William allocates English Lands 1066
After his coronation in 1066 William the Conqueror claimed that all the land in England now belonged to him. William retained about a fifth of this land for his own use. The rest was distributed to the those men who had helped him to defeat Harold. In return for these lands (fiefs), the 170 tenants-in-chief had to provide men for military service. The number of knights (horse soldiers) tenants-in-chief had to provide depended on the amount of land they had been given. In order to supply these knights, tenants-in-chief (also called barons) divided some of their land up into smaller units called manors. These manors were then passed on to men who promised to serve as knights when the king needed them. William gave a quarter of the land in England to the church. Bishops, abbots & priors that were granted land also had to promise to supply knights. For example, in exchange for his Mild flie archbishop of Canterbury had to provide sixty knights when the king wanted them. When William granted land to his tenant-in-chief an important ceremony took place. The tenant-in-chief knelt before the king, placed his hands between the king's & said: "I become your man," swearing on the Bible to remain faithful for the rest of his life. The tenant-in-chief would then carry out similar ceremonies with his knights.
It is the custom in England, as in other countries, for the nobility to have great power over the common people, who are their serfs. This means that they are bound by law & custom to plough the fields of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, & thresh & winnow the grain; they must also mow & carry home the hay, cut & collect wood, & perform all manner of tasks of this kind.
Jean Froissart, Chronicles (c. 1395)
