1. What were the consequences of William I’s death?
Starter: What are the key differences between these two images?

2. July 1087 – William led a raid into France, attacking the castle at Mantes.
He had gained so much weight that his horse struggled to hold him.
His stomach was so large that it pressed against the saddle – when the horse stumbled it ruptured inside his stomach.
By September 9th he had died at his palace in Roen (Capital of Normandy)
On his death bed he confessed his sins and prayed forgiveness from God.

3. "I treated the native inhabitants of the kingdom with unreasonable severity, cruelly oppressed high and low, unjustly disinherited many, and caused the death of thousands by starvation and war, especially in Yorkshire....In mad fury I descended on the English of the north like a raging lion, and ordered that their homes and crops with all their equipment and furnishings should be burnt at once and their great flocks and herds of sheep and cattle slaughtered everywhere. So I chastised a great multitude of men and women with the lash of starvation and, alas! I was the cruel murderer of many thousands, both young and old, of this fair people.“
William’s confession, as recorded by Orderic Vitallis

4. The immediate impact of William’s death
Those who stayed behind seized the arms, vessels, clothing, linen, and all the royal furnishings, and hurried away leaving the king's body almost naked on the floor of the house.
His barons abandoned the castle and rode to secure their castles against attack.
The immediate impact of William’s death
It fell to a common knight to make the funeral arrangements and have the body conveyed down the Seine and then overland to Caen. There, as the abbot and his monks came to meet the bier, a fire broke out, destroying the greater part of the town. All rushed to extinguish it, leaving only the monks to complete the service.
When it came time to bury the heavy body, it was discovered that the stone sarcophagus had been made too short. There was an attempt to force the bloated corpse and, says Orderic, "the swollen bowels burst, and an intolerable stench assailed the nostrils of the by-standers and the whole crowd."

6. Task One
Create this table in your book. Use the information on pp to find information to support the statement!
Challenge: If your target is a 7 or above try to show some balance by finding evidence against the statement.
Statement
Evidence For
Evidence Against
William was a man with too much avarice.
Over the space of 21 years he centralised power in the hands of the crown.
He extended his demesne to 18%
He owned 85% of all land.
All revenue from taxes, fines, reliefs, knight services came to him.
He controlled the royal mint.
He reduced the power of his earls and strengthened his own power.
He controlled the Church (appointing new bishops, making decisions, taxing them on land)
The only reason he centralised power in England was to prevent rebellions. In 1066 he kept many elements of his kingdom the same – he was forced to change by rebellions.
William was an excellent warrior, general and leader
William was a very religious man
William was a “barbarous and cruel man”
William could not control his sons

7. William Rufus (William II)
William I had decided that his eldest son Robert should become the Duke of Normandy as he was his heir.
His favourite son, William Rufus, should become the King of England – he was a better leader than Robert.
He wrote a letter saying that he wished for William to become King, but said that God should choose.
In September 1087, Lanfranc crowned William II at Wesminister Abbey.
Fun Fact:
‘Rufus’ means red in Latin meaning William probably had red hair!

9. Why Robert? Supported by Fought alongside Fought against
He was not a strong leader so Normans believed he would be easy to control
One leader of both Normandy and England would be easier as Normans owned land in both kingdoms. Two leaders would make things complicated especially if they fought each other.
He was the eldest and according to Norman customs the eldest son inherited all of their fathers estates (therefore Normandy and England.
Supported by
Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy
Small rebellions in Norwich, raids in Somerset and Wiltshire and in Gloucestershire.
Larger rebellions in the West led by Roger de Montgomery and Roger de Lacy
Fought alongside
Bishop Odo
Robert of Mortain
Freed from prison in 1087, wanted to gain more power in England – this could be achieved by Robert as he was weaker than William Rufus.
Roger Bigod
Hugh de Grandmesnil
Robert de Mowbray
Roger de Lacy
William, Bishop of St Calais
Fought against
William II of England
Bishop Wulfstan
Six week siege of Pevensey, captures Robert. Odo eventually captured at Rochester and exiled.
Raises army and defeats Roger de Montgomery and Roger de Lacy in West.

10. Causation
Create a mind-map to show how William Rufus defeated the rebellion of 1088.

11. Odo’s Capture
William’s tactics
Pevensey
Restoration of Anglo-Saxon laws
Buying off Norman lords
Church in England
Lanfranc
Bishop Wulfstan defeats Roger de Montfomery and Roger de Lacy.
How did William Rufus defeat the rebellion of 1088?
One way in which William Rufus defeated the rebellion of 1088 was his tactics. An example of this was his six week siege of Pevensey Castle. This is where Odo and Robert of Mortain were based and William managed to surround the castle and starve them of supplies. This would have weakened the rebellion, as it was huge defeat for them and led to the capture of two of its leaders (Odo and Robert). Another example was that William promised to restore Anglo-Saxon laws that were scrapped by his father William I. This would have caused many people not to join the rebellion, therefore weakening it further.