HOW A FOREIGN BASTARD BECAME THE KING

OF ENGLAND
1066: The Year of 3 Kings
* Marks the end of English Kings of England

* All future Kings and Queens of England are descendants of invaders.

* Marks the last time that Britain will be successfully invaded

* The 3 Kings of 1066

* Edward the Confessor (1042-1066)

* Harold Godwinson

* William, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror)

Government Structure of England 1066

King: 1. Laws 2. Army 3. Taxes 4. Land 5. Make money

Elected by Witan Must have support of Earls and Church
Witan serves as advisers to King
King decides advise to ask for and whether to accept advice
Earls: selected by King to administer Earldom (large area of Country)
Loyal to the King but each compete for favor of the King
Government Structure of England 1066
Thegns (4,000-5,000)

Lower nobility. 1 Group selected by King; 1 Group selected by Earls

Delegated authority from King and Earls

Peasant Farmers (90% of population)

Slaves (10% of population)

Earldoms of England: 1060
Reign of Edward the Confessor
Edward raised in Normandy, not England
Very few allies among the Earls and nobility of England
Not a warrior or interested in ruling
1040s: Edward brings Normans into government, diluting power of Anglo-Saxons
(and Wessex)
1050: Earl Godwin (Wessex) rebelled against Edward: banished to Normandy
1051: Earl Godwin returns with an army; restored by Edward as Earl of Wessex
Reign of Edward the Confessor
1053: Earl Godwin dies. Harold Godwinson becomes Earl of Wessex

Harold becomes chief adviser to Edward. De facto King

1055: Tostig Godwinson becomes Earl of Northumberland

1062: Godwins conquer Wales, increasing power of Wessex and Harold

1064: Edward sends Harold on mission to William of Normandy

1065: Uprising against Tostig Godwinson. Losses Northumberland. Exiled

1066: 5 January Edward dies

Claimants to the English Throne: January 1066
Claimants to the Throne of England: January 1066
Harold Godwinson: selected by Witan on 6 January 1066
1. Edward had named him his successor on his deathbed.
Witnesses loyal to Harold support claim
2. Family ties (Harold’s sister had married Edward)
3. Edward’s right hand man for 12 years, effectively running England
4. Earl of Wessex has great influence with other members of the
Witan
5. History of military prowess
Claimants to the Throne January 1066
Harald Hardrada: King of Norway
1. Alliance with Tostig Godwinson – convinced North would support him
2. Secret Viking Agreement
1040: Harthacnut, Viking King of England and Norway
Loses control of Norway to Magnus Olaffson
Agreement: Name each other heirs to England and Norway
1045: Hardrada become co-ruler of Norway with Olaffson
1047: Olaffson dies; Hardrada takes Olaffson’s claims to England
3. Hardrada didn’t take his claim seriously until Tostig’s exile.
Claimants to the Throne January 1066
William of Normandy

1. Claims Edward named him successor in 1051 (no real evidence)

Edward had lived in Normandy and had no allies in England, making this
claim possible.

2. Harald had renounced English Throne during 1064 mission to Normandy.

No evidence of this, and would it have been credible ?

Harald helped William conquer Mont St. Michel

Battle of Gate Fulford 20 September 1066

10,000 Vikings defeat English army

under Morcar and Edwin, Dukes of

Northumbria and Mercia, near

York, former capital of The

Danelaw.

King Harold rushes North to meet the Viking army.

Battle of Stamford Bridge: 25 September 1066

King Harold destroys Viking army and fleet.

1. Vikings were caught off guard
2. ⅓ of Vikings & weapons were left on ships
3. Vikings were exhausted from Gate Fulford
4. Vikings were misled (Harold was popular)
5. English broke Viking shield wall.
Hardrata & Tostig killed, ending Viking threat to England for good.
Battle of Hastings 14 October 1066
Norman Castle System in England
Located at strategic control points.

Garrison of troops

Psychological impact

Different that Burghs (Alfred)

Control v Protect A-S

Not communities
The DOOMSDAY BOOK
Financial Purpose: Determine which landowners could pay more taxes.

Determine if landowners were cheating

Determine inheritance taxes

Military: Location of military assets, and knights available against Vikings.

Legal: Surveys conducted fairly

Establish basis for claims of legal ownership in private disputes.