Transcript File - Ossett History

A Feudal Society
The feudal system, the
term itself an invention of
historians, was
nevertheless an example
of Norman traditions
imposed on the English.
On one hand this is not
massively different to the
structure of England
before 1066. Thegns often
owed military service and
there was a hierarchy of
King, earls, thegns,
peasants.
The payment of ‘feudal
incidents’ to allow a son to
inherit land and titles from
his father was not too
different to the ‘heriot’
that men often paid to
Edward for the same
reason. The feudal
incidents however were
known to be more costly.
William controlled the
marriages of the widows of
tenants-in-chief.
It represents a feature of
the administration of
England.
People lower in the
hierarchy would pay
homage to their over-lord.
They would also pay tax
and owe military service.
On the other hand it
signalled some great
changes. The earls, and the
three great earls in
particular, were
significantly more powerful
than the barons under
William. William too held
more wealth and power
than Edward by far,
particularly in relation to
his barons.
The feudal system gave
William ‘…military service,
money, sources of
patronage and also social
and political control.’
according to historian
David Carpenter.
William’s Fiscal Policies
In terms of personality
William was avaricious,
whereas Edward was
parsimonious (tight with
money). William had
expensive habits like
warfare on mainland
Europe and ecclesiastical
building projects such as a
monastery at Caen in
Normandy.
William continued to levy
the Danegeld, sometimes
increasing it to high levels
such as in 1084. He did
have reason to fear Viking
invasion but he probably
used the Danegeld as
another way to extract
money from England.
The southern ports
benefitted from increase
trade with mainland
Europe. The north was
devastated socially and
economically by the
Norman conquest and the
harrying of 1069-70.
The payment of ‘feudal
incidents’ can be linked to
feudalism, particularly as
they were more expensive
then heriots paid pre1066.
William inherited an
efficient coinage system
which he continued to use,
though he charged more
for the privilege of the
mints to produce his coin.
Again linked to feudalism,
William often gave land to
the highest bidder, they
then wanted the most
from their land so exerted
pressure onto their vassals
who did the same in turn.
This led to the increased
exploitation of the
peasantry.
David Bates – The Norman
Conquest of England was a
process in which William,
many of his Norman
followers and the duchy of
Normandy in general were
massively and deliberately
enriched.‘
William’s Ecclesiastical Policies
Initially William used the
English church who
seemed willing to
collaborate with the
Normans to prevent
further bloodshed. Stigand
was firs to submit in
London and was allowed
to continue as Archbishop
of Winchester and
Canterbury, despite the
Pope’s feelings toward
pluralism.
Lanfranc was in favour of
allowing English women
who had fled to become
nuns, to ‘renounce the
veil’. He also introduced
church reform after 1070,
including making it illegal
for clergymen to marry.
William allowed the church
to keep 26% of all the land
in England, whereas he
took and divided much of
the rest of the land.
William had a desire to
save his soul.
Ecclesiastical courts were
introduced, whereby
members of the clergy
could be tried in their own
court as could laymen (not
church men) who were
guilty of religious crimes
e.g. blasphemy. This gave
greater power to the
church.
Lanfranc was installed
from 1070, Stigand was
imprisoned after the visit
of papal legates. Lanfranc
attempted to achieve the
primacy of Canterbury
above all other
archbishoprics.
William had a better
working relationship with
the Pope.
David Carpenter – ‘The
pre-Conquest church
under the other-worldly
Confessor and the all too
wordly Stigand was very
different from that after
1066, driven forward by
William and Lanfranc.’
Aristocracy and Government
William was an absentee
monarch, very different
from Edward who was
known to have rarely
ventured from London, but
quite similar to Cnut.
Due to William’s
absenteeism he installed
regents such as William
fitzOsbern, Bishop Odo or
Lanfranc.
Writs were used during the
reign of Edward but
William’s absenteeism
meant writs became more
important, as did the role
of the Chancellor.
The great earls were soon
disbanded, their lands
shared or they themselves
dead, imprisoned or exiled.
In their place the sheriff
became more powerful.
They were responsible for
carrying out the king’s
wishes in writs, collecting
tax and overseeing the
hundred courts.
The Anglo-Norman state at
the beginning of William’s
reign was soon
abandoned, leaving just a
handful of minor nobles
left such as Almaer, Lord of
Bourn by the writing of the
Domesday book in 1086.
They were replaced by
mainly Normans and some
other northern Europeans.
William continued the use
of hundred and shire
courts to keep law and
order. Introducing the
French custom of trial by
ordeal but allowing some
English customs to
continue.
David Bates on Norman government of England – ‘He
exploited ruthlessly and he used existing arrangements most
capably to control and organise a conquest, but he changed
little of the basic structure.’