What was England like in 1035?
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 22-05-17 17:11
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- What was England like in 1035?
- Government under Cnut, King of Denmark
- Cnut restores peace to England, at first by using force
- He maintains Saxon forms of government, but uses Danes and new English families and purges the English elite
- He issues a law code which maintains Saxon laws
- In Cnut's later years Godwin family becomes important
- Earls rule four old kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia, but the administrative unit is the shire
- Stability hindered by propaganda, encouraged/instigated by Emma claiming Harold 'Harefoot' wasn't Cnut and Aelfgidu's son, as Aelfgifu was unable to have children
- Magnates and other influential figures divided over who to have as reagent
- The economy and finance
- Royal control over minting coins is absolute, with re-coinage every five years; this control allows Kings to raise vast sums of money
- Trade with Scandinavia flourishes
- England was losing money and coins to pay Danegeld to stop Viking attacks
- There is evidence of trade with France, Netherlands, the Rhineland and Lombardy.
- London is the most important town
- Following journey from Denmark, Hardecnut imposed taxes amounting to £52,000 causing unrest
- England's position in Europe
- Development of overseas contacts
- Cnut successfully claims the Danish throne
- Cnut is often absent as he divides his time between England and the Continent
- After Cnut's death, Hardecnut is unable to claim throne as he is occupied by Magnus of Norway in Denmark
- The Church
- There are close links with Rome
- Cnut makes a pilgrimage to Rome
- English churchmen go to Denmark
- Co-operation between Church and king
- Cnut is pious and supports religious houses
- English society
- Contemporaries see three levels - warriors, churchmen and those who worked
- The nobility fights and runs the administration
- Population is mostly peasants, but this group is further divided
- At the top of village society are thegns and bailiffs, who run the village
- Cottars and boor (large villeins) do most of the work, much of it for the lord
- On recognising Edward as heir in 1041, he set up another potentially disputed throne when he died. He had previously, in 1038-39.
- Government under Cnut, King of Denmark
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