What was the population of England in c1060?
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What was the population of England in c1060?
The population of England in c.1060 was roughly 2 million people. This is almost a quarter of the population of London today.
Define an earl in Anglo-Saxon England.
An earl was one of the most important people in England after the king. They controlled areas of England known as earldoms. They competed with other earls to gain the trust of the king.
How was a ceorl different to a peasant farmer in Anglo-Saxon England?
Ceorls were peasant farmers who were free to work for another lord in the local community. Peasant farmers had to work only for the lord that they rented land from.
Define a thegn in Anglo-Saxon England.
A thegn was a local lord who lived in earldoms. To become a thegn, a person had to hold five hides of land. A hide was equivalent to 60-120 acres.
What percentage of the population were enslaved in Anglo-Saxon England?
About 10% of the population were enslaved in Anglo-Saxon England. Slavery was an accepted part of Anglo-Saxon society.
Name two ways that a peasant could become a thegn in Anglo-Saxon England.
Two ways that a peasant could become a thegn were by:
Growing enough crops to have the money to purchase five hides of land
Becoming a merchant who travelled abroad
How could an earl become the King of England in Anglo-Saxon times?
An earl could become king if the king named the earl as the heir to the throne.
Could someone fall down the hierarchy in Anglo-Saxon society?
Yes.
An earl could become a thegn by doing something to lose the trust of the king. Thegns and peasants could fall in society if they did not earn enough money.
Who was Edward the Confessor?
Edward the Confessor became the King of England in 1042.
What five areas did Edward the Confessor have power over in Anglo-Saxon England?
The five areas that Edward the Confessor had power over were:
Landownership
Law-making
Money (making coins)
Taxes
The military
What military duties did people have in Anglo-Saxon England?
Thegns and earls had to provide soldiers for the king. Peasants had to fight for the king. Failure to do this would result in fines or the confiscation of land.
True or False?
Every man at the age of 12 made an oath of loyalty to the king.
True.
Oaths were important in Anglo-Saxon England. By refusing to fulfil their duties, the person would gain a reputation as an 'oath breaker' and could lose their land.
Define pious in terms of Anglo-Saxon England.
Pious means to be solemnly religious. Edward the Confessor was incredibly pious. People believed that, when the church anointed Edward, he became God's representative on Earth.
Was Edward the Confessor a gifted law-maker?
Yes.
Edward introduced laws that helped resolve long-standing family feuds. This approach brought more peace into Anglo-Saxon society.
Name one disadvantage of Edward the Confessor not being a warrior king.
One disadvantage of Edward not being a warrior king was that he had to rely on his earls to fight for him and lead his military force.
Define the term Danelaw.
The Danelaw was the area that used Danish laws and customs to govern. The north of England established the Danelaw. Edward the Confessor had to respect the Danelaw.
True or False?
Mercia was the richest earldom in Anglo-Saxon England.
False.
Wessex was the richest earldom in Anglo-Saxon England. The Earl of Wessex was called Godwin. The Godwins were as rich as the king.
Was Godwin loyal to Edward the Confessor in 1050?
No.
In 1050, Edward exiled Godwin for refusing to punish Dover for attacking an embassy from Boulogne. Godwin returned from exile in 1061 with an army. Godwin forced Edward to give the earldom of Wessex back to him.
Define the Witan.
The Witan was a council of important English aristocrats who advised the king on various matters, including foreign threats, religious issues and land disputes. Members of the Witan included earls and archbishops.
Name the one important power that the Witan held when the king died.
The one important power that the Witan held when the king died was that it had to approve who would become the next king.
Name the three powers that Anglo-Saxon earls had regarding tax.
The three powers that Anglo-Saxon earls had regarding tax were:
Collecting tax in their earldom
Keeping a third of all tax revenue
Using tax to defend the earldom
True or False?
Under a powerful king, earls had limited power.
True.
Strong, warrior kings like Cnut demanded obedience from their earls. Earls faced harsh punishments if they defied the king including loss of earldom, exile or death.
Define the hundred in Anglo-Saxon England.
The hundred was a unit of land in Anglo-Saxon England. In some areas, a hundred was 100 hides. A hundred divided into tithings (usually ten households) and hides.
What social importance did the shire have for Anglo-Saxon earls?
Shires had an important role in law and order. Shires had their own courts to hear criminal cases and decide on the punishment.
Define a shire reeve.
A shire reeve, also known as a sheriff, was a local government official. They had various duties including rent collection, tax collection and overseeing court judgments.
Define geld tax in Anglo-Saxon England.
A geld tax was a land tax, originally raised to pay off the Vikings. It went to the king and was taxed on everyone.
How many types of fyrd (military forces) were there in Anglo-Saxon England?
There were two types of fyrd in Anglo-Saxon England. These were the select fyrd and the general fyrd.
How were the select fyrd and the general fyrd different in their training and equipment?
The select fyrd were well-equipped and were trained by the thegn. The general fyrd had limited weaponry such as pitchforks and clubs. The soldiers received no training.
True or False?
The Witan made all of the laws in Anglo-Saxon England.
False.
The king made all the laws in England. It was one of his important powers. The king's laws helped to keep peace in England.
Were crimes against a king's peace a serious crime in Anglo-Saxon England?
Yes.
The people expected the king to bring justice and peace to Anglo-Saxon society. A person who stole from a traveller would receive a harsh punishment.
Define blood feud in Anglo-Saxon society.
A blood feud was a revenge system where if one family killed a member of another family, the victim's family had the right to murder someone in the murderer's family. This is a cycle that continued for decades.
Were blood feuds an issue in Anglo-Saxon society?
Yes.
Blood feuds could continue for generations and wipe out entire families. Violence could spread across towns and villages.
What was the purpose of the Wergild in Anglo-Saxon society?
The Wergild was introduced by Edward the Confessor to resolve blood feuds. It required the murderer's family to pay compensation to the victim's family. This made blood feuds unaffordable and reduced violence.
Define the hue and cry in Anglo-Saxon society.
A hue and cry was the community's effort to hunt down a criminal. Each member of the tithing had to support the effort to find the criminal.
What was the consequence for a member of the tithing who refused to join the hue and cry?
If a member of the tithing refused to join the hue and cry, they had to pay a fine as punishment.
Define collective responsibility in Anglo-Saxon England.
Collective responsibility means that law and order is everyone's duty. The hue and cry is an example of collective responsibility in Anglo-Saxon England.
True or False?
The women of the tithing had to enforce the good behaviour of the ten households.
False.
The men of the tithing had to enforce the good behaviour of the ten households. For example, a person who refused to join the fyrd would bring punishment upon the whole village.
True or False?
Anglo-Saxons did not engage in trade with other countries.
False.
Anglo-Saxons traded with other countries. German silver made up the majority of the silver coins in Anglo-Saxon England Millstones came from Denmark to England.
Where was the main trading hub in Anglo-Saxon England?
London was the main trading hub of England. Traders from Flanders, Germany, France and Normandy came to London.
Define burhs in Anglo-Saxon England.
Burhs were fortified towns in Anglo-Saxon England. They served as centres of defence and trade.
Name the two biggest towns in England by 1066.
The two biggest towns in Anglo-Saxon England by 1066 were London and York. Over 10,000 people lived in each town.
Who was responsible for the upkeep of burhs in Anglo-Saxon England?
The residents of the burh were responsible for the upkeep of the burh.
How did Anglo-Saxon villages differ from modern villages?
Anglo-Saxon villages had more isolated houses and farms spread across a wider area compared to the clustered houses surrounded by fields in modern villages.
True or False?
Thegns lived in thatched, wooden houses with multiple relatives.
False.
Peasants lived in thatched, wooden houses with multiple relatives. Thegns lived in manor houses with only his immediate family.
Did Anglo-Saxons believe or not believe in saints?
Believe.
Anglo-Saxons in c1060 worshipped a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic saints. Different saints represented different local areas, for example, Saint Cuthbert in Northumbria.
Define pilgrimage in terms of Anglo-Saxon England.
A pilgrimage is a long journey to a religious place. Anglo-Saxons thought that pilgrimages would reduce their suffering in the afterlife.
True or False?
The head of a monastery in Anglo-Saxon England was called an abbess.
False.
The head of a monastery was called an abbot. A head of a nunnery was called an abbess.
Did bishops in Anglo-Saxon England control land?
Yes.
Anglo-Saxon bishops controlled large areas of England. The land made them very wealthy. They also were members of the Witan.
Why was there a conflict between thegns and bishops in Anglo-Saxon England?
The issues of priests created a power struggle between bishops and thegns. Bishops selected priests, Thegns believed that they should have the ability to hire priests. This is because churches were built on thegns' land.
What challenges did monasteries face in Anglo-Saxon England?
Monasteries were becoming less religious and were targets for attacks during Viking invasions. Monks had to work with peasant farmers for survival.
Define confessor in terms of Anglo-Saxon England.
Confessor in Anglo-Saxon times meant someone who lived a saintly life. Edward receiving this nickname shows how pious he was.
How was England's prosperity linked to religion in the Anglo-Saxon times?
England's prosperity was linked to religion because people saw it as a sign that Edward had God's blessing to rule the country.
When did Edward the Confessor order the building of Westminster Abbey?
Edward the Confessor ordered the building of Westminster Abbey between 1042 and 1052. The Abbey was not completed until 1090.