medieval england - changes made by the Normans. Flashcards
What new laws were introduced?
Forest laws and the murmdrum fine.
What were the forest laws?
Meant that William and his lords were the only ones allowed to hunt and cut down trees.
What were the punishments for the forest laws?
First offence meant cutting of fingers or blinding, second meant execution.
What was the murmdrum fine?
if a Norman was killed and the murder was not found then people of that region had to collectively pay a fine.
What did William keep the same?
He kept tithings, the hue and cry, and trial by ordeal remained.
What law enforcement did the normans introduce?
Sheriffs, coroners, parish constables, royal judges and JP’s.
What were JP’s (Justice of the Peaces)
They judged less serious cases in each county. They were often the most important land owners.
What were the royal judges?
They were appointed buy the monarch and travelled the country judging cases involving most serious crimes.
What was the role of the parish constable?
They led the hue and cry and oversaw law enforcement in their local area. It was an unpaid and temporary role.
What was the 4th trial by ordeal introduced by the Normans?
Trial by combat.
What was trial by combat?
Involved a fight between the accused and the accuser, which was often fought to death.
When did the Pope abolish Trial by ordeal?
1215
After 1066 how many Normans was there compared to Anglo saxons?
Around 200,000 normans compared to 2 million saxons.
What courts were introduced by William?
The church courts.
Why did people want to be dealt with by the church courts?
They didn’t use capital punishment
