First uprisings against William 1066-68

1. First uprisings against William 1066-68 Key Enquiry 3: Brutal slaughter- is this how William gained control? STARTER- what does this statue created for ‘William the conqueror’ suggest about his power? EXTENSION: what questions would you like to ask about this to help your understanding of his transition from William of Normandy to William the Conqueror.

2. Key words/concepts • Conqueror-a person who conquers a place or people; a vanquisher. • Resistance-the refusal to accept or comply with something. • Subdue- bring (a country or people) under control by force.

3. In Westminster Abbey this is an account of a Norman chronicler when the congregation of several hundred were asked if they'd accept William as their new King But at the prompting of the devil, who hates everything good, a sudden disaster and portent of future catastrophes occurred. For when Archbishop Ealdred asked the English, and Geoffrey bishop of Coutances asked the Normans , if they would accept William as their king, all of them gladly shouted out with once voice if not in one language that they would. The armed guard outside, hearing the tumult of the joyful crowd in the church and the harsh accents of a foreign tongue, imagined that some treachery was afoot, and rashly set fire to some of the buildings. The fire spread rapidly from house to house; the crowd who had been rejoicing in the church took fright and throngs of men and women of every rank and condition rushed out of the church in frantic haste. Only the bishops and a few clergy and monks remained, terrified, in the sanctuary, and with difficulty completed the consecration of the king who was trembling from head to foot. Almost all the rest made for the scene of conflagration, some to fight the flames and many others hoping to find loot for themselves in the general confusion. The English, after hearing of the perpetration of such misdeeds, never again trusted the Normans who seemed to have betrayed them, but nursed their anger and bided their time to take revenge.

4. What inferences can you make from this life size model of William in Bayeux museum? 1. The posture, clothing and expression of museum models gives us an interpretation of the person represented. What impression of William does this model convey? 2. How does this source compare with the written source of the description?

5. But at the prompting of the devil, who hates everything good, a sudden disaster and portent of future catastrophes occurred. For when Archbishop Ealdred asked the English, and Geoffrey bishop of Coutances asked the Normans , if they would accept William as their king, all of them gladly shouted out with once voice if not in one language that they would. The armed guard outside, hearing the tumult of the joyful crowd in the church and the harsh accents of a foreign tongue, imagined that some treachery was afoot, and rashly set fire to some of the buildings. The fire spread rapidly from house to house; the crowd who had been rejoicing in the church took fright and throngs of men and women of every rank and condition rushed out of the church in frantic haste. Only the bishops and a few clergy and monks remained, terrified, in the sanctuary, and with difficulty completed the consecration of the king who was trembling from head to foot. Almost all the rest made for the scene of conflagration, some to fight the flames and many others hoping to find loot for themselves in the general confusion. The English, after hearing of the perpetration of such misdeeds, never again trusted the Normans who seemed to have betrayed them, but nursed their anger and bided their time to take revenge.

6. How did William deal with rebellion? • In 1067 William left England under the care of two of his most trusted lords: his cousin William FitzOsbern and his half brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. The period of peace was short lived. Rebellions broke out all across England: William subdued them with brutal , forceful and decisive action. The Welsh border 1067. • Later in the year, Edric ‘the Wild’ raised a revolt in Herefordshire along the Welsh border , encouraging Welsh princes to join him. They failed to take control of the border and retired to Wales with much anger and frustration. The south west( 1068) • William returned to England late 1067 to face more serious threats in the south west. In 1068, the city of Exeter refused to accept William’s rule but eventually did so after an 18 day siege. William built a castle and made a Norman- Baldwin, the guardian of the castle in Exeter. William also installed his other half brother , Robert of Mortain, an earl of Cornwall, and submitted Bristol and Gloucester to his rule on the way back. During the summer of 1068 the sons of Harold Godwinson landed on the Somerset coast but were repelled by the English troops. William celebrated Easter at Winchester, and soon afterwards his wife Matilda was crowned queen at Westminster , where the king held a great court.

7. Copy and complete (pages 46-49) group work (25 mins)

8. First steps- a summary • Between Jan and March 1067 William worked to calm the country and establish his authority • Edgar, Edwin, Morcar and other English leaders submitted to him • William claimed all land of his own but sold some back to Thegns and Earls • He build castles to secure his control • By the end of march he felt England had settled enough and returned to Normandy taking Edgar Atheling, Edwin, Morcar and several church leaders. • By the spring of 1067 Ceorls and thralls were forced to build motte and bailey castles. Interpretations suggest they were unjust even though the Normans claim the purpose was to improve relations.

9. Wild man of Mercia- a summary • Leader of Mercia- Edric the Wild was once one of the most powerful Thegns in the country • He joined forced with the Welsh princes and raided Norman held lands west of England. His raids did not threaten William who didn’t return from Normandy • English may have carved pillars and arches in Norman churches as an act of silent resistance • Reflect- how serious was the uprising in Mercia?

10. Trouble grows 1068- a summary • William left his two lords- FitzOsborn and Odo to deal with difficulties while in Normandy • In December 1067 Williams very effective spy network told him that serious trouble was brewing and he left Normandy and was back in London by Christmas • In Jan 1068 William met many senior English lords and bishops and chose to treat them well believing this would be more likely to keep their loyalty. • He sent messages to the city of Exeter in Devon who were calling people to rise in rebellion (mother and sisters of Harold led this)

11. Conspiracy and rebellion in Exeter-a summary • After the Norman Conquest, the Saxons of Devon, Somerset and Dorset rallied at Exeter in support of the remnants of the Godwin family. • The citizens, together with Harold Godwinson’s mother, Gytha, refused to swear fealty to William or pay the tax he demanded, and shut the gates against him. • William marched upon the city, where he was met with fierce armed resistance. After a siege of 18 days, Exeter surrendered (though Gytha escaped), and Rougemont Castle was established and garrisoned (set up with troops) by the Normans. • Despite the king's initial threats against the citizens of Exeter, at the city's surrender William agreed that he would not harm its inhabitants, confiscate their possessions or increase the amount of tax they had paid to the pre-conquest monarchy.

12. Exeter Rebellion- Case study (48-49) • Detailed mindmap on • Cause • Events • Consequences

13. December 1068: William’s spies told him that trouble was brewing in Exeter (Devon) and he left Normandy and returned to England. Gytha plotting with Irish Lords and Danish King to rebel against William.

14. William sent a message to Gytha telling them to swear an oath of loyalty- They refused stating: • William is NOT allowed in their city • They would NOT pay him more tax than they had in the past

15. February 1068- William led an army of English and Norman soldiers to the city of Exeter. Some citizens greeted him and said he would be allowed in the city and left him hostages. Other Exeter rebels were furious at the deal and refused the King entry and stood on the city walls. William gouged out the eye of one of the hostages.

16. William’s army laid siege to the city. • After 18 days the citizens of Exeter surrendered and starving and thirsty. • William pardoned them in return for vows of loyalty. William promised: • NOT to plunder the city • NOT to punish the people • NOT demand extra tax • He would share Gytha’s land amongst the Frenchmen who supported his invasion.

17. True or false? What do you think? William had to subdue all English resistance to officially be crowned King and Matilda to be Queen? William took all land as his own and Earls and Thegns had to buy it back from him? By 1067 Ceorls were willingly building motte and bailey castles under their masters- Norman knights who were given power and land? TRUE TRUE FALSE

18. 12 mark exam Q Interpretations B and C are both illustrations of rebellions against the Normans. How far do they differ and what might explain any differences? [12]

19. Normans subduing the English- painting from an un authored historical website Hereward the Wake secretly rebelling with some successes- school textbook

20. P1- explain what the interpretations show- how they are similar and how they are different- Both interpretations show rebellions against William when he conquered England. Source B shows the English attacking the advancing Normans. Hereward and his men are using guerrilla warfare tactics and acts of surprise against the Norman soldiers. The interpretation suggests the Normans had just burned a nearby village and perhaps the English were rebelling against this violent subduing of England. Source C suggests a battle occurred and it shows the Normans as fierce and organised- through the use of cavalry and chainmail. The English are seeing as a weaker force who are been defeated in battle- perhaps Exeter. They both show rebellions but are different in terms of who has the power and how each side is represented. The English who appear clever and sneaky in source B are completely overwhelmed and powerless in source C. P2- give detailed reasons for why they differ in terms of detail, message, style or purpose Overall- do they differ? If so, why?

21. Complete the self evaluation sheet • Highlight the AO4 you achieved on the checklist • Work out your mark • Fill in Pupil Reflection WWW- EBI-

22. Plenary- reflect on your enquiry focus (10 mins) Table and Timeline Using todays learning update your timeline and summarise points on the features table