Paper 2 Section B/A: Norman England, c1066–c1100

June 2024

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about towns in Norman England?

Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretation A.

Answer:

For example, the interpretation is convincing because between 1066 and 1100, 21 new towns were built around England and the well-off townsfolk were an elite who prospered after the conquest. They paid the King for the rights to hold markets and fairs. They became wealthy, they paid services and taxes to the Lord and they could buy and sell property. Lincoln, for example, had 970 burgesses. Burgesses might be craftspeople, such as goldsmiths or merchants and each of them formed guilds which had a lot of power. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, the interpretation is convincing because the towns of Norman England benefited from a boost to the economy after the Conquest. Under the Normans, towns grew around cathedrals which they built, for example, at Durham, Ely, and Winchester. They also built castles for their defence in towns like York and Lincoln and destroyed houses to build them. However, these castles boosted the town which grew around them and became a centre for more trade. There were obvious links with Normandy and towns in Europe where there was a trade in wool to Flanders and wine from Gascony to Bristol. For example, the Normans built castles and towns grew up near them. The castles protected the Norman nobles and became centres for trade. The Normans destroyed houses to make way for castles but also built new houses. By 1086, they had built over 300 in Bury St Edmunds. Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, the Normans traded wine, salt, and wool. Towns were where they had markets and fairs.

Q2: Explain what was important about the death of Edward the Confessor.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (the death of Edward the Confessor) in the broader historical context (Norman England). This is For example, what was important about the death of Edward the Confessor was that there was no simple method of choosing the next king, and Edward had no natural heir. The Witan were a group of nobles and leading churchmen who could suggest an heir or be guided by the dead king’s wishes, for example on his deathbed, ‘novissima verba.’ As it was likely that the claimants would fight to win England by conquest, those same nobles of England had to choose who to support. For example, what was important was that England did not have a king and several powerful people laid claimed the Crown. Harold Godwinson was in England; he was a powerful warrior, well-connected to other English nobles and he moved quickly to be proclaimed king. William of Normandy, on the other side of the channel, had to prepare carefully as the prospect of invading England was a dangerous one. He needed a fleet, troops and to make sure that while he was away, Normandy was not invaded by his European enemies. Another claimant was quicker off the mark, Harold Harada, King of Norway landed in the north of England to challenge Harold Godwinson. the identified consequences, supporting by factual knowledge and For example, Edward the Confessor died without an obvious heir and there were several claimants to the throne. Harold Godwinson was the most important earl in England as the Earl of Wessex he was a deputy king for Edward and his brother-in-law. He expected to be king. William of Normandy thought he should be king. For example, he had no heir. Edgar was Edward the Confessor’s nearest blood relative. But he was only a child in 1066. He had no money and no soldiers.

Q3: Write an account of the ways in which monasteries in England changed after the

Norman Conquest.

Answer:

reasoning supported by a range of accurate and detailed factual knowledge and understanding. For example, an explanation of different impacts/ consequences of change in the broader historical context. For example, the Normans made monasteries improve their standards so that they caught up with the standards in Europe. Lanfranc led these reforms. Archbishop Lanfranc became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070, he tried to reform the church and monastic life. He wanted to stop pluralism, simony, and nepotism. He made a monk’s life much stricter and pious with regular services and he did not allow the monks to have wives. Although some monks objected to the changes, such as in Durham or Glastonbury, they were enforced. For example, under the Normans monastic life became stricter they reinforced the rule of Saint Benedict which demanded poverty, chastity, and obedience. William de Warenne persuaded the Cluniacs to set up a Priory near his Castle at Lewes between 1078 and 1082. They were much stricter and had more complex services than those of most English monks. simple understanding of consequence(s) supported with factual knowledge and For example, the Normans introduced many Cluniac monks to England. By the end of the 11th century, there were 36 Cluniac monasteries in England. For example, William brought monks from Normandy to run abbeys in England. should demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

Q4: ‘The Marcher Earls were the main reason for the success of the Normans in Wales.’

How far does a study of Wales and the Norman Conquest, c1066–c1100 support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to Wales and the Norman Conquest, c1066–c1100 and your contextual knowledge. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.

Answer:

To support their answer students could include aspects of the site such as: location, function, structure, design, people connected with the site, how the site reflects culture, values, and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events and/or developments of the specified period. understanding of the site. For example, the Marcher Earls passed on directly the opportunity to their supporters, as Roger Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, did with Roger Venator, one of his huntsmen, who built his own castle at Pulverbatch to secure the lands he possessed. Similarly, one of Shrewsbury’s men, Bernard de Neufmarche, passed on land in the Usk Valley to Picard who built Tretower Castle. The way these men secured their new lands and wealth was shown by the behaviour of Gilbert FitzRichard’s private army of supporters, relatives and mercenaries in Ceredigion, the area around Aberystwyth. Here they terrorised or enslaved the local population, looted the countryside, and built castles named after them – Stephen’s Castle, Humphrey’s Castle, and Richard de la Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. For example, the main reason the Normans were successful in conquering Wales was because of the castles they built. They built at strategic sites for the maximum military advantage. Pembroke, Rhuddlan or Carmarthen which were all on rivers and could be relieved by sea in an emergency. The colonists secured the area around the castle by bringing in settlers recruited from their English Estates. They were aggressive warriors, enemies of the Welsh and were given trading privileges and grants of land to encourage settlement. For example, the main reason that the Norman Conquest of Wales succeeded was because of the greed of the Marcher Earls and their supporters. William subcontracted the conquest and dominance of Wales to the Marcher Earls. He gave them extensive privileges and powers to control the borders of England. They paid no tax which caused resentment among other Norman nobles and their only concern was that they should die without an heir because then the title would revert to the King. As long as the border remained secure, his ultimate authority was accepted, and tributes paid, William left his nobles to get on with it. cause(s) by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, William gave the job of conquering Wales to the Marcher Earls. Chester in the north, Shrewsbury in the middle, and William FitzOsbern was made Earl of Hereford as he had fought with William at Hastings. Shrewsbury built a castle at Montgomery and the Earl of Hereford built castles beyond the river Wye. When William took over as Earl of Hereford, he showed his power to the local Welsh rulers by marching into Wales with a large army and also added to the castle at Chepstow. For example, the reason why the Normans conquered Wales was because the Welsh had no leader. The Welsh army of Llewellyn was defeated by Harold Godwinson and their leader killed in 1063. This made it easier for the Normans under William to defeat the Welsh.