Option B1: Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church — Edexcel GCSE History
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Option B1: Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church explained
The Norman feudal hierarchy was a rigid social and political structure introduced by William I to control England.
Read the full explanation
At the top was the king, who owned all land. He granted estates to tenants-in-chief (barons and bishops) in return for homage and knight service. These tenants-in-chief were crucial for providing military forces and administering justice. They, in turn, granted land to knights, who provided military service and protected the manors. At the base were peasants, who provided labour service in exchange for land to farm. The nature of feudalism relied on this chain of conditional landholding; if duties were not fulfilled, the land could be reclaimed through forfeiture, ensuring absolute loyalty to the Crown.
The Church in England: its role in society and relationship to government, including the significance of Stigand and Lanfranc. The Normanisation and reform of the Church in the reign of William I.
The Church in Norman England was central to society and government, acting as a major landholder and reinforcing royal authority. Stigand, the Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury, was pluralist and uncanonical, symbolising the corruption William sought to reform. He was replaced by Lanfranc, who spearheaded the Normanisation of the Church. Lanfranc introduced strict reforms, including ending clerical marriage, establishing Church courts separate from secular ones, and rebuilding cathedrals. This Normanisation ensured the Church supported William's regime, replacing English bishops with Normans and centralising Church control under Canterbury, thereby strengthening William's grip on England.
The extent of change to Anglo-Saxon society and economy.
The Norman Conquest brought significant changes to Anglo-Saxon society and economy. The feudal system drastically altered land ownership, replacing the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with a Norman elite and reducing many free peasants to the status of bound villeins. The economy saw the decline of trade with Scandinavia in favour of Normandy, and the devastation of the North severely impacted local economies. However, the Normans retained the efficient Anglo-Saxon geld tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural village structure. Evaluating the extent of change requires balancing the profound shift in the ruling class and land tenure against the continuity of daily peasant life and administrative systems.
Your focus
- Outline the structure of the feudal hierarchy and the specific roles of tenants-in-chief and knights.
- Explain the nature of feudalism, including the mechanisms of landholding, homage, knight service, and labour service.
- Understand the concept of forfeiture and how it was used to enforce loyalty and maintain royal control.
Show all 9 objectives
- Describe the role of the Church in Anglo-Saxon and Norman society and government.
- Compare the leadership and significance of Archbishop Stigand and Archbishop Lanfranc.
- Evaluate the impact of Lanfranc's reforms and the Normanisation of the English Church.
- Identify the key changes to land ownership and social structure following the Norman Conquest.
- Describe the economic shifts, including trade patterns and the impact of rebellions.
- Evaluate the extent to which Anglo-Saxon society and economy changed or remained the same by 1088.
Option B1: Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church exam tips
Marking Points
- Describe the feudal hierarchy as a pyramid with the king at the top, followed by tenants-in-chief, knights, and peasants.
- Explain the role of tenants-in-chief in providing knight service, advising the king, and managing large estates.
- Detail the importance of knights in providing military service (usually 40 days a year) and maintaining local control.
- Define the nature of feudalism through key concepts: landholding in exchange for service, the oath of homage, labour service by peasants, and the threat of forfeiture.
- Explain the societal role of the Church, such as providing education, charity, and spiritual guidance.
- Describe the Church's relationship with the government, including providing literate clerks and reinforcing the king's divine right.
- Contrast Stigand's corrupt practices, such as pluralism and simony, with Lanfranc's strict reforms.
- Detail Lanfranc's reforms, including separate Church courts, clerical celibacy, and the primacy of Canterbury.
- Explain the process of Normanisation, noting the replacement of Anglo-Saxon bishops and abbots with Normans.
- Identify changes in land ownership, specifically the replacement of English thegns with Norman barons and knights.
- Explain the social impact on peasants, noting the decline in the number of free peasants and the rise of villeinage.
- Describe economic changes, such as the shift in trade routes from Scandinavia to the continent and the economic devastation of the North.
- Highlight continuities, including the retention of the geld tax, the shire system, and the silver penny.
- Assess the overall extent of change, contrasting the complete transformation at the top of society with the relative continuity at the bottom.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use the term 'forfeiture' explicitly when explaining how William maintained control over his rebellious barons.
- 💡Be prepared to explain how the feudal system solved William's problems of raising an army and governing a hostile country.
- 💡Link the concept of homage to the personal loyalty required to hold land, reinforcing the king's ultimate authority.
- 💡Use the contrast between Stigand and Lanfranc to illustrate the broader theme of Normanisation.
- 💡When discussing government, mention that bishops and abbots were key members of the royal council and provided knight service.
- 💡Link Church reforms to William's need to justify his conquest as a papal-sanctioned invasion endorsed by the Pope.
- 💡Use the Domesday Book as evidence when discussing changes in land ownership and the economic value of manors.
- 💡Structure answers about the extent of change by explicitly comparing the situation before 1066 with the situation by 1088.
- 💡Differentiate between the impact on the elite, which was a massive change, and the peasantry, which was a gradual but significant loss of freedom.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing knight service with labour service; correct by specifying that knights provided military service while peasants provided agricultural labour.
- Assuming tenants-in-chief owned their land outright; correct by explaining that all land was held conditionally from the king and could be subject to forfeiture.
- Believing the feudal system was identical to the Anglo-Saxon system; correct by highlighting the formalised, top-down nature of Norman feudalism based on strict land tenure.
- Confusing Stigand and Lanfranc. Correction: Remember Stigand was the Anglo-Saxon archbishop removed by William, while Lanfranc was the Norman reformer.
- Assuming the Church only had a religious role. Correction: Emphasise the Church's massive political and economic power, holding about a quarter of the land in England.
- Thinking Lanfranc's reforms were purely religious. Correction: Note that reforms like separate Church courts also served to centralise Norman control and assert William's authority.
- Claiming the Normans changed absolutely everything. Correction: Acknowledge continuities like the tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural routine of the peasantry.
- Confusing the social status of peasants before and after 1066. Correction: Specify that many previously free Anglo-Saxon peasants lost their freedom and became villeins tied to the land.
- Ignoring the economic impact of the Conquest. Correction: Discuss the shift in trade patterns and the destruction of wealth in rebellious regions.