England tended to expel earls like Tosig instead of fight them like William did.
William- tenants in chief- tenants using subinfeudation
Oaths made all bindings legal and formal.
Since he had conquered all of England William owned everything.
He started to introduce the knight tax quickly/slowly depending on sources
Apart from Harold's land, William gained feifs after death or confiscation and its redistribution depended upon past customs and the circumstances.
Many quotas were based on pre-conquest obligations- one man or payment per 5 hides.
Feudal service became the scutage tax to buy mercenaries instead.
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Tenants
Barons, bishops, abbots, earls and archbishops were tenants in chief.
William's inner circle of 11 had 1/4 of all land- tenants in chief had 3/4. The church had 1/4.
His inner circle included William fitz Osbern, Roger of Montgomery, Odo of Bayeux and Robert of Mortain. Land was given for knights (servitium debtium).
Around 4-5k men could be raised, the church was exempt.
Tenants could give knights fiefs or let them live in his household.
Elite knights worked for lords such as fitzOsbern, who annoyed William since he had too many men. Private armies also started to develop in elite houses.
Symbolic acts such as oath taking, dubbing and giving armour and arms made a knight a vassal.
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Castles
First act at Hastings was a to build a castle.
Motte and bailey used an earth mound, wooden tower, ditch and wooden palisades.
Exeter, York, Durham, Lincon, Nottingham and Cambridge had castles.
The Welsh borders used castles to penetrate it. Geopolitically important locations..
This concentrated troops, created seiges instead of open battles, and gave unorganised rebels a disadvantage. Important magnates were given castles- fitz Osbern at York.
Opressive stratergy, 80 by 1100, mostly built by demolishing homes.
Signalled psychological opression and permenance
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Comprimise
All William's men wanted land- 5-6k soliders.
Knight's service was added into the existing thegn-housecarl agreements.
Feudalism was adapted from existing concepts. Harold had gathered a fjord.
Barons had to build castles on their land and protect it. But, William controlled thier building.
Odo of Bayeux had land next to the coast. His more loyal followers had more important areas.
Primogeniture had not developed yet, but land was often kept in families.
William kept control with 17% of the land, worth £12.5k.
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