The First Uprisings Against Norman Rule including in the West and Mercia
young King Edgar Aelthing rode out to Berkhamsted with leading nobles and clergy and surrendered the kingdom to William
William set up a camp in Berkhamsted and stopped laying waste to cities such as Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Middlesex, Berkshire
William was crowned on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster Abbey → an early coronation increased his authority
First Steps
William worked from January to March of 1067 to establish his authority:
English leaders (e.g. Edwin, Morcar, Edgar) submitted to him
earls and thegns were allowed to buy their lands back from William
he built castles e.g. at Norwich where William FitzOsbern was in charge
Odo was put in charge of the south-east where there was a base in Dover Castle
William’s return
William felt that he had settled England enough to return to Normandy
Edwin, Morcar, Edgar were taken as hostages to discourage English rebellions while he was gone
spring of 1067- ceorls and thralls were forced to build motte and bailey castles for the Norman knights
William of Poiters insisted that Odo, FitzOsbern build castles in attempts to make good relations with the English
William stayed in Normandy with no serious news for him to be involved in
Wild man of Mercia
August 1067- first English uprisings in Hereford, Dover and Exeter
Mercia leader- Edric the Wild
he joined forces with the Welsh to raid Norman-held land in Herefordshire
he gained his name from living in the wild open hills as an outlaw → Norman name= forest dweller / silvatici
the memory of Edric and others who resisted is kept alive through carvings e.g ‘green man’
English stonemasons decorated the pillars and arches with strange heads → power of nature and new life
The English built these heads on Norman churches as a sign of silent resistance
e.g. carved head at Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire c.1140
Trouble from Gytha
December 1067- William’s spy network told him that trouble was brewing → back in England before Christmas
January 1068- William met up with senior English lords and bishops
leader of the Exeter resistance was Gytha- mother of Harold Godwinson, Leofwine and Gyrth
Conspiracy and rebellion in Exeter
Gytha and her daughter had fled to Exeter after William’s victory in 1066
1068- they wanted to repair and strengthen the burh’s defensive walls
she had been plotting with the Irish lords- Harold’s 3 sons from his mistress Edith the Fair / Edith Swan-neck → they gathered an army to drive out the Normans
Negotiation
William sent them a message urging them to swear an oath of loyalty to him but they refused
they didn’t pay more taxes than what had been under the rule of the English kings → William gathered an army
Confrontation
February 1068- William marched his army to Exeter
his promised to be let in had been disobeyed so he got one of the hostages and gouged their eye out → strengthened their resistance
City surrenders
William’s engineers dug out tunnels to undermine the city’s walls → citizens surrendered after 18 days
they took precious ornaments and holy books as offering to William:
he wouldn’t plunder the city
punish the people
not demand extra tax
dispossess Gytha and her daughter of all family land
he chose the highest point in the city and began building a large motte and fortress → made from red volcanic stone (Rougemont)
March 1068- Norman language and power established
South-west: castles built at key points e.g. Barnstaple, Totnes, Okehampton, Launceston
young King Edgar Aelthing rode out to Berkhamsted with leading nobles and clergy and surrendered the kingdom to William
William set up a camp in Berkhamsted and stopped laying waste to cities such as Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Middlesex, Berkshire
William was crowned on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster Abbey → an early coronation increased his authority
First Steps
William worked from January to March of 1067 to establish his authority:
English leaders (e.g. Edwin, Morcar, Edgar) submitted to him
earls and thegns were allowed to buy their lands back from William
he built castles e.g. at Norwich where William FitzOsbern was in charge
Odo was put in charge of the south-east where there was a base in Dover Castle
William’s return
William felt that he had settled England enough to return to Normandy
Edwin, Morcar, Edgar were taken as hostages to discourage English rebellions while he was gone
spring of 1067- ceorls and thralls were forced to build motte and bailey castles for the Norman knights
William of Poiters insisted that Odo, FitzOsbern build castles in attempts to make good relations with the English
William stayed in Normandy with no serious news for him to be involved in
Wild man of Mercia
August 1067- first English uprisings in Hereford, Dover and Exeter
Mercia leader- Edric the Wild
he joined forces with the Welsh to raid Norman-held land in Herefordshire
he gained his name from living in the wild open hills as an outlaw → Norman name= forest dweller / silvatici
the memory of Edric and others who resisted is kept alive through carvings e.g ‘green man’
English stonemasons decorated the pillars and arches with strange heads → power of nature and new life
The English built these heads on Norman churches as a sign of silent resistance
e.g. carved head at Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire c.1140
Trouble from Gytha
December 1067- William’s spy network told him that trouble was brewing → back in England before Christmas
January 1068- William met up with senior English lords and bishops
leader of the Exeter resistance was Gytha- mother of Harold Godwinson, Leofwine and Gyrth
Conspiracy and rebellion in Exeter
Gytha and her daughter had fled to Exeter after William’s victory in 1066
1068- they wanted to repair and strengthen the burh’s defensive walls
she had been plotting with the Irish lords- Harold’s 3 sons from his mistress Edith the Fair / Edith Swan-neck → they gathered an army to drive out the Normans
Negotiation
William sent them a message urging them to swear an oath of loyalty to him but they refused
they didn’t pay more taxes than what had been under the rule of the English kings → William gathered an army
Confrontation
February 1068- William marched his army to Exeter
his promised to be let in had been disobeyed so he got one of the hostages and gouged their eye out → strengthened their resistance
City surrenders
William’s engineers dug out tunnels to undermine the city’s walls → citizens surrendered after 18 days
they took precious ornaments and holy books as offering to William:
he wouldn’t plunder the city
punish the people
not demand extra tax
dispossess Gytha and her daughter of all family land
he chose the highest point in the city and began building a large motte and fortress → made from red volcanic stone (Rougemont)
March 1068- Norman language and power established
South-west: castles built at key points e.g. Barnstaple, Totnes, Okehampton, Launceston
