conquest and control - normans (1071-1087)

when was the Domesday Book compiled

Spring 1086

who collected information for the Domesday Book

• 34 shires arranged into 7 circuit/regions

• 4 commissioners gathered information in each circuit/region

what types of questions were asked to compile the Domesday Book

• size and name of location

• how many resources in the location

• types of land in location

• types of people in location

• value of the manor in the region

state how many people lived in England in 1086

2 million

state the percentage of the English population were Normans

1%

state how many tenants-in-chief; who owned the largest amounts of land, were English

4/180

state how much land William the Conqueror held in England

20%

state how much land Norman secular lords held in England

50%

state how much land the church held in England

25%

state how much land English landowners held in England

5%

describe changes in England, 1065-1086

• population of Yorkshire fell by 75%

• only 5% of English land was owned by English people

• number of free ceorls fell massively

• number of thralls fell by 25%

• Norman lords increased rent of estates by 30% (on average)

• taxation rates increased to increase the geld

describe continuity in England

90% of the population worked in agriculture

state the positive consequences of Norman conquering on English towns, markets and taxes

Growth in trade with Normandy - led to some economic prosperity in towns, especially sea-side towns

state the negative consequences of Norman conquering on English towns, markets and taxes

• decline of many towns in the north following the Harrying of the North

• clearance of towns for castle building led to declines in populations in towns such as Oxford, Lincoln and York

• increase in taxation (geld), 1067-1068, which was maintained on the long-term

• Norman control of markets meant some were forced to move within the castle walls (bailey), leading to higher rent for market vendors

state William’s motivations to raise the geld

• fund Norman troops

• fund castle building

• reward his supporters

• gain more control over English markets

how did written language change following the conquest

• after the conquest, written language was now mainly in Latin

• an example of this is ‘Textus Roffensis’

  • ‘Textus Roffensis’ is a collection of manuscripts relating to the history of Rochester Cathedral

how did spoken language change following the conquest

• Anglo Saxons continued to speak English

• Norman conquerors spoke Norman French

give French words that were absorbed into English (POLITICS AND LAW)

• government

• authority

• justice

• court

give French words that were absorbed into English (CULTURE)

• music

• melody

• dance

• love

what % of English vocabulary is derived from French

28%

describe continuity of positions in the Church, 1065-1087

• initially, a number of Saxon bishops kept their positions

  • such as Archbishop Stigand

describe continuity of church buildings, 1065-1087

some Anglo Saxon churches, such as St Bene’t’s continued to be used

describe continuity of church monasteries, 1065-1087

after Viking raids, ~60 monasteries remained in England

describe change in positions in the Church, 1065-1087

• William was crowned by Papal legates at Winchester

  • this was a sign that the Pope blessed his new power in England

• 1070 - Lanfranc replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury

• new Bishop of York was Thomas Bayeux

• increase in Normans appointed as bishops and abbotts

  • this led to Normans gaining access and control to the church’s power and influence over England

describe change in church buildings, 1065-1087

• Many Anglo-Saxon churches were replaced by new structures. This was a visual reminder of the conquest.

• Norman churches and cathedrals were larger and more ornate than Anglo-Saxon structures - symbol of Saxon oppression

• Examples included Canterbury, York, Winchester and Ely

• Parish churches started cropping up - mixture of buildings from different periods

describe change in church monasteries, 1065-1087

• The was a revival of monasticism under the Normans

• New monasteries were built, for example at Selby, Jarrow, Whitby, Durham and York

• There was a  significant transfer of wealth from monasteries in England to the abbeys of Normandy.

• Increasingly, Norman abbots controlled the monasteries

describe continuity in law enforcement in England, 1065-1087

• SHIRE COURTS

  • England was still divided into shires

  • shire courts met twice a year to deal with cases of land disputes, crimes, taxes and rebellions

• HUNDRED COURTS

  • a shire was divided into hundreds

  • hundred courts looked into local issues

  • hundred courts were on a smaller scale than shire courts

• KING’S COURTS

  • remained the most powerful court of law in England

  • court was presided over by the king or a designated official

  • dealt with cases in which the monarch had direct interest

    • e.g. breaches of peace

• CHURCH’S ROLE

  • a criminal could go to church and claim sanctuary, where they would not be arrested for 40 days

  • after these 40 days, the criminal could either choose exile of trial by ordeal

describe change in law enforcement in England, 1065-1087

• SHIRE COURTS

  • under the Normans, shires became smaller

  • castles became where the sheriff of the shire was based

  • importance of shire courts declined due to increased importance of Honorial Courts

    • Honorial Courts were where tenants could appeal cases directly with their lord

• HUNDRED COURTS

  • under the Normans, Hundred Courts met more frequently than Shire Courts

  • Hundred Courts began to be run by the sheriff’s deputy, instead of the head of a local family

• KING’S COURTS

  • the King’s Courts became more powerful under the Normans and the Curia Regis (King’s Council)

• ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS

  • the Normans gave the Church more involvement in the law

  • Ecclesiastical Courts were presided over by bishops and abbotts

  • these courts dealt with issues within the church

    • e.g. adultery

  • Ecclesiastical Courts were often more lenient with punishments given out

    • e.g. pilgrimages to show penance

describe continuity in trial and punishment in England, 1065-1087

• SAXON LAW AND ORDER SYSTEM

  • William retained many English practices from the Saxon law and order system

• HUE AND CRY

  • In Anglo-Saxon England, local community was relied upon to enforce the law

  • when a crime was committed, witnesses would raise the hue and cry to help apprehend the criminal

  • Normans retained this system or law enforcement

• CONSTABLES/WATCHMEN

  • these positions were elected by elders of villages

  • they remained poorly paid and reluctant law enforcers

  • their duty was to ensure all villagers kept to the curfew

• OATH SYSTEM

  • Anglo Saxons placed a high value on promises

  • common oath - Saxon allegiance to not be involved in any major crime

    • if the person who had sworn the oath committed a major crime, their entire family was punished

  • Normans largely retained the oath system

describe change in trial and punishment in England, 1065-1087

• OATH SYSTEM

  • Normans no longer punished a criminal’s family for breaking a common oath

  • Normans introduced murdrum fines

    • these fines stated that if any Norman earl was murdered, then the entire area where the criminal lived was heavily fined

• WRITTEN LAWS

  • Normans mordernised the legal system by making laws written, rather than oral

    • this led to laws and regulations being easier to enforce on the Saxon populations

  • all writs and charters were written in Latin

    • Latin was the most common written language at the time

    • Latin became the language of government

describe continuity in shire courts, 1065-1087

• FINES

  • paying compensation remained the main form of punishment for most minor crimes

• TRIAL BY ORDEAL

  • as with the Saxons, the Normans believed in ‘Judicium Dei’ (judgement of God) to determine a person’s guilt or innocence

• ORDEAL BY WATER

  • the Normans continued the tradition of ordeal by water

  • this included a suspected criminal being strapped to a chair and thrown into a lake

    • if they sank they were innocent

    • if they floated they were guilt and executed

    • this was influenced by a belief that pure water would reject the guilty

describe change in shire courts, 1065-1087

• FINES

  • Normans introduced more fines

  • Normans ended the practice of the criminals paying Wergild to the families

    • instead, the Normans introduced the concept of paying fines to the government

    • this led to enforcement of law becoming a lucrative source of income for the Normans

• PUNISHMENT

  • blood feud was dying out

    • however, it was still used in some northern areas where Dane law applied

    • William was keen to promote that execution was to be a last resort for very serious crimes

      • mutilation was increasingly used instead

• ORDEAL BY COMBAT

  • if a nobleman was accused of a crime, he would fight the accuser

    • whoever won the fight was thought to be right