The Norman England

Why Norman? William 1st The Conqueror (1066-1087) , the one that started conquering England in 1066, was also a Norman Duke. He was not a Saxon but a iking related to !ollo the "irst iking to settle in #rance. He was known as $illiam %he &astard until he conquered all o" England. $illiam was indeed a 'bastard( in that his "ather and mother ne)er married. His "ather '!obert %he De)il(, Duke o" Normand* s+otted his mother ,rlette, a teenager -1. *ears old/, while she was washing hersel" in a local stream and her *outh"ul, semi naked, bod* +ro)ided the stimulus "or an immediate union and 0 months later $illiam was born.1 How did it all start? %he Norman Duke, $illiam ,was "riendl* with the English 2ing, Edward the 3on"essor and attacked England on Edwards death - in 1066/ because he had been +romised the English crown b* Edward but denied it b* the Saxon usur+er Harold. What happend then? %he Normans were militaril* three centuries ahead o" ,nglo Saxon England through the massi)e use o" horses -ca)alr*/ and archers against England4s in"antr* with old "ashioned swords, battle axes and s+ears. Due to this, the* trul* had the ad)antage. 5n 1066 when $illiam 1st became 2ing o" England he inherited the best run and ci)ilised state in Euro+e, -#orgetting &*6antium/. $illiam4s lands in #rance needed continuous de"ence "rom the #rench 2ing and in England he had to quell Saxon re+risals "or six *ears and regular incursions b* the still barbaric illiterate $elsh and Scottish war lords. %he English 2ing now ruled simultaneousl* in both England and +art o" #rance which set the scene "or regular land battles o)er territor* in #rance "or the next .00 *ears. %o enable him to run both territories $illiam ruled England b* re+lacing the old Saxon Earls with Norman #rench s+eaking &arons and the ,rchbisho+ o" 3anterbur* and all other senior clerg* with #rench s+eakers "rom Norman churches. %his in)ol)ed the building o" castles and huge churches all o)er the countr*. %he local ,nglo7Saxon +o+ulation was dul* su++ressed being intimidated b* these huge new buildings. -%he Normans were the best stone masons and architects in Euro+e./ 5ndeed the Normans were the best militar* in the whole o" Euro+e demonstrated b* the &attle o" Hastings -%he battle against Harold "or the English throne/ where Harold was "ighting mainl* with swords and s+ears and $illiam with a huge horse mounted di)ision -3a)alr*/ and disci+lined archers with +ower"ul bows. %his militar* su+eriorit* enabled him to enlarge his English territories b* +ush back the $elsh and the Scots. Something the !omans had ne)er achie)ed. %he Normans onl* brought 8000 +eo+le into England, +robabl* ten times "ewer than the ,ngles and Saxons and the* ne)er integrated hence the genetic English remained as did the local language -)ernacular/.

$illiam was used to running a countr* using the '#eudal S*stem( which in)ol)ed the 2ing owning e)er*thing -land, animals and buildings/ and e)er*bod* else renting it "rom him. 5n +ractise this meant he rented e)er*thing to his &arons in return "or them +ro)iding him with an arm* when required. 5n turn the &arons leased out the land gi)en to them -leased "rom the 2ing/ to local "armers and millers etc. %o "ind out exactl* what rent he could charge $illiam had to do an in)entor* o" the countr* which was com+leted in 109. and +ublished in %he Doomsda* &ook. %he +o+ulation o" +eo+le and +igs and mills and houses in 109. is listed in this book "or an*bod* to read toda*. $e ha)e seen that $illiam was a builder o" 3astles. %wo o" his best known being the %ower o" :ondon -originall* o" wood "or s+eed o" erection/ and $indsor 3astle. $illiam died while "ighting the 2ing o" #rance in 109; and his bod* is buried in the cathedral o" 3aen in Normand*. He had +re)iousl* organised that England should be ruled b* his son $illiam !u"us and Normand* b* his eldest son !obert.

William 2nd or William Rufus. (1087-1100)

When Rufus became King of England his elder brother Robert ruled Normandy. The English church and English people wanted Robert as king as Rufus was seen to have a ruthless temperament and the Church did not like his promiscuous homose ual lifestyle. Nevertheless he consolidated and e panded the boundaries of England into Wales and when the !cottish King "alcolm #rd invaded he beat back the !cottish army so decisively that not only did he take back the north western area known as Cumberland but also forced "alcolm to pay homage to him. $%omage in feudal law means to acknowledge as the superior and to pay out some peace money.& William's first battle had been in Normandy against his elder brother Robert which ended in a truce when it was agreed that who ever lived the longest would rule the vacant territory. (t never come to this because Robert being a religious man was determined to )oin the *irst Crusade and to raise money he pledged $pawned& Normandy to William for +,-,,, "arks. William Rufus died out hunting in the New *orest in mysterious circumstances with an arrow in his back. No one knows if it was deliberate or an accident but what is known is that Rufus was very unpopular and that his hunting party disappeared never reporting the .accident/ and left the body of the king to be discovered by a "r 0urkiss a local farmer. 1eing a homose ual William Rufus left no children. Henry 1st (1100-1135)

%enry was decisive and 2uick to act throughout his #3 year reign as is demonstrated by him sei4ing the English throne from his elder brother Robert who was absent Crusading. %e ended up ruler of both England and Normandy with peace pacts with the King of *rance and the 5uke of

*landers. %is succession plans were cruelly dashed when- returning from celebrating his deal with the *rench King- his only two living legitimate sons were drowned off the coast of Normandy in the .White !hip/. England was plunged into civil war as the country was divided over his plans for his daughter "atilda to take the throne as the first ever 6ueen of England.

%e filled the vacant positions in the Church which Rufus had not bothered to do. Notably he brought back 7rchbishop 7nselm who had fled from Rufus. %e made concessions to the 1arons for e ample removing ta es from those who supplied him with Knights. To please the populous he restored the laws made by Edward the Confessor. English territorial boundaries remained stable.

Robert- finally of course turned up to claim the throne of England- elated from his very successful Crusade where he had been offered the Kingship of 8erusalem. The two armies faced each other at 7lton %ampshire but with %enry's diplomatic skills- instead of fighting- the brothers embraced and a treaty was signed giving him #,,, marks a year to relin2uish his claim to the English throne. This friendship did not last and %enry was forced to fight his brother in Normandy. %enry captured Robert and claimed the 5ukedom of Normandy. What happened to Robert who could have been as powerful as his father- the Con2ueror- and was offered but did not accept the Kingdom of 8erusalem9 %enry kept him in captivity in various castles in England and Wales- $Cardiff Castle& where he died )ust before his younger brother %enry. %is daughter "atilda married a great noble from *rance- :eoffrey 0lantagenet but before %enry died- he had had an argument with :eoffrey husband so the succession was 2uestionable as there was also a nephew of %enry capable of taking the kingship. Step en of !lois (1135-115")

!tephen by general agreement is the worst King England ever had. %e had no right to the throne which both !tephen and the 1arons had agreed with King %enry should go to his only surviving legitimate child- his daughter "atilda. "atilda was a snob and an Empress being married to the %oly Roman Emperor %enry 3th. The rivalry between !tephen and "atilda plunged England into civil war. "atilda nominally ruled England for a few months in ++;+ but the flamboyant but useless !tephen got the support of the 1arons and "atilda eventually retired in :ermany. They decided that after his death-%er son %enry would inherit the throne.