Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Central and local government: the king’s household and the chancery; the…
Full specification wording
State, church and society, 1066–1106: Central and local government: the king’s household and the chancery; the geld and the silver penny; the office of sheriff; codes of law and the local courts.
After 1066 the Norman kings governed through a peripatetic royal household, where the chancery produced writs and charters under the chancellor.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
After 1066 the Norman kings governed through a peripatetic royal household, where the chancery produced writs and charters under the chancellor. The geld, a land tax assessed in hides, was collected in silver pennies, the only coinage, struck at royal mints. Sheriffs, royal officials in each shire, enforced royal rights, collected revenues, and presided over shire courts. The king also issued codes of law, while local courts (hundred and shire) administered justice and custom. Together these institutions allowed the king to raise money, enforce law, and maintain control across England.
For example: Domesday Book (1086) recorded geld assessments, and the Leges Henrici Primi later reflected legal codes.
What earns the marks
- Explains the role of the royal household as the mobile centre of government, including the chancellor and the writing office (chancery) that produced writs and charters.
- Describes the geld as a land tax assessed in hides and collected in silver pennies, and explains the importance of a single, trusted coinage for royal revenue.
- Analyses the office of sheriff as the key local royal official responsible for collecting taxes, enforcing royal rights, and presiding over the shire court.
- Explains how codes of law issued by the king and the operation of local courts (hundred and shire) maintained royal justice and local custom.
- Shows how these central and local institutions worked together to strengthen royal control and raise revenue, using specific examples such as Domesday Book or the Leges Henrici Primi.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the chancery as a fixed building rather than a writing office that travelled with the royal household.
Put it right: Describe it as a peripatetic department producing writs and charters.
Confusing the geld with a general tax on all wealth rather than a land tax assessed in hides.
Put it right: Define it as a land tax based on the hide, collected in silver pennies.
Assuming sheriffs were independent local lords rather than royal officials.
Put it right: Explain that sheriffs were appointed by the king and accountable to him for revenue and law enforcement.
Exam tips
- Use precise terminology: chancery, writ, geld, hide, silver penny, sheriff, shire court, hundred court.
- Link each institution to the king’s aims: raising money, enforcing law, and maintaining control.
- Support your answer with specific evidence, such as the Domesday Survey’s geld assessments or the legal codes associated with Henry I.
Try the lesson
The start of the State, church and society, 1066–1106: Central and local government: the king’s household and the chancery; the geld and the silver penny; the office of sheriff; codes of law and the local courts. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which royal office produced the sealed writs through which the Norman kings issued commands to local officials?
Listen
After 1066 the Norman kings governed through a peripatetic royal household, where the chancery produced writs and charters under the chancellor. The geld, a land tax assessed in hides, was collected in silver pennies, the only coinage, struck at royal mints. Sheriffs, royal officials in each shire, enforced royal rights, collected revenues, and presided over shire courts. The king also issued codes of law, while local courts (hundred and shire) administered justice and custom. Together these institutions allowed the king to raise money, enforce law, and maintain control across England. For example, Domesday Book (1086) recorded geld assessments, and the Leges Henrici Primi later reflected legal codes. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains the role of the royal household as the mobile centre of government, including the chancellor and the writing office (chancery) that produced writs and charters. Describes the geld as a land tax assessed in hides and collected in silver pennies, and explains the importance of a single, trusted coinage for royal revenue. Analyses the office of sheriff as the key local royal official responsible for collecting taxes, enforcing royal rights, and presiding over the shire court. Explains how codes of law issued by the king and the operation of local courts (hundred and shire) maintained royal justice and local custom. A common slip: Treating the chancery as a fixed building rather than a writing office that travelled with the royal household. Instead, describe it as a peripatetic department producing writs and charters. Exam tip: Use precise terminology: chancery, writ, geld, hide, silver penny, sheriff, shire court, hundred court.
Key words
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Centralisation of royal government
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The role of writing and record-keeping in administration
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Taxation and coinage as instruments of royal power
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Local office-holding and the enforcement of royal justice
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See every definition
- Centralisation of royal government
- The king governed through a peripatetic royal household, where the chancery produced writs and charters under the chancellor, while sheriffs enforced royal rights in each shire.
- The role of writing and record-keeping in administration
- The chancery, a writing office that travelled with the royal household, produced writs and charters, and Domesday Book recorded geld assessments.
- Taxation and coinage as instruments of royal power
- The geld was a land tax assessed in hides and collected in silver pennies, the only coinage, struck at royal mints.
- Local office-holding and the enforcement of royal justice
- Sheriffs were royal officials in each shire who enforced royal rights, collected revenues and presided over shire courts, while hundred and shire courts administered justice and custom.
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