feudalism to England. In contrast, Douglas' work focused on William, providing background
to the conqueror, and exploring potential links between his time as Duke and King, including
his development of feudalism in both territories. Another thirty years later, Susan Reynold's
work on an even more specific topic, those classed as fiefs and vassals, further examines
feudalism, exploring its development across Europe, looking in depth at France, Italy,
England and Germany. Regarding England, Reynold takes a middle point between the old
arguments of Freeman and Round, recognising that certain elements of feudalism had
already begun to emerge in England before the Conquest, specifically customs and traditions
imposed upon the aristocracy and their properties, which continued after 1066. 4
Around a hundred years of historiographical change, the disagreements surrounding
the Norman Conquest have appeared to find a mutual middle point in the development of
feudalism in England, agreeing that it was a mix of Anglo-Saxon traditions and new Norman
introductions. However, as expected, there are still some disagreements on more nuanced
aspects of categorising English feudalism. Elizabeth Brown, when examining the existing
historiography of feudalism in Europe, identified possible roots for these disagreements,
with the ‘prime source of confusion’ being individuals' definition of feudalism. 5 Brown
believes that as most historians provide their own definitions, interpreting the term in a way
relevant to their research topic, the ‘absence of consensus’ has expanded the term beyond
recognition, with J.C. Holt later stating in 1987 that ‘we seem no longer to believe in
feudalism…’ as a result. 6 However, this was not a new opinion in the academic field, as
4 Susan Reynolds, Fiefs and Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 387 5 Elizabeth Brown, ‘The Tyranny of a construct: feudalism and historians of Medieval Europe’, American Historical Review , 79. 4 (1974), pp. 1063-88 (p. 1070) 6 Brown, p. 1070; J.C. Holt, ‘1086’, Domesday Studies , Ed. J. C. Holt (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1987), pp. 41- 64 (pp. 42-3)
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