Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1068–71
Resistance, 1068–71
William had been crowned, but England was not yet under control. Between 1068 and 1071 there were three main waves of rebellion:
| Date | Rebellion | Leaders |
|---|---|---|
| 1068 | Revolt of Earls Edwin and Morcar | Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and his brother Morcar |
| 1069 | Rebellions in the north | Edgar the Aethling, northern nobles and a Danish fleet |
| 1070–71 | Rebellion at Ely | Hereward the Wake, later joined by Morcar |
Remember
1068 the earls, 1069 the north, 1070–71 Ely: the rebellions moved from the Midlands, to the north, to the Fens.
The revolt of Edwin and Morcar, 1068
Causes: Edwin and Morcar had submitted at Berkhamsted and kept their earldoms, but their power was shrinking. New Norman earldoms such as Hereford took land that had been part of Mercia. Edwin had also been promised a marriage to one of William's daughters, which never happened. Heavy taxes and new castles made many English angry.
What happened: in 1068 the brothers left William's court and rebelled. William marched north quickly, building castles as he went, including at Warwick and Nottingham.
Why it failed: the earls gave up without a battle, and William pardoned them, but kept them at his court. They had little support, and William's speed and castles gave them no time to gather an army.
Key terms
The rebellions in the north, 1069
Causes: the north had always been the hardest part of England for southern kings to control, and it had close links with Scandinavia.
What happened:
- In January 1069, rebels killed William's new Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Comines, and many of his men at Durham.
- and northern rebels then attacked York. William rushed north, defeated them and built a second castle there. Edgar fled to Scotland.
- In the autumn, a large sent by King Sweyn of Denmark arrived. With Edgar, Earl and the northern rebels, the Danes captured York, destroyed its castles and killed many Normans.
- William marched north again. The Danes avoided a battle, and William paid them to leave.
Consequence: William's response was the Harrying of the North (see the next sub-topic).
Key terms
Hereward the Wake and Ely, 1070–71
was an English thegn from Lincolnshire. In 1070 he joined Danish raiders in attacking Peterborough Abbey, taking its treasure so that its new Norman abbot would not get it.
Hereward and other rebels then made a base on the , surrounded by marshes that made it very hard to attack. In 1071 Earl Morcar joined them, while Edwin was killed by his own men.
('Beset' means 'surrounded'; 'wrought a bridge' means 'built a causeway'.) Morcar was imprisoned for the rest of William's reign. No one knows for certain what happened to Hereward afterwards.
Key terms
Why the rebellions happened
Causes, taken together:
- Loss of land and power: English nobles saw their land and authority given to Normans.
- Heavy taxes: William raised a heavy geld to pay his soldiers.
- Castles and Norman behaviour: castles were built on knocked-down homes, and Norman soldiers often plundered.
- Hope of help: Edgar the Aethling gave rebels a rival king, and Denmark and Scotland offered support.
Key terms
Why the rebellions failed
Causes of failure, taken together:
- No united leadership: the rebellions happened in different regions at different times, so William could deal with them one by one.
- Unreliable allies: the Danes were more interested in treasure than in making Edgar king, and left when paid.
- William's speed and ruthlessness: he marched quickly to each rising, and punished rebels harshly.
- Castles: they let small Norman garrisons hold towns and the land around them.
- Divided English: many English lords stayed loyal, or fought for William.
Significance: after 1071 there was no serious English rebellion. The next threat, in 1075, came from William's own earls.
Exam tip
In 'Explain why the rebellions of 1068–71 failed', explain at least three reasons, and link each one back to the question: 'This meant that…'.