Paper 2 (B) - Greenacre Academy · - Normans claim it was for William to succeed to the throne -...
Transcript of Paper 2 (B) - Greenacre Academy · - Normans claim it was for William to succeed to the throne -...
Paper 2 (B)
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, 1060-1088
REVISION
3 Questions: • Describe two features of… (4 marks)• Explain why… (12 marks)• “Statement” How far do you agree… (16 marks)
Topic 1: Anglo-Saxon Society
1. The King and the Earls
2. Local Government and Law
3. The economy and social system
4. The power of the Godwins
5. Edward the Confessor
6. The rival claimants to the throne
1. The King and the Earls
• Law-making
• Money
• Control
• Religion
• Taxation
• Fyrd (Army)
• Landownership
• Witan
- Council
- Advised King
• Earls- Most important- Collect taxes- Oversee laws- Military powers
• Thegns
- Local Lords
- Could complain to King about Earls
Edward the Confessor:• God on his side• Respected lawman• Married to Edith, daughter of Earl
Godwin (power)• Exiled in Normandy most of his life• No children• Struggled to control Earl Godwin
DaneLaw: ½ country was Anglo-Danish so had their own laws (E the C tried to allow them some freedoms)
2. Local Government and Law
• Sheriff
(Shire-Reeve)
1. Collect tax from Shire
2. Collect fines from Shire
3. Judge cases in Shire Court
4. Ensure men are provided for Fyrd and all roads and defences are maintained
5. To collect revenues from Kings land in the Shire.
Earldom divided into Shires
Shire divided into hundreds (100 hides
of land)
A hide = 120 acres
A hundred was divided into a Tithing (10 households)
Law and Order• Community focused• Hue and Cry• Wergild• Trial by Ordeal• Treason• Earls took advantage
These are the official orders (writs) from
the King
3. The economy and social systemStrong Economy
- Good farming – both crops and livestock
- Strong trade links with North Sea and Channel
- Efficient tax system boosted earnings
- Central control of money and trading (Burhs)
1060 – Population of 2 million
4000-6000 Nobles (Thegns)
90% were Ceorls(peasant farmers)
Religion
• Bishops were rich and important always one in the Witan
• Few people were literate – Church provided clerks and record-keepers
• Local priests were also farmers, were not well educated and were married
• Monks and Nuns also lived like this
• Church did not want any reforms – stuck to their old ways!
- Fortified town of each shire.- People would take refuge here- Trade had to be carried out here (by law)- 10% of population lived in towns- Strong walls and ramparts – to stop Vikings raiding
9.7% were slaves
4. The power of the Godwins
In the 1060’s the ‘House of Godwin’ had come to dominate Anglo-Saxon politics.
Earl Godwin’s daughter Edith
married King Edward
Harold married Edith of Mercia and then latedmarried Edith the Fair
who was powerful in East Anglia
Tostig Godwinson married Judith, daughter of Baldwin of Flanders
King Edward tries to break free!
• In the 1050’s, King Edward tried to free himself from Earl Godwin’s dominance.
• Edward turned to his friends in Normandy (where he had been exiled) and this is when he likely made his promise to William for the throne!
- The only Earldom they did not control was Mercia! Harold Godwinson, married Edith of Mercia (to have some control)
ALL Political Alliances!
5. Edward the Confessor
Harold’s embassy to Normandy:
1064 or 1065
- Edwards sends Harold to Normandy but we do not know why (likely allegiance)
- Harold is taken prisoner by Count Guy of Ponthieu but William rescues him
- Harold fights for William and is rewarded
- Harold swears an oath to William – but we do not know what (again)
Rising against Tostig: 1065
Oct: Northumbrian Thegns revolt against Tostig,
marching on York
They invite Morcar (brother of Edwin, earl of Mercia) to
be Earl insteadTostig went too far
to tackle lawlessness
Threatened nobles
Assassinated rivals
Harold knew Edward did not have long to live – had to time it
right
- Shows us that Harold is trusted by Edward to handle politics
- Normans claim it was for William to succeed to the throne
- Normans call Harold an ‘oath-breaker’ for taking the throne himself… bad news!
King Edward orders his Earls to put down the uprising, but
they do not obey
From around 1063 Harold and Tostig were fighting over who would become
King after Edward…
1st Nov: Tostig is exiled. Harold weakens his own
house (Godwin) – but strengthens his own claim!
Harold agrees to demands (on Edwards behalf) – Tostig to be
replaced
6. The rival claimants to the throneHarold GodwinsonEdgar Aethling Harald Hardrada William of Normandy
Appointed successor by King on deathbed
Royal blood –descendant from Alfred the Great
Based on a secret deal between 2 other Vikings
Agreement with Edward - Harold's
embassy visit
Good claim supported Witnesses
(loyal to Harold)
Strong in theory –but young and no
‘back up’
Weak – but he had the forces behind
him
Backed by the Pope, but lacks evidence
Excellent chance –support from Witan
Weak – only 15! Threat of invasion
too strong
Quite good – William has military
strength, has to cross the Channel
Name
Claim
Strength of Claim
Chance of Success
Good – 300 ships, 15000 men, battle experience. North would welcome him!
Edward dies – 6th January 1066Witan declares Harold as King. Harold crowned. Is
sent up North to check they are happy.Puts together the largest army England had ever
seen. Patrols the Channel.
The Norman Invasion – Part 1Gate Fulford and Stamford BridgeReasons for Battle of Gate Fulford:
20th September 1066
- Morcar, Earl of Northumbria and Edwin, Earl of Mercia – gather an army to defend the North
- Hardrada and Tostig land with 10,000 warriors and march to York
- Morcar and Edwin meet them in open Battle at Gate Fulford
Significance of Stamford Bridge
King Harold achieved a victory and stopped
one invasion
William invaded the south whilst Harold
was in the North
- Edwin and Morcar are outnumbered
- English shield wall surged toward Tostigsweaker troops
- Hardrada hits them with his best warriors
- Thousands of English are killed
- Harold was forced to come north to face Hardrada and Tostig (his brother)
Harold had to rapidly move back south –
tiring his army
Harold make a rapid march north, collecting troops along the way
Harold's victory might have made him a bit
more arrogant
Harold surprises the Viking army and is
victorious
Harald and Tostig are both killed (the
Vikings had forgotten their armour)
To demonstrate the story of the Battle of HastingsThe Battle of Hastings
Norman knights
- Highly trained, heavily armoured
- Horses vulnerable to attack, difficulty up hill
English Housecarls
- Disciplined shield wall, hard to break, effective with axes
- Shield wall could break, vulnerable to cavalry and archers
English army run away. Prepare for William to
become their King.
Battle lasts for 8 hours. Evenly matched.
Norman knights Vs English Housecarls
Shield wall thins out. Norman knights charge
through – cut English down -and archers finish the job.
Williams scouts spot Harolds army (surprise
attack ruined!)
Norman army panic that William has been killed.
William tips back his helmet to show he is alive.
A feigned (fake) retreat –English break their shield wall to
chase the retreating Normans
Harold's army gain position on top of hill
Williams archers attack, had to avoid Harold's javelins
Williams foot soldiers and knights beaten back by Shield Wall.
English do damage to horses and men with two-handed axes.
Harold and his brothers (Gyrthand Leofwine) make final stand
on top of Hill. Harold and brothers killed.
1
2
3
4
5 6
7
8
9
10
The Norman Invasion – Part 3Williams Victory
Reasons for Williams Victory
English tactics
William’s luck
Williams leadership
Norman tactics
Harold’s leadership
Timings: waited for
collapsed wallFeigned retreat
Using knights against shield wall
‘Harrying’ the surrounding area
Mix of tactics
Logistics of Channel crossing
Pre-fabricated castle
Surviving storm
Luck in Battle
Timing of Hardrada’s invasion
Shield wall could only
defend, not attack
Lack of archers
Shield wall = predictable
Racing down from the North Failure to
surprise William – on the defense
Involving all his
followers
Paper 2 (B)
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, 1060-1088
REVISION
3 Questions: • Describe two features of… (4 marks)• Explain why… (12 marks)• “Statement” How far do you agree… (16 marks)
Topic 2: William in Power Securing the Kingdom, 1066-1087
1. Establishing control2. Castles3. Anglo-Saxon resistance, 10684. Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1069-715. The Harrying of the North6. Landownership, 1066-10877. Maintaining Royal Power8. The Revolt of the Earls9. Features and effects of the Revolt
1. Establishing Control (a)Williams march on London
Following Hastings, William marched to Dover (where they all got the poo’s – Dysentery)
The Earls submit to William… but why?!
William had seized the treasury, so Edgar
couldn’t offer anything…
William’s march had threatened to cut off
supplies
Meanwhile, in London – the Witan choose Edgar the Aethling to be King… bit rude!
Most warriors had died
Having recovered, William goes on a brutal march of the South-East, destroying homes and farms…
William leads his army round London, not attacking it directly…
Did they believe his victory was God’s will?
The Earls could not agree about what action to take
William is crowned on Christmas Day 1066
1. Establishing Control (b)
Controlling the Borderlands
• William created three new Earldoms
• Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester
• This was to protect the Marches – the border with Wales
These ‘Marcher Earls’ could:
1. Create new towns to promote Normans
2. Total control, sheriffs reported to them, not the King
3. Did not pay tax on lands, use money for defence
4. Could build castles as they wished
Edwin and Morcarkeep their Earldoms
Edwin and Morcarearldoms are smaller
than before
Edwin promised William’s
daughter in marriage
This marriage never actually happens
Gospatric made Earl of
Northern Northumbria
Gospatric had to pay William a lot of money for the
Earldom
Everyone who fought against William loses
their land
All this land goes to William and his
followers – not to Anglo-Saxons
Rewarding loyalty… Although…
William promised his followers great riches.- Sent gifts to the Pope-Set a heavy tax to pay
soldiers- Declared al land to be
his… dished it out to others for loyalty.
2. Castles
Steep steps to the keep
Palisade – A strong fenceStrong wooden tower (the
Keep) – elevated attack position for archers
Why were they important?
1. Located in strategic places
2. Easy to keep locals under surveillance
3. Use as a base of attack
4. Control areas – psychological impact
How were the different from Burhs?!
Burhs = ProtectCastles = Control
Burhs = LargeCastles = Small and
privateBurhs = Long time to
constructCastles = Quick!
Bailey – the enclosure below the motte =
during attacks livestock and local
people would shelter here
Motte – a large mound of earth (5-
7 metres high) –earth was fireproof
A ditch cut around the bailey and the Motte
Access via gatehouse –sometimes a drawbridge
These would typically take 4-9 months to
construct
3. Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1068
Results
- Puts Normans in the North(Robert Cumin)
- Edgar A getting help from Malcolm III
- Castles bring people under control
- Other rebellions going on at the time –some being ended by A-S –shows he can trust some A-S!
Causes of the Revolt
Edwin’s resentment – smaller land and no marriage
Bad government – Odo of Bayeux and William FitzOsbern apparently seized land and allowing
soldiers to rape Anglo-Saxon women
William’s response…
• Took his forces to Mercia
• Took control of the Burhs of Warwick and Nottingham –built castles there (flattened houses)
• Edwin and Morcar met with William and surrendered (wimps!)
• Revolt collapsed
• Edgar Aethling and other rebels escaped to Scotland (Malcolm III)
• William pardons Edwin and Morcar – they return as ‘guests’ at Williams Court until 1071 (when they escape)
Morcar’s resentment – parts of his land given to Williams supporters
Taxes – William imposed a heavy geld tax in Dec. 1066. He went back to Normandy with a lot of
treasure. Didn’t like him making Normandy richer!
Castles – Resented them. A symbol of Norman dominance. Housing had been cleared to build
them and intimidate the people.
Loss of Land – When William came back from Normandy, he gave peoples land away. ‘Land-
grabs’ all over the country by Williams followers!
4. Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1069-1071Uprising in York
Jan 1069 – Robert Cumin appointed Earl of N. Northumbria
Looting by his men triggers a rebellion in Durham, Cumin and his
men are killed
Feb 1069 – Uprising in York –Governor and Norman troops killed
Edgar the Aethling comes down from Scotland to join in
Norman sheriff and his garrison are attacked
William races North and quickly ends rebellion. Destroys York
and builds new castles.
Anglo-Danish attack on York
King Sweyn of Denmark sends fleet to England
Danish meet up with Edgar the Atheling and attack York – 3000
Normans killed
Danes retreat to Lincolnshire
Anglo-Saxons in the North begin Guerrilla warfare –
sheltered by locals
Rebellions pop up around country – William cannot cope. Danes
wait… protected by marshland.
So William decides on…
• Harrying of the North
• Pay the Danes to leave England.
Hereward the Wake (Ely)
Hereward returns from exile in 1069 and fins his land gone to a
Norman Lord.
1070 the Danes turn up again and set up a base in Ely. Hereward joins forces.
They raid Peterborough abbey –hoping to save the treasures
from the Normans
The Danes decide to take the treasure instead and sail back
to Denmark…
Morcar and his men come to Ely and join Hereward – to defend Ely, but
the Normans capture them
Morcar was captured while Hereward escaped, never to be
seen again!
5. Harrying of the North
Harrying of the North
Long Term consequences
FeaturesReasons
Immediate consequences
Livestock killedRevenge for
death of Robert Cumin
Destroy the spirit of rebellion in North
Huge areas of the North
Prevent Vikings from using
York as a base
Homes destroyed –nowhere to shelter
Took place in winter 1069-70
No further rebellions from North
Danish invaders in 1070 had to go to Ely
(no base in York)
William disliked this
level of brutality and atoned for
his sins
Death of thousands from starvation – as
many as 100,000 died
Refugees moved West
Reports of cannibalism
Families selling themselves into
slavery
Military response to Guerrilla warfare
Warning to other areas
Seed destroyed so nothing to plant for food the next year
20yrs later Yorkshire had not recovered. 60% classed as ‘waste’ in
Domesday book
William decided to replace English
aristocracy with Normans
6. Landownership, 1066-1087Legacy of Rebellions
The main legacy of resistance was that Anglo-Saxon nobles were removed from power and replaced by Normans.
Thegns became tenants
Life for Peasants did not really change.
Normans could reward their
followers with land
Normans were a little stricter
When thegns died, Normans
would inherit the land
Ceorls (free peasants) became
much rarer
Disobey the Normans – lose (forfeit) your
land
Impact on Thegns Impact on Peasants
More Power to the King!- Made William more powerful and
rebellion less likely.-Anglo-Saxons had to pay William
to get back their land.- When landowners died, the land
went back to the King.
Landownership changes by 1087
- Over half the land in England was held by just 190 tenants-in-chief. Only TWO of these were Anglo-Saxons.
- Only 5% of land was still held by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats.
- King’s own royal estates made up 20% of the land and the Church owned 25%
7. Maintaining Royal Power
King William’s Royal Power
Coronation and crown-wearing ceremonies
Military power: tenants-in-chief must provide Knights
Claim to the throne
Oath taking
Journeys of the royal court around England
Tax – levying the geld
Use of Royal writs
Laws and law-making
Land ownership – power to grant and take away land
Domesday Book
Control of coinage
Use of the Witan
Religious influence –appointing senior Church
leaders
8. The Revolt of the Earls1075
Three of William’s own Earls tried, unsuccessfully, to remove him power.
Roger de Breteuil, Earl of Hereford
Ralph de Gael, Earl of East Anglia
Waltheof, Anglo-Saxon Earl
Roger resented the way William reduced
his Earldom
Angry about his loss of land
Jealous of what the Norman Earls
had got!
Reasons for Revolt
Anglo-Saxon rebeliousness
Soon after the early rebellions
William's absenceIn Normandy
Loss of Privileges –Marcher Lords now
had to answer to King
Loss of Power – Under the Anglo-Saxons Earls had been very powerful. They wanted this back!
Loss of Land Upset about the reduction
of land
Powerful alliesRalph contacted
Danish King (Sweyn) for
support
9. Features and effects of the RevoltResults
- Roger was captured and imprisoned
- Ralph escaped
- Waltheof fled, but was tricked to come back. Then executed.
Features of the Revolt
Waltheof informed Lanfranc
Lanfranc tried to convince Roget not to act against William
1) Waltheof decided against the revolt –probably wanted to be rewarded for loyalty.
When Roger did not give up on his plans, Lanfranc excommunicated him
Bishop Wulfstan and the abbot of Evesham blocked Roger from taking his troops across the
Severn River
Anglo-Saxons also joined Normans in the East to prevent Ralph’s troops breaking out of East Anglia
When the Danes arrived with 200 ships the revolt had ended. They didn’t invade, they
raided and then went home!
2) Lanfranc had time to prepare for the revolt.
3) Most Anglo-Saxons did not join. Some actually helped the Normans!
4) The Danes did not want to engage the Normans in battle.
Significance of Revolt- Own Earls going against him!-1075: final Danish invasion.
- Few Anglo-Saxons helped –but William punished them
- English support for William
Paper 2 (B)
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, 1060-1088
REVISION
3 Questions: • Describe two features of… (4 marks)• Explain why… (12 marks)• “Statement” How far do you agree… (16 marks)
Topic 3: Norman England 1066-1087
1. Feudal Hierarchy2. Nature of Feudalism3. Church in England4. Extent of Change5. Changes to government6. Sheriff and the Forest7. Domesday Book8. Norman Aristocracy9. Bishop Odo10. William’s personality11. Robert Curthose and revolt, 1077-108012. Defeat of Robert and Odo
1. Feudal HierarchyKey Terms
Barony – lands held by a baron (landowner/tenant-in-chief)
Fief (or feud) – land held by a vassal in return for service to a lord
Homage – public display of allegiance
Tenant-in-chief – someone who held their fiefs directly from king
Vassal – someone who held land from someone else in the feudal system
Hierarchy – society is organised in levels of importance
William I
Tenants-in-chief
Lords, Bishops, Abbots
Under-TenantsVassals
Peasants
Sometimes free – but often bound to a Lord
Dealt with land disputes
Fought for King and led knights
Paid King a tax
Royal advisors
Knight Service- Provide service to the King for 40
days a year- Some had not much more land than
peasants- Some were powerful nobles- Had to be equipped and given
money to live on during Service- Sometimes had to guard the Kings
castles
2. Nature of FeudalismFeudalism and Military Power
- Feudal system was a way of ensuring that the King had a military power – without having to pay for it.
- Knights were expensive to equip, but William needed lots of them.
- Give knights = land
Feudalism and Political Power- He could control his barons
through grants of land- Forfeiture = taking the land away
if they disobeyed him- Rewards = Giving land to those
loyal
Feudalism and the peasants- Social system to make sure the
nobles stayed in control.- Peasants provided labour service for the lord in return for land and protection in case of attack.
3. The Church in England
Importance of the Church
In society
Criticisms of Stigand
• Pluralist (had many jobs)
• Simony (giving out jobs for money)
• Got his job from the Godwins
• No control – lack of discipline
Lanfrancs reforms
• Strict hierarchy
• Convinced King to put Archbishop of Canterbury in charge of whole church
• Lanfranc (as head of the church) reorganised church councils
• Archdeacons controlled parish priests
Wrote legal documents
Taught reading and writing to government officials
Church kept collections of laws
Royal advisors
The church helped control society by praising the King
Church was a major landowner. Church paid
taxes to King
Church leaders involved in shire courts and laws
(Trials by Ordeal)
In Government
King appointed bishops
Removed Stigand
Rebuilt the churches
King controlled communication
between church and the Pope
Banned priests being married
Monks and Nuns could no
longer mix – number increased
4. The extent of changeAnglo-Saxon Society
Change
• Trade – reduced (especially with Scandinavia)
• Military – Castles dominated the skyline
• Religious reforms – churches were rebuilt
• Feudal system
• Anglo-Saxons removed from all positions of influence
Continuity
• Farming life – continued – although it got a bit stricter.
• Basics of government stayed the same – just replaced with Normans!
• Geld Tax stayed the same
• Towns kept their trading rightsFeudalism bound peasants to their Lords – worked them harder.
Slavery was wrong and freed some slaves
Thegns wiped out as a landowning class. Replaced by knights and other vassals
Earls replaced by Normans, and earldoms were shrunk.
Slaves made up less than 10% of population
Peasants (ceorls) made up to 90% of the population. Some were free.
4-6 thousand Thegns; local landowners with more than 5 hides of land. Military service
Norman Society
Some earls were so powerful and wealthy they posed a threat to the King
5. Changes to GovernmentRole of the Earls
Odo of Bayeux and William FitzOsbern did a bad job – made people hate him.
Lanfranc more reliable as a regent. Stopped the Revolt of the Earls.
Earldoms were smaller
Reduced the number of Earldoms
Increased the power of sheriffs – answered to the King
Role of the Regents
Regent = Ruling in Williams place
William ICentralisation
The ChurchEasy to control –
Lanfranc
Crown LandsMore land – Forest Laws
Feudal System– everyone had
a role (for William)
Domesday Book – showed him how much he had,
what to tax etc.
EconomyGot money from tax
Knights in serviceLoyal!
Centralisation = Control in one place (William)
Knight Service – large army at his disposal
Using his powers over tenants-in-chief to make his earls dependent on him.
6. Sheriff and the ForestAnglo-Saxon Society
The King appointed the sheriff, who now had much more power.
Lanfranc more reliable as a regent. Stopped the Revolt of the Earls.
King appointed the sheriff to manage the Kings land
Sheriffs were responsible for law and order in their shire, answering to the Earl
Sheriffs were responsible for defence of the shire and gathering together the Fyrd.
Norman Society
Forest Laws
Animals were protected (and
the food they ate)
Land reclassified as Forest
Not fair –people starved
Land grabs – people had to move!
Harsh punishments
- blinded
Extended hunting land
The King appointed the sheriff, who now had much more power.
7. The Domesday Book
Domesday Survey
FinancialFigured out who inherited what
Legal
Helped set out Legal disputes, who owned what
Completed by 1086
Estimate of England's population – 2 million
Some estimates
William ordered an investigation of the
landholdings of each shire
2 million words in the Domesday book
13,400 place names are recorded
In Government
Financial
Knew how much to tax people
Military
Decided largely because of the threat of Viking
invasion. Wanted to see how many knights/tenants
he could rely on.
8. Norman Aristocracy
Language
English
Neither William or Lanfranc could speak English
Used for official writing
Latin
Spoken by ruling elite:Barons, bishops and knights
Norman-French
• Spoken by ordinary people, peasants
• Written only rarely.
Legal documents were written in Latin
Most Norman nobles had English nurses looking after their children – so the “2nd
generation” of Normans, could speak English.
Norman Culture
Aristocratic Culture
• Anglo-Saxon Nobles = Rich spent their money on parties, gifts, clothing and jewellery.
• Norman Nobles = Put money into buildings, churches, cathedral, decorative doorways
Church and PenanceReligious, spend
money on religious buildings. Gave rich gifts to the
Church.
LandholdingAnglo-Saxons shared their
estates out to the whole family when they died. Norman nobles left it to only one person – keep
the land together.
ChivalryMoral code
about how knights behave. Mercy &
Glory
9. Bishop Odo
Bishop Odo of Bayeux was William’s half-brother and loyal supporter throughout
the conquest.
William rewarded him with the earldom of Kent, making
him one of England’s (and Normandy’s) richest men.
1036 – Mum was also Williams Mum – didn’t share a Dad.
1049 – William makes him Bishop of Bayeux
1066 - He provided 100 ships to the invasion. He fought at the Battle of Hastings: he is rewarded! Gets the
tapestry made.
1067 - He was made Co-Regent (with William FitzOsbern) when William went
back to Normandy.
1076 - He takes land from people –Lanfranc finds out- makes him give it back.
1082 – He falls out with William and is imprisoned. He is not released until Wills
dies.
1088 – Leads a rebellion of Barons against William II
Will trusts family
Odo had a bad reputation but is still
given the job!
Significant contribution!
He commissions tapestyfor Propaganda
purposes.
Bad move – Odo allows men to rape women and
steal land.
Shows that he was not above the law!
Fell out because Odomismanaged his land
and titles.
Tried to become Pope. Locked up to prove
loyalty.
10. William’s personalityWilliams Early Life Said William was:
- Stern and relentless- Imprisoned those who went against him- Greedy for money- Bribed people- Threatened people
People at the time…
Prepared to use extreme brutality.
Williams bad points
- William was illegitimateson of Robert, Duke of Normandy
-Only 8 when his Dad died.
- Numerous attempts to kill him.
- Constantly having defend himself against rivals.
Good points
Harrying of the North – perfect example!
Devoted to his wife Matilda (very upset when she died)
He trusted his wife and she ruled in Normandy often
Very religious, founded abbeys –promoted church
Wanted to be legitimate – not just a Conqueror!
10871) William was fat
2) Died of injuries from a riding accident
3) Took 3 month to die4) Everyone panicked! –
when William died it would be every Baron for himself!
5) His body burst in the coffin… people ran from the
smell!