The Structure of Norman Government (Edexcel GCSE History)

William had some motivation to keep parts of the Anglo-Saxon government when he became King of England in 1066. Normandy did not have a sophisticated government. Anglo-Saxon government was more advanced than Normandy's. As a result, William decided to keep what worked in Anglo-Saxon England. This helped create a smoother transition from Edward the Confessor's reign to William's. William could also refine government systems for his own benefit.

There were serious issues with how Edward the Confessor governed that William needed to change. William wanted more power and control over his subjects. During his rule, Edward relied on earls like Godwin for military support. Earls like Godwin became powerful and threatened Edward's authority as king. Earls also began to act in their own interests instead of the king's. An example of this is Tostig's exile in 1065. William desired to create a centralised government, which gave him ultimate power.

Change

Continuity

William centralised power. He owned all of the land in England. He used the feudal system to pass on this land as fiefs. Land gave him control over tenants-in-chief and the Church. Conditions for William granting land to his subjects included the payment of geld tax and supplying knights. The Domesday Book allowed William to calculate the wealth of all of the land in England

William kept the units of measuring land such as the hide, the hundred and the shire. This helped William to work out people's tax payments

William reduced the power of the earls and the size of earldoms. The power of Marcher earls decreased over William's reign. This caused resentment among Norman nobility as shown in the Revolt of the Earls in 1075. Tenants-in-chief had less power and wealth than Anglo-Saxon earls

William kept the Witan. In 1085, under threat of a Danish invasion, William assembled important landholders to discuss the issue. This is how the Anglo-Saxon Witan operated. William called this system the Curia Regis, or 'royal council'

William relied on regents when he returned to Normandy. In 1075, Lanfranc proved capable of keeping control of England in William's absence. During his reign, William began leaving regents in Normandy. He believed Normandy was easier to govern than England. Also, regents like Bishop Odo abused their power when William was abroad

The royal treasury stayed in Winchester. William used silver pennies in the economy as the Anglo-Saxons had. William minted coins, which was a responsibility of Anglo-Saxon monarchs

Part of the role

Anglo-Saxon shire reeves

Norman sheriffs

Key responsibilities

The king's representative in the shire. Shire reeves collected geld tax and monitored the king's demesne

Norman sheriffs also were the king's representatives in the shire. They continued to collect geld tax and monitor the king's demesne

Importance in society

Shire reeves were less important than earls. They had to represent the earl and report back to them. Shire reeves could not upset their earl. Shire reeves rarely reported to the king if the earl was failing to govern his land correctly

Sheriffs were very powerful in society. Sheriffs answered to no one but the king. A sheriff could be a tenant-in-chief or a castellan. If the king was unhappy with a sheriff, he could demote him

Law and order

Shire reeves maintained law and order in the shire. Shire reeves enforced collective responsibility on the tithing. They also sat on the shire court

Sheriffs continued to enforce law and order. However, William added more laws due to rebellions. The establishment of Church courts and the manorial courts reduced the legal responsibilities of sheriffs

Defence

The shire reeve ensured that the shire met its military obligation to the fyrd. They also made sure roads and fortifications were in good order

Sheriffs maintained their military role in the shire. The feudal system added knight service to their responsibilities. Sheriffs also had to protect castles in the shire