William 1: Kingship & Society

examples of Anglo-Saxon legal system

• King decides law
  - implimented/upheld by shire, hundred, and royal courts

• tithing
  - collective responsibility

• Trial by Ordeal
  - dunked in river or had to hold hot iron
  - up to God to decide judgment

• The Chancery wrote out writs and charters

example of Anglo-Saxon continuity:

• The Chancery remained
  - Regenbal was chancellor untill 1069
  - replaced by the Norman Herfast

changes to the chancery:

• Writs became bi-lingual
  - 1070: exclusivley Latin

• hugely increased the use of writs
  - went from mostly being used for land grants to that as well as general orders, summoning knights, judicals decisions

Example of how William established power over Earls

• owned lot’s of land
  - more land than next 10 landlords put together

• income of 12,600 / year
  - double Edward the Confessor
  - had problems with Harold being richer than him, and more powerful
  - “sub-regulus”

• takes power/money away from earls and into his hands

Odo of Bayeux - flop era outline

• 1082: arrested after planning illegal invasion of italy
  - imprisoned in Rouen, tried in secular court

• demonstrates Williams power, especially compared to Edward, as he had control over even the most powerful, influential nobles

• Odo had small pockets of land across England → no concentrated centre of power

• 1076: secular trial for defrauding church
  - shows Williams power and strength
  - respect for Anglo-Saxon traditions as both brought in legal experts

• Good compparison to Harold, as both were the second to their kings, yet had very different dynamics

changes to Sheriffs:

• 1070- : replaces Anglo-Saxon sheriffs with Normans

• their power grew as the role of the earls diminished

• continuity: manage royal estates in the shires

Changes to courts

• developed the kkings court

• Manorial courts
  - allowed lords to maintain order on his estates

• Ecclesistical cases should only be heard in church courts, not in lay courts

arguments that very little changed in regard to kingship

• very little changed curency wise
  - Anglo-Saxon money system was highly effective and respected

• 1084: William raised the geld and summoned fyrd for war in maine

• Sheriffs continued traditional duties

• Continuity was needed in order for people to accept him as legitimate king
  - connection to Anglo-Saxon past gathered respect

examples of changes in kingship/systems

• William removed Earls and Earldoms
  - had the power to impliment his will and remain dominant (unlike Edward)

• Huge increase in sheriff power
  - William dealed with them directly

• Maniorial courts emerged

• Forest Law introduced
  - set aside land for hunting
  - included harsh punishment

Impacts of conquest on towns:

• York population decreased by 50%
  - gradual recovery under Thomas of Bayuex

• Lincoln: 166 houses destroyed to build castle

• Winchester: enlarged castle, huge new catherdral

Impacts on trade and commerce:

• Broken links with scandinavia disrupted some trade

• New castles and towns help generate wealth
  - 21 new towns close to castles (e.g 1080: Newcastle)
  - London heavily invested in

• Increased cross-channel trade
  - Southampton, Pevensy, Chicester all flourished

• Traditional A-S exports maintained
  - tin, grains, hides

• Increasingly connected to Europe and cosmopolitan
  - expannaded wool trade
  - evidence of jewish community of traders in London from Rouen under Will1

impact of conquest on rural life

• plunder and harrying devastated
  - Doomsday:
  - 60% decrease in rental value of manors in yorkshire, 40% decrease un sussex

• New norman land owners charged oppressivley high rents

• Decline in high status peasants
  - Ceorls to villens, no freedom

• Royal Forests
  - large parts of Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset
  - only hunting, no agriculture

impact of conquest on slavery

• Pre conquest: 10% of population were slaves
  - agricultural help, domestic work, even concubines

• In Normandy, the practoice had mostly died out
  - Moral reasons? or no need under feudal system?
  - Norman church strongly disagreed with it

• 1086: Essex had 25% less slaves than in 1066
  - shows slavery declining under Normans