066 


  -Harold launched a surprise attack. Vikings did not expect him to get there so quickly.

  -Complete success for Harold. Hardrada and Tostig were both killed, along with thousands of his men. Only 24 of Hardrada’s ships returned home.

  -The Vikings had left around a third of their men, and all their armour with their ships. They also only fought five days earlier and would not have expected another battle so soon. -They were also misled to believe England hated its new king.
• Consequences of Gate Fulford and Stamford Bridge

  -Harold was not there to prevent Williams landing.

  -Edwin and Morcar did not go with him south as they had lost thousands of men at Gate Fulford.

  -Harold’s army was exhausted from battle, Harold possibly overconfident after beating Hardrada. -Harold now had to march the 185-mile journey back south, to fight William at Hastings.
• The Battle of Hastings 14th October 1066 


  -Harold did not achieve surprise like he had on Hardrada. However, he did reach the high ground first which put William knights at a disadvantage. -There was also marshland either side of the English shield wall, which meant it could not be outflanked.
• Battle of hastings 2

  The battle was 8 hours. Harold stood his ground and withstood attacks form Norman infantry and cavalry. -After several failed attacks a rumour that William was dead threatened his men’s morale. William showed his face to rally his troops. The Shield Wall is worn down

  -William used the tactic of feigned retreat to trick Harolds men, and it worked and the shield wall broke
• William and Harolds Men

  William’s Knights Gonfanon – A battle pennant used for giving tactical signals. They had large war horses, javelins, arrows etc

  Harold’s Housecarls Equipped with javelins, swords, Shields (usually round and used to make a shield wall). Other troops Both armies had a core or elite troops and ordinary soldiers. -William’s foot soldiers – mixture of Normans and soldier-for-hire

  -Harold’s fyrdsmen – hastily gathered on his trip south. Thegns had shields and armour, general fyrd had agricultural tools to fight with. Not many archers.
• reasons for Williams victory

  Tactics – Shield wall tactics were sophisticated, effective against archers and initially against cavalry (as they had to charge up hill). -While the English all fought same way, William had mix of troops and used different attacking tactics until he found what worked. -Archers weakened the shield wall then cavalry charged through and broke it. -‘feigned retreat’ – Norman troops pretended to flee and panic, English foot soldiers chased them, this weakened the shield wall further.
• Williams leadership

  William’s leadership -William waited for Harold to disband the fyrd on the south coast before he set sail

  -He kept his army and fleet together, keeping them fed and watered. --The crossing with horses = ambitious, they were specially bred and trained.

  -When landed they marched to Hastings and converted an iron age fort into a castle. This had been pre-fabricated in Normandy to be put together quickly. This gave them security from attack.
• Harolds leadership

  Harold’s military leadership was highly regarded throughout England. However: -Calling his army in May = problem. Had to be maintained for 4 months before disbanding it.

  -He could have waited in London for William to come to him. -William learned of Harold’s muster point and arrived before Harold’s army were ready.
• The submission of the earls 1066

  William and his troops returned to Hastings, waiting for surviving AS Earls to surrender. Survivors of Harold's army fled to London. Edgar Aethling was elected king, and William needed to control the south coast for reinforcements and supplies. He seized the treasury at Winchester and led his troops to London. Normans destroyed homes and towns, and towns surrendered. William met Edgar Aethling and leading nobles in Berkhamstead, who offered him the crown in exchange for his loyalty.
• Why did the earls submit in 1066?

  Earl advantages: London's strong fortifications, Edgar's better claim to the throne, and William's control of Wessex but not Northumbria and Mercia. However, the best warriors in England had been killed at Hastings. William's strengths included seizing the treasury, remunerating loyal followers, and being an effective leader. However, weaknesses included deep in enemy territory with no safe retreat, his claim to the throne being irrelevant if Witan had already chosen a new king, and his troops being smaller than the earls' fyrd.
• William was crowned king of England on 25th December 1066 in Westminster
• establishing control on the borderlands

  -William established three new earldoms, the marcher earldoms, centered on Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester.

  -These earldoms were smaller, had special rights, and had full power over the law. They were exempt from tax to reward loyalty and encouraged spending on new settlements and defenses.

  -They also had the right to build castles, but had to get permission from the king. Marcher earls had more independence from the king but were not equals, giving allegiance and military service to the king.
• How were castles different to burhs?

  Castles were private, and built for the lord and his garrison, while burhs were public and maintained by the town. Burhs were large and enclosing, while castles were small and easy to defend. They were designed to protect Anglo-Saxons, while castles controlled them. In rebellious areas, castles were spaced 32km apart, allowing Norman troops to quickly deal with unrest. Castles took 4-9 months to build, and troops would be based in the garrison to attack troublemakers.
• Revolt of Edwin and Morcar 1068


  In 1067, William returned to Normandy with a large army and treasure. However, when he returned in December, Norman control was threatened. Edwin and Morcar fled William's court, leading to a rebellion against his rule. They resented the injustice and tyranny of his rule, including the loss of land, power, and money. The bad government of Odo of Bayeux and William FitzOsbern led to land seizures and the establishment of castles, which were resented. The heavy geld tax also caused resentment, with much of the revenue going back to Normandy.
• Revolt of Edwin and Morcar in 1068 continued 


  -When William heard of the revolt he took his forces north and built castles as he went. Edwin and Morcar quickly surrendered. Edgar fled to Scotland, where Malcolm III took him in. The revolt was over but resistance continued. Rebellions in England could count on Welsh support.
• Reasons for the revolts failure

  -Revolt collapsed quickly when Edwin and Morcar surrendered.

  -William’s show of strength convinced others further revolt was useless. -One reason Edwin and Morcar might have surrendered so quickly was it was a test to see how quickly William could respond. -Rebels were not united in a common cause, each had their own resentments
• Outcomes of the revolt

  -Edgar’s escape to Scotland created a new centre of resistance, important for next big rebellion in 1069. -One reason William had no need to compromise with the rebels was that his castle building proved exceptionally effective at imposing control.
• What caused the rebellions in the north 1069?

  -17 year old Edgar Aethling hoped to become King and was supported by a large number of Anglo-Saxons

  - Anglo-Saxons were still angry about the way they were being treated by the Norman lords before the Revolt of Edwin and Morcar

  -The North was the area of the Danelaw, which had always seen itself as more independent than the rest of England for its Danish culture. The violent and careless actions of Robert Cumin, a Norman and one of William’s friends and supporters who had been made Earl of Northumbria
• Rebellions in the north 1069


  In January 1069, Norman Earl Robert Cumin led an aggressive attack on towns and villages in Northumbria, leading to the murder of his men. A second rebellion occurred in York in February 1069, with Edgar Aethling joining the rebels. William FitzOsbern, a loyal follower of Aethling, defeated the rebels and destroyed York. In September 1069, King Sweyn of Denmark supported the Anglo-Saxon army, which attacked York and killed 3000 Normans.
• rebellions in the north 1069 continued

  William then headed north with his army, causing the Anglo-Saxon rebels to scatter into Lincolnshire. William struggled to pin down the Anglo-Saxons, leading to a brutal campaign of genocide called the "Harrying of the North." To solve the Danish problem, William collected money and paid the Danes to leave, returning to Demark with gold and plunder.
• Why were the rebellions in the north dangerous for William?

  -Rebels from Northumbria joined forces with Edgar the Aethling.

  -Edgar had the backing of Malcolm III of Scotland.

  -King Sweyn of Denmark sent a fleet of ships and warriors to join Edgar and the rebels.