'Brutal Slaughter' How did William gain full control? 1067-71

1. Reasons to rebel
1. revenge
  1. e.g. Gytha,
2. Pride
3. Loss of land
  1. E.g. Edwin & Morcar
4. Tax
  1. high - esp in 1st 2 yrs
5. Numbers
  1. Saxons way outnumber Normans - reasonable chance of success
2. First uprisings 1066-1068
1. Edric the Wild's rebellion Aug 1067
  1. 1st rebellion
  2. Previously a powerful thegn
  3. Lived as outlaw - raided Norman lands
  4. Rebellion not serious
    1. William stays in Normandy.
    2. Raids continue for yrs but no real threat
2. William's attempts to avoid rebellions Dec1066-March 1067
  1. Coronation Dec 25th 1066
    1. William wanted to wait but persuaded would increase his authority
    2. Chaos - nearly causes rebellion
  2. Built castles e.g. Norwich.
  3. Sold back lands to some English Earls/thegns,
  4. Edgar, Edwin & Morcar formally surrender to William
  5. Loyal Normans put in charge of rebellious areas.
    1. South East - Bishop Odo (William's half brother)
    2. East Anglia - FitzOsborn (William's BFF)
  6. End of march - Will returns to Normandy. Takes Edgar, Edwin & Morcar as hostages
3. Exeter Rebellion Feb 1068
  1. (I) Organised by Gytha, Harold Godwinson's mother
    1. Wants revenge
    2. Powerful figurehead
    3. Was plotting with Irish and Danish
  2. (II) William leads army
    1. Defenders refuse him entry - he gouges out eyes of hostage
    2. Shows he is taking it seriously
  3. (III) William lays siege to city - digs tunnels under walls.
    1. Survive 18days then surrender - plea for peace
  4. (IV) William pardons rebels - makes promises
    1. won't punish people
    2. Won't plunder city
    3. No extra taxes
    4. Gytha has lands taken away
  5. Builds castle (Rougemont) to keep control
    1. Further castles built at Totnes, Okehampton, Launceston
    2. Destroys houses to do this
4. William's approach? Basically peaceful and patient
3. Rebellions in the North 1068-70
1. (I) Summer '68 Challenge to William
  1. Message to Will - North will fight if he sets foot there.
  2. William marches North with army.
    1. Builds Castles
      1. \Warwick
      2. Nottingham
      3. York
      4. Edwin and Morcar surrender - William pardons them
    2. Whilst this going on Harold's sons invade from Ireland - land at Bristol
      1. People of Bristol fought them - loyal to William!
  3. Edwin, Morcar & Edgar organise revolt
2. (III) Winter 1069
  1. Gytha persuades Danish king to invade
    1. Sends huge invasion fleet
      1. Others use opportunity to rebel
        Edric the Wild - attacks Shrewsbury
        Uprising in Devon & Cornwall - attack Exeter
        Exeter remains loyal to William
  2. William's plan
    1. 1. Pay the Danish soldiers to leave
    2. 2. Wear his coronation crown in York minster
    3. 3. Destroy the land (Harrying of the North)
  3. Harrying of the North
    1. 100,000 killed
    2. Ploughs salt into land
    3. Famine - led to canibalism
    4. Long lasting impact - still wasteland 16 yrs later when Domesday bk writen
3. (II) Spring 1069
  1. 2nd rebellion in North
    1. William crushes in bloody battle
4. William's approach? Swift and brutal
4. Rebellions in the East 1070-71
1. (i) Changes to the Church
  1. Stigand replaced as Archbish of Cant.
    1. Lanfranc took over his job
  2. Priests & monks replaced by Normans
  3. Ordered monasteries to provide soldiers - William need funds to fight.
2. (ii). Danish invaders return
  1. Attack Ely - in East Anglia.
  2. Danish King arrives with reinforcements
3. (iii). Hereward the Wake
  1. Raided Peterborough Abbey - angry that English Abbot to be replaced by Norman
  2. Joined forces with Danish.
  3. Others join his rebellion - Edwin & Morcar
4. (iv) William's response
  1. Meets Danish King - negotiates
    1. Danes leave
  2. Marches army to Ely
    1. Uses boats - blocks supplies/ reinforcements getting to Hereward
    2. Gets witch to curse from tower
      1. Hereward sneaks out - burns tower & witch!
    3. Managed to take control of Ely
      1. Morcar and leaders imprisoned
      2. rebels eyes gouged out or hands cut off
      3. Rebellion against William is over
5. William's approach? A bit of everything - brutality, negotiation, patience and speed.

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'Brutal Slaughter' How did William gain full control? 1067-71

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	Created by Tom Lea over 6 years ago