NORMANS

Question 1

What were the names of the 5 levels in the Anglo-Saxon Hierarchy?

Answer 1

King, Earls, Thegns, Peasants, Slaves

Question 2

What were the names of the 5 levels of the Norman Hierarchy?

Answer 2

Kings, Barons, Bishops, Knights, Peasants.

Question 3

What were these systems of hierarchy known as?

Answer 3

The Feudal System.

Question 4

What was the Act of Homage?

Answer 4

When a vassal would kneel before their lord and submit to him by offering him his hands and then swear the Oath of Fealty.

Question 5

What was the Oath of Fealty?

Answer 5

When a vassal promised to be faithful to the lord and to serve him.

Question 6

What were Royal Forests?

Answer 6

Areas of land created for the King to be able to hunt e.g. the New Forest in Hampshire.

Question 7

What did the Barons and Bishops have to promise to give to William in return for land?

Answer 7

Their loyalty and a certain number of knights.

Question 8

What were the main pieces of equipment that a knight needed?

Answer 8

Horse, Lance, Sword, Shield, Chain Mail Hauberk (armour), Helmet.

Question 9

What did William create in the English Border with Wales?

Answer 9

The Marcher Lordships.

Question 10

What were the names of the Marcher Lordships?

Answer 10

Earldoms of Chester, Shrewsbury, and Hereford.

Question 11

How were the Marcher Lords different from other Barons?

Answer 11

They had more power to make their own laws, castles and armies without the King’s permission.

Question 12

Under the Anglo-Saxons when a landholder died, what happened to his property and land?

Answer 12

It was divided between all his sons.

Question 13

Under the Norman, what happened to a landowners property and land when he died?

Answer 13

It was passed on to the eldest son (primogeniture).

Question 14

What was the Chancery?

Answer 14

A group of royal clerks who wrote royal documents, first set up by the Anglo Saxons.

Question 15

What was it called when William gave an office e.g. Sheriff to encourage a person’s loyalty?

Answer 15

Patronage.

Question 16

For administrative purposes England was split up into a number of what?

Answer 16

Shires e.g. Gloucestershire.

Question 17

Who was in charge of each shire?

Answer 17

A shire-reeve under the Anglo Saxons which became a sheriff under the Normans.

Question 18

What was each shire split into?

Answer 18

Hundreds or wapentakes.

Question 19

Why did the Normans keep the Anglo Saxon legal system?

Answer 19

It worked well and they wanted to have continuity to show they were legitimate rulers.

Question 20

What were three 5 levels of court in Norman England?

Answer 20

Kings, Shires, Hundred, Lords, Manor.

Question 21

What was the job of a constable?

Answer 21

To enforce the law by arresting people, breaking up fights, and preventing fires.

Question 23

What was a watchman?

Answer 23

Someone who tried to make sure that people kept to the curfew, prevent crime and catch criminals.

Question 25

What was a hue and cry?

Answer 25

When all people has the responsibility to catch a suspected criminal.

Question 26

What was a tithing?

Answer 26

A group of 10-12 freemen who promised to prevent eachother from committing a crime. If one of them did they all had to pay a fine.

Question 27

What was a curfew?

Answer 27

The time which everyone had to be off the streets and inside their houses.

Question 28

What was a Mudrdrum fine?

Answer 28

A fine paid by the whole local community if a Norman was killed by an Anglo Saxon and the killer has not been found.

Question 29

There were three different ‘trials’ used to establish someone’s guilt or innocence. What were they?

Answer 29

Trial by cold water, hot iron, and battle.

Question 30

How were offenders punished?

Answer 30

Anglo Saxon traditions continued such as paying compensation to the victim for less serious crimes of Wergild. The Normans introduced hanging and mutilation.

Question 31

What was Wergild?

Answer 31

The amount of money paid to a murdered persons family by the criminal.

Question 32

When was the Doomsday Book finished?

Answer 32

1086.

Question 33

In a court case, what did people have to swear?

Answer 33

An oath that they were telling the truth about a persons character or what happened.

Question 34

Why did William order it to be made?

Answer 34

So that he knew how much he could tax people in order to pay his troops.

Question 35

What were castellans?

Answer 35

People who were in charge of castles.

Question 36

In 1066 where did most people live?

Answer 36

In the countryside.

Question 37

Why is it so important to us today?

Answer 37

It tells us who owned what in 1066 and then 20 years later in 1086 in almost every part of the country.

Question 39

What did the Normans do with land?

Answer 39

Took it from the English and gave it to Normans.

Question 40

Did people have more or less freedom under the Normans?

Answer 40

Less.

Question 41

What sort of settlement did most people live in in 1066?

Answer 41

Villages.

Question 42

What were Villeins?

Answer 42

Peasants who worked on the lords land for no pay. They had no freedom. They received a small amount of land in return.

Question 43

What were bordars and cottars?

Answer 43

Peasants poorer than villeins being given less land.

Question 44

What were freemen?

Answer 44

Free peasants who paid rent to the lord for their land.

Question 45

What were slaves?

Answer 45

They had no land and no freedom.

Question 46

In a medieval village, what surrounded each house?

Answer 46

A garden for growing vegetables.

Question 47

What would have been surrounding every village?

Answer 47

Fields.

Question 48

What were the fields split into?

Answer 48

Strips of land formed by the peasants.

Question 49

For religious purposes what could be found in every village?

Answer 49

A church.

Question 50

What would probably be the only other stone building in the village?

Answer 50

The Manor House.

Question 51

Who lived in the Manor House?

Answer 51

The Lord of the Manor

Question 52

How did the villages turn their wheat into flour?

Answer 52

Using a water mill.

Question 53

What job did most people do?

Answer 53

Sheep farming.

Question 53

Did working life change much under the Normans?

Answer 53

No.

Question 54

What did the villages do in the woodlands?

Answer 54

Collect wood for their fires.

Question 55

What was the busiest time of the year for the peasants?

Answer 55

Harvest.

Question 58

What were the peasants houses made of?

Answer 58

Wood frames and wattle and daub.

Question 59

What was the average life expectancy of a peasant?

Answer 59

35-40.

Question 60

What did most peasants eat?

Answer 60

Bread, Porridge, and Vegetable Stew.

Question 61

What did the peasants usually drink?

Answer 61

Weak beer.

Question 62

How many rooms would they have?

Answer 62

1.

Question 62

What did the rich people eat more of?

Answer 62

Meat.

Question 63

What did people eat with?

Answer 63

Their fingers.

Question 64

What happened to the size and number of towns under the Normans?

Answer 64

They increased in size and number.

Question 65

What was a citizen of a town called?

Answer 65

A Burgess.

Question 66

Why did people move to towns?

Answer 66

To learn a trade or work as servants for rich people.

Question 67

What did Burgesses have that villeins did not have?

Answer 67

Freedom of movement.

Question 68

Where did most commercial activity take place in towns?

Answer 68

In the market place.

Question 69

What would have surrounded most important towns?

Answer 69

A wall.

Question 70

What was an apprentice?

Answer 70

A young person training for a trade for 7 years.

Question 71

What was a guild?

Answer 71

A society of merchants who controlled who was allowed to carry out a business in a town.

Question 72

What were the 2 main buildings you might find in a town?

Answer 72

Castle and Church or Cathedral or Monastery.

Question 75

Where would peasants animals sleep at night?

Answer 75

In the house.

Question 76

What did the Normans do to taxes?

Answer 76

Increased them.