It's 1075. Things are heating up. King William has gradually been
constricting the power of his earls. Ralph de Gael, the Norman Earl of East
Anglia is not happy. Nor is his friend, Roger de Breteuil, Earl of Hereford and
the son of one of William's most loyal followers: William FitzOsbern. William
had shrunk the earldom of Hereford and sent in his own sheriffs to control the
Marcher Earldoms. The two aren't happy. So they decide to take matters into their
own hands... 1075: The Revolt of the Earls. In 1075, Ralph
de Gael, Earl of East Anglia, married Emma, the sister of his co-conspirator Roger de
Breteuil. At the feast, there were many important figures: bishops, abbots, earls
and magnates. One of these guests was particularly
significant: Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria and the last surviving Saxon
Earl. Waltheof was the son of Earl Siward of Northumbria: the earl who had been replaced
by Tostig Godwinson after his death in 1055. Waltheof had only been allowed to
remain earl after submitting to William. Moreover, Waltheof off had been part of the
rebellions in the North. However, was pardoned, again, after submitting. It was
at this wedding feast that Ralph and Roger decided to tell Waltheof about
their plans. It is likely they hoped getting Waltheof on board would help
win them the widespread support from the anglo-saxons which they needed, as well
as gaining them the support of the Danes. Waltheof had strong contacts with King
Sweyn of Denmark. The plan was for them to overthrow William, dividing his
kingdom into three, between them. They also took care to time the planned
revolt with when William was away in Normandy, leaving Archbishop Lanfranc as
regent. The plan was underway- however, it never really did kick off. First of all,
Waltheof changed his mind, deciding better than to take part in
the revolt. He informed Lanfranc of the plans. In response, Lanfranc sent out
men to see what was happening in the Earldoms of Hereford and East Anglia. Upon
their return, the men reported that the rebels were strengthening the defences
of their castles and building up their troops ready for a combined attack.
Lanfranc wrote letters to Roger de Breteuil, trying to dissuade him from rebellion
and reminding him of his own father's loyalty to William. Though, these letters
had no effect. So Lanfranc changed his strategy, instead choosing to use
excommunication: the act of expelling someone from the church, meaning they
couldn't confess their sins before they died and will be doomed to burn in hell.
An effective tactic for a religious nation. Meanwhile, preparations were being
made elsewhere to counter the revolt. In the West, bishop Wulfstan of Worcester,
and the Abbot of Evesham, used their troops to prevent Roger from crossing
the River Severn, trapping him in Herefordshire. In the East, Anglo-Saxons
and Normans joined together in an effort to stop Ralph breaking out of his earldom
in East Anglia. The rebellion wasn't exactly going well. They had failed to
get the widespread Anglo-Saxon support they needed, and, as part of the plan,
they'd also contacted the Danes, who put together an impressive fleet: 200 ships,
led by Cnut, the son of King Sweyn, and Earl Hakon. They even had the support of
Brittany and France, Normandy's main rivals, who wanted to weaken
Normandy. However, there was a catch... These Danish ships arrived too late. William
had already returned to the country. The Danish fleet could have stretched Norman
defences beyond their limits, however as stated in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the
two leaders (Cnut and Earl Hakon) "dared not join battle with William," himself. Instead,
the Danish fleet chose not to invade. They raided up the east coast and, as
usual, ransacked York Cathedral before returning home again. After the defeat of
the revolt, Ralph managed to escape to Brittany, whilst his wife, Emma, chose to
hold out in Norwich Castle until she could make a deal which guaranteed her and
their followers a safe passage back to Brittany. Waltheof fled abroad.
However, William tricked him into thinking he would be forgiven if he
returned. Upon his return, he was imprisoned and - William must have totally
run out of patience with Waltheof - as in May 1076, he was executed in
Winchester. Roger was also captured, and imprisoned for life. William then
travelled back to Normandy, attacking Ralph's castle at Dol.
he faced strong resistance and troops sent to aid Brittany from France, so was
forced to retreat. That was the end of the revolt, however, it taught William a
lesson or two...
First of all, he realised he
had to be careful of his own earls. Ambition and resentment had been at the
heart of the revolt. The joining of Anglo-Saxons with Normans in preventing
the revolt, such as Bishop Wulfstan, suggests some Anglo-Saxons now supported
William's rule. And, William now stamped down harder on any rebellions which
arose, especially if they involved links to Denmark. 1075: The Revolt of the Earls.
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