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Home , Fyrd, Norman Conquest, Shire court

Norman – Knowledge Organiser Topic 2: Life Under the A and Government: What changes did the Topic Summary Normans make to England? 1. Before the Normans arrived in 1066, the Similarities between Normans and Differences between Normans and Anglo-Saxons English were ruled by the King and the Anglo- Anglo-Saxons Saxon aristocracy (the ). The king could make anyone an but he could also take land Land • Under both systems a form of social • After 1066, (or tenants-in-chief) were not allowed to dominate away. Earls had to provide military support in Ownership hierarchy dictated what was expected huge areas of the kingdom. Under the Saxons there had been about half a times of war and give their and of individuals based on their status, dozen Earls who were extremely powerful (e.g. Godwin), some wealthy when required. and what they needed to do for the and many minor landholders. wanted to change the balance people above them and below them in of power and so created 200 new landholders who were not as wealthy as 2. The basic framework of the Saxon state (how the system. an earl in Saxon times but wealthier than a . England was governed including the system of • The King and the Church owned most • These new landholders (barons) swore fealty to the King. This system of landholding) remained the same which helped of the land oaths ensured William’s power was protected, as in return for land Barons William assert his authority over his new • Peasants working on the land still had had to promise loyalty, uphold his policies and to fight for William. kingdom. to pay their a tax of their produce. • William only gave large areas of land to his ‘Marcher ’ e.g. the (Northumbria) and William FitzOsbern (). 3. However, systems became more formal under These had power over difficult border regions and had special powers to the Normans. For example, the Normans used raise their own army and taxes. ‘writs’ (written notifications sent around the • The Church was given more land (25%) which allowed the construction of country) as the Anglo-Saxons had. The new cathedrals and monasteries helping William claim religious legitimacy Normans issued far more writs as they and political power (e.g. senior churchmen such as Bishop Odo were placed attempted to centralise control. This ensured in areas that needed to be brought under Norman control). William had complete control (even when he Military • Thegns (Saxon) and Knights • Knights made an oath to their lord – this did not happen in Saxon times as was in ). Service (Norman) both promised to provide it was seen as a ‘religious duty’. military service to the King. • Knights always had to carry out military service for at least 40 days of the 4. Initially, William did not intend to replace • Each tenant-in-chief (Knight, ) year or pay scutage (a tax to avoid service). every Anglo-Saxon landowner with a Norman. provided soldiers for William’s army. • Marcher Lords on borders with the North / (see above) – became However, by 1076, the last English earl, • Local areas still provided troops for almost independent rulers with the task of defending against raids. Waltheof, had been beheaded and there were the army (Fyrd) only 2 Englishmen who held land directly from the king: Thurkill of Arden and Colswein of Lincoln. By 1096, all of the senior positions in Inheritance • Feudal Incidents: if a tenant died • Property was passed on to the eldest son –primogeniture. This meant the Church were held by Normans. So whilst without an heir the land would be Normans could large estates of land therefore maintaining power and returned to the lord who could sell it controlling who inherited the land. The king could also control the William wanted to retain some of the Saxon off. As the king owned most of the marriage of widows and charge fees when tenants died. earls their lack of loyalty meant they were land, he profited from this. replaced by Normans. Government • Main issue of government was to issue • The Normans issued more writs than the Saxons did. 5. The feudal system gave the king more power by Writ an order in writing (writ). • The King’s writs centralised the power and took it away from barons and and allowed him to rule the country with very bishops. few Normans. The king’s ownership of land gave him huge powers of patronage. Land was Local • The system of local government • Saxon sheriffs were replaced by Normans because loyal sheriffs were vital used to reward loyal followers who had fought Government remained largely unchanged and was to maintain control over the kingdom. alongside William in the Battle of e.g. controlled by the - (). • Castellans was a new position under Norman rule – they were responsible de Mortain had loaned his ships to • England remained split into 134 for looking after the royal and forests (under the Laws). William and was given 20 of England with a sheriff in charge of each shire. in return.. The use of the Oath of Fealty along • Duties included making annual with the granting of land helped the Norman payments to the king, collecting taxes kings establish control. and raising armies. Norman England – Knowledge Organiser Topic 2: Life Under the Normans B How important was the Domesday Survey?

William did not call it the . It How many Who held the land at the end of King Theories about the purpose of the Domesday was kept in the treasury in so it animals are there? ’s reign? Survey: was known as the King’s Book. It was later • A ‘tax book’ with the aim of finding out how termed Domesday – meaning Day of Judgement as the legal authority of the much people owned, so they could be correctly How many mills, Who holds taxed. Survey was seen as being equal to God’s Questions authority on Judgement Day. fishponds and from the 1086 land in 1086? meadows are there? • The survey was commissioned in 1086 due to survey the threat of the Count of Flanders and a England’s 34 shires How many Danish Viking invasion in 1085. William called were divided into 7 How many hides are a war council together in and regions (or circuits) villagers are How many ploughs there? ordered that a geld (form of tax) be raised to there? are there? pay for his army. However, the invasion never There were 4 came. Soon after William ordered the inventory commissioners in each In total, the be drawn up to help him raise tax in the future. The sheriff, local circuit. They visited Special sessions of the Shire Court baron, priest and every manor. commissioners (inquests) and heard evidence about • The survey could also have been ordered so villagers questioned visited 13,400 land ownership. The inquest made that King William could be better informed had to swear and oath places final, binding decision about who How was about his kingdom. The survey provided a to answer questions information owned the land. formal, written record of England at the time of honestly. collected? the introduction of the Norman feudal system. London is not contained in the survey as it is believed • William could legalize Norman ownership of ‘Little Domesday’ contained The it was too complicated to catalogue or perhaps the English land and evidence that William was the information on Essex, ‘Domesday survey was unfinished . The North of England was legitimate heir to Edward the Confessor. and Suffolk. ‘Great Book’ is also not included as part was not fully under Norman Domesday’ covers the rest of actually 2 control and in Durham the Prince-Bishop had • It demonstrated that whoever owned land did the kingdom. books exclusive rights to raise taxes there () so by the King’s authority, making the Norman barons legitimate rulers also. What does the Domesday Survey tell us? • The survey would help resolve future land • Who owned the land in 1086 disputes. As the survey was drawn up fairly and • King = owned all of the land but granted ¼ to the Church and with key people from each hundred directly owned 20% contributing to the record of who owned what it • How much wealth the population did or did not have became an agreed reference point. • In 1086 there were 2000 knights in England • There were 10,000 Norman settlers living in England • The result of the survey did allow William to • There were aprrox. 2 million people living in England in 1086 gain as much money from taxes as possible. He • The estimated wealth of the land under Edward the Confessor could make sure feudal lords were not compared to in 1086 withholding money, which would make them a threat to his power. Norman England – Knowledge Organiser Topic 2: Life Under the Normans C How far did law and order change under the Normans? Courts Law Enforcement Trial and Punishment Shire Courts: As under the Anglo-Saxons, England was divided into The Anglo-Saxon law and order system was very Fines: Paying compensation was the main form of shires. Shire courts met twice a year dealing with cases of land effective and in many ways superior to the Norman punishment for most minor and was used in both disputes, , taxes and rebellion were heard by a sheriff. These system, so William retained many of the English Anglo-Saxon and Norman England. remained the main method of enforcing law and order in local areas. practices and merely introduced a few Norman : As with the Saxons, the Normans believed in Hundred Courts: A shire was divided into hundreds (100 hides in size changes. ‘Judicium Dei’ (the Judgement of God) to determine a but could differ). These continued under the Normans looking into Hue and cry: In Anglo-Saxon England, the local person’s guilt or innocence. They utilized the trial by ordeal local issues and were smaller than the shire court. community was relied upon to enforce the law. When system established by the Anglo-Saxons. King’s Courts: These remained the most powerful court of law in a crime was committed, witnesses would raise the hue Ordeal by fire – this England. The court was presided over by the king himself or a and cry to help apprehend the criminal. Another involved a person putting designated official. It dealt with cases with which the King had a example of community justice was the , a group their arm into a cauldron direct interest e.g. breaches of the . of about 10 men aged twelve and over who were of boiling water or Church’s role: A collectively responsible for one another’s good holding a red hot iron bar criminal would could behaviour. The Normans retained these features. and walking 3 paces. If get to a church could / watchmen: These were elected, usually the wound started to claim sanctuary and elders of the village whose job it was to ensure all heal after 3 days the not be arrested for villagers kept to the curfew. They remained poorly paid person was innocent; if it 40 days. After this and reluctant law enforcers. did not they were guilty. time, they would Oath system: Anglo-Saxons placed a high value on Ordeal by water – a suspected person was strapped to a have to choose exile promises. People made the ‘common oath’ of chair and thrown into a lake. If they sank they were innocent; or trial by ordeal. allegiance to not be involved in any major crime. If they if they floated they were guilty, and then executed. This was did their entire family was punished e.g. exile for the because the belief was that pure water would reject the

Continuity Continuity criminal and their family. guilty. Shire Courts: Under the new Norman system of land ownership Oath system: The Normans no longer punished the Fines: The introduction of more fines rather than brutal shires were now smaller. Castles were where the sheriff now based. criminals family. A change made the Normans was the punishments shows a more modern approach by the The importance of Shire Courts declined due to the increased introduction of murdrum fines which stated that if any Normans in comparison to the Anglo-Saxons. The Normans important of Honorial Courts. This was where the tenants could Norman Earl was murdered then the entire area ended the practice of the criminals paying compensation to appeal cases directly with their lord. around where the criminal lived was heavily fined. This the families of victims (Wergild system) and instead Hundred Courts: Under the Normans, the Hundred Courts met more was introduced as a deterrent to local Anglo-Saxon introduced the concept of paying fines to the government. frequently than Shire Court and were run by the Sheriff’s deputy populations who resented their new Norman lords. This made the enforcement of law a lucrative source of (rather than the head of a local family). Written Laws: Another way the legal system became income for the Normans. King’s Courts: Under the Normans King’s Courts (or Royal Courts) more modern was that laws were written rather than Punishment: The bloodfeud was dying out (practice of killing became more powerful under the (King’s Council) where oral, which made them easier to enforce. All writs and or inflicting similar injury in revenge for an attack on one of writs were issued. This court became more powerful under Henry I (the way laws were recorded) were written in your family). However, it was still used in some parts of the (William’s son) who due to a period of stability was able to further . Latin was the most common written language North where the Danelaw applied. King William was keen reform the system of law and order in England. and became the language of government. that execution be used as a last resort for very serious Ecclesiastical Courts: The Normans gave the Church more crimes. Instead, mutilation was used e.g. blinding or involvement in the law. Ecclesiastical (Church) Courts were presided castrating the guilty. over by Bishops and Abbots and dealt with issues within the Church Trial by Ordeal: The Normans introduced a further ordeal. (e.g. religious or moral crimes such as adultery or sex before Ordeal by Combat – if a nobleman was accused of a crime he marriage) or crimes committed on Church lands or by Church men. would fight his accuser, and whoever won the fight was Often more lenient punishments were given out e.g. a pilgrimage to thought to be right. The loser was wrong and was usually

show penance. dead by the end of the fight. Change Change Topic Summary How did the affect towns and villages? 1. Peasants had the hardest lives of all and No fences, The strips of land The rest was The main crops many lacked any real freedom. They Thatched roofs walls or divided between Serfs: not allowed to were not separated were wheat, oats, farmed to survive (subsistence farming) which could easily hedges from each other the peasants barley & rye and many made little profit. leave the village be destroyed by without permission fire 2. Some peasants moved to the towns to 25-35% of land Land farmed in strips as from their Lord. Open field find better jobs. Others were trying to was kept for the it was easier for the break free from the ties of the system Lord oxen to pull the plough countryside. through 3. The rich had a far more varied diet than Lived in simple homes Centre of the Shows the which were cold, damp A peasant’s General village was a the poor, although it was less healthy. Villages importance and dark home church made The poor ate healthy food but were Information of religion vulnerable to shortages. of stone 4. Many towns grew in size and Usually only one Manor house, General Information importance under the Normans. room with a small barns, churches, Manors • Most peasant’s lives depended upon the seasons and window villager’s houses, farming – late Spring was the hardest time of year as grazing land and Change and continuity in village life: supplies were running out. mills • • The work people did in the village did not Walls made out of Jobs of peasants – (most) farmers, (some) millers & wattle & daub change under the Normans. brewers. • • Saxon thegns were replaced with Norman lords Food: during the day a light of rye bread (dry hard bread). Freedmen: lived around who spoke French and followed different Evening meal – mostly vegetables they grew themselves. the manor but had to pay Houses made • customs. Drink: homemade beer or cider. Had to obey the rent and work for the from stone • • Meat was rarely eaten by peasants as it was expensive, so Rents increased hugely under the Normans and lord’s rules lord during sowing and many freemen struggler to pay. They had to too were sugar and fruit. harvest time • become villeins. Thengs and Lords ate meat and fish on a daily basis. • The Normans rebuilt many buildings in stone rather than wattle and daub. In particular, Why did Norman towns grow? Medieval Jobs in towns • Trading centres in livestock, fish, salt and wool. churches. There was an increase in the number Towns • Blacksmith: skilled craftsmen and highly valued. Made a variety of • Towns attracted people who wanted to set up shops and businesses. of parish priests so each village had one. objects including tools, rivets, nails locks, horseshoes weapons and • Most towns were protected by high walls, gates or moats. The gates were guarded and • Many lords built water mills to grind grain but armour. Many made a very good living in towns. charged the peasants to use the mill. locked at night. • People moved from the countryside to learn a trade or work as a servant. If a villain • The Forest Law removed an important source • Moneylenders: Christians were not allowed to lend money so Jews came managed to live in a town for a year and a day, he became a freeman. of food. from Europe to do this work. This made them very unpopular. Features of a Norman Town Change and continuity in town life: How did the Normans change • Barbers: cut hair, extracted teeth and amputated limbs. The sign for a • There were very few towns in Anglo-Saxon Nottingham? • Mixture of residential and commercial barber’s shop was a red and white striped pole. England. Towns mainly existed on south and east coasts (due to wool trade). Other towns grew properties. • A new Norman lord to rule over the • Bakers: bread was the main food in medieval times. There were strict where rivers or important roads crossed. town. • 21 new towns were created by the Normans. • Churches and religious houses laws on pricing and portion sizes of bread. Peasants were allowed to use Most of these were founded because they were • A Norman church was built in the baker’s ovens to bake their own bread. built to newly built castles e.g. . • Houses were built close together and Romanesque style in the Norman • Increased trade with Normandy meant towns in often the buildings were larger above the borough – ‘St Peter’s Church’ in Rome • Armourers: a very skilled role where people made chainmail armour to the south grew richer. ground because land in the towns was fit each individual who requested it. • The wool trade continued to grow, and increased expensive. • A wooden was built in 1067-68 trade with Flanders led to expanding port towns. and controlled by the Norman Lord. • Apothecaries: sold remedies made from herbs and plants. • A high street was the main road through • The Normans introduced guilds which controlled Hierarchy in Norman Towns trade and regulated the quality of goods. the town leading to the gates. This road • New markets were created: weekday • However, the Normans took control of market would have been wider than the rest. markets in the ’late-Saxon borough’ and • Top: Lawyers, doctors and property owners trading and increased rents and tolls for Saturday markets in the Norman • Middle: Craftsmen (only when they became a ‘master’ of their trade). A ordinary people. Some towns decreased in size • Overcrowding led to overflowing waste borough. Burgess (citizen of a town) had more freedom and legal protections. and fortune due to increased rents which and an increased risk of disease, house They could serve as watchmen or the town damaged business e.g. and . fires and theft. • New boroughs created from the influx of • Bottom: Unskilled workers and servants • Some towns were destroyed by rebellions. Norman and Saxons to the town. Norman England – Knowledge Organiser Topic 2: Life Under the Normans E Did the Norman Conquest change everyday life?

Norman aristocracy NEW LAWS Peasants Topic Background: King William was impressed by the Anglo- Some new laws did affect the peasants way of life. Saxon financial system, so he retained it and • When the Normans began to rule England after Previously, peasants had hunted to supplement their diets, introduced the Exchequer and minting system 1066 many aspects of life changed. A new particularly in the winter and spring when their food to Normandy. foreign king now ruled the land and with him supplies were running low. New forest laws meant that Exchequer = where the king’s money is kept French-speaking nobles arrived to inhabit new peasants faced fines, imprisonment or even death if they Minting = the creation of coins Norman castles. hunted in the forest. The Normans introduced trial by and trial Murdrum fines also had a big impact on peasant life, the by combat, which only the aristocracy had the whole area could be fined if a Norman as killed. As a result, • However, the extent of change differed right to demand. according to social status. For those at the very the peasants were less likely to support rebellions. top of the hierarchy when the Normans arrived, the Norman impact was significant. There was an almost complete change from the Anglo- CASTLES Peasants Saxon system. Norman aristocracy Castles were built very quickly, which must In order to protect themselves from the local have impressed as well as intimidated the • For peasants, at the bottom of the social scale, Anglo-Saxon population and maintain their there was little change. King William’s local population. The peasants’ land may also status, the earls built castles on their land. have been cleared to make way for a castle. intention was never to change every aspect of The role of castles developed over time so However, many locals such as the blacksmith, English life and make it completely Norman. that, as well as being important for defence, carpenter and trades people, lived and they also became centres for trade and worked within the walls of the bailey. So a • In many areas, it is clear William took positive commerce. motte and bailey castle also defended them aspects from both systems to make sure that the from attack. governments in both England and Normandy were successful, efficient, profitable and, ore importantly, secure. Norman aristocracy LANGUAGE Peasants As the vast majority of earls were Norman, Norman aristocracy the language of the new English aristocracy Initially, William attempted to retain Anglo- became French rather than English. Peasants continued to speak the Saxon landowners. However, many were Norman French became the language used at English they were used to for some involved in rebellions and had to be replaced. court, in law and for government. time after the Conquest. However, After the Conquest, William took possession However, the language of religion was still Norman words crept into everyday use, of all of the land. 25% Church / 20% William / Latin. for example, veal, arrow, bow, armour, the rest divided between mainly Norman As time went on, the Norman French and battle, castle, baron, knight and earl. earls. Anglo-Saxon languages started to merge to As a result, smaller earldoms and greater create the ‘Anglo-Norman’ language. number of earls meant less opposition to the Peasants king. Their time was spent between their Although the nationality of their landlords earldoms. changed, life for peasants did not change A new social class was introduced in the form significantly in terms of their relationship of knights, who could also be landlords. with the land. LAND