The Norman Conquest
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OCR SHP GCSE THE NORMAN CONQUEST NORMAN THE OCR SHP 1065–1087 GCSE THE NORMAN MICHAEL FORDHAM CONQUEST 1065–1087 MICHAEL FORDHAM The Schools History Project Set up in 1972 to bring new life to history for school students, the Schools CONTENTS History Project has been based at Leeds Trinity University since 1978. SHP continues to play an innovatory role in history education based on its six principles: ● Making history meaningful for young people ● Engaging in historical enquiry ● Developing broad and deep knowledge ● Studying the historic environment Introduction 2 ● Promoting diversity and inclusion ● Supporting rigorous and enjoyable learning Making the most of this book These principles are embedded in the resources which SHP produces in Embroidering the truth? 6 partnership with Hodder Education to support history at Key Stage 3, GCSE (SHP OCR B) and A level. The Schools History Project contributes to national debate about school history. It strives to challenge, support and inspire 1 Too good to be true? 8 teachers through its published resources, conferences and website: http:// What was Anglo-Saxon England really like in 1065? www.schoolshistoryproject.org.uk Closer look 1– Worth a thousand words The wording and sentence structure of some written sources have been adapted and simplified to make them accessible to all pupils while faithfully preserving the sense of the original. 2 ‘Lucky Bastard’? 26 The publishers thank OCR for permission to use specimen exam questions on pages [########] from OCR’s GCSE (9–1) History B (Schools What made William a conqueror in 1066? History Project) © OCR 2016. OCR have neither seen nor commented upon Closer look 2 – Who says so? any model answers or exam guidance related to these questions. 3 ‘Brutal slaughter’ 44 Is this how William gained full control of England, 1067–71? Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the Closer look 3 – Hereward the Wake – the last of the English Publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity. Although every effort has been made to ensure that website addresses are correct at time of going to press, Hodder Education cannot be held responsible for the content of any website mentioned in this book. It is sometimes possible to find a relocated web page by typing in the address of the home page for a website in 4 Military fortresses or status symbols? 62 the URL window of your browser. What can research reveal about early Norman castles? Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Closer look 4 – The Tower of London Orders: please contact Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4SE. Telephone: (44) 01235 827720. Fax: (44) 01235 400454. Email: [email protected] Lines are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday, with a 24-hour message answering service. You can also order through our 5 ‘A truck-load of trouble’ 80 website: www.hoddereducation.co.uk ISBN: 978 1 4718 6086 7 What was the impact of the Norman Conquest on the English by 1087? Ó Jamie Byrom and Michael Riley 2016 First published in 2016 by Closer look 5 – The Norman Yoke Hodder Education An Hachette UK Company Preparing for the examination 98 Carmelite House Uncorrected proof 50 Victoria Embankment Glossary 106 London EC4Y 0DZ www.hoddereducation.co.uk Index 108 Impression number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Acknowledgements 110 Year 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or held within any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Cover photo © Getty Images/Danita Delimont Typeset by White-Thomson Publishing LTD Printed in Italy A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. What was Anglo-Saxon England really like in 1065? The saintly king Too good to be true? This picture is taken from a beautifully illustrated manuscript written in the thirteenth century. The book tells the life story of Edward the Confessor, 1 who ruled England from 1042 to 1066, in the years just before the Norman What was Anglo-Saxon England Conquest. He is the only English king who has ever been declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. really like in 1065? This particular illustration was used alongside the story of how a poor Irish cripple called Michael once begged King Edward to carry him to the altar of Westminster Abbey. Michael was sure that he would be healed if Edward would only do this for him. The saintly king lifted Michael onto his back and walked into the Abbey. As he did so, the blood from Michael’s sores ran down the king’s fine clothes. But as they approached the altar something remarkable happened: Michael felt life returning to his crippled legs and the sores on his skin were healed. Edward the Confessor and the healing of Michael, the When the king put him down, Michael could stand for the first time in years. cripple. An illustration from a manuscript written c.1240 The poor beggar and his king rejoiced together by running and jumping around the abbey and singing hymns of praise to God. Reflect The story is very unlikely to be true, of course. It reveals more about how Which parts of the story of later generations viewed Edward the Confessor than it does about actual King Edward and Michael events in his life. The king seems too good to be true. surprise you most? The ‘Golden Age’ In the same way that stories about King Edward have been exaggerated, so too has the reputation of the nation he ruled. Some historians believe that England was passing through some sort of ‘golden age’ just before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and that this was brutally and tragically ended by the invasion and rule of William the Conqueror. This view was particularly popular in the nineteenth century. Novelists, poets, artists and some (but not all) historians wrote about England on the eve of the Conquest as a land of free people, who could enjoy their fair share of its considerable wealth and who enjoyed an early form of democracy. As you will learn, this image of pre-Norman England is also too good to be true. The Enquiry In this enquiry you will learn about: 1. Anglo-Saxon society – the people and how they lived. 2. Anglo-Saxon religion – the Church and people’s beliefs. 3. Anglo-Saxon culture – the art, literature and buildings of the time. In each section you should make two lists. In one you should note anything that might have made life in late Anglo-Saxon England seem ‘golden’ to people Uncorrected proof who are determined to find the best in it. In the other you should explain why this interpretation of Anglo-Saxon can be challenged. You will need to use evidence to support your explanations. Record your ideas in a table like this: Aspects of late Anglo-Saxon life that Reasons why life was not really so might seem ‘golden’ ‘golden’ 8 9 What was Anglo-Saxon England really like in 1065? Anglo-Saxon society in 1065 The people Record There were just under two million people living in the Make the first entries in your kingdom of England in 1065. The five main groups are table as described on page 9. Origins described on pages XX and XX. In 1065, the kingdom of England had only existed for just over a century. The Use the sub-heading ‘Anglo- 1. The king character of different regions revealed how unsettled the land had been for Saxon society’. centuries. Kings of England had considerable powers and duties: The people of the midlands and the south Scotland was an independent country. l They raised taxes to pay for the nation’s defence 0 100 km were mainly Anglo-Saxons. They settled SCOTLAND The border region between Scotland and for the upkeep of the burhs, roads and bridges there after arriving from northern Germany and England was unsafe and unsettled. to encourage trade. in the fifth century. Over time, they set up People made frequent raids into each l They had the power to issue new laws. several different kingdoms such as Wessex other’s land. l They had to ensure that justice was served in local in the south. or shire courts. l They owned more land than anyone else. ENGLAND The people of the north and east of l Each king was expected to be a fine warrior. The people of Wales were descended England were a mix of Anglo-Saxons l English kings, unlike those on the continent, also from the British people who lived all over and Vikings. The Vikings came from had responsibility for the Church. southern Britain until the Anglo-Saxons modern-day Norway, Denmark and arrived. Wales had its own kings and Sweden and settled in the region north The line of Danish kings who ruled England after kingdoms and was independent from of the red line on this map after about 1014 died out in 1042 and the man who took the throne England until the thirteenth century.