Edexcel GCSE History British Depth Study: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England Comprehensive Study Guide

The Significance and Power of the House of Godwin

• Background and Rise to Power:

  • Before King Cnut's takeover in $1016$, Godwin had relatively little power. He was believed to be the son of a thegn in Sussex.

  • King Cnut favored Godwin due to his perceived faithfulness and honesty, despite not being a Danish noble.

  • Godwin was made an earl in $1018$ and received the earldom of Wessex in $c. 1020$.

  • Between $1019$ and $1023$, Godwin accompanied Cnut on expeditions to Denmark.

  • Legacy: Godwin established Wessex as the richest earldom in England. Under Edward the Confessor, his power grew until he became one of the most powerful men in England, founding the House of Godwin.

• The Family Tree of the House of Godwin:

  • Godwin (Earl of Wessex): Died in $1053$. Helped Edward the Confessor become king.

  • Harold Godwinson: Inherited the earldom of Wessex in $1053$ upon his father's death. He was the king's advisor and controlled the richest earldom.

  • Tostig Godwinson: Made Earl of Northumbria in $1055$. This gave the family control in the North and a potential link to Scotland.

  • Gyrth Godwinson: Made Earl of East Anglia in $1057$.

  • Leofwine Godwinson: Made Earl of a smaller earldom in the south-west Midlands in $1057$. Together with Gyrth, he controlled the entirety of East England.

  • Edith Godwinson: Daughter of Godwin; wife of Edward the Confessor.

• Reasons for Power:

  • Landholdings: The family owned vast amounts of land, generating immense wealth. By the $1060s$, they had nearly as much money as the King.

  • Military Strength: Land provided a large number of thegns, allowing the Godwins to raise a significant fyrd (army).

  • Strategic Geography: They held Wessex (defended against France) and Hereford (used to launch attacks on Wales).

  • Political Marriages: Edith's marriage to King Edward established a royal link. Harold Godwinson's later marriage to Edith (widow of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn) in $1066$ gave him influence over Wales.

  • Danelaw Customs: Some historians claim Harold had two wives simultaneously. His first, Edith the Fair, had claims to large areas of land in East Anglia. This was permitted under Danelaw traditions (marriage twice).

The Uprising Against Tostig Godwinson, $1065$

• The Difficulty of Ruling Northumbria:

  • Danelaw Differences: Northumbria had a high Anglo-Danish population and more ceorls (free peasants) than the South.

  • Taxation: The Danelaw was traditionally exempt from high taxes (such as the Geld tax used to pay Vikings). Tostig increased taxes, causing outrage.

  • Legal Systems: Different terminology existed (e.g., a "hundred" in the South was a "wapentake" in Northumbria; a "hide" was a "carucate"). Tostig was accused of applying Southern laws to the North.

• Causes of the Rebellion:

  • Southern Interference: Tostig was a Southerner, viewed by Northumbrians as an outsider interfering with their customs.

  • Abuse of Power: He was accused of using false crimes to seize land and money from enemies.

  • Failure to Protect: Tostig formed a friendship with Malcolm III, King of Scotland. When Malcolm raided Northumbria in $1061$, Tostig agreed to peace terms rather than retaliating.

  • The Trigger Event ($1064$): Tostig murdered two followers of the Northumbrian aristocrat Gospatric. Gospatric himself was later assassinated after traveling to complain to King Edward. Killing guests under hospitality was considered a grave offense.

• The Response and Consequences:

  • In October $1065$, the uprising began. The Northumbrian rebels demanded Morcar (a Southerner, but preferred over Tostig) as their earl.

  • Harold Godwinson met with the rebels and, against the King's orders to raise an army to support Tostig, agreed to their terms to ensure peace.

  • Edward the Confessor was forced to exile Tostig on $1\text{st November } 1065$. This incident showed that earls could collectively ignore the King and highlighted Edward's weakness as a non-warrior leader.

Harold's Embassy to Normandy and the Succession Crisis

• The Embassy ($c. 1064$):

  • Anglo-Saxon Interpretation: Harold traveled to recover his brother (Wulfnoth) and nephew (Hakon) held as hostages.

  • Norman Interpretation: Edward sent Harold to formally promise the English throne to William, Duke of Normandy. Harold allegedly swore an oath on holy relics to support William's claim.

  • Significance: The embassy showed the close link between Edward and Normandy. However, it led to Harold being labeled an "oath-breaker" by the Normans, a reputation used against him in $1066$.

• The Death of Edward the Confessor:

  • Edward died on $5\text{th January } 1066$, aged approximately $63$. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, which was completed in late $1065$ but which he was too ill to attend the dedication of on $28\text{th December}$.

  • Because Edward had no children, a succession crisis ensued.

• Claimants to the Throne:

  • Harold Godwinson: Claimed Edward made him heir on his deathbed. He had the support of the Witan and was the most powerful man in England.

  • Edgar the Aethling: The King’s great-nephew (prince of royal blood). He had the strongest blood claim but was only a teenager and lacked political connections.

  • Harald Hardrada: Claimed based on an old agreement between Harthacnut and Magnus Olafsson. He was a veteran warrior with $300\text{ longships}$ and $15,000\text{ warriors}$. Supported by Tostig.

  • William of Normandy: Claimed Edward promised him the throne in $1051$. His claim was backed by the Pope and strengthened by the alleged $1064$ oath.

The Battles of $1066$

• The Battle of Gate Fulford ($20\text{th September } 1066$):

  • Hardrada and Tostig invaded the North with $200-300\text{ warships}$ and $10,000\text{ soldiers}$.

  • Earls Edwin and Morcar met them with $6,000\text{ troops}$ at Gate Fulford rather than using York's walls.

  • Outcome: A Norse victory. The English lost $500\text{ troops}$. Hardrada's superior strategy (placing weaker troops with Tostig to bait a charge then flanking with housecarls) was decisive.

• The Battle of Stamford Bridge ($25\text{th September } 1066$):

  • Harold Godwinson marched his housecarls $185\text{ miles in 5 days}$ to catch the Vikings by surprise.

  • Vikings were unprepared (a third of their force was $10\text{ miles}$ away) and lacked their chainmail armor.

  • Outcome: Harold won. Both Hardrada and Tostig were killed. Only $24$ of the original $300\text{ ships}$ returned to Norway.

• The Battle of Hastings ($14\text{th October } 1066$):

  • William landed at Pevensey Bay while Harold was in the North.

  • Norman Tactics: Involved knights on horseback (using stirrups and "couched" lances), archers, and the "feigned retreat" (pretending to flee to break the English shield wall).

  • English Forces: Relied on the shield wall and housecarls with heavy axes. However, the fyrd was ill-disciplined and broke formation to chase the retreating Normans.

  • Outcome: Harold was killed (reportedly by an arrow to the eye). William won due to a combination of superior leadership, better-trained troops, and luck (the timing of Hardrada's invasion).

William's Consolidation of Power ($1066-1071$)

• Submission of the Earls ($1066$):

  • After Hastings, the Witan declared Edgar the Aethling king. William marched around London, destroying homes and farms.

  • At Berkhamsted, approximately $30\text{ miles}$ northwest of London, Edgar, Edwin, and Morcar submitted and swore oaths of loyalty to William.

• The Marcher Earldoms:

  • William created three new earldoms (Chester, Shrewsbury, Hereford) on the border with Wales.

  • Features: They were smaller to ensure control, gave earls the right to build castles without permission, and sheriffs reported to the earl rather than the King. These earls were exempt from tax to incentivize building fortifications.

• Motte and Bailey Castles:

  • Normans built roughly $500\text{ castles}$. They were symbols of military occupation and provided protection from hostile locals.

  • Features:

    • Motte: A mound of earth ($5-7\text{ meters}$ high).

    • Keep: Wooden tower on the motte.

    • Bailey: Enclosed area for residents and livestock.

    • Palisade: Wooden fence.

    • Moat: Ditch around the castle.

• The Harrying of the North ($1069-1070$):

  • Following multiple rebellions and the murder of Robert Cumin, William enacted a policy of total destruction in the North (Humber to Tees).

  • Actions: Burning crops, killing livestock, smashing tools, and killing inhabitants.

  • Impact: $100,000$ to $150,000\text{ deaths}$ due to famine and cold. $60\text{\%}$ of Yorkshire was listed as "wasteland" in the Domesday Book ($1086$).

Changes in Landholding and the Feudal System

• Land Ownership:

  • William declared all land in England belonged to him. He kept $20\text{\%}$, the Church held $20\text{\%}$, and $50\text{\%}$ was given to Norman aristocracy.

  • By $1087$, Anglo-Saxon nobility held less than $5\text{\%}$ of the land.

• The Feudal System:

  • Tenants-in-Chief (Barons): Held land directly from the King in exchange for military service (providing knights).

  • Knights: Provided $40\text{ days}$ of unpaid service per year.

  • Relief: A tax paid by an heir to the King to inherit land.

  • Homage: A public ceremony of loyalty where the tenant bowed and promised, "I become your man."

  • Labor Service: Peasants worked the lord's land in exchange for a small plot to feed their families.

The Norman Church and Government

• Church Reforms:

  • Lanfranc: Replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury in $1070$. He banned clergy marriage, established exclusive Church courts, and rebuilt cathedrals in cities (e.g., Salisbury).

  • Normanisation: By $1096$, all senior Church positions were held by Normans. The Church helped legitimise William's rule.

• The Domesday Book ($1085-1086$):

  • A comprehensive survey commissioned to determine land value, ownership, and tax obligations.

  • Motivations: Financial (accurate taxation) and military (identifying how many knights could be raised).

• Forest Laws:

  • William converted $30\text{\%}$ of England into "royal forest" for hunting.

  • Laws protected deer and wild boar; punishments included blinding for poaching. This was highly unpopular as it evicted farmers and restricted common land usage.

The Reign of William I and Succession ($1087-1088$)

• Death of William I ($1087$):

  • William died in September $1087$ after being injured while riding during a raid in France.

  • He divided his titles: Robert Curthose (eldest son) received Normandy; William Rufus (favorite son) received England.

• Revolt of $1088$:

  • Bishop Odo (William's half-brother) led a rebellion against William Rufus because he believed Robert Curthose was a weaker leader and easier to manipulate.

  • The revolt failed because most Norman aristocrats and the English population remained loyal to William Rufus. Odo was captured at Pevensey Castle and exiled.

Anglo-Saxon Society in $c. 1060$

• Social Hierarchy:

  • Earls: Top of the hierarchy; controlled earldoms.

  • Thegns: Local lords who owned at least $5\text{ hides}$ of land (roughly $4,000-5,000$ in total).

  • Ceorls: Free peasant farmers.

  • Peasants: The majority of the population; worked for lords.

  • Slaves: Made up $10\text{\%}$ of the population; considered property.

• Government:

  • Witan: A council of aristocrats who advised the King and approved the next monarch.

  • Shire Reeves (Sheriffs): Collected the Geld tax, maintained law and order, and ensured the fyrd was raised.

• The Legal System:

  • Wergild: Compensation paid to a victim's family to prevent blood feuds (e.g., $1,200\text{ shillings}$ for a thegn, $20\text{ shillings}$ for a ceorl).

  • Hue and Cry: Collective responsibility where the entire community had to hunt for a criminal.

  • Tithing: A group of $10\text{ households}$ responsible for each other's behavior.