the fyrd was an army which consisted of part-time soldiers called up by thegns and earls when ordered by the king

a shire reeve (sheriff) was a king’s legal officer who enforced laws in a shire

piety is strong religious faith that is shown in the way someone lives

the Danelaw was an area in Anglo-Saxon England which had previously been invaded and settled by Danes (Vikings) and had retained some laws and customs that were different from southern England

the Witan was a group of leading nobles who advised the king

Anglo-Saxon kingship

History

In this unit, pupils study an aspect of British medieval history in depth. They learn about the social, economic, religious and political events that influenced the lives of those who lived in this period.

British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100

exile is when someone is sent away from their home country

an Anglo-Saxon adviser was a high-ranking noble who gave advice to the monarch, such as an earl or bishop

a successor is a person expected to inherit the throne after the monarch has died

a House refers to a dynasty, a group of leaders or rulers from the same family

a chronicler is someone who writes a record of historical events

Edward the Confessor, the Godwins and William of Normandy

a claimant is a person who declares their belief that something belongs to them or that they have a right to it

a succession crisis occurs when there is no clear heir to a position

a mercenary is a soldier who fights for any country or group that pays them

legitimacy means that something can be proved to be right by law or according to customs

in Anglo-Saxon England, an aethling was a prince of royal blood

Edward the Confessor's death and the claimants to the throne

a fleet is a group of ships, or all of the ships in a country's navy

casualties are the people injured or killed in a war or in a specific battle

a hostage is someone who is taken as a prisoner by an enemy in order to force the other people involved to do what the enemy wants

Battle of Stamford Bridge

the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was an army made up of mostly untrained conscripts from England’s peasant population

the housecarl was an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army: a well-trained and well-equipped soldier

the knight was the elite unit of the Norman army: a soldier who fought on horseback, riding a specially-trained war horse

a shield wall is a military tactic where soldiers stood in a long line overlapping their shields to form a wall of shields

a feigned retreat is when soldiers pretend to retreat in order to lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position

Battle of Hastings

a turning point is the time at which a situation starts to change in an important way

the term logistically is used to describe the effective organisation of a complicated activity or event

being strategic is doing things which help to achieve a wider plan, for example, in war or politics

a tactic is a planned way of doing something, or a specific action intended to achieve a wider strategy/plan

Reasons for William's victory in 1066

plundered is when goods have been stolen violently from a place, especially during a war

harrying is persistently harassing or carrying out attacks on an enemy or an enemy's territory

submission is the act of allowing someone or something to have power over you

in this lesson, supplies are food or other things necessary for an army to operate

foraging is going from place to place searching for things that you can eat or use

The submission of London in 1066

a regent is a person who rules a country for a limited period, because the monarch is absent or too young or too ill

tribute is when you pay money and declare loyalty/submission to your ruler, especially on a formal occasion

a Marcher earl was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales

a sheriff was an official who oversaw law and order in a local area on behalf of the monarch

Establishing control: new earls and earldoms

a motte-and-bailey castle is a fortress in which there is a motte (small hill) surrounded by a bailey (courtyard) inside an outer wall

to oppress is to govern people in an unfair and cruel way and prevent them from having opportunities and freedom

a keep is the strong main tower of a castle which acted as a watchtower and a final point of defence

a palisade is a strong fence made out of solid wooden poles that is used to protect people or a place from being attacked

Establishing control: motte-and-bailey castles

a revolt is when a large number refuse to be controlled or ruled, and take action against authority, often violent action

Revolts against William I, 1067-1075

when something is done systematically it is done in a way that is done according to an agreed set of methods or organised plan

a scorched-earth policy is the act of an army destroying everything in an area such as food, buildings, or equipment that could be useful to an enemy

a famine is a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens

a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster

The Harrying of the North, 1069-70

tenants-in-chief were the large Norman landholders who held land directly from the monarch

a tenant is a person who pays for the use of land or a building

William's consolidation of power

a senior official in the Church, for example, a bishop or abbot

a person appointed to govern a country while the monarch is away or ill

a region (now in modern-day Belgium and France) ruled in the medieval period by a count as a vassal of the king of France

Key figures in the government of Norman England

feudal refers to a hierarchical social system where people receive land to live and work on from those higher than them, and in return have to work and fight for them

paying homage was to publicly submit and swear an oath of fealty (loyalty) to someone above you in the feudal system

an overlord in the feudal system was someone who granted land in return for service

a vassal in the feudal system was someone who provided a service (e.g. labour) to an overlord in return for land

a fief was a parcel of land given by an overlord to a vassal in return for their service to their overlord

The Norman feudal system

landholding is how land is owned or rented

tenure is the conditions under which land is held

inheritance is land or other property that is passed on to an heir when someone dies

castelry is land under the control of a castle and used to support the castle

relief is a payment made by an heir to their overlord to be allowed to inherit a fief

Land and inheritance in Norman England

a survey is an examination of specific details, opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions

a manor is a unit of land overseen by a lord - a lord’s large manor house is also a feature

geld is the name of a tax traditionally used to defend England against (Viking) invasions

Domesday Book

justice is the principles behind laws, including who benefits from the legal system; a justice was also another name for a judge

a hundred court is a lower court that dealt with local disputes and minor criminal cases

a shire court is a court at the shire level which dealt with more serious criminal cases and land disputes

a sheriff is the king’s officer at the shire level

Justice and the legal system in Norman England

the term used in history to mean things staying the same

something that is legal, right and accepted

Continuity and change in Norman government

buying and selling products and services with the aim of making a profit

the process of people coming from one country to another to live there

organisation set up by craftspeople to fix the price of goods, ensure quality and protect wages and working conditions

Life in towns in Norman England

the lord of a manor's land which was farmed for him

a peasant who held between 15 and 30 acres of land and who worked the lord’s land for two or three days per week; 40% of peasants were villeins in Norman England

a peasant who held up to 100 acres of land which they rented from a lord for money; they were free to rent land from another lord if they chose to

Life in villages in Norman England

the landscape created by buildings and infrastructure like roads and bridges

an architectural style based on features of ancient Roman buildings

a group of individuals who live under a religious rule, dedicating themselves to a specific way of life

The built environment of Norman England

farm animals such as sheep, goats, oxen and pigs that are reared for food or used for farming work

Work and diet in Norman England

the person who is king or queen after the previous monarch

someone who uses land owned by someone else in return for rent or services

Changing laws in Norman England: Forest law

a system of landholding in which land is exchanged for service and loyalty

differences in wealth, opportunity or status in society; for example, between rich and poor people

Daily life in Norman England

a system in which people are put at various levels or ranks according to their importance

a title given to a person who has received an official honour from the Pope for having lived in a good and holy way

a person who makes a journey, often a long and difficult one, to a special place for religious reasons

something that belonged to a holy person, often a body part, that was believed to be able to help people if prayed to or touched

The Anglo-Saxon Church

someone who holds more than one position within the Church

members of the Church who have been ordained, which means they are permitted to carry out religious services

Lanfranc's reforms

the opposite of sacred; a part of life that is not to do with the Church or religion

the office of the pope and the pope's authority over the Church

a vestment (piece of clothing) given by the pope to newly-appointed bishops and archbishops

the pope's personal representative, sent by the pope from Rome on a mission to another country

a conflict between the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to select and install (invest) bishops and abbots

The king and the Church in Norman England

remove someone from office (their official role or position)

to exclude someone from the community of the Church until they put right what they had been doing wrong

The Reform Papacy

the prayers and rituals regularly carried out together by a religious community or religious group

a community of monks; the term monastic and monasticism relate to monasteries

a set of principles and legal decisions which people agree to follow

not having sexual relationships, usually for religious reasons

in this context, groups of monks or nuns who live together as a religious community, following a set of rules for that order

Norman reforms of English monasticism

to show great respect and honour to something

British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100

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These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.