Transcript 1. England Before 1066

Britain 1066–1500
England Before 1066
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Learning objectives
Learning objectives
Who were the English descended from?
How was England run?
What was England like in the 1060s?
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What was England like before 1066?
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Old English life
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Who were the English?
The Romans left England in the 4th century AD.
The knowledge the Romans had brought
was lost. Their settlements with their
sophisticated sewerage and heating
systems fell into disrepair. It was as if
England had gone back in time.
In the 5th Century, the Saxons, Angles,
Jutes and other Germanic tribes invaded
Britain, forcing the native Celtic Britons out
of lowland England.
In the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, Vikings
from Norway and Denmark also settled
large areas of Britain.
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Who were the English?
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Who were the English?
In 1066, England, Scotland,
Ireland and Wales were
separate states.
The kings of England were
too busy keeping their own
country together to worry
about neighbouring lands.
Scotland, Wales and
Ireland continued to be
populated by native Celtic
people.
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Friends in the north
At this time
England's
connection to
Europe did not lie
with France, just
across the Channel,
but rather with the
Scandinavian
countries, where the
Vikings came from.
England had been part of the Viking Empire of King Cnut
up until 1034 and there was still a strong Scandinavian
presence in the north-east of the country.
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The earldoms
England was
divided into a
number of
earldoms, each
ruled over by a
powerful leader
(earl). These earls
were meant to be
loyal to the king,
who was in reality
little more than the
‘chief earl’.
Which of these earldoms do you think was most important?
Clue: Winchester was the capital of England.
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The earldoms
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The earls
The earls played a number of important roles
in Anglo-Saxon life. They acted as governors
and administrators. They were responsible
for making sure law and order were upheld
in their own areas. They sat as judges in
local courts and collected fines and taxes.
They advised the king on matters of foreign
and domestic policy and were sometimes sent
abroad on diplomatic missions.
The earls were also expected to be military men.
They were responsible for protecting their people
from raiders, and were expected to fight alongside
the king if the whole country went to war.
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The king
The king was the most important man in the
country. His job was to look after foreign policy
and defence, to sort out disputes between the
earls and to maintain law and order.
The king did not have absolute power. He
had to answer to a kind of parliament called
the Witenagemot. The Witenagemot was
made up of the earls and senior churchmen.
These men advised the king on matters of
policy. They could also elect the king’s
successor (not necessarily his son), and
could even vote him out of office.
The king at this period was
called Edward the Confessor.
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Eleventh-century sourcework
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The Church
England was a Christian country. The country was part of the
Roman Catholic Church, which was headed by the Pope
(who lived in Rome). Many countries in Europe belonged to
this church.
The Church was very wealthy and very
powerful. Most people were very
religious. They attended church regularly
and believed that if they committed sin
they would go to Hell after they died.
Sadly, this didn’t always stop people from
doing bad things.
Why do you think this might have been?
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The Church
The Church was also responsible for keeping learning alive
in a period in which most people were unable to read or
write. It was thanks to the monks that some of the
knowledge of the Roman Empire was saved.
Monks spent hours copying out important documents –
Biblical texts, for instance, or historical works. The most
important manuscripts were lavishly illuminated – decorated
with richly coloured pictures and designs, and sometimes
adorned with gold leaf.
Some illuminated manuscripts are still in existence
today. Do some research and see if you can come up
with any examples.
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Society
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Quiz: England before 1066
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