New crimes in Norman England
In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England. After his victory at the Battle of Hastings, he became known as King William I. This marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England and the beginning of Norman England.
New crimes
- William had been tough on crime in Normandy as he believed that all people in his land should be protected from crime.
- Instead of seeing crimes as acts against individual people, William saw unlawful acts as challenges to the peace that he was responsible for ensuring.
- After becoming king, William faced opposition When a person or group criticises or protests against something. from the Anglo-Saxon people. He wanted to establish his power and confirm his authority. Norman soldiers
William continued with many Anglo-Saxon laws. However, he did introduce some new laws in Norman England:
| Law | Description |
| Murdrum | Norman soldiers were not welcomed by the Anglo-Saxon people in England. William introduced a law saying that if a Norman was killed and the murderer was not captured and executed, then the people of that region had to collectively pay a murdrum fine. |
| Forest laws | The cutting down of trees was forbidden. People in the forest were not allowed to own dogs or a bow and arrow. People were also not allowed to hunt deer and were punished by having their first two fingers cut off so that they could no longer use a bow and arrow. Repeat offenders were blinded. The forest laws were not popular because activities that were allowed on common land in Anglo-Saxon England were made illegal. However, some people still broke the forest laws because they felt they were unfair and they saw them as more of a social crime. Therefore, local communities often didnât report people who hunted or collected firewood from the forest. |
| Women | Norman laws were harsher on women than the laws of the past. Women had been treated equally to men in Anglo-Saxon England. |
| Law | Murdrum |
|---|---|
| Description | Norman soldiers were not welcomed by the Anglo-Saxon people in England. William introduced a law saying that if a Norman was killed and the murderer was not captured and executed, then the people of that region had to collectively pay a murdrum fine. |
| Law | Forest laws |
|---|---|
| Description | The cutting down of trees was forbidden. People in the forest were not allowed to own dogs or a bow and arrow. People were also not allowed to hunt deer and were punished by having their first two fingers cut off so that they could no longer use a bow and arrow. Repeat offenders were blinded. The forest laws were not popular because activities that were allowed on common land in Anglo-Saxon England were made illegal. However, some people still broke the forest laws because they felt they were unfair and they saw them as more of a social crime. Therefore, local communities often didnât report people who hunted or collected firewood from the forest. |
| Law | Women |
|---|---|
| Description | Norman laws were harsher on women than the laws of the past. Women had been treated equally to men in Anglo-Saxon England. |
âWomenâs authority nil. Let her in all things be subject to the rule of men.â
More guides on this topic
- Crime and punishment in Britain overview - Edexcel
- Crime and punishment in early modern England, c.1500-c.1700 - Edexcel
- Crime and punishment in 18th- and 19th-century Britain - Edexcel
- Crime and punishment in modern Britain, c.1900 - Edexcel
- Crime and punishment in Whitechapel, c.1870-c.1900 - Edexcel