2.7.3 Grade 9 - Life Under The Normans

Question 1

Why is the Domesday Book so significant? (2)

Answer 1

• The survey provides a lot of information that we simply could not get if it had not been carried out.
• It shows how they thought about governing.

Question 2

Why did disease spread easily in Norman towns?

Answer 2

• The streets were very narrow and the houses were tightly packed together.
• This meant people came into contact with each other’s germs more frequently than they did in the countryside.

Question 3

What is one way that Norman towns were different from Anglo-Saxon towns?

Answer 3

Under the Normans, if a city reached a certain size, it could ask the lord or king for a charter of independence. A council and mayor oversaw independent towns.

Question 4

What changes did William I make to the government of England after the Norman conquest? (2)

Answer 4

• He increased the scale of crown lands.
• He made sure that taxes and reliefs were paid to the king to increase loyalty.