Establishment of Norman Rule in England

Establishment of Norman Rule in England

William the Conqueror, after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was crowned King of England and set about consolidating his power. He sought to reconcile with the English nobility by confirming the lands and titles of earls such as Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria. To further secure loyalty, he arranged the marriage of his niece, Judith, to Waltheof of Northampton and proposed a union between Edwin and one of his own daughters. Edgar the Ætheling, a claimant to the English throne, was pacified with land grants. The ecclesiastical hierarchy was largely preserved, with the exception of the deposed Archbishop Stigand. Despite these conciliatory measures, the families of Harold Godwinson and his brothers were stripped of their estates due to their opposition at Hastings. In March 1067, William felt secure enough to return to Normandy, leaving his half-brother Odo and his trusted ally William fitzOsbern to govern England. He also retained many Anglo-Saxon sheriffs to oversee local governance, balancing the introduction of Norman officials.

Norman Consolidation and English Resistance

During William's absence in Normandy, his rule in England was challenged. Eustace of Boulogne, a former ally, failed to invade at Dover, and revolts flared in Hereford and Exeter, the latter involving Gytha, mother of Harold Godwinson. William's representatives, Odo and fitzOsbern, faced difficulties in maintaining order, prompting a widespread castle-building program to fortify Norman authority. William returned to England in late 1067 and subdued Exeter after an 18-day siege, erecting a castle to secure the city. Harold's sons launched unsuccessful raids from Ireland. By Easter 1068, William was in Winchester, and his wife, Matilda, was crowned queen in May. That year, a rebellion by earls Edwin and Morcar, along with Gospatric of Northumbria, was quelled by William's decisive military campaigns, which included castle construction and forced submissions. William then returned to Normandy, leaving his supporters to oversee the newly built fortresses.

The Harrying of the North and Subjugation of Revolts

In 1069, a significant uprising led by Edgar the Ætheling and supported by King Sweyn of Denmark resulted in the capture of York. William responded by symbolically wearing his crown in the ruins of York on Christmas Day 1069, reaffirming his sovereignty. He then negotiated with the Danes and initiated the "Harrying of the North," a ruthless scorched-earth campaign to crush the rebellion. By April 1070, the campaign had ended, and William once again wore his crown at Winchester, demonstrating his unbroken rule. Despite the severity of the resistance, William managed to maintain control, with key figures like Waltheof and Gospatric eventually submitting and retaining their lands.

Reformation of the English Church

In 1070, William's rule received papal recognition when he was ceremonially crowned a second time in Winchester by papal legates. This event prefaced a series of ecclesiastical councils that led to the removal of native church leaders, including Stigand, and their replacement with Norman clergy. Lanfranc was appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Thomas of Bayeux became the Archbishop of York, signifying a major reorganization of the English church to align with Norman and continental ecclesiastical practices. William also founded Battle Abbey at the site of his victory at Hastings as an act of penance and commemoration. His control over the church was further solidified at the Council of Lillebonne in 1080, where the autonomy of the Norman church was confirmed.