argue about: THE NORMANS Viking INFO BANK: CONQUEST CONTEXT rule

(967-1016) (1016-35) (1042-66) (1066-87) (1087-1100) (1100-35) Ethelred II (1016) King Cnut Edward the (1066) William I William II Henry I Edmund (1035-6) (1036-40) (1040-2) Confessor Harold II Ironside Alfred Hardicanute 995 Harold I 1066 1135

social hierarchy social hierarchy demographics demographics KING KING Population (approx) Anglo-Saxon William I becomes the More than 2,000,000 descendant Edward first Norman king in takes the throne in December 1066. 100,000 1042 after 26 years of lose their lives as a rule by Danish kings. TENNANTS-IN-CHIEF result of the Norman Nearly all Anglo-Saxon conquest, and EARLS % OF POPULATION LANDHOLDING lords lose their lands. particularly due to WIlliam I’s ‘Harrying Chief advisers to royalty & landowners 3% ARISTOCRACY William I distributes it Edward own vast All land is owned by among a loyal Norman of the North’ in 1069 areas of land and act thralls 10%* the king. By 1087: aristocracy. Some (see source G as king’s agents. Just English lords fall into on reverse). WHERE DO ceorls 87% Normans >95% PEOPLE LIVE? five earls control all of poverty. *perhaps as high as 30% Anglo-Saxons <5% countryside 90% England in 1065. UNDER-TENNANTS towns 10% Women lose THEGNS Landholding vassals and the right to Landowning class who knights owe military economy & trade own land and carry out duties for economy & trade service to the king. property king, such as collecting By 1065, England Trade with Europe taxes. foreign relations is one of Europe’s increases, including PEASANT CLASSES wealthiest kingdoms. wool and cloth trade Freemen - Free PEASANT CLASSES It boasts trusted with Flanders. Raw peasants who pay Ceorls - Mostly very coinage. Wool is material exports rent to lord for their foreign relations poor peasant farmers England’s main increase. A period land. Increased taxes who paid rent while industry and export. of economic growth causes number to fall working on thegn land. Trading partners begins from the late significantly from ‘Free’ in the sense include Scandanavia 1190s and continues 1066-86 and many they aren’t anyone’s and mainland Europe. for 150 years. become villeins. property. Villeins - Work on the London Thralls (or slaves) London lord’s land for no pay. No freedom, eg, cannot - Slavery is widely A growing, thriving In 1067, William I leave the village. Scandanavian practiced. Thralls are city of more than grants London a influence looms treated as property by 10,000 people, charter allowing it to Thralls (or slaves) largest. Fortified their owners. They can London is probably run its own affairs. - William I bans the towns (‘burhs’) are be sold and beaten, the country’s biggest slave trade. By 1087 Norman rule established as a even branded. trading hub. the number of slaves Like all English strengthens economic form of defence falls by 25%. By the towns, London grows and cultural ties with against Danish Anglo-Saxon Evidence of traders early 12th century, steadily. Guilds are mainland Europe. It invaders. women from Germany, slavery ceases in set up from 1130, provides security from have the legal France, Normandy England. including weavers, further invasion. right to own land and Flanders. cloth workers and and property butchers. ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND NORMAN ENGLAND