The feudal system and the Church Flashcards

All 10 cards in this deck

Who were the tenants-in-chief in Norman England, and what was their main role?

The great landholders (barons and bishops) who held land directly from the king. Their main role was military: to provide the king with knights, and barons led their knights in person.

Under knight service, how much military service did a knight owe each year?

Forty days a year, in return for the land he held from his lord.

What was forfeiture in the feudal system?

The taking back of land by the king or lord if the holder broke his oath of homage or failed in his duties.

Who was Lanfranc?

An Italian monk, abbot of Caen in Normandy, made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070, replacing Stigand. He led the Normanisation and reform of the English Church.

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.

True or false? Under the feudal system, all the land in England belonged to the king.

True. William granted land to his tenants-in-chief in return for homage and service, but kept ultimate ownership.

True or false? In Norman England the Church was completely separate from royal government.

False. Bishops and abbots were tenants-in-chief who held land from the king, advised him and, being literate, helped run his administration.

Who was Stigand?

The Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury, deposed by William I in 1070 and replaced by Lanfranc.

Give one way Lanfranc reformed the Church in England under William I.

He set up separate Church courts so that churchmen were tried by the Church rather than in the king's courts.

Why was Stigand criticised as Archbishop of Canterbury?

He was a pluralist, holding the bishopric of Winchester as well as Canterbury, and was accused of simony: giving out Church posts in return for money.