THE IMPACT OF THE NORMAN CONQUEST ON ENGLISH SOCIETY

norman yoke?

what was the domesday book

• survey of the whole country between 1066 and 1087

• started in 1086

• took skins of over 200 animals to make

• purpose

  • taxation

  • establish norman land ownership

• logistics

  • shires split into circuits

  • commissioners appointed to each circuit

  • special session in shire courts to settle land ownership disputes

what did the domesday book show

• majority of land owned by normans

  • only 5% owned by saxons in 1086, many of the saxon elite had left for other countries

• land divided between the church, the king, and norman lords

work and day to day life

• agriculture still the occupation of 90% of the population

• many coerls previously owned land, but were now paying rent to norman lord

• more restrictions for local people

  • taxes increased

  • forced to work for lord and build castles

  • no longer allowed to collect firewood

  • lord had only water mill and had to pay tax to use it

• slavery was abolished though

towns

• some towns destroyed by rebellions (york)

• castles built over houses (norwich built over 100 houses)

• taxes on markets grew

• 10% lived and worked in towns

the law

• kept a lot of saxon laws

• some new norman laws to

  • trial by combat

  • murdrum (if norman killed, whole town had to pay awful fine)

  • forest laws (if you hunted a rabbit in a local forest your fingers were cut off)

language and the church

• written language changed from english to latin

• ruling class spoke norman french, those below them spoke english

• stigand replaced by lanfranc

• many bishops and abbots replaced too

• norman cathedrals built (st pauls in 1087)

• more monasteries built

• old saxon churches destroyed and new norman churches built