Resistance and Revolts 1067–1075

The Norman Conquest was not accepted passively by the English. Between 1067 and 1075, there were numerous rebellions against Norman rule. Each revolt was met with ruthless suppression, and each failure strengthened William's grip on England.

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Why Did the English Rebel?

The English had many reasons to resist Norman rule:

• Loss of land — Norman lords were given English estates, displacing English thegns
• Heavy taxation — William imposed high taxes, including the Danegeld
• Castle building — English homes and even churches were demolished to make way for Norman castles
• Cultural oppression — Norman French replaced English in government and the Church
• Brutal repression — William's soldiers treated the English harshly, and punishments for resistance were severe

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Timeline of Major Revolts

Date	Revolt	Location	Outcome
1067	Revolt in Kent	Dover and southeast England	Suppressed by Odo of Bayeux; Eustace of Boulogne's attack on Dover was repelled
1068	Revolt of Exeter	Exeter, Devon	William besieged Exeter for 18 days; the city surrendered; William built a castle
1068	Edwin and Morcar's first revolt	Midlands and North	Edwin and Morcar submitted without a battle; William marched north and built castles at Warwick, Nottingham, York, Lincoln, Huntingdon, and Cambridge
1069	The Rising of the North	Yorkshire	English rebels attacked and killed the Norman garrison at York; William responded with devastating force (the Harrying of the North)
1069–1070	Danish invasion	Yorkshire and East Anglia	A Danish fleet supported the northern rebellion; William paid the Danes to leave
1070–1071	Hereward the Wake's rebellion	Isle of Ely, East Anglia	Hereward held out in the fenland marshes; eventually suppressed when William built a causeway to the island
1075	The Revolt of the Earls	Norfolk, Hereford, Northumbria	Three earls (Ralph de Gael, Roger de Breteuil, Waltheof) conspired against William; the revolt was crushed before William even returned from Normandy

timeline
  title Major Revolts Against Norman Rule 1067-1075
  1067 : Kent rising : Eustace of Boulogne attacks Dover
  1068 : Exeter besieged 18 days : Edwin and Morcar's first revolt
  1069 : Rising of the North : York garrison killed : Danish fleet arrives
  1070 : Harrying of the North : Hereward the Wake at Ely
  1071 : Hereward suppressed : Morcar imprisoned for life
  1075 : Revolt of the Earls : Ralph, Roger, Waltheof
  1076 : Waltheof executed : last English earl

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The Revolt of Exeter (1068)

In early 1068, the city of Exeter refused to submit to William and swear an oath of loyalty. The citizens barred the city gates and prepared to resist.

William besieged the city for 18 days. When Exeter finally surrendered, William treated the citizens relatively leniently — he did not destroy the city or execute the leaders. However, he immediately built Rougemont Castle to ensure Exeter's future obedience.

Exam Tip: William's response to the Exeter revolt shows his pragmatic approach — he used force when necessary but also showed mercy when it served his interests. Compare this with his much harsher response to the northern rebellions.

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Edwin and Morcar (1068)

Earls Edwin and Morcar had submitted to William at Berkhamsted in 1066, but by 1068 they were dissatisfied with their reduced status. They raised a revolt in the Midlands and the North.

However, the revolt collapsed before a battle took place. William marched north with a large army, and Edwin and Morcar submitted again. William responded by building castles at York and other northern cities to ensure future obedience.

Edwin was later killed while fleeing to Scotland in 1071. Morcar joined Hereward the Wake's rebellion and was imprisoned for the rest of his life.

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The Rising of the North (1069)

The most serious challenge to William's rule came in 1069 when the north of England rose in a major rebellion.

Events

1. In January 1069, English rebels attacked York and killed the Norman castellan, Robert de Comines, along with his garrison of several hundred men.
2. William marched north and rebuilt the York castle, but the rebellion continued.
3. In September 1069, a Danish fleet of 240 ships arrived in the Humber, encouraging further rebellion.
4. The English and Danes jointly attacked York, destroying both Norman castles and killing the garrison.

William's Response

William was furious. He marched north and paid the Danes to leave. He then turned his full fury on the rebellious north in the Harrying of the North (covered in the next lesson).

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Hereward the Wake (1070–1071)

Hereward the Wake is one of the most famous figures of English resistance. He led a guerrilla campaign from the Isle of Ely in the fenlands of East Anglia.

Aspect	Detail
Base	The Isle of Ely — surrounded by treacherous marshes and difficult to attack
Supporters	English rebels, including Earl Morcar and some Danish soldiers
Tactics	Guerrilla warfare; used knowledge of local terrain to ambush Norman forces
End	William built a causeway across the marshes to reach the island. Monks at Ely reportedly showed the Normans a secret path. Hereward escaped but the rebellion was crushed.

Key Term: Guerrilla warfare — irregular warfare using small, mobile forces that avoid pitched battle and instead rely on ambushes, raids, and knowledge of local terrain.

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The Revolt of the Earls (1075)

The last major revolt occurred in 1075 and was notable because it involved Norman as well as English rebels.

Rebel	Title	Role
Ralph de Gael	Earl of Norfolk	Norman; conspired against William
Roger de Breteuil	Earl of Hereford	Norman; son of William FitzOsbern
Waltheof	Earl of Northumbria	English; the last surviving English earl

The revolt was poorly coordinated and was suppressed by William's loyal barons (particularly Odo of Bayeux and Lanfranc) before William even returned from Normandy.

Waltheof was executed in 1076 — the only English earl to be executed by William. His death marked the final end of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy.

Exam Tip: The failure of the English revolts strengthened William's position each time. After each rebellion, he confiscated more English land, built more castles, and replaced English leaders with Normans. The rebellions actually accelerated the Norman takeover of English society.

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Extended Worked Paragraph: Level 4/5 Model on a Q8 Judgement Question

Question: "The rebellions between 1067 and 1075 ultimately strengthened rather than weakened Norman rule in England." How far do you agree? [16 marks + 4 SPaG]