Extension of control into Wales and Scotland

Imposing Norman control in Wales:

• Wales was divided into warring kingdoms so didn't pose long-term threat to William.
• Welsh princes wanted to take advantage of England's post-conquest chaos.
• Welsh prince allied with Eadric the Wild who's estates had been dispossessed by Normans.
• Normans established castles to extend Norman control (fitzOsbern established towns and castles, Montgomery founded a castle called Montgomery).
• Earls exceeded English control over Wales; William's involvement was passive.
• Left earls to deal with it; led only one expedition in Wales.
• Policy of steady expansion by the earls continued until Norman control peaked in 1093.
• Norman control extended over the North coast; harshness of their rule caused revolt.
• William was forced to invade but with little impact.

Malcom II of Scotland and the northern rebellion:

• Rival claims of lordship over the North meant Scotland posed a greater threat to England's stability than Wales; tensions longstanding (disputed border territories).
• Malcom saw an opportunity after Hastings to weaken England's hold over Northumbria.
• William worked through emissaries to secure oath of loyalty from Malcom and a promise not to assist the rebels (didn't stop him from giving Edgar the Atheling protection).
• Malcom launced a devastating raid into Northumbria;show force and destabilise region (1069)
• 1072- William ready to deal with threat (personally led his army and blockaded coast with fleet.
• Made a treaty to William's success; Malcom paid homage to him so officially recognised the new regime in England, he had also neutralised a rebel safe haven by securing expulsion of Edgar and the other exiles.
• But Malcom survived invasion with his kingdom; launched another raid into Northumbria 1079.
• Curthose established a caste at Newcastle to allow future incursions into Scotland.
• Region remained uncontrollable; Malcom successful in creating an Eng/Sco buffer zone.

William II and Scotland 1091-93:

• Raided into Northumbria in 1090= reprisal march from Rufus (Malcom refused battle and submitted yet again).
• 1092; Rufus goes onto the offensive and fortifies castle at Carlisle, Cumbria.
• Cumbria to be incorporated into England (peasant settlers taken there and it was placed under Durham's ecclesiastical jurisdiction)= huge loss for Malcom.
• Malcom stored a raid into Northumbria and was killed.
• Private actions of Norman lords saw significant sections of Wales steadily brought under English rule; never aimed a similar takeover of Scotland.
• Its remoteness from the centre of power in the South made a conquest near impossible.
• Scotland was a long-established kingdom with a king whereas Wales was divided into warring factions-encouraged more routine use of statecraft, diplomacy and military incursions.

The feudal system:

• To ensure full control after 1066, William employed this aggressive Norman model; society geared towards war (new legal/social system for upper classes= feudalism).
• William granted land to tenants-in-chief in exchange for military service from knights.
• Subinfeudation= tenant-in-chiefs could grant parts of their lands to others.
• Oaths made this arrangement formal and binding.
• All land belonged to William; freeholding disappeared (land not owned).

The tenants-in-chief:

• Were the elite- earls, archbishops, bishops, abbots and barrons.
• Within them was the Norman magnates (11), held 1/4 of the land, land was their reward.
• In exchange for land, each tenant-in-chief had to provide a certain number of knights to do garrison duty in royal castles, fighting rebels or campaigns (servitum debitum).
• Church wasn't exempt from military obligations; abbots often supervised feudal levy.

The knights:

• A tenant-in-chief could maintain his knights by granting them land in exchange for service or by keeping them in his household (shelter, food and pay).
• Landholding knights were enfeoffed with their fief= live off the rents from their land (peasants).
• Household knights were the elite; well trained and professional (many in royal household).
• Norman occupiers created private armies to protect their estates.
• Close bonds of loyalty between lord and knight; oath taking, knight was lord's vassal.

The nature of land tenure:

• Traditonal view is that the knight quota system was imposed uniformly and rapidly during the initial years of conquest.
• More recent view is that the terms for granting land depended on local circumstances + past tradition (not one uniform system).
• After the 1st generation of the conquest, feudal service often commuted to payments called scutage.

The power of the castle:

• Militarised the landscape with castles; motte + bailey style (key instrument of war).
• Quick to build and was constructed whenever trouble flared.
• Caused areas to surrender, basis for Norman penetration of the country.
• Guarded England's northern frontier and provided staging posts for expeditions.
• Points to concentrate and patrol Norman troops.
• Changed the nature of warfare from open battles to sieges; to win, forts must be stormed.
• Rebels' lack of castles was a factor for their failure.
• Installed a high calibre of castellans/castle leaders there (norman magnates).
• Changed the English landscape; resented by English.
• Over 80 constructed by 1100; 2/3 built in towns, demolished homes.
• Psychological symbol of conquest; stressed permanence of Norman presence.
• White tower in London started building in 1070 of Caen stone.
• Once rebellions stopped, became seats of local government (feature of everyday life).