Topic 2 : Life In Norman England Flashcards
(12 cards)
Why did William make changes in the way England was governed ?
He was spending for more time in Normandy and needed a strong system to work while he was away, money to maintain control over both territories and reliable source of good soldiers.
Changes to the feudal system
Anglo-Saxons raised armies from their tenants as they were needed,
Normans made the arrangements more formal with knights guaranteeing a
certain number of days service.
The king asserted more control over his tenants including charging fees when
tenants died, controlling the marriage of tenants’ widows and redistributing
lands where there was no male heir.
Land holding was much more concentrated
Two key differences in knights in Anglo Saxon England and Norman England.
Knights made an oath to their lord – this had not happened in Anglo-Saxon
England. In Norman England it was a religious duty to provide military service.
Knights always had to carry out military service – this had not been the case with
the thegns. When called to duty, the knights had to serve for around 40 days.
How did William change inheritance laws
William introduced the system of primogeniture which meant that property and land was passed to the eldest son. This meant that the Normans were able to keep large estates of land and maintain their power.
The 3 main methods , types of trial
Oaths - continued from Anglo Saxon but their usuals declined. People called in to make a comment on the character on holy book.
Trial by ordeal: this was an Anglo-Saxon method which was continued by the Normans and took two forms
a. Trial by water: the water would be blessed by a priest in the belief that holy water would repel guilty people. Therefore, the guilty would float and the innocent would sink.
b. Trial by hot iron: the accused would carry a hot iron for three paces, then their hand was bound. After 3 days, if their hand was infected then they were guilty, if it was not, they were innocent.
Trial by battle was new introduced by Norman’s - fight between accuser and accused, god step in to make right person win.
Changes to legal system by Normans
In general kept many legal systems. Changes were just gradually centralising things making it more consistent.
Forrest law changed
Purpose of domesday book
Solve land disputes , help William charge rent and tax more efficiently
Towns and villages before 1066
Most people lived in the countryside , on,y 5 % of the population lived in towns - unsanitary conditions and increased disease.
Immediate impacts of Norman conquest
Initial negative economic impact
Taxes were increased, as was rent, with much of the money being spent in Normandy.
Land was taken away from English land owners which led to poverty for some.
Longer term impacts of the Norman conquest
After the initial disruption, from the 1090s Norman England entered a period of economic growth that continued for the next 150 years. The population grew, towns grew, trade grew and wealth grew.
Things that the Normans introduced to England:
Increased security: if there is a threat of war or violence then people don’t invest or take risks. This had been the case under the Anglo-Saxons as there were constant invasions, however the Normans were in control and the threat of invasion was less therefore trade increased.
There was a more European outlook after the Norman Conquest which strengthened links between
England and Europe. In turn this helped to strengthen the wool trade with Flanders and England was able to export more raw materials.
How were villages affected by the Norman Conquest?
For most peasants, the Norman Conquest had little impact. Apart from the fact that they had a new Norman landlord, their lives more or less remained the same.
90% of people still lived in the countryside and their villages were controlled by the lord of the manor.
How were towns affected by the Norman Conquest?
Under Norman control the number and size of towns increased, and trade increased because of the links that the Normans had with mainland Europe. In 1086, Domesday recorded 18 towns with a population of over 2000.
Towns grew as trading centres, especially ports, and around castles and abbeys. Towns attracted people who set up shops and businesses because they were well protected by high walls and gates, which would be locked and guarded at night. People often moved to towns in order to learn a trade, and if a villein managed to live in a town for a year and a day, he would be declared a freeman.
