How did William the Conqueror take

control of England?

Summary In the years following the Battle of Hastings, William sought to assert his control over England.

This was challenging as many people, peasants and nobles alike, resented being ruled by a Norman. To stop

rebellions, inspire loyalty, and create stability William used a combination of military, political and social

strategies. These changes affected people in different ways.

What happened

After William of Normandyʼs victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066:

The North of England rebelled. William sent soldiers to kill everyone who had rebelled

against him. To punish the rebels and stop further rebellions, he destroyed villages and

farms around the town of York, burning crops and killing livestock. This is called the

harrying of the North.

William built castles to secure his territory. The earliest castles were called motte and

bailey castles . They were built on a mound of earth and made of wood. They were

used as a way of showing Norman control of a territory. One advantage is that they

could be built quickly, while a disadvantage is that they were vulnerable to fire.

William completed a survey to find out how much land and money people had and

therefore how much tax they should pay him. This was an early example of a census.

His findings were recorded by scribes in the Domesday Book.

William introduced the feudal system. The King was at the top of this hierarchical

system of social organisation. Under him were the barons, they were given land if they

swore they were loyal to William. Barons supplied the King with knights to fight in

battles and in turn gave some of their land to the knights, in exchange the knights

protected the baron and his family. At the bottom of the feudal system were the

peasants, they farmed the land but did not own it.

William changed the language of the ruling class from English to French. Ordinary

people continued to speak English.

Who is involved

William of Normandy, also known as William the

Conqueror and William I. He was the first Norman king

of England, ruling England from 1066 - 1087.

Nobles - rich landowners of high social status, for

example lords & barons

Peasants - poor people of low social status who worked

on the land

Key concepts

Conquest - taking control of a place or people by military force

Rebellion - a violent protest, often with the aim of removing and replacing a leader

Baron - a Norman landowner

Tax - a sum of money paid to the government or king

Census - an official count or survey, usually of a population

Motte - the hill of dirt on which the castle keep was built

Bailey - an open area below the castle, surrounded by a wooden fence

Palisade - the wooden fence surrounding the bailey

Moat - a ditch filled with water surrounding the castle

Keep - the fortified wooden tower on the motte where the nobles lived

Villein - a peasant who worked for the lord in return for land

Serf - an agricultural labourer bound to his lord by the feudal system

Freemen - men who were free from most of their feudal duties to a lord

Hierarchy - where members of society are ranked according to their status