Pre-1066

History: KS3, topic 1.13.1

Norman Society in 1065

It is important to understand what Normandy was like before William the Conqueror invaded England.

Normandy was a region in the north of what is now France.
The islands of Jersey and Guernsey were nearby in the English Channel.
Most of France was ruled by the 'King of the Franks'.
William the Conqueror ruled Normandy.
At that time, France was divided into different tribes and local regions, similar to Germany.

The feudal system was used in Normandy before the Normans came to England.
In Normandy, counties were called 'fiefs' or 'shires'.
The nobles who ruled these lands were called 'vassals'.
These vassals answered to the King of the Franks, just as the tenants-in-chief in England were loyal to the King of England.
In France, each vassal had a private army.
In England, most nobles, or Earls, had only a few knights.
When more soldiers were needed, nobles raised a militia.

Normandy was one of the fiefs in France.
William the Conqueror ruled Normandy as the Duke of Normandy.
The first Viking leader of Normandy had been a man named Rollo the Walker.
William’s family rose to power, and William became the Duke of Normandy around 1060.
William’s rise to power was not easy, and some people challenged William’s right to be Duke.

William of Normandy’s succession was disputed, just like Harold Godwinson’s in England.
William was a bastard child, which meant William’s parents had not been married when he was born.
William’s father was Robert, the Duke of Normandy.
Because of this, William claimed the title of Duke of Normandy.