Norman Economy & Society Flashcards
All 14 cards in this deck
True or false? Everyday life in English villages changed completely under Norman rule.
False. Village life continued much the same: the same demanding labour, the same agricultural cycle, and the lord still controlling the poorest peasants.
What was the 'forest' introduced by William I?
Large areas of land reserved for the king's hunting, protected by severe forest laws with punishments such as blinding for poaching.
What duties did the very poorest villagers owe their lord?
Working a set number of days without pay, handing over a share of all crops, and needing the lord's permission to leave the village.
Who were the burgesses in Norman towns?
The leading townsmen — merchants and craftsmen who made a living from business.
What were guilds in Norman towns, and why were they set up?
Associations of merchants and craftsmen, set up to ensure high standards of work and to protect their livelihood and reputation.
How many new towns were built in England between 1066 and 1100?
21 new towns.
What happened to slavery in England under the Normans?
It decreased. Norman lords freed slaves and gave them small plots of land in return for large amounts of labour.
What was the largest group of people recorded in the Domesday Book?
Villeins — unfree peasants who held land from the lord in return for working on his land.
True or false? Townspeople in Norman England had the same lack of freedom as villeins in the countryside.
False. Town citizens had legal protections and freedom of movement, which villeins did not.
What was a typical peasant's house like in Norman England?
A small hut with a single room, built of timber or wattle and daub with a thatched roof. The family lived, cooked and slept around a central hearth whose smoke had to find its way out through the roof.
What did most peasants eat in Norman England?
Mostly bread and pottage, a thick stew of vegetables, peas or beans, with eggs and cheese from their own animals and ale to drink. Meat was a rare luxury for them.
What was the busiest time of the peasants' farming year?
The harvest in late summer, around August and September, when the whole village, including women and children, worked to gather the crops before the weather turned.
Give one way the Normans changed buildings in English villages.
Timber village churches and lords' manor houses were often replaced with stone ones.
How did the Norman Conquest affect England's trade?
Closer links across the Channel boosted trade with Normandy and France: English wool went abroad and French wine came in, making many town merchants rich.