History of Britain

The early Middle Ages

• Annisa Sabrina
• Windi Paquyta Arifah
 Economy
By the time the English kings were ruling half of France as well they could
no longer travel everywhere themselves. Instead, they sent nobles and
knights from the royal household to act as sheriffs. But even this system
needed people who could administer taxation, justice, and cartI' out the
king's instructions. It was obviously not practical for all these people to
follow the king everywhere. At first this "administration" was based in Wi
nchester, but by the time of Edward I, in 1290, it had moved to Westminster.
It is still there today. However, even though the administration was in
Westminster the real capital of England was still "in the king's saddle". The
king kept all his records in Westminster, including the Domesday Book.
The king's administration kept a careful watch on noble families. It made
sllte the king claimed money every time a young noble took over the lands of
his father, or when a noble's daughter married. Between 1066 and 1300, the
important change was because the king needed money in the most effective
way. The administration also checked the towns and the potts to make sure
that taxes were paid, and kept a record of the fines made by the king's court.
 Most important of all, the officials in Westminster had to watch the
economy of the country carefully. In1130 well over half of Henry I's
money came from his own land, one-third from his feudal vassals in
rights and fines, and only one-seventh from taxes. One hundred and fifty
years later, over half of Edward Its money came from [axes, but only
one- third came from his land and only one-tenth from his feudal vassals.
It is no wonder that Edward called to his parliament representatives of the
people whom he could tax most effectively.
 Goverment Growth
William the Conqueror had ruled England and Normandy by
traveling from place to place to ensure that his authority was
accepted. He, and the kings after him, raised some of the money
they needed by adjudicating cases and fining people in the royal
courts. The king's "old house" is the government, and is always
on the move. There was no royal capital like today. Kings were
crowned at Westminster, but their treasury remained in Wessex's
old capital, Winchester.
When Will iam and the kings after him moved around the
country staying in towns and castles, they were acco mpan ied
by a large number of followers. Wherever they went the local
people had to give them food and somewhere to stay. It could
have a terrible effect. Food ran out, and prices rose.
 Law and Justice
The king, of course, was responsible for law and justice. But the king usually had
to leave this important business to someone who lived close to where the crime
was committed. In Saxon times, each district had its own laws and customs, and
justice was often a family matter. After the Norman Conquest, nobles were
allowed to exercise justice among the villages and people of their lands. Usually
they mix Norman law with old Saxon law. They have the freedom to act more or
less as they please. However, more serious offenses were tried in the king's court.
They handle crimes and disputes over property. In this way the king slowly took
over the government from the nobles, these judges, traveling from place to place,
observing the same laws wherever they went. This law which is enforced by
traveling judges is known as "common law", because it is used everywhere.
British jurists call this an example of legal method and science, they created a
completely different legal system based on custom. joint comparison. previous
cases and previous decisions. In this way traditional local law by common law
throughout the country. This combination of experience and custom is the basis
of law in England even today. Modern judges still base their decisions on the
manner in which similar cases have been decided.
 Religious Beliefs
The church at the local village level was very different from the powerful
political organization the king had to deal with. In the time of William I,
the common village clergyman could hardly read at all, and he was
usually one of the farming community. The church belonged to the local
master, and was often built next to the master's house. Almost all priests
were married, and many inherited their position from their fathers.
However, even at the village level, the Church wanted to replace the
master's authority with her own, but it only partially succeeded. In many
places masters continue to choose local priests. and to have a greater
influence over it than any further authority of the Church could have had.
The Church also tried to prevent priests from marrying. In this case it
was more successful, and by the end of the thirteenth century priests
were married in an unusual way. But it is still common to find a priest
who "kept a girl in his house who kindled his fire but put our virtue."
However, there is. many promised not to marry and kept that promise. This is
especially true for men and women who wish to become monks or nuns and enter
a local monastery or convent. One of the reasons for entering the house of worship
was the increasing difficulty during this period of living on the land. As the
population grows, more and more people feel that they cannot easily feed their
entire family. If they could get a son or daughter into the local religious house,
there would be fewer mouths to feed. Indeed, it was perhaps the economic
difficulties of raising a family that convinced priests to follow the Church's
decisions. It was better to live as a monk within the safe walls of a monastery than
as a poor farmer outside. A monk could learn to read and write, and ensure food
and shelter. The monastery is a center of wealth and learning. In 1066 there were
fifty religious houses in England, home to about 1,000 monks and nuns. In the
early fourteenth century there were probably about 900 religious houses, with
17,500 members. Although the population in the fourteenth century was three
times greater than in 1066, the growth of the monasteries was impressive.
The thirteenth century brought a new movement, the "fraternity" of brothers.
These monks were wandering preachers. They are not interested in the power and
splendor of the Church, but in the souls of ordinary men and women. They lived
with the poor and tried to bring them the comforts of Christianity. They lived in
stark contrast to the wealth and power of monasteries and cathedrals, the local
centers of the Church.
 Kingdom : Family Business
In order to understand the ideas of kingdom and divinity in the early
Middle Ages, it is important to realize that today there is little or no
idea of nationalism. William controlled two large territories: Normandy,
which his father gave him, and England, which he won in the war. Both
were privately owned, and it didn't matter to the rulers that the common
people in one place were English while the people in another were
French. To but the important difference between Normandy and
England was that as duke of Normandy he had to acknowledge the king
of France as his lord, whereas in England he was king without a lord
over him. When William died, in 1087, he left the Duchy of Normandy
to his niece, Robert. He gave England to his second son, William, who
was known as "Rufus" (Latin for red) because of his red hair and red
face. When Roberr went to war against the Muslims in the Holy Land,
he left William 11 (Rufus) in charge of Normandy. After all, managing
Normandy and England is a family business