The Norman occupation of England during the second half of the eleventh century
Bill Taylor
An ‘army of occupation’ describes the invading Norman forces in 1066 as a military body that was placed in England simply to control the territory of the conquered enemy. Equally, it suggests that, despite the changes implemented under Norman rule in the second half of the eleventh century, the majority of the population will have continued to live as though they were under Anglo-Saxon rule, despite an unfamiliar ruler. However, although the transmission of changes introduced by the Normans to the lowest ranks of society may have not been instantaneous, as it was to those at the top, it is evident that the Normans successfully stationed themselves in England as heirs to Edward the Confessor, and introduced novel, far reaching innovations via the reform of the judicial system, the economy, government (most notably via feudalism), the culture of both the nobility (and to a lesser extent) the peasantry and the place of the Church in society. This was achieved partly because aspects of their reorganization allowed for continuity between the old and new rule. In the judicial and economic sphere Norman reforms can clearly be seen as advancements of Anglo- Saxon methods. Previously, shire and hundred (or wapentake) 1 courts would include a leading noble and bishop of the local area, presiding over the justice in each jurisdiction. However, under William I, the shire courts were split in two, forming a divide between lay courts and ecclesiastical courts. Furthermore, the sheriff became a more robust officer (resembling the Norman position of vicomte ), controlling the lay courts, on top of collecting royal revenue and providing protection to the royal castles of their county. This reorganization of the justice system was also made possible b y William’s replacement of the Anglo-Saxon nobility (see below), thus also allowing reform in the Danelaw counties 2 that previously functioned under differing laws from those in Anglo-Saxon regions. Regarding the economy, the Normans built on the existing taxation systemandmade itmore thorough. Taxes such as the geld 3 were still collected under William and customary dues on royal land and justice continued. The primary changes were the beginnings of the position of Chancellor, the ever-implicit threat of force and the introduction of a census – the Domesday Book. All combined to make the collection of tax more efficient. The compilation of the Domesday Book from 1085 allowed the Normans to detail all exploitable assets and ensure that the owners of them – whether they be the new Norman elite or surviving Anglo-Saxons – paid the correct tax. They did this largely via existing Anglo- Saxon administrative mechanisms. Regardless, the advances the Normans made allowed for greater efficiency while the active threat of force tended to concentrate the mind of payees.
1 The hundred refers to a hundred hides, a hide being a measurement of land that is said to represent a singular household. The wapentake is the Danelaw equivalent. 2 The Danelaw counties were those under the influence of the laws of the Danes predominantly, over the laws of the Anglo-Saxons, in the northern and eastern regions of England. The king still had authority over these regions. 3 The geld was a regularly collected land tax.
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