People

Question 1

Robert de Comines

Answer 1

was sent to the north as earl from 1068 to 1069 after the deposition of Gospatric. He got as far as Durham with his 700 men, where the bishop, Ethelwin, warned him that an army was mobilised against him. He ignored the advice and, on 28 January 1069, the rebels converged on Durham and killed many of his men in the streets, eventually setting fire to the bishop’s house where Robert was staying. He was consumed by the blaze.

Question 2

Edwin and Morcar

Answer 2

In 1068, Edwin and Morcar attempted to raise a rebellion in Mercia but swiftly submitted when William moved against them. Edwin was Earl of Mercia and Morcar was Earl of Northumbria

Question 3

Roger de Breteuil

Answer 3

Son of William FitzOzbern and Earl of Hereford, a marcher earldom. By 1074 Roger was increasingly unhappy with the amount of power he had. He felt he did not have the same authority as his father in England and blamed King William for reducing his inheritance. The only way he could increase his power was to align with other powerful earls. Roger accepted the Earl of Norfolk’s proposal to marry his sister Emma. King William refused them his permission but the marriage went ahead.

Question 4

Ralph de Gael

Answer 4

Ralph de Gael’s father was also an important early Norman earl and controlled most of East Midlands. After the death of his father, Ralph’s new territory was reduced to Norfolk and parts of East Anglia because King William wanted to reduce the power of barons he did not trust. Ralph’s anger made him open to Roger’s plan to rebel in order to force King William into giving them more territory.

Question 5

Waltheof

Answer 5

An Anglo Saxon and earl of Northumberland, he had previously revolted and so joined the revolt of the earls based on his experience