Lesson
1: For this lesson
you will need the following pages on the website, Herleva
of Falaise, Gilbert,
Count of Brionne and Robert, Duke of
Normandy. The purpose of this lesson is to show the links between
Richard Fitz Gilbert and William the Conqueror. Richard's father,
Gilbert, Count of Brionne, was the grandson of Richard the Fearless,
Duke of Normandy.
There is some dispute about
the identity of Richard's mother. While some historians believe the
Richard was the result of a relationship between Gilbert, Count of
Brionne and Herleva, others believe the evidence is unreliable. However,
historians do agree that the four boys were brought up together and
that Richard's father was killed while protecting William from Norman
barons.
The other connection between
the two families was that William the Conqueror married Matilda, the
daughter of Baldwin of Flanders (Richard Fitz Gilbert's brother).
It is said that the married couple looked strange together as William
was
nearly 6 feet tall while Matilda was only 4 feet 2 inches.
Some books call William's
mother Arletta. As this was a nickname, I have kept to her original
name of Herleva.
(Question 5) Gilbert was
already married. It is not known for certain why Robert did not marry
Herleva. Her humble background was obviously one reason. Robert also
hoped to marry into another powerful family in Europe. Even so, some
historians are surprised that Robert did not marry Herleva before
he went on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1034 (he died on his way
home in 1035). He was obviously worried about not returning and he
got his barons to promise they would accept his illegitimate son as
leader if he died on the journey.
Lessons
2: An opportunity
for an extended writing assignment on the Battle of Hastings. Pupils
will need H1 Arms and Armour, H2
Accounts of the Battle, H3 The Battle
of Hastings, H4 English & Norman
Historians, H5 Norman Victory and
the H6 Map of the Battlefield.
Initially the task will
probably appear to be difficult for Year 7 pupils. However, the exercise
is highly structured and we were very pleased with the standard of
work that the pupils achieved. We spent the first lesson reading and
discussing the materials. The written work was completed in lessons
three and four.
William's ship 'Mora' was
larger and faster than the other Norman ships. William of Poitiers
claims that 'Mora' arrived on the English coast several hours before
the others. Only two ships were lost. One landed at Romney and all
the Normans on board were killed by local people. The other ship sunk
on the journey. This ship contained the expedition's soothsayer. William
was said not to be too upset by the loss
of his soothsayer as the man had failed to predict his own death.
William of Poitiers claims
that William had 3,000 ships and an army of 50,000 "volunteers".
Historians now believe it was about 450 ships, 8,000 men and 2,000
horses.
I have used the term 'Battle
of Hastings' even though it is geographically incorrect - the battlefield
was 10 kilometres from Hastings. Early historians such as Orderic
Vitalis always referred to it as the 'Battle of Senlac Hill'. William
of Poitiers suggests that the English army easily outnumbered the
Normans. This is incorrect. Modern historians believe that there were
about 7,000 English soldiers at the battle. Only 1,000 of these were
well-armed members of the 'housecarls'. William of Poitiers' account
suggests that the Normans were particularly concerned with the English
use of the long-handled battle-axe.
It has been claimed that
several mistakes have been made concerning the appearance of the housecarls
on the Bayeux Tapestry. For example, it does not show the long hair
of the English soldiers and the long leather flaps attached to their
helmets. Housecarls also wore sandals and had trousers with straps
under the feet.
The battle lasted for eight
hours. It has been estimated that William lost 30% of his men. The
number of English soldiers killed was much higher. The Normans afterwards
called the battle 'Sanguelac' (Blood Lake). William of Jumieges claims
Harold was killed at the start of the battle. The author was unwilling
to accept that Harold fought a long and brave fight. William of Poitiers
on the other hand praised the bravery of Harold and his men. An example
of two different types of Norman propaganda.
Lesson
3: You will need
the information sheets Norman
Castles and
Tonbridge
Castle. This
lesson is only concerned with motte and bailey castles. The plan is
to look at stone castles in later lessons. The drawing of the motte
and bailey castle is based on archaeological evidence. The original
motte and to a certain extent, the bailey, can still be seen at Tonbridge.
The artist also made extensive use of the Norman motte and bailey
castle at Dinan and Rennes that appear on the Bayeux Tapestry. Richard
de Clare also built motte and bailey castles at Clare in Suffolk,
Bletchingly in Surrey and Hanley in Worcestershire.
The information on Richard
de Clare's castles and estates comes from the following books and
articles: Michael Altschul, A Baronial Family
in Medieval England: The Clares,
1217-1314 (John Hopkins Press, 1965), Gladys Thornton,
History of Clare (Heffer, 1949).
N. J. G. Pounds, The Medieval Castle
(Cambridge, 1990). Jane Oliphant, Tonbridge
Castle (Tonbridge, 1992), W. V. Dumbreck, The
Lowry of Tonbridge (The Archaeolgia Cantiana: Volume 72,
1958) and Jennifer C. Ward, The Lowry of
Tonbridge and the Lands of the Clare Family in Kent: 1066-1217
(The Archaeolgia Cantiana: Volume 96, 1980) and Edward Hasted, The
History and Topographical Survey of Kent (Canterbury, 1798)
Lesson
4: For this lesson you will need the following: Feudal
System, Feudalism
Chart, and the
Clare Estates in 1086. The
main idea of the lesson is to give a concrete example of how the feudal
system worked. In
order to provide William with sixty knights, Richard de Clare had
to find under-tenants
like Roger de Abernon. Most of these knights had served under Richard
de Clare at the Battle of Hastings. These knights often adopted coats
of arms similar to
their overlord. The chevron was a common feature on the arms of the
knights controlled
by Richard de Clare.
William was always worried
about the possibility that his barons would try to overthrow
him. He tended to grant land surrounding his base in London to his
half-brothers, Odo
of Bayeux, Robert of Mortain and Richard de Clare. However, he did
not completely trust
these men and so he did not give them complete power over any
one area. Mixing manors up like this sometimes created conflict between
the tenants-in-chief.
For example, Richard de Clare and the Archbishop of Canterbury were
constantly arguing over land in Kent. This is a problem that will
be considered when
we look at Thomas Becket.
The Domesday survey revealed
just how much land
Richard de Clare controlled. The land in East Anglia and Essex was
worth £591 3s. 6d. in 1086. He also had large estates in Kent
(£109 12s. 5d.) and Surrey (£238 14s. Id.). Standon, was
the only manor that the Clares held in Hertfordshire. It was also
the only one held in his wife's name. Stigand, the previous owner
of Standon, had been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1052 and
had played an important role in King Harold's coronation. After Harold's
death in 1066, Stigand supported Edgar Etheling's claim to the throne.
Stigand was captured by the Normans and forced to crown William king
of England. Stigand was kept prisoner in Winchester until his death
in 1072.
Lesson
5: You will need
Richard
Fitz Gilbert,
William
Rufus,
William
of Malmesbury,
and Robert
Curthose.
As the two sources indicate, historians disagree about the Clare involvement
in the death of William Rufus. As Barlow points out, there is no hard
evidence that would prove the Clares guilty of this charge. J. H.
Round, an expert on this period, was
convinced of their guilt. In his book Feudal
England he provides a long list of the different ways that
the Clare family benefited from the death of William Rufus. Round
also interprets Henry's speed of action as proof that he knew that
his brother was going to be murdered. He also points out that after
he became king, Henry did not attempt to punish Walter Tirel for his
actions.
Lesson
6: You will need
Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc
and Thomas
Becket
for this lesson.
Lesson
7: You will need
Henry
II for this lesson.
(Q1) The right order was
(d) The death of Henry I's son William; (b) The death of Henry I;
(c) The Civil War between Stephen and Matilda; (a) The Treaty of Westminster.
The death of William left Henry I without a legitimate male heir.
When Henry I died, his daughter Matilda attempted to become England's
new monarch. However, the Norman barons were divided on the issue
and civil war broke out between the supporters of Matilda and Stephen.
This civil war only ended with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster
in 1153.
(Q2) (i) An opinion is
a view or judgement formed about a particular matter. For example,
Peter of Blois is expressing an opinion when he wrote: "I hardly
dare say it, but I believe that in truth
he took a delight in seeing what a fix he put us in." (ii) A
fact is something that has actually happened. For example, Peter of
Blois is expressing a fact when he wrote: "Many a time when the
king was sleeping, a message would be passed from his chamber about
a city or town he intended to go to."
(Q3) Gerald of Wales points
out in source 2 that Henry II was involved in fighting wars "in
remote and foreign lands". Source A shows that Henry controlled
large areas of land in Europe.
(Q4) William of Newburgh
lived during the reign of Henry II. He met several people who knew
Henry II and his book is an important source of information about
this period. The books of Gerald of Wales are some of the best sources
that we have on Henry II's reign. Gerald of
Wales worked for Henry for several years and was in a good position
to make judgements about his achievements as king.
(Q5) Historians are interested
when people wrote and published accounts of Henry II for several different
reasons. This information might help the historian discover whether
the writer was describing events he had actually witnessed. If the
author wrote his account soon after the event had taken place, there
is less chance of him making factual errors. However, if the accounts
were written a long time after the event had taken place, the historian
would want to know what sources the author had consulted before writing
his account. If these authors wrote and published their accounts while
Henry was still alive, it is possible they would have been too afraid
of their king to say bad things about him.
(Q6) In source 6, Gerald
of Wales claims that because of the expense of fighting so many wars
Henry "drew into his own treasury... the revenues of the churches."
Gerald also claims that Henry was so busy he "could scarcely
spare an hour to
hear mass". Source 5 indicates that Henry liked to decide who
should become the leaders of the Church. In the writ that he sent
to those electing the Bishop of Winchester, Henry told them who they
had to choose.
(Q7) One of the main reasons
why the people wanted Henry to be king was that it provided an opportunity
for the country to become united again. After the signing of the Treaty
of Westminster, Henry had the support of both sides in the civil war.
Gerald of Wales points out that Henry II brought peace to England.
To maintain the peace between the two factions he allowed several
of Stephen's officials to keep their government posts. Henry also
arranged marriages between the two rival families. According to William
of Newburgh, the laws of England became "dead and buried"
during Stephen's reign. One of the ways Henry maintained the support
of the English people was to make sure the laws of England were enforced
fairly. In source 7, Peter of Blois argues that Henry was constantly
inquiring what "everyone was doing, especially judges whom he
made judges of others."
Henry was a skilled military leader (source 2). This was important
as under his rule, English people felt safe from foreign invasion.
Lesson
8: You will need
Thomas
Becket
for this lesson.
(Q1) (i) Sources 2 and
5 both describe Thomas Becket when he was chancellor. It is important
to remember that Henry II was a close friend of Becket when he was
chancellor. Source 2 indicates that the two men were still friends
at this point. Source 2 also illustrates Becket's fondness for fine
clothes that he had when he was chancellor. Source 5 is a description
of Thomas Becket as chancellor and army commander of Henry's troops.
(ii) Source 1 contains a description of Becket wearing his hair-shirt.
As chancellor Becket loved wearing fine clothes and it was only when
he became archbishop that he started wearing a hair-shirt.
(Q2) Before
he became archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket had a reputation
for being a cruel military commander and having expensive tastes in
food, wine and clothes. Becket was also a close friend of Henry II.
Many people claimed that Thomas Becket was the wrong man to lead the
Church in England. Becket was determined to
show that his critics were wrong. He began to give away his money
to the poor. Becket also changed his expensive clothes for a simple
monastic habit. He also punished himself for the sins he committed
while he was Henry's chancellor (he slept on a cold floor, wore a
hairshirt and was scourged daily). Becket also showed that he was
an independent leader of the church when he disagreed with Henry's
policy on church courts.
(Q3) Sources 2 and 5 both
describe Thomas Becket when he was chancellor. It is important to
remember that Henry II was a close friend of Becket when he was chancellor.
Source B indicates that the two men were still friends at this point.
Source 2 also illustrates Becket's fondness for fine clothes that
he had when he was chancellor. Source 5 is a description of Thomas
Becket as chancellor and army commander of Henry's troops.
(Ii) Source 1 contains a
description of Becket wearing his hair-shirt. As chancellor Becket
loved wearing fine clothes and it was only when he became archbishop
that he started wearing a hair-shirt.
(Q4) Henry was very concerned
about the number of people who could demand to be tried by church
courts rather than by his courts. As Henry made money from his courts,
he had economic reasons for wanting to reduce the number of people
appearing before church courts. Henry was also worried about the increase
in serious crime. People found guilty in church courts suffered less
severe punishment than in other courts. Henry believed that if he
were able to punish clerics found guilty in church courts, it would
deter other clerics from committing serious crimes in the future.
(Q5) (i) Source 5 claims
that Becket was a cruel soldier ("He destroyed cities and towns,
put manors and farms to the torch without a thought of pity".)
Source 2 illustrates Becket's love of fine clothes and his unwillingness
to help the poor. (Ii) Source 6 shows that Thomas Becket was interested
in correcting any faults he might have had. He was aware that people
were reluctant to openly criticise people with power. Source 1 illustrates
Becket's willingness to punish himself for previous sins by wearing
a hair-shirt.
In order to obtain an
accurate and balanced picture of Becket it would be important for
a historian to consult all these sources. For example, sources 1 and
6 help to show how Becket changed when he became archbishop of Canterbury.
(Q6) As close friends of
Thomas Becket, William FitzStephen, Edward Grim and Herbert of Bosham
were all able to write detailed accounts of his life. Historians always
have to be careful about biographies written by friends of the subject.
There is always the danger they will emphasis the subject's good points.
They might also leave out bad things about the person. However, as
you can see from sources 2 and 5, this is not always the case as Edward
Grim and
William FitzStephen were both willing to criticise Thomas Becket.
Lesson
9: You will need
Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc,
Thomas
Becket,
Edward
Grim, Drawing
of the Cathedral and Kentish Manors
in 1160. This lesson provides an opportunity for the more able
student to look at primary sources in some depth. Edward Grim provides
a very detailed account of the death of Thomas Becket. Although John
of Salisbury, William Fitz Stephen, Benedict of Peterborough and William
of Canterbury (who were also at the Cathedral at the time) disagree
with Edward Grim about minor details, his account is judged by most
historians to be very reliable.
The earls of Clare had
a long drawn out dispute with the archbishops of Canterbury over
the control of manors in Kent. As Kentish
Manors in 1160 shows, the manors
of these two landowners were very close together. Thomas Becket's
dispute with Roger
de Clare was primarily over the ownership of Tonbridge. Henry II intervened
in the dispute and ruled in favour of Roger de Clare.
Lesson
10: You will need worksheet Pilgrimage,
Pilgrimage to Canterbury and
Norman Monasteries for this lesson.
Roger de Clare, who was probably involved in Thomas Becket's death,
is known to have
visited Thomas Becket's tomb. He also believed that the tomb had miraculous
healing powers. On two occasions, Roger and his wife Matilda, took
their sickly son James, to the tomb. According to the Memorials
of Thomas Becket, both times James was cured. However,
James did not survive into adulthood.
On 11th July, 1337, there
was a fire at the Priory of St Mary Magdalene in Tonbridge. The church,
chapter-house, dormitory, refectory, library and the vestry were destroyed.
So also was a large collection of books, documents, ornaments and
relics. The Archbishop of Canterbury granted indulgences of 40 days
to all those who agreed to assist the rebuilding of the priory. By
the time the new priory had been completed a total of 8 years and
230 days of indulgences had been granted to those who had provided
financial assistance.
(Q1) The pilgrim in the
woodcut is wearing metal badges that have been stamped with the symbol
of the shrine that he had visited. Pilgrims wore these badges on their
hat so that people would know they had visited these holy places.
(Q2) People still go on
pilgrimages to holy shrines today. For example, every year thousands
of people visit places such as Lourdes in France. Many people go hoping
to be cured from illness. The Church claims that since 1858, sixty-four
miracles have taken place at Lourdes. People also buy badges at places
like Lourdes. However, whereas in the Middle Ages they tended to put
them on their hats, today they are more likely to put them on their
cars. People still
visit holy shrines in groups. However, unlike medieval pilgrims these
people would be part of a group organised by a holiday tour company.
Whereas people walked to holy shrines, today people go by coach, car,
train and plane.
(Q3) It was fairly common
in the Middle Ages for people to claim that they had a piece of the
cross used to crucify Jesus Christ. As it was impossible to prove
that these relics were genuine, most monasteries were suspicious of
claims made by visitors. However, Brabham monastery appears to have
been convinced that the relic was genuine. The monastery had a good
reason for wanting to believe in the relic. Brabham monastery was
very poor and the monks thought that if the relic did make miracles
happen, it would solve their financial problems. Monasteries charged
pilgrims to see relics, and so it was possible to make a lot of money
this way.
Lesson
11: You will
need King John, Magna
Carta, Richard
of Clare, Gilbert,
7th Earl de Clare, and Clare Manors
in 1230 for this lesson. When Richard, sixth earl of Clare, died
in 1217, his son Gilbert inherited his estates. Gilbert's mother Amicia,
was the daughter of the Earl of Gloucester. The earl had no sons and
so his estates were passed to his daughter. When Amicia Clare died
in 1225, Gilbert inherited the estates and the title of the Earl of
Gloucester. He also inherited the estates of his grandmother, Maud
de St. Hilary. By 1230, Gilbert de Clare controlled 456 manors (only
a selection of these manors are shown in Clare
Manors in 1230) and had to supply the king with 260 knights. The
disadvantages of military service was illustrated by his death in
Brittany on 25th October, 1230.
(Q1) Source 1 argues that
King John murdered Arthur of Brittany. Source 2 alleges that while
King John was generous
to foreigners he "stole from
the English". Source 3 claims that King John was
"unbalanced and unstable" and acted like a "lunatic".
(Q2) Sources A, B and
C were all written by monks in abbeys and monasteries. As sources
5 and 6 both point out, monastic chroniclers were very hostile
to King John because of his policies towards
the Church. Maurice Ashley claims that the
works of the monastic chroniclers "were largely
compiled out of gossip and rumour directed
against a monarch who had upset the Church".
(Q3) W. Stubbs claims
that " John was the worst of
all our kings" and that he did not have one "redeeming
trait". However, Maurice Ashley finds
several reasons to praise King John believing
him to be: "an energetic administrator, a
first-class general, a clever diplomat and a ruler
who developed... English law and government."
One of the reasons that
historians sometimes disagree is that they have consulted different
sources. For example, maybe W. Stubbs relied too much on what the
monastic chroniclers had to say about King John. It has to be remembered
that W. Stubbs wrote his book over a hundred years ago. In recent
years new sources about King John have been found. Some of these sources
provide a more positive picture of King John. Other sources have provided
information that raises doubts about some of the things that the monastic
chroniclers said about him. These new sources have been consulted
by Maurice Ashley and have enabled him to write a book that provides
a more positive image of King John.
(Q4) The Magna Carta stated
that in future people could not be imprisoned or outlawed without
receiving a fair trial (XXXIX). It also attempted to stop people buying
and selling justice (XL). Finally, the barons promised that they would
only appoint "justices, constables, sheriffs, or bailiffs"
who knew the law and meant "to observe it well" (XLV).
(Q5) (a) Widows gained
two main benefits from the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta stated that
widows "shall without difficulty have her inheritance" (VII)
and could not be forced to remarry (VIII). Before 1215 kings of England
could demand fees before widows received their inheritance. They could
also force widows to remarry. Of course these changes were only important
if you came from a rich family. Poor women gained nothing from these
measures.
(b) Merchants made one
important gain from the Magna Carta. Merchants would have been pleased
that the Magna Carta provided protection for merchants who wanted
to sell their goods abroad (XLI). However, merchants would have probably
complained that they gained very little compared to the lords.
(c) The barons were mainly
concerned with their rights and freedoms and only one clause in the
Magna Carta refers to villeins (XX). This clause stated that villeins
should "not be fined for slight offence... and for a grave offence
he shall be fined in accordance with the gravity of the offence."
While it is true villeins would have also benefited from other clauses
such as XXIII, compared to the lords, they gained very little from
the Magna Carta.
Lesson
12: You will
need Simon de Montfort for this lesson.
(Q1) The student's timeline
should have included the following: 1208: Simon de Montfort born in
France; 1230: Simon arrives in England; 1248: Henry III puts Simon
in charge of Gascony; 1258: Simon and the barons force Henry III to
sign the Provisions of Oxford; 1264: Simon defeats Henry III at the
Battle of Lewes; 1265: Simon killed at the Battle of Evesham.
(Q2) Soon after Simon
de Montfort won victory at the Battle of Lewes he organised a new
parliament. For the first time, representatives from the towns were
invited to attend. The people who attended parliament also choose
three men (Simon de Montfort, Earl of Gloucester and the Bishop of
Chichester) to run the country. (Ii) After the death of Simon de Montfort
power shifted back from parliament to the king. However, future kings
realised that they could no longer ignore the views of ordinary people.
From now on parliament was no longer just made up of lords (earls,
barons, bishops and abbots) but also contained commoners. Simon de
Montfort's reforms were therefore the beginning of the system of government
that we use today.
(Q3) The writers of sources
1, 3 and 5 all supported Simon de Montfort. Source 1 claims that Simon
"fought valiantly for the English people". Whereas Matthew
Paris said that he defended "the poor from oppression".
Source 3 argues that like Thomas Becket, Simon "would not allow
the holy church to perish". However, the authors of sources 2
and 4 opposed Simon. Thomas Wykes claimed that "after having
destroyed the strength of the lords" Simon planned to "subdue
the people." The author of source 4 argued that Simon was guilty
of treason.
There are several reasons
why these writers might have disagreed about Simon de Montfort. For
example, they may have had different views on who should govern England.
Maybe Wykes was against commoners attending parliament. Opinions are
often influenced by self-interest. It is possible that the authors
of sources 1, 3 and 5 thought that Simon de Montfort's government
would bring in policies that would benefit them. Another
reason that writers disagree is that they have consulted different
sources. For example, most of the sources that Matthew Paris studied
might have said good things about Simon de Montfort.
Lesson
13: You will
need Norman
Castles,
Tonbridge
Castle, Feudal
System, Clare
Estates in 1086, William
Rufus,
Magna Carta, Castles:
Glossary and Barons and the Monarchy
for this lesson. It should take them about two hours to complete.
It is also an opportunity to look at two key areas of the 'Medieval
Realms' course: "relations of the monarchy with the barons"
and "the involvement of English monarchs in Ireland, Scotland
and Wales'.
Richard de Clare (Strongbow)
was the only son of Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke. King Stephen
had granted Gilbert the title in 1138. Gilbert was the younger brother
of Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Clare. Strongbow arrived in Waterford
in May, 1170 with about 1,500 men. Waterford fell to Strongbow in
two days. The marriage between Strongbow and Eva took place straight
away. Strongbow's army then marched to Dublin. The city fell before
Roderic of Connacht could organise his forces.
The Clares were able to
hold on to their territory in Ireland without too much difficulty.
The main problem came in 1293 when the Irish in Kilkenny revolted.
Gilbert the Red was forced to sail with a large body of knights to
pacify the region. He arrived in Ireland in October 1293 and left
in April, 1294. The castles owned by the Clare family in Wales required
a large number of people to look after them. In 1262 there were 52
people housed in Neath castle, including the constable, 12 foot soldiers,
a chaplain, the cook, a laundress and other servants, and a number
of grooms. There were 28 people in Llangynwyd, 42 at Llantrisant and
20 in Cardiff.
The largest Clare castle
in Wales was at Caerphilly. The Romans had originally built a fort
at Caerphilly in about A.D. 75 but this was abandoned in the second
century. After Gilbert de Clare established control over the Vale
of Glamorgan in 1268 he began the rebuilding of Caerphilly Castle.
Nearly all the castle was built within the next three years. Caerphilly
is the earliest and finest example of a concentric castle in Britain.
What is so surprising is that it was built by a 25 year old earl and
not the king of England.
The castle was built on
a narrow strip of gravel between the marshy valleys of two streams.
Gilbert de Clare's engineers cut ditches across the gravel to create
three islands. The castle was then built on the central island. The
Nant y Gledyr stream was dammed to create a huge lake around the outside
of the castle.
After Edward's successful
campaign against the Welsh (1282-83), Caerphilly was no longer important
as a frontier fortress and was mainly used by the Clares as a centre
of administration. There was an attempt by Morgan ap Maredudd in 1295
to capture Caerphilly and although the town was badly damaged, the
Welsh rebels were unable to take the castle.
Caerphilly Castle was-
always well stocked in case of an emergency. An inventory taken in
1327 revealed 112 quarters of corn, 110 quarters of beans, 78 carcasses
of oxen and 40 of mutton, 72 hams and 1,856 stockfish. The castle
also contained £13,000 packed in 26 barrels and a collection
of 600 silver vessels.
Wales was a source of great
profit for the Clare family. Sources of income included rents, mills,
court fees and the sale of grain, animals and wood. The Clares also
owned silver, lead and iron mines in Glamorgan. In 1317, the total
income for the Glamorgan estates was almost £1,275 and Gwynllwg
£460. Usk and Caerleon were valued at some £750 whereas
Cardiff brought in £113. A close inspection of the Clare accounts
reveals that Wales was responsible for about a third of the family
income.
Lesson
14: You will
need Bannockburn for this lesson.
(Q1) The author of source
4 is expressing an opinion
when he claims that "many nobles and knights...
were too showy and pompous" and "the wicked
party lost and the cunning one conquered."
(Q2) The monk of Malmesbury
(source 1) claims that Edward II's army was the largest that ever
left England. However, other than stating that there
were over 2,000 knights in the cavalry, the author gives no other
details. In his speech before
the battle (source 3), Robert Bruce is quoted as saying that his soldiers
would need to kill 45,000 men if they were to win victory. In his
book The History of Greater Britain,
John Major argues that the Scots actually killed 50,000 during the
battle. Other sources suggest that there was only about 20, 000 soldiers
in the English army. Even so, this was still far larger than the estimated
5,500 soldiers who made up Robert Bruce's army.
(Q3) There are several
possible reasons why Robert Bruce's outnumbered army was able to defeat
the English at Bannockbum. The main reason was that Robert Bruce was
able to chose the site where the battle took place. The English were
forced to advance on a narrow front between marshland and thick wood.
As a result, the English soldiers at the back were unable to reach
the Scottish lines. With the two sides locked together it was difficult
for the English archers to hit their intended targets.
There is also evidence
that the Scottish soldiers were more highly motivated than the English.
As Robert Bruce pointed out in his speech before the battle: "Our
enemies are moved only by desire for domination but we are fighting
for our lives, our children, our wives and the freedom of our country"
(source 5).
A large proportion of
the English army were foreign mercenaries who were fighting for money
rather than for their freedom (source 3). Source 4 is also critical
of the attitude of some members of the English army: "There were
in the English army many nobles and knights who were too showy and
pompous... when the two sides engaged, the Scots remained firm, but
the English fled."
Lesson
15: You will
need Robert Bruce for this lesson.
(Q1) John Fordun and John
Barbour were both supporters of Robert Bruce. In both accounts they
stress the fighting abilities of Robert Bruce. John Fordun even claims
that Robert Bruce had God on his side. Fordun and Barbour were both
Scottish priests who strongly opposed the attempts by the English
to conquer Scotland.
(Q2) Source 4 illustrates
how Robert Bruce used hit and run tactics against the English. As
the Monk from Malmesbury points out, "Robert Bruce... unequal
to the King of England in strength, decided that it would be better
to resist our King by secret warfare rather than in open battle."
Source 5 shows how Robert Bruce tried to recruit the support of the
Irish in his fight with the English. He also wrote similar letters
to the people of Wales.
(Q3) Edward
would have been upset when he heard that Robert Bruce had destroyed
his power in Scotland. He would also have been concerned when he heard
that "the Scottish people firmly believe that Robert Bruce will
win." Edward realised that people are more likely to fight for
a leader they believe is going to be victorious. Edward would also
have been very worried that the Scottish preachers were supporting
Robert Bruce. Religious people are more likely to fight if they believe
that God is on their side. Edward would also have been worried that
these preachers might persuade England's Welsh mercenaries to change
sides.
Lesson
16: You will
need Castles: Glossary, Caerphilly
Castle, Origins of Parliament,
Battle of Lewes, Gilbert
the Red, Bannockburn, Clares
in Ireland, Clares in Wales,
Edward II and the Clare
Sisters and Clare
Family: Extended Writing for this lesson.
After the death of Gilbert
the Red, King Edward decided to look round for another husband for
his daughter. In March 1297, Edward announced that Joan of Acre was
to marry his cousin and ally, Amadeus V, Count of Savoy. Joan however
had fallen in love with Ralph de Monthermer, a young knight with very
little land. The two married in secret. When the king heard the news
he imprisoned Ralph in Bristol Castle. The king eventually relented
and released Ralph and allowed him to manage the Clare estates until
Joan's death in 1307.
The
Clare Sisters provides a good example of how women from rich families
were treated in the 14th century. If women were likely to inherit
large estates it was very important for the king that they should
marry men who were loyal subjects. However, knights did not always
remain loyal to their king. In 1322, Hugh de Audley and Roger Damory
joined Thomas, Earl of Lancaster in his struggle with Edward II. Audley
surrendered to Edward just before the Battle of Boroughbridge on 17
March 1322. Damory fought against the king and after being captured
was executed for treason. After a period in prison Hugh de Audley
was released and allowed to keep his estates.
Marriages were often arranged
when the girls were only three of four years old. The law stated at
the time that a girl as young as seven was capable of consenting to
marriage. However, the marriage could not be consummated until the
girl was 12 years old (boys had to be fourteen).
Elizabeth and Eleanor de
Clare were both victims of rape and abduction. Rape was a criminal
act and by law a rapist could be blinded, castrated or executed. Rich
and powerful men were rarely punished in this way. Loyal knights often
sought permission from their king before abducting and raping a rich
heiress. This was a convenient way for the king to make sure that
the estates were under the control of one of his supporters.
Court records reveal that
rape committed by nobles was usually punished by a monetary fine.
If the man was willing to marry the victim the judge would often pardon
the rapist. As marriage was generally the motive behind the rape,
the accused man was likely to find this judgement acceptable. In the
14th century courts were unwilling to convict rapists when the victim
was pregnant. It was generally believed that her pregnancy signalled
God's approval of the marriage. A detailed account of these issues
can be found in The History of English Law:
Volume II by Frederick Pollock and Frederick Maitland (Cambridge,
1911).
The kidnapping and forced
marriage of Elizabeth to Theobald Verdun would have caused considerable
anger in the Clare family. These two families had been in conflict
for a considerable period of time. In 1291, Theobald's father, Lord
Verdun, had been imprisoned over a land dispute with Gilbert de Clare.
The kidnap of Elizabeth would have enabled Theobald Verdun to win
back the land that had been lost by his father. By the time of the
abduction in February, 1316, Theobald Verdun was fairly confident
that Edward II would not take action against him. Verdun had proved
himself a loyal knight and had fought bravely in Edward's Scottish
campaigns.
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