3.3 Changes in Towns and Villages (All in 1)

What happened to many towns immediately after the Norman conquest

Many towns were badly damaged by fighting and population loss

How much of York’s population was lost after the conquest

Around half of York’s population was lost

Why were houses destroyed in towns like Lincoln

Houses were demolished to make space for Norman castles

What financial burden did townspeople face under Norman rule

Heavy taxation from the Normans

Despite destruction, how did urban life recover

Towns quickly recovered due to Norman support for trade and wealth

How did William encourage commerce in London

He protected Londoners’ traditional rights

How did castles eventually help towns grow

They provided security and created demand for local goods and services

How many new towns were founded between 1066 and 1100

21 new towns, mostly next to castles

What role did church building play in urban development

The Normans’ church-building projects brought investment to towns

How did trade patterns change after the conquest

Trade shifted from Scandinavia to stronger links with Europe (mainly Normandy and Flanders)

What was England’s most important export after the conquest

Wool, especially to the Flemish textile industry

What types of luxury goods were imported into England

Silks, spices, furs, wine and fine cloth

What new community did the Normans introduce to England

Jewish communities, mainly involved in finance and money changing

What was the immediate impact of the Norman conquest on village life in regions like Yorkshire and Sussex

It caused widespread destruction, displacement and a sharp drop in land value

How did the conquest affect peasant obligation

Peasants faced increased rents and labour demands under Norman rule

What happened to many formerly free peasants after the Conquest

They lost their land and status, becoming villeins

Did the Normans introduce a new agricultural system

No, they kept the existing manorial system and agriculture structure

What was the dominant village layout in the south and midlands

Dense villages with a manor house, church, and common feilds

How did village organisation differ in the North and East

Villages were more dispersed and covered larger areas

What change occurred in Yorkshire and Durham regarding village structure

Planned, dense villages were create to improve lordly control

What remained constant for peasants despite the changes after the Norman conquest

The risk of life, with frequent famine, disease and disasters

What did the Normans use royal forests for primarily

Hunting, rather than agriculture

How did the Norman approach to hunting differ from that of Anglo-Saxon kings

The Normans made hunting a central royal privilege and converted vast land areas into royal forests

Which areas were turned into royal forests by the Normans

Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and Essex

What famous royal forests were established by the Normans

Sherwood Forest and the New Forest

How many people were displaced to create the New Forest

Around 2,000 people from 20 villages

What made life difficult for people living inside royal forests

They were subject to harsh forest laws that restricted farming, grazing and collecting wood

What legal system governed those living in royal forests

A separate and severe forest law system

Could non-royals hunt on their own land within a royal forest

No, hunting was prohibited for all except royalty

Why were royal forests a symbol of Norman oppression

Because it prioritised royal leisure over people’s homes and livelihoods, and imposed harsh laws

What percentage of the English population were slaves during Edward the Confessor’s reign

10%

What were some common sources of slaves in Anglo-Saxon England

Captured in war or raids, or born into slavery

How did the Normans contribute to the decline of slavery in England

They moved away from slavery in favour of rent paying tenants imposed their own values

What economic reason led Norman lords to prefer tenants over slaves

Tenants paid rent and were cheaper to maintain than slaves

What moral concern did the church have about slavery

It encouraged concubinage and led to illegitimate children

What role did Archbishop Lanfranc play in fighting slavery

He urged the king to stop the export of slaves from ports like Bristol and Lewes

What did the ninth law of William the Conqueror prohibit

The sale of any man abroad, punishable by fine

What did William do in 1081 to show opposition to slavery

Freed many hundred of men during a campaign in Wales

How much did the number of slaves in Essex drop between 1066 and 1086

By 25 percent

What did the monk Lawrence of Durham say about the Normans and slavery

They (the English) found that foreigner treated them better than they had treated themselves