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Year 10
AQA

Establishing control: new earls and earldoms

I can explain how William used rewards and new earldoms to help establish control.

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Year 10
AQA

Establishing control: new earls and earldoms

I can explain how William used rewards and new earldoms to help establish control.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. William faced unrest throughout most of England, and threats from Scotland and Wales.
  2. William rewarded his most loyal supporters with land so they would help him establish control.
  3. William also needed to pay mercenaries and show gratitude to the pope for his support.
  4. William made Odo and FitzOsbern earls in the south and appointed them as regents.
  5. William created new Marcher earldoms to defend the Welsh border.

Keywords

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

  • Marcher - 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

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

Common misconception

After William the Conqueror was crowned King of England, he and the Normans were immediately accepted as rightful rulers and peace reigned across the kingdom.

In fact, William faced a hostile Anglo-Saxon population and threats of invasion from Wales and Scotland, requiring him to take measures to establish further control.

Comparison chart: students compare Marcher earldoms with other earldoms. Highlighting the unique features and reasons for their establishment.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What two methods did William use to get the Anglo-Saxon nobility to submit to him?
Correct answer: harrying
flattery
Correct answer: violence
bribery
Q2.
What word describes when goods have been stolen violently from a place, especially during a war?
Correct Answer: plundered, Plundered, plunder, plundering
Q3.
Why did many Anglo-Saxon nobles initially rally behind Edgar the Aethling as the next king of England following Harold's death?
Edward had officially named him as heir.
He was King Edward’s brother.
Correct answer: He was the surviving Anglo-Saxon claimant to the throne.
He was the last male member of the House of York.
Q4.
In which part of England did William lead his army, harrying as they went?
Correct Answer: south-east, South-east, south east, South east, South East
Q5.
How did William and his army make up for their lack of supplies?
They paid locals for their food.
Correct answer: They plundered and foraged.
The locals happily shared their food with William's army.
They arranged for more supplies from Normandy.
Q6.
Who submitted to William at Wallingford?
Edgar the Aethling
Ealdred the Archbishop of York
Correct answer: Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury
Earls Edwin and Morcar
Harold Godwinson

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
To help him keep control, what did William reward his most loyal supporters with?
Correct Answer: land, Land
Q2.
When was William crowned King of England?
24 December 1066
26 December 1066
Correct answer: 25 December 1066
25 December 1067
Q3.
Match the keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:sheriff,an official who oversaw law and order in a local area

an official who oversaw law and order in a local area

Correct Answer:regent,a person who rules a country for a limited period

a person who rules a country for a limited period

Correct Answer:Marcher earl,a noble appointed to guard the border between England and Wales

a noble appointed to guard the border between England and Wales

Correct Answer:tribute,when you pay money and declare loyalty/submission to your ruler

when you pay money and declare loyalty/submission to your ruler

Q4.
Who did William appoint as regents?
Correct answer: Odo
Earl Leofwine
Earl Gyrth
Correct answer: FitzOsbern
Archbishop Stigand
Q5.
Why did William send treasures to the pope?
Correct answer: Paying tribute to the pope kept the Church on his side.
He wanted the pope to visit him in England.
The pope was known to love gold and to be very greedy.
Harold had sent the pope treasures annually, so William needed to continue this.
Q6.
What special powers did the Marcher earls have to help them secure the Marches?
did not have to have sheriffs; they could oversee local law completely
Correct answer: create new towns, markets and Norman churches
Correct answer: allowed to keep the taxes they collected
had all the same powers that William had
Correct answer: could build castles, without asking the king for permission

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