levo

Y102: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1107

William I and the government and administration of England: Change and continuity in government

  • 2 things to know
  • Unit group 1

Overview

Recall questions on change and continuity in government and administration during the reign of William I, the fate of Anglo-Saxon earls, the role of Norman barons and knights.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Process

What happened to the Anglo-Saxon earls?

Key term

Name two significant changes William made to the government of England.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Give three features of English government that William deliberately retained.

    Model answer

    He kept the shires and hundreds with their courts, the sealed writ as the instrument of royal command, and the national land tax and royal control of the coinage.

  2. 2

    Why did William preserve so much of the Anglo-Saxon administrative system?

    Model answer

    It was more effective at raising money and enforcing royal will than anything in Normandy, and keeping it allowed him to claim he ruled as Edward's lawful heir rather than as a conqueror.

  3. 3

    Name two significant changes William made to the government of England.

    Model answer

    Latin replaced English as the language of royal documents, and landholding was reorganised so that all land was held ultimately of the king in return for service.

  4. 4

    What was the Oath of Salisbury of 1086?

    Model answer

    It was the occasion when the landholders of England swore allegiance directly to William, so that loyalty to the king overrode obligations to any intermediate lord.

  5. 5

    How did the role of the sheriff change under William?

    Model answer

    Sheriffs became Normans and grew more powerful, taking on the local functions once exercised by earls and answering directly to the king for the revenues of the shire.

  6. 6

    What happened to the Anglo-Saxon earls?

    Model answer

    Edwin was killed by his own men, Morcar spent almost all his remaining life in prison, released in 1087 only to be re-imprisoned by Rufus, and Waltheof was executed, so the old comital families were extinguished within a decade.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

Y101: Alfred and the Making of England 871–1016
Y102: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1107
Y103: England 1199–1272
Y104: England 1377–1455

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

Franz Ferdinand was shot at in June.
SarajevoBelgradeVienna

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AA republic replaced the sultanate.
BThe caliphate was abolished in 1924.
CThe Latin alphabet was adopted.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Simony means the buying and selling of Church office.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Y102: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1107, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.