Changes in Land Ownership 1066-1087

Changes in Land Ownership under William

The Normans secured power partly by gaining control of as much land as possible. William claimed that he owned all the land when he became King.

Land ownership in Norman England

William's allies, the Marcher Earls, were given earldoms when they came to England.
Land ownership became more concentrated in the hands of Normans and people loyal to William the Conqueror.
By the end of the 11th century (the year 1099), 190 people (called tenants in chief), owned roughly 55% of the land in England. Over 90% of these tenants in chief were Normans.
The King owned over 20% of England and the Church owned over 25% of England.
So The King owned 20%+, the Church owned 25%+ and the other 55% was owned by 190 people.

The land ownership of Anglo-Saxon thegns

Anglo-Saxon thegns were the old nobility who had ruled England before William became king.
Rather than seizing thegns land straight away, which may have caused another revolt, William used inheritance laws to seize control of England.
When a thegn died, William would take the land and distribute it to his followers, instead of giving it to the thegns' family.
The thegns became tenants on their land, reliant on the 'tenants in chief' for their support. If the tenant in chief decided to expel a thegn from their land, they could.

The land ownership of peasants

Lower social classes, like peasants and 'free peasants' called ceorls were less impacted by the changes. They had little land, power, and human rights before William took over and they had few rights after William became king.

1Anglo-Saxon England & The Norman Conquest, 1060-66

1.1Anglo-Saxon Society

1.1.1The Monarchy & Government

1.1.2Edward the Confessor (1003-1066)

1.1.3The Legal System

1.1.4Local Government

1.1.5The Economy & Social Structure

1.1.6Towns

1.1.7The Church

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Anglo-Saxon England

1.1.9Grade 9 - Anglo-Saxon Society

1.2Edward the Confessor & The Succession Crisis

1.2.1The House of Godwin

1.2.2Harold Godwinson's Succession

1.2.3The Rebellion Against Tostig

1.2.4Edward the Confessor's Death

1.2.5End of Topic Test - Edward the Confessor

1.3The Rival Claimants for the Throne

1.3.1William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada & Edgar

1.3.2The Witan & the Reign of Harold Godwinson

1.3.3The Battles of Gate Fulford & Stamford Bridge

1.3.4Grade 9 - Anglo-Saxon & Norman England

1.4The Norman Invasion

1.4.1The Battle of Hastings

1.4.2Reasons for William's Victory

1.4.3End of Topic Test - Rival Claimants for the Throne

2William I in Power: Securing the Kingdom, 1066-87

2.1Establishing Control

2.1.1The Submission of the Earls

2.1.2Getting Control of England

2.1.3Reasons for Building Castles

2.2Causes & Outcomes of Anglo-Saxon Resistance

2.2.1The Revolts against William

2.2.2End of Topic Test - William I in Power

2.3The Legacy of Resistance to 1087

2.3.1Harrying of the North, 1069-70

2.3.2Changes in Land Ownership 1066-1087

2.3.3William I Maintains Royal Power

2.4Revolt of the Earls, 1075

2.4.1The Revolt - 1075

2.4.2End of Topic Test - Legacy of Resistance

2.4.3Grade 9 - Legacy of Resistance

3Norman England, 1066-88

3.1The Feudal System & the Church

3.1.1The Norman Feudal Hierarchy

3.1.2The Nature of Feudalism & Forfeiture

3.1.3The Role of the Church in England

3.1.4The Extent of Change to Anglo-Saxon Society

3.1.5End of Topic Test - The Feudal System

3.2Norman Government

3.2.1Norman Government - Regents

3.2.2The Sheriff & the Forest

3.2.3The Domesday Book

3.3The Norman Aristocracy

3.3.1Aristocratic Culture & Language

3.3.2Bishop Odo

3.4William I & His Sons

3.4.1William I

3.4.2William's Death & the Succession

3.4.3End of Topic Test - Norman Government

3.4.4Grade 9 - Norman Government

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