ENGLAND IN 1070 - WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

A nation bloodied and bruised by a conquering king, where the people were as concerned with ensuring they had food as with fighting their Norman ruler.

William the Conqueror had just won a bloody victory at Hastings against Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, but if he thought the country was simply going to roll over following this and let a Norman be crowned king of England without opposition he was mistaken. Following his triumph William experienced serious resistance and it wasn’t until more than two months after Hastings, on Christmas Day 1066, that he was declared king, after he had advanced on London and burnt a ring of fire around the city.

Large parts of his new domain remained resistant throughout his rule, but after the first five years of his reign he was confident enough to return to Normandy for long periods. At that time, England was a nation of rigid structure and hierarchy where the lords often ruled with an iron fist. Education, art and culture were limited and the grandest ambitions of most of the population were to ensure they did not go cold and hungry.

In 1070, William’s process of placing Normans into positions of authority and power was well under way, although he did not change the feudal structure of the country significantly. By the time of his death his Domesday Book (completed in 1086), designed to let the king know if there were more taxes he could collect, provided invaluable information. By then, the Normans were firmly established in the country and would remain so.

Government

William spent the early part of his reign trying to consolidate his power by taking lands from those who had fought against him at Hastings and giving them to his own Norman supporters. England was governed as a feudal system at the time, where lords and large landowners held great power.

Military

William’s conquering army remained mostly intact following his victory, and he would require it to put down a number of revolts and uprisings. In 1069, Harold and Canute of Denmark launched an attack on the Yorkshire coast. At first, the king’s forces were swept aside but William’s army regained control and burnt the city of York.

Art

There was very little art in this period but it is believed that the Bayeux Tapestry was made in this decade. The Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres (230 ft) long and depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.

Education

The vast majority of the population had no access or need for education as most worked the land. The Domesday book of 1086 reveals just how common work in the fields was and how children were expected to work from an early age. Churchmen were generally the most educated members of society.

Society

Society was very hierarchical, with the king at the top, followed by his lords. Further down were different classes (such as the villein and the bordar, depending on how much land they owned). The serfs were at the bottom of the pile.

Published in "All About History", UK, issue 9, February 2014, excerpts pp. 34-35. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa  

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