Revised 04.06.2007
History of Britain
Compiled on the basis of lectures given by Professor Emma Harris in
the year 2004/2005
Disclaimer: The author did their best to make this set of notes
a
material of sensible quality. Nevertheless, use at your
own risk only. You free to modify the content and
redistribute it.
The Beginnings
•
Island settled by Celtic tribes approx 600 BC, invaded by Teutonic peoples approx. 100 BC
Conquest by the Roman Empire 55-54 BC, mingling of races and the settling of Londinum (55 BC)
Occupation by Roman legions till 367 AD when they were recalled to defend the Empire thus leaving Albion unprotected
Anglo-Saxon invasion (the helpers myth, the myth of epic 100 years war), the settled “host” turns into a typical settler
population with elected Kings holding limited power, the seven Kingdoms – Heptarchia.
Viking Invasion and the Danelaw
Norman Conquest 1066
.
William the Bastard appears on the scene demanding heritage after Edward Confessor who had left land without heirs
Aided by the invasion of a Norwegian king he defeats Harold’s army near Hastings, is elected King by the Witan and begins
rule.
Enforces feudal system that was already in operation in Normandy – freemen are “converted” mostly into villeins kept as
part of the land by the lord of the manor.
Commissions The Doomsday Book (1085) – an account of all manors, their property and servants as was under King
Edward, as is now and whether more can be got of it; prepared by King’s officers to make order of the haphazard land giving
of 1066 and to optimize the tax system.
Ovierwiev of the Angevin Dynasty
1155 AD the last of the rightful Norman rulers (Henry I) dies, throne taken over by the Angevin dynasty
The Angevin held not only England but part of the continent as well (Normandy, Ajou) hence they mostly regarded England
as a sort of financial and military base for the conquest and rule of French territory. This state of affairs continued till the
rule of John Lackland who lost the French domain (except the port of Calais) in 1204.
The riot of the Barons and Magna Charta (1215)
Feudal Society
Freeman (churl)
Anglo-Saxon farmer type, sought out a plot of land “one hide” in size (so much as could be worked by a team of
oxen in a week) and settled there, was not forced to serve. Later, during the Viking rides Freemen went under the
protection of a lord and in turn served – ploughed fields, built structures or managed transport. Had freedom in
changing his protector. Could become a thane through office, wealth etc. (progressive society)
Noble (thane) larger land owner who lived in a hall and was responsible for the protection of his servants
Fyrd Communal army formed of all free men (note: there was a small slave class in the Anglo-Saxon society)
In the beginnings of Norman rule most thanes had either died in battle or rebelled and were executed. William gave their
lands either to the clergy or nobility coming form Normandy (est. 180 land-holders) while the crown kept the old royal domains (est.
1/3 of land). Since the land was given away so as to replace the old land-owners, domains were scattered around the whole island the
exception being the border estates (for safety reasons).
Ownership “with stake and soke, toll and team and infengentheoth” ownership with the right of passing documents, collecting
tolls and jurisdiction.
Rights and Obligations of a Lord of the Manor: fees for wound with bloodshed, attack in ambush and burglary, right of punishment
of riot, law of guard, obligation of providing a host of knights, council (membership in Court) and payments to the king for marrying
of a daughter, knighting a son and for passing land.
Feudal Structure was formed by: tenants-in-chief (approx. 1400), sub-tenants (given plots of land for placing a son within their
lord’s knight team), villeins who were bound to the land and expected to fulfill duties such as rent or plaguing
lord’s land without pay, obligations were placed on a family, not person.
Lord’s officers: reeves and beadlers to run the manor, riding men as messengers, villeins, bonders and serfs to work in the manor
The Black Death (1348)
Reduced the population of England by about 30-50% which resulted in gigantic under-staffing of all production. As a result
hired men wanted very high wages and villains begun to run away from lords to hire themselves somewhere else or to
demand freedom in return for their services.
Parliament passes the Statute of Laborers trying to fix wages at the past level under the penalty of death
Feudal Courts passed verdicts of fees on villages in which villeins left the lord while work in his manor was still unfinished
(verdicts designed to regulate workforce flow).
Subduery Laws tried to restrict clothing, feeding and other consumption to the feudal-class restricted level (notice that hired
labor got quite well-off after 1348)
The Peasant Revolt of 1381 was the result of two forces working against each other – the feudal lords’ wish to retain old
order and the lower class’s wish to free themselves form the oppressive order.
Direct Cause: passing of the per capita pool tax to finance the Hundred Years War
Leader: Wat Tyler
Demands: substituting all servitude for rent, equality of men
Actions: marching at London bands of peasants burned down manors and records of servitude, little personal
violence
Two conferences with the rebels by Edward II (the first one was simply a lot of promises, the other at Stamford
turned out to be an ambush)
Effect: mass prosecutions including Tyler, later gradual substitution of servitude for rent and division of the
peasant class into rich yeomen and poor laborers.
Housing Standards:
Lord: manor, a house with a long hall and a central fire for all the servants and a bed chamber for the lord and his wife In the 15th
cent. Multi-chamber dwellings appeare3dm, so did chimneys and paned windows. External kitchen.
Peasant: Shack of mud hovel supported by two poles of wood, highly unstable.
Enclosures: when a Lord wanted to herd sheep part of the field was enclosed. This was a distortion of the three-field system as it
forced peasants to choose out of the plots that were left. Considered to be against God’s will.
Urban England
Up to the 13th century
The only early town settlements were founded by Romans and later populated by Saxons – Doomsday Book lists 80
formally acknowledged towns.
Country’s production: main export -raw materials e.g. clay, stone, copper, iron; mines a heritage of the Romans later held by
private owners; large export of wool as England’s land holders invested in sheep after 1348; adequate production of
consumer goods.
International trade: conducted by foreign merchants only – they took goods from port towns
Transport: hindered by bad state of roads (not maintained since Roman times, unfriendly climate) and by high crime rate (the
law demanded e.g. that shrubbery and trees directly adjacent to a road should be cut out but enforcement as regards catching
robbers was scarce)
The Golden Times (13 century)
Cash economy got very popular increasing food-cash trade (120 fairs)
Specialized craftsmanship (The Labourer’s Statute lists: 16 in textiles, 15 in victualizing, 12 in metalmaking, 8 in furs, 4 in
building)
Creating craftsman-specified districts in cities – “shops” (trading manufactures)
Times of Change (14th and 15th century)
Forming of guilds which enforced membership and guild rules of craft including rules of training and price levels
Thwarting middlemen (men who dealt solely in producer-end customer trade outside guild)
Collective tax collection was instituted (i.e. no individual craftsmanship was allowed)
Jurisdiction of Towns via self-elected officers (including sheriff) who were thus tied to city’s interest groups
Legal action against guild-external production
Self-instituted social laws – e.g. concerning. begging, prostitution, lepers, counterfeits, curfew, trade.
Religion
Ancient Beliefs: Roman and eastern pantheon, later Germanic deities such as Woden and Thor
The Mission of St. Augustine in Kent and the conversion of Kent in 574
The Irish Church – founded a number of monasteries (monastic life as a model of Christian aspirations)
Mixed practices held up for a long time
664 the Synod of Whitby whence England was to choose its only Christina Rule (Irish vs. Roman) ended in hegemony of the
Roman Church. From now on the Church supported local Kings and States by supplying able men as clerks
Church imposed taxes: plough arms (1d from each oxen team), tithe, Peter’s pence, soul scot
Norman Invasion changes the whole hierarchy
The erection of Church Courts which took over all moral matters, church administrative, jurisdiction of Holy Orders and
Church property (approx. 20% of the society were “clerical men” i.e. under Church Court jurisdiction)
The Church wants to gain power – Pope wishes William to give England as a fealty but Conqueror refuses.
Case reissued under Henry II – Bishop Thomas a Becket gains see of Canterbury and quarrels with the King – he wishes to
have Church Clerks (men who got Church education, made first vows but lived as all others and served the State) under the
jurisdiction of Church Courts (maximum penalty – unfrocking) while Henry prefers them under State jurisdiction (including
death penalty), other matters of controversy arise
Henry’s Constitution of Clamengdon, Becket accused of miskeeping flees to France and excommunicates his enemies.
Henry decides to crown his son during his lifetime and as the Archbishop is absent chooses Bishop of York to crown the
boy.
Becket returns all fury and preaches against the King, is slain. The Pope places an Interdict on England. Henry repents in
1172 and status quo is restored.
Waycliffe and the Lollard Movement (preaching of poverty and individual understanding of Christ’s way) gain popularity
and place their demands before the Parliament
o
No celibacy
Eucharist is to be considered a feigned miracle
Warfare is contrary to the New Testament
Common access to scriptures is demanded
Clerks are not to serve feudal men
Tha Lollard movement considered heresy by Parliament
Education
Lesser education: home education and later apprenticeship, lord servitude or maid in waiting
Peasantry: children not educated, taught to work as soon as possible (e.g. herding when 5 year old)
Formal Education:
church schools free of charge taught reading and writing Latin, English under the supervision of a local priest
The Norman trivium: Latin (Vulgate), rhetoric, logic
Cathedral Schools using rote to teach the quadrivium: astronomy, mathematics, geography, music
Grammar Schools: (from the 14th century onwards) secular schools ran by Guilds teaching the Trivium
English returns to the curriculum in the 14th century
Eaton is founded by the King in the 15th century – expected to educate 100 poor boys annually and the sons of the wealthy
In the 15th century women begin to be taught writing and reading
Universities
Universitas – the trade union of all teachers from famous English schools
Founding of the first College – Marton college of Oxford revolutionized learning as students were now expected to live in
the college
1231 – students begin to register only with certain Masters
14th century sees the rise of infrastructure – Congregation, halls of residence
Rise of other Colleges e.g. Cambridge
A huge part of the society was under University jurisdiction, which greatly influenced the life of University towns
Study of Civil Law
Universities took some interest in Legal education but in the end it was settled that such education was commenced at the
Inns of Court where lawyers took young gentlemen into office and trained them
The Influence of Print
Print made books available more cheaply thus allowing most pupils to have their own books instead of the old
Schoolmaster’s book model. Also individual self-study begun (e.g. first printed French-English learning book).
Administration and Government
Anglo-Saxon period
The warrior-thane relationship
Election of King from among thanes by Witangamot (the Council of the Wise)
Witan further served as a Counsel body
Moot – the meeting of all free men form a Shire or Hundred on Quarter Days (direct democracy). Moots had jurisdiction
over the populace of the Shire or Hundred
The King’s Law simply collected common custom
Civil accusations resolved by oath-helpers – persons whom each side brought to swear that their testimony was true
All punishment was based on fines for physical harm (wergild), adultery and burglary
Apprehension of criminals was in the hands of a thiting (ten-men) who were to chase the criminal and executer the payment
Past 9th century
Each shire appointed a King’s officer (shire-reeve) who was responsible for the collection of taxes
The Danegeld (first a sum to withhold Viking raids, then a war tax) was paid by each free man according to the individual
estimation made by the Moot
Communication of King’s decrees by writs to reeves or landholders
Norman Times
William is the last ruler to undergo formally an election by Witan
Magnum Consilium – the feudalized equivalent of the council function of Witan
Royal records were changed to Latin and kept under the supervision of church clerks
The Exchequer Table is invented in the 12th century – a sort of graphical budget operated by one clerk who accepted
payments, planned their distribution and recorded the fact of receiving (using notches on sticks)
The abacus is invented to improve the financial process
Jurisdiction
Ecclesiastical and feudal courts, plus moots with interweaving competence
Henry II introduces Royal Courts which provided written statements, Royal Courts take fees.
King’s Bench (Courts with the participation of the Monarch, sealing all verdicts with the Royal Seal)
The Common Pleas courts held by royal lawyers where all those who were capable could present their case indirectly to
the Monarch
Henry II “invents” Justices of Peace whose job was to research recent crimes and apprehend criminals – they served in local
courts
Trial by ordeal – “God’s Judgment” e.g. ordeal of water (whether the accused flows or sinks), by fire and by battle
Offices of jurisdiction were customarily sold to those who would offer the greatest money
John Lackland and Magna Charta
Once John had forfeited all his domains in France the Barons could no longer leave England...
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