The Effect of the Norman Conquest
Though being opposed by Anglo-Saxon, the Norman Conquest brought certain progress into their lives. The Normans strengthened and organised the feudal system of Anglo-Saxon society. As England was conquered within a few years and the political institutions were imposed by the conquerors, the system reached high regularity and completeness.
The state organisation was built around the power of the King, who owned the land and was stronger than any baron. Private wars between nobles were prohibited, private armies and the Crown watched castles. These peculiarities of feudalism contributed to the development of state, which began to make early progress.
Norman Conquest greatly changed the life of English people. Though a great number of towns appeared in the country, most people lived in villages. In villages village communities developed into the feudal manor.
Free peasants — yeomen and unfreeze peasants-villeins were obliged to pay various duties to the lord. Villeins could not leave the manor, even if the manor was given or sold to another lord.
The open field system was still practised, but villains had to pay large dues to the landlord. Villeins had to perform week-work or corvee-work on lord's fields. Villeins had no right to cut their own corn until the lord's harvest was reaped. Church became the centre of the village life. It held religious services and sometimes was even used as a storehouse or a prison. In times of danger church, as the strongest building of the village, was used as a fortress.
The largest dwelling in the village belonged to the lord and was called the manor house. In the hall of the manor house the lord's court was held once a fortnight, there all disputes and quarrels were settled. In the lord's absence his manager, or Stewart, looked after the estate and acted as judge. Villeins and freeholders were subject to trial by the lord's court.
The other class of peasants made cottars, some of them were free, others were serfs. Cottars possessed very small huts called cottages and worked as herdsmen, blacksmiths, wheelwrights and so on.
Task 4. Speak about the changes in the life of the Anglo-Saxons using the picture. Compare it to the life before the Norman invasion.
Task 5. Answer the following questions.
Why did William, the Duke of Normandy decided to get the English crown?
Why did European warriors agree to support William's crusade?
Why did William scatter the lands of his vassals?
4 What institutions were preserved in England after the Norman Conquest?
What institution replaced the Witenagemot? What fiinctions did it perform?
What was Doomsday Book devised for?
How did Henry I give England peace and unity?
What was the effect of the Norman Conquest?
How did English feudalism, established by the Normans, differ from European feudalism?
Task 6. Historical consequences. The Norman Conquest. Match two statements from columns A and B into a compound sentence with a conjunction "so".
A |
B |
1. Edward the Confessor was brought up in Normandy |
a) a strong state machine was created |
2. William as the King of England and Duke of Normandy, preserved his lands in France |
b) the monks and counsellors brought with the King prepared ground for the Norman conquest |
3. The Norman kings established strong centralised state in England |
c) none of the barons was so strong as to fight with the King |
4. The barons' lands were scattered throughout the country |
d) the development of the English state was unique in Europe as the state power was greater than the power of feudal nobility |
5. The Norman conquerors tried to defend their privileges |
e) the rivalry between English and French kings lasted for more than 400 years |
Task 7. Vocabulary development. Discus the meanings of derivatives and complete the sentences.
1) feud (fee), feudal, feudalism
a) system was based on the system of tenancy — the King granted
his vassals of land.
b) is an estate in land.
c) in England was marked by strong king's power.
2) villein (villain), villeinage, villein-socage
a) Any had to work on the lord's land four of five days a week,
could vary in different places.
b) The peasants in couldn't leave the village even if it was sold
or given to another lord.
3) tenant, tenancy, tenantry
a) The land in can't be taken away from the till the end
of the established terms.
b) The tenant land is often called .
4) vassal, vassalage
King granted land to the barons, who became King's .
The barons, who held land in , had to protect the King from
his foes.
5) crusade, crusader
a) William gathered from all over Europe to punish the oath
breaker.
b)Richard the Lionhearted spent more time in than in his home
country.
6) serf, serfdom, serfhood
a) Most of Anglo-Saxon population in Norman times were in
of Norman barons.
b)The life of yeomen was a little better than the life of .
7) yeoman, yeomanly, yeomanry
a) gathered in armed detachments in case of war.
b) life much depended upon the land. •
c) was not a servant, he earned and cultivated an area of land.
8) manor, manor house, manorial
a) The central place of each was where the lord with his
family lived.
b)The laws in the were based on rights.
9) lord (n, v), lordly, lordship
Barons over the people in the estate.
The is often addressed as His .
A person is someone who behaves as if s/he is better than
other people.
10) baron, baronial, barony, baronage
a) The of the country were united into .
b) rank was given to the noblest people, it was called .
Chapter 2
MIDDLE AGES AND EARLY
MODERN HISTORY
ENGLAND IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Task 1. Answer the questions.
What were the relations between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans by the end of the Norman Dynasty's reign?
What languages were spoken in England?
The Plantagenet Dynasty. King Henry II
The decline of the Norman Dynasty marked the beginning of the new age in England. Thus period is often called the High Middle Ages.
In 1154, after the death of King Stephen, his nephew, the grandson of Henry I was recognised as King Henry II. He came from France and his family name was Angevin, but he was called Henry Plantagenet, because that was the name of Henry's father, the Duke of Anjou who was married to Henry I's daughter Matilda. The domains of Henry II included large possessions in France — Duchy of Anjou from his father, and Duchy of Normandy on his own right. Henry II was the first King of England who had greater wealth and power on the Continent than in Britain.
Henry II reestablished the system of royal government and restored the order in England, having destroyed castles and prohibited private wars. He instituted trial by jury: twelve knights had to be sworn and to decide the dispute.
Henry made numerous attempts to be King over the whole of the British Isles. He made the Scotch King give him lands south of the Cheviot Hills, established his lordship over Wales and tried to get Ireland. Though in 1171 Henry was recognised as Lord of Ireland, he established his authority only in a small district around Dublin. These events marked the long struggle of the Irish people for independence against English yoke.
The success of Henry's reign was spoiled by the failure with Thomas Becket, his Archbishop. As the head of Church in England, Becket claimed for the Church as strong powers as for the state itself — the Church had her own laws and courts. As a result Becket was murdered in his cathedral and Henry II had to submit to the Pope and the Clergy.
The four sons of Henry II — Henry, Geoffrey, Richard and John rebelled against his father for several times. They were supported by the mother — Queen Eleanor. King Henry took these rebellions as the God's damnation after Thomas Becket's death. His pilgrimage to Canterbury to Becket's grave changed the situation — the sons soon were submitted. Two of them — Henry and Geoffrey died before the father. The other two reigned in England — Richard called the Lionhearted for ten years (1189-1199) and John later called the Lackland for 17 years (1199-1216). None of these reigns was a success.
Richard the Lionhearted, whose name suggested bravery and courage, appeared a poor statesman. He took the Crown after father's death and spent most of his reign in Holy Land crusading against the Moslems or fighting his suzerain in France.
After Richard's death John the Lackland came to the throne to become the most detestable of English kings. John lost all English possessions in France, including Normandy in fruitless battles.