How far did William I change the government & administration in England?
William the Conqueror made some significant changes to the government and administration of England; including the introduction of feudalism. He also continued the previous traditions which he deemed effective – such as the collection of the geld and the use of writs.
William altered the aristocracy and nobility of England. Upon ascending to the throne, he replaced many of the Anglo-Saxon earls with Normans who had fought by his side at the Battle of Hastings. This was a form of repayment for the services of the Normans. This established a new Norman Elite, which threatened the Anglo-Saxon population – which was now ruled by Normans. William, however, was careful not to replace some Anglo-Saxon nobles in order to prevent any threats and thus, he kept some of the previous nobles in their positions and replaced them later on in his reign. He also expanded shires and reduced their size. He appointed sheriffs to oversee these shires and control the populace. Sheriffs ensured that tax was collected and that any royal decree was adhered to.
Justice was also altered by William the Conqueror. The sheriffs had their own courts, in which local matters were discussed. Honourial courts became more popular – these were owned by barons and were also judged by the Norman barons. The practice of ‘trial by ordeal’ was continued and the king introduced ‘trial by battle’ – which involved the defendant battling the claimant to the death as a means of judging the winner of the case. Writs were commonly used by the former Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor and William carried on the use of writs when establishing royal decrees. These writs continued to be written by the chancery – an institution established during the reign of Edward the Confessor which produced royal publications. A significant change William made was the introduction of law codes. William introduced ‘murdrum fines’, which were given to Anglo-Saxons in a local area following an unsolved murder of a Norman. William also introduced ‘Forest Law’ – preventing the hunting of animals in forests and the destroying of habitats. The perpetrators of this law were punishable by heavy fines, amputation and even death. William the Conqueror exploited these new laws in order to increase the royal income. William made some significant changes in the way justice was delivered in England.
William changed little in England’s fiscal policy. He continued to levy the geld, which was a sufficient form of tax; providing the Anglo-Saxon royal household with about £20,000 per year. William exploited the geld by increasing the rate of shillings per hide, however, this does not mean he changed it. His new source of income came from the collection of fines related to his new laws. Other than that, William did not make any significant change in finance and instead, simply exploited the pre-established system.
The introduction of feudalism was a significant change in the government and administration of England. This was the practice of providing vassals with land on the price of loyalty. This was paid by swearing homage or oaths of fealty to an overlord. William abolished the previous Anglo-Saxon hierarchal system and introduced this new form of distributing land in a more organised and secure manner. This ensured that William had the loyalty of the nation and that he could easily take land away from those who were not loyal. This was a significant change, as the king held more control over English estates.
William’s kingship was also different to Edward’s. He publicised his coronation by wearing his crown. This physical symbolism was new to the population and ensured that William was known as the king of England and the king of the Anglo-Saxons. He displayed his strength as a king, constantly moving around to secure his population. William was an itinerant monarch – as he set up his power across the whole of England.
William made several changes to the government and administration of England; most significant being the introduction of feudalism and the replacement of the nobility. He made many changes, however, he did indeed continue some of the previous practices possibly as a result of his satisfaction with the already efficient practices set up under the former rule of the Anglo-Saxon king; Edward the Confessor.