The Norman conquest of England and extension of control in Wales and Scotland.

William's military experience

2 decades of battle experience- dealt w/repeated invasions/defeated Henry I of France.

Took province of Maine 1063 after policy of destruction to spread terror.

1064- subdued Brittany which fully secured Normandy's borders.

Could coordinate complex campaigns, take/defend castles, waste land.

Loyal supporters- FitzOsbern, Roger of Montgomery.

Invasion preparation

Will secured backing of nobility through promise of rewards.

Diplomatic assault- formal protest sent to Harold, set plan out before Pope by Lanfranc who stressed

Harold's perjury and Stigand's pluralism so received papal banner as his blessing.

Fleet arrived in Pevensey then to Hastings; large harbour/defensible if they had to retreat.

Harold spent 5 days trying to recruit then forced early confrontation; alert archers/housecarls

Armies of William and Harold

Harold had 8,000 infantry on foot, well-armed housecarls/thegns at front with fyrd at back.

Normans had more professionals, archers at front and heavy infantry with knights no horses at rear; divided into Bretons, Normans and French.

A-S Viking Style combat was harder for leader to command vs Norman use of mounted knights.

Harold weakened by loss of trained fighters at Stamford/inability to command.

William's leadership

Careful prep- broad coalition of support in Normandy; magnates, Bretons, the Pope.

Meticulous logistical organisation- maintained army in summer, successfully transported across channel, ravaged land/provoking Harold into early battle.

Superior generalship- took the fight to Harold, took advantage of Breton retreat and rallied wavering troops.

Harold's mistakes

Rushed to engage William- lost advantage of home soil/being the leader of the Godwin's.

Took weak force lacking experienced housecarls- untrained peasants broke shield wall during feigned retreats.

Didn't order a general charge and didn't keep army on hill in defensive position.

The submission of the earls 1066

Now in hostile land- London blocked his advance and Stigand put Edgar forward as new King.

1st priority- gain control of SE: employed terror tactics, receiving surrender of Canterbury etc.

Wanted to isolate London so wasted the West and received submission of Winchester- now had control of Royal Treasury.

Stigand surrendered so Will cut off London from the North, remaining earls surrendered and accepted his overlordship.

Will crowned and anointed by Archbishop Ealdred of York (aura of being blessed by God)

Rebellions in the south, 1067-69

1067- stages triumphant tour around Normandy w/prisoners (Stigand, Morcar, Edwin, Edgar).

FitzOsbern/Odo run England in his absence and harsh rule stirred rebellion in Kent- Eustace of Boulogne emerged as leader but soon fled back after rebels were quashed.

Some thegns willing to accept new regime to preserve estates- Will's policy of conciliation.

Exeter rebels- increased taxation to fund Norman occupation; Will returns 1067 as the SW was a Godwinson stronghold and hadn't yet officially submitted to him.

Norman troops made Exeter submit after 18-day siege and established castle.

Further raids in 1069 at Devon, Harold's sons launching a 2nd raid: Will supported by Count Brian of Brittany and Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances.

The Harrying of the North

Greatest threat- Edgar defected from court to Scotland, Edwin/Morcar flee back to earldoms.

Staged lightning raids: Edwin/Morcar surrender, establishes castle in York.

1069- rebels attack Durham and insurgents lay siege to York castle with Edgar as leader; establishes 2nd castle in York.

Danish fleet of 240 ships in Kent led by King Sweyn's sons; Edgar joins to seize York.

Will reoccupied York for 3rd time and carried out systematic harrying of Yorkshire; Domesday designated 1/3 as waste.

Short-term impacts: death from starvation, refugees, slavery to survive, cannibalism.

Long-term impacts: 60% wasted land, replacement of English nobles, no more Northern rebels.

The East Anglian Rebellion

North subdued- East Anglia was last bastion of resistance to Normans on Isle of Ely.

Occupied by Danish fleet with Hereford the Wake as leader, ideal location- vast marshland, easily defensible and had sea access for reinforcements/strike Northwards or East.

Hereward launched a devastating raid in Peterborough- Will used diplomacy/force and bought off Danes, sending deputies to capture rebel base but Hereword held them off.

1071- Will takes command and sends fleet to blockade Ely and launch a successful assault.

The revolt of the earls 1075

Ralph, Roger + Waltheof all members of ruling class w/Norman, Breton and English blood.

Aim- divide kingdom into 3 with one as King with Danish support (arrive late w/200 ships).

Waltheof confessed to Lanfranc; executed the following year.

Ralph and Roger don't get Danish support; Roger imprisoned, Ralph fled to Brittany.

Will's ability to defeat rebellions: rebel's lack of coordination, rapid/decisive in battle, ineffectiveness of Danes/Scots in helping rebels/wasting prevented further uprisings.

Imposing Norman control in Wales, 1067-93

Fluid border- divided state so didn't pose a significant long-term threat.

Some Welsh princes wanted to capitalise on England's post-conquest chaos- 1067, Welsh prince allied w/Eadric the Wild (thegn dispossessed of Shropshire estates by Normans).

Normans used their rivalries to their advantage- Robert establishes 'Montgomery' castle.

FitzObsern started extending Norman control; established towns/castles; Will got tribute payments from Welsh princes as their overlord but only led 1 expedition in 1081.

Established 3 kingdoms known as the marcher earldoms.

Under William II- policy of steady expansion expanded by earls continued till 1093.

Malcolm III and the Northern Rebellion

Rival claims of lordship over North, long-standing tensions as Malcom wanted power.

Will worked through emissaries to secure oath of loyalty from Malcolm/don't help rebels.

Malcom married Edgar's sister 1069 and launched raid into Northumbria, sacking Durham.

1072 William blockaded coast/army ravaged- treaty at Abernathy (Malcolm paid homage and Will neutralised a rebel safe haven by securing expulsion of Edgar/exiles).

Success for Malcom too- launched another raid into Northumbria, submits to Curthose who establishes castle in Newcastle to allow further incursions into the North.

Northumbria remained uncontrollable/lawless so fulfilled Malcom's buffer between Sco + Eng.

William II and Scotland, 1091-93

Malcom raided Northumbria 1090 so Rufus orders a reprisal march, Malcom submits.

1092- Rufus goes on the offensive: seizes Carlisle/fortifies it and places Durham under ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

1093- Malcom travelled South but Rufus refuses to meet so raids Northumbria and was killed.

Private actions of Norman lords saw Wales steadily brought under English rule but Scotland's remoteness from centre of power made conquest impossible (long established with a King).

The operation of the feudal system, tenants-in-chief and knights

1066- Will imported aggressive Norman model/created society geared towards war

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Introduced new social/legal system amongst upper classes- feudalism.

Subinfeudation: tenant-in-chief could grant to tenants, oaths making it formal.

Powerful Anglo-Norman elite granted 3/4 of England, 11 Norman magnates held 1/4 of land.

Each tenant-in-chief had to provide knights for military tasks of occupation (servitum debitum).

Church given control of 1/4 of Eng, exempt from military obligation.

The nature of land tenure

Traditional view- imposed uniformly after in a rapid process post-conquest.

Recent view- developed slowly, occurred as and when land came to him and depended on local circumstances/past tradition, some quotas based on pre-conquest obligations.

The building of castles and their impact on Norman control and royal power

Militarised landscape: motte + bailey was key instrument of war (palisades, high up).

Surrender of Exeter marked w/castle + Welsh border chain of castles to watch mountain passes and castles to guard northern frontier and provide staging posts.

Vital for outnumbered Normans- send out patrols/concentrate troops (unfamiliar to English).

Installed high calibre of men as castellans/castle leaders (Norman magnates).

Norman programme of castle building changed the landscape- psychological symbol of conquest stressing permanence of Norman presence (over 80 by 1100).

As threat of rebellion died down, became seats of local gov- everyday feature of life.