1. What is happening in this picture?
What previous knowledge has led you to this conclusion?
The picture shows a Norman trial called ‘Trial by Combat’. Just like the Anglo-Saxons the Normans believed that God could prove guilt or innocence through a series of trials. They continued the Saxon system of Trial by Ordeal, but the Normans came from a strong fighting back ground, and so introduced Trial by Combat as a new ordeal. Students might use prior knowledge from last lesson to come to this conclusion.

2. The Big Picture
Key Vocabulary
Deterrent
Retribution
Revenge
Attitudes
Continuity
Change
How did attitudes towards Crime and Punishment change c50AD-c1350?
Identify key events and people that influenced the way these attitudes changed over the time period
Describe attitudes towards crime, punishment and law enforcement in the period 50AD-1350 .
Assess to what extent there was change or continuity to attitudes at this time
The big picture indicated where students are heading over the course of this unit. Share information, but there is no need to write this in books (although a print out could be stuck in for reference). Students will see this slide at the beginning of every lesson to remind them of the overall outcomes for this unit.

3. Today’s Lesson The Normans: Law and order after the Norman Conquest
Key Vocabulary
Forest Laws
Manor Court
Trial by Combat
Benefit of Clergy
Right of Sanctuary
Mund
The Normans: Law and order after the Norman Conquest
Identify the key features of Norman Law and Order
Understand the nature of Norman Society and the impact this had upon attitudes towards Crime .
Know how the law was enforced in Norman Britain
Today’s lesson title and objectives. Needs to be recorded by students.

4. Who are the Normans?
Most people have heard of the Normans in one way or another. Look at the list of terms below, and see how many of them are familiar to you from studying History when you were younger.
William the Conqueror
The Battle of Hastings
The Norman Conquest
The Bayeux Tapestry
1066
Are any of these terms familiar?
If so, you’ve already got a general idea of who the Normans are. William I (William Duke of Normandy/William the Conqueror) became King of England in 1066 after his Norman Army defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings after an argument over the English throne.

5. What was Norman Society like?
In actual fact, there was little difference between the values of the Normans to their predecessors the Anglo-Saxons.
Where as the Romans had lived on the principles of hierarchy and patriarchy, both the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans held religion at the core of their day to day lives. In fact, the Normans were even more religious than the Saxons, and elevated its role and importance further.
There was however one fundamental difference between the two societies, and that was the importance and role of the King.
The Normans had seized power, and this hadn’t gone down well with everyone! To protect his crown and his people (who were outnumbered by Anglo-Saxons roughly 300-1!) William made crimes against authority (both his own and his fellow Normans) the most serious of crimes!

6. What was Norman Society like?
Whilst the Normans did not have a system of hierarchy like the Romans, William I did introduce some form of order to Norman society.
The principle was similar to that of hierarchy, in that everybody had their place in society; but this was not based on social position to the extent of the Romans.
The Norman system, which was called the Feudal System, was about maintaining Norman power and control.
The King used wealthy landowners as his representatives in the different counties (similar to the Saxon concept of Shires). At first, he dished out responsibility to both Norman and Anglo-Saxon landowners, but after several rebellion attempts the Anglo-Saxon landowners were stripped of their positions and all responsibility given to his trusted fellow Normans.
This system of control was developed to help establish Norman control and protect William’s authority.

7. The Norman Feudal System:
The Monarch. At the head of Norman society was the King (William I) He appointed Barons – which were his most trusted Norman Noblemen to help him control the people
The Barons were given land (Countries) to govern. This allowed the King to delegate control. Barons were responsible for appointing Knights
Peasants (Villeins) were given responsibility and land . They worked the land to provide for themselves and those above
The Knights were loyal to the Barons and the King, and were prepared to fight to protect Norman Rule

8. Crimes against Authority:
In addition to the Feudal System, William I introduced a number of laws which were designed to protect his authority and his fellow Normans. This means that there were a number of ‘new crimes’.
These included:
Killing a Norman – There were a number of serious rebellions at the start of Williams reign which proved the Anglo-Saxon resentment of the Norman Conquest. In order to protect Normans and those in authority, William made it a crime to murder a Norman. It was considered to be one of the most serious crimes (classed as rebellion) and was punishable by execution; either by burning, hanging or beheading.
The Forest Laws – Use page of your textbook to complete the gap fill exercise on the Forest Laws.

9. Increasing the role of the church:
Just like the Anglo-Saxons, the Normans were heavily influenced by the church. An example of continuity between the two time periods is trial by ordeal – a system which the Normans continued to use to prove innocence or guilt.
But the Normans increased the importance of the church, and as such this heavily influenced their attitudes towards both crime and punishment.
William I established the ‘Church Courts’ – which would deal with what he called ‘religious’ or ‘moral’ crimes such as adultery and sex before marriage.
He also used the Church Courts to control the behaviour of priests themselves.

10. The influence of the church in Norman Crime and Punishment:
Use pages 23, 25 and 27 to complete your chart showing how religion influenced crime, punishment and law enforcement in Norman Britain.

11. The concept of “putting someone off”
Dazzle the examiner!
DETERRENCE:
The concept of “putting someone off”
If punishments were deliberately very harsh it was hoped that they would act as a deterrence and ‘deter’ (put off) criminals from committing crime
Use this word in the exam and prove to the examiner you know your stuff!

12. Changes in punishment:
TASK: In no more than 30 words (2-3 sentences) summarise the changes in punishments.
Changes in punishment:
As you have seen Religion had a large influence over attitudes to crime, punishment and law enforcement in Norman Britain.
BUT – it didn’t extend over all elements of Norman law and order.
You have already seen that the other influencing factor is the authority of the King, and sometimes this protection of authority took on more importance than the role of religion.
A good example of this is seen in punishment. The Romans had used execution liberally in their punishment system, but the Anglo-Saxons had favoured mutilation – believing that execution was against the wishes of the church. This is where the Norman view differs.
Whilst the Normans still held religion and the church in high importance, when it came to punishment it was all about deterring crimes against authority! Therefore, they were as harsh as possible and execution was back in a big way!

13. What kind of crimes did people commit in Norman Britain?
Norman system of law and order classified crimes in two ways:
Divide half a page into two columns; or create 2 mind map headings. Use the 2 boxes above as your headings.
Use page 26 (page 58 in the older text) to divide the crimes committed in the Roman Empire into these two headings.
You have 5 minutes!
MINOR CRIMES
MAJOR CRIMES

14. How were these crimes punished?
Now, using page 26 (page 59 in the older text) – match the punishments used to the crimes you have added in your columns/mind maps.
Do this in a different colour, then add a key to show which are the crimes and which are the punishments.
Public hanging
Arson
Hanging
MAJOR CRIMES
Heresy
Murder
Key:
CRIMES
Burning
PUNISHMENT

15. Homework Task
A civil war preceded the rule of Henry II and so he felt the need to restore and further protect the authority of the King.
TASK 1: You need to glue in the photocopied sheet.
TASK 2: Read it first.
TASK 3:Highlight NO MORE THAN 30 WORDS out the ENTIRE DOUBLE PAGE.
TASK 4: Write a summary of the information on the this double page. It must be between 60 and 75 words.

16. Who was responsible for enforcing law in Norman Britain?
TASK: In no more than 6 short bullet points explain who was responsible for enforcing law and order in Norman England
Who was responsible for enforcing law in Norman Britain?
Church courts were just one way of enforcing law and order but only for priests or for moral and religious crimes.
Norman law enforcement was not all that different to the Anglo-Saxons. The idea of collective responsibility still existed and as such the Normans continued the system of Tithings.
As such the role of the hundreds continued, as did the system of the Hue and Cry.
Just like the Saxons the Normans used local courts – although these were known as ‘County Courts’ rather than Shire Courts, and as you have seen the concept of Trial by Ordeal also continued. Each County had a sheriff.
Anglo-Saxon Kings had the ‘King’s peace’ and similarly William I and later Norman kings had the ‘King’s Mund’.
A ‘Mund’ was an area of land around every man’s home in which law and order had to exist. As the King’s Mund was the whole country, he was responsible for law and order throughout his kingdom!

17. The BIG conclusion - Assessing change and continuity:

18. What might this look like in the exam?
Judgement about extent or nature of change required for Level 4 (13-16 marks)
How much did law enforcement change in the period AD?
You may use the following and any other information of your own in your answer:
Roman Law and order was based upon the 12 tablets
Trial by ordeal continued into the Norman period
16 marks (plus 3 for SPAG) = 19 in total

19. 0 – No answer submitted or illegible response
LEVEL
Descriptor 1
1-4 marks
IDENTIFY: I identified relevant examples of law enforcement from the correct time period, but was unable to describe them in any detail. There is no reference to the concept of change. 2
5-8 marks
DESCRIBE: I am able to describe in good detail a number of relevant examples from across the period. Link to the idea of change is non existent (bottom of level) or only implicit (weak) at the top of the level. 3
9-12 marks
EXPLAIN: I am able to describe in good detail a number of relevant examples from across the period AND explain how they are similar or different to other relevant examples. My answer is organised and there is an explicit (clear) focus on CHANGE throughout. 4
13-16 marks
ANALYSE: As level 3, but I able to make a judgement about the EXTENT of change; e.g. partial/mostly and comment on the NATURE of change; e.g. more organised, more/less official. This may appear just in the conclusion (13/14 marks) or throughout for the top of level.
SPAG MARKS:
0 – No answer submitted or illegible response
1 – General spelling is poor and key words are rare/non-existent. There is little/no use of punctuation
2 – General spelling is fine as is punctuation and grammar. There is some use of key words in their correct context.
3 – The quality of spelling, grammar and punctuation is good throughout. Key words are used frequently and accurately.