Editing History of England (section)

==Norman England==
{{redirect|Norman England|the writer|Godfrey Webb}}
{{Further|England in the High Middle Ages|Government in Norman and Angevin England}}
[[File:Odo bayeux tapestry.png|thumb|Depiction of the [[Battle of Hastings]] (1066) on the [[Bayeux Tapestry]]]]

The [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]] led to a profound change in the history of the English state. William ordered the compilation of the [[Domesday Book]], a survey of the entire population and their lands and property for tax purposes, which reveals that within 20 years of the conquest the English ruling class had been almost entirely dispossessed and replaced by Norman landholders, who monopolised all senior positions in the government and the Church. William and his nobles spoke and conducted court in [[Norman French]], in both Normandy and England. The use of the [[Anglo-Norman language]] by the aristocracy endured for centuries and left an indelible mark in the development of modern English.

Upon being crowned, on Christmas Day 1066, William immediately began consolidating his power. By 1067, he faced revolts on all sides and spent four years crushing them. He then imposed his superiority over Scotland and Wales, forcing them to recognise him as overlord.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/british-and-irish-history-biographies/william-i-conqueror|title=William I|author=John Cannon|website=encyclopedia.com|accessdate=27 March 2024}}</ref> Economic growth and state finances were aided by the [[History of the Jews in England (1066–1290)|beginning of Jewish settlement in London]].{{sfn|Roth|1964|p=4}}

The English [[Middle Ages]] were characterised by [[civil war]], international war, occasional insurrection, and widespread political intrigue among the aristocratic and monarchic elite. England was more than self-sufficient in cereals, dairy products, beef and mutton. Its international economy was based on [[Wool#History|wool trade]], in which wool from the [[sheepwalk]]s of northern England was exported to the textile cities of [[Flanders]], where it was worked into cloth. Medieval foreign policy was as much shaped by relations with the Flemish textile industry as it was by dynastic adventures in western France. An English textile industry was established in the 15th century, providing the basis for rapid English [[capital accumulation]].

[[File:Tower of London (8081574351).jpg|thumb|The [[White Tower (Tower of London)|White Tower]] of the [[Tower of London]], built in 1078]]

[[Henry I of England|Henry I]], the fourth son of [[William I the Conqueror]], succeeded his elder brother [[William II of England|William II]] as [[King of England]] in 1100. Henry was also known as "Henry Beauclerc" because he received a formal education, unlike his older brother and [[heir apparent]] [[William II of England|William]] who got practical training to be king. Henry worked hard to reform and stabilise the country and smooth the differences between the Anglo-Saxon and [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman]] societies. The loss of his son, [[William Adelin]], in the wreck of the ''[[White Ship]]'' in November 1120, undermined his reforms. This problem regarding succession cast a long shadow over English history.

Henry I had required the leading barons, ecclesiastics and officials in Normandy and England, to take an oath to accept [[Empress Matilda|Matilda]] (also known as Empress Maud, Henry I's daughter) as his heir. England was far less than enthusiastic to accept an outsider, and a woman, as their ruler.

There is some evidence that Henry was unsure of his own hopes and the oath to make Matilda his heir. Probably Henry hoped Matilda would have a son and step aside as Queen Mother. Upon Henry's death, the Norman and English barons ignored Matilda's claim to the throne, and thus through a series of decisions, [[Stephen I of England|Stephen]], Henry's favourite nephew, was welcomed by many in England and Normandy as their new king.

[[File:Durham MMB 02 Cathedral.jpg|thumb|[[Durham Cathedral]]. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133]]

On 22 December 1135, Stephen was anointed king with implicit support by the church and nation. Matilda and her own son waited in France until she sparked the civil war from 1139 to 1153 known as [[the Anarchy]]. In the autumn of 1139, she invaded England with her illegitimate half-brother [[Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester|Robert of Gloucester]]. Her husband, [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffroy V of Anjou]], conquered Normandy but did not cross the channel to help his wife. During this breakdown of central authority, nobles built [[adulterine castle]]s (i.e. castles erected without government permission), which were hated by the peasants, who were forced to build and maintain them.

Stephen was captured, and his government fell. Matilda was proclaimed queen but was soon at odds with her subjects and was expelled from London. The war continued until 1148, when Matilda returned to France. Stephen reigned unopposed until his death in 1154, although his hold on the throne was uneasy. As soon as he regained power, he began to demolish the adulterine castles, but kept a few castles standing, which put him at odds with his heir. His contested reign, [[the Anarchy|civil war]], and lawlessness saw a major swing in power towards [[feudal]] [[baron]]s. In trying to appease Scottish and Welsh raiders, he handed over large tracts of land.