H3H03 MEDIEVAL ENGLAND 1066-1399 TUTORIAL TOPICS

01 THE NORMAN CONQUEST.



a)   Who  are  the  principal historians of the Conquest  ?  How  have
     historical  opinions  developed since the Seventeenth  century  ?
     What  are  the principal concerns of the  current  generation  of
     Conquest historians ? How are their opinions divided ?

b)   What  are  the main contemporary sources for the Conquest  ?  How
     reliable are they ?

c)   Who  were the claimants to the English throne in 1066 ?  How  did
     they derive their claims, and how did they pursue them ?

d)   What is meant by the term feudalism ? What is the significance of
     the  following:  (a)  the fief (b) the tenant in  chief  (c)  the
     servitium debitum (d) commendation (e) knight service (f) scutage
     ?

e)   Are  we justified in speaking of a Feudal Settlement  of  England
     between 1066 and 1086 ? What are the principal arguments for  and
     against?

f)   What  changes  did William make in the government  of  England  ?
     What is the significance of the writ, the scriptorium, the  royal
     household, the Curia Regis, the sheriff, the justiciar ?

g)   What information was recorded in Domesday Book, and what was  its
     purpose ? What can historians learn from the Domesday Inquest ?

h)   What reforms did William and Lanfranc make in the English  church
     ? What was the significance of their policy on the separation  of
     Church and State courts ?

i)   Did  the  Norman  Conquest cause a break  in  the  continuity  of
     English history ? Analyse the arguments for and against.

Using the  relevant volume of ENGLISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS find,  read
     and annotate the following documents:

a)   The Anglo Saxon Chronicle account of the invasion of 1066.
b)   William of Poitiers on the deeds of William the Conqueror.
c)   Writ of Edward the Confessor to Tofi 1061 (no 3b
d)   Writ of William I enquiring into sheriffs (1077) (no 38)
e)   Domesday Book Huntingdon (no 205)