The Revolt of the Earls, 1075

The Revolt of the Earls in 1075 was led by three earls:

Unlike the rebellions of 1068–71, this was a revolt by men William had trusted and rewarded.

Causes:

• Loss of power: Roger's earldom was smaller and weaker than his father's had been. Royal sheriffs were taking over jobs that the earls had done, and William's officials were interfering in their lands.
• Ambition: the earls planned to divide England between themselves.
• William's absence: William was in Normandy, so the rebels hoped to strike before he could return.
• Foreign help: they asked Denmark to send a fleet.

They agreed the plan at the wedding feast of Ralph and Roger's sister, Emma, at Norwich.

('The Britons' here means Bretons, people from Brittany, Ralph's homeland.)

Causes of failure:

• Waltheof confessed: he told Archbishop Lanfranc, who was governing as regent, and then went to William in Normandy to ask forgiveness.
• Quick action: Lanfranc and other loyal leaders raised armies. Roger was stopped from crossing the River Severn, and Ralph's army was defeated in East Anglia.
• English loyalty: many English soldiers and local people fought for William, not the rebels.
• The Danes came too late: their fleet arrived after the revolt had collapsed, raided York and left.

Ralph escaped abroad. His wife Emma held Norwich Castle until she was allowed to leave England.

Consequences:

• Roger was imprisoned for life and lost his lands.
• Ralph lost his lands in England. Many of his Breton followers were punished harshly.
• Waltheof was executed at Winchester in 1076. He was the only English earl William ever executed.
• William became more cautious about giving earls large areas of land.

Significance: this was the last major revolt against William in England. It showed that the threat now came from within the Norman ruling class, and that many English people were by now loyal to the king.