Wolves in Armour nc-1

by Iain Campbell

  Alan stood on a couple of wooden boxes which had been put together under the Old Oak tree, now bare for the winter, in the middle of the green. “Welcome to the free-folk of Thorrington, men and women both! Cheorls, geburs, sokemen and cottars! Thank you for spending your time to come to listen to the important information that I have to give you.

  “Firstly I’ll say the obvious. Last year the Normans, and others, came to this land in war. Earlier in the year there were battles in the north. Then the Normans fought against Harold Godwinson and his army at Hastings, where they prevailed. Some see this as being as a result of Pope Alexander’s blessing of William of Normandy’s claim and the fact that William’s army fought under the papal banner at Hastings. For whatever reason, the Normans won a victory.

  “Harold and his brothers lie dead and buried. William has been anointed king of England by Ealdred, the same Archbishop of York who crowned Harold, with the acclamation of all there present, including many English nobles.” There was a dead and clearly unhappy silence when Alan paused. “England has been invaded many times over the years by several nations, and each has appointed its own king and had its own nobility take control of the country. That is the same this time. I’ve been appointed by King William as owner of this village, and much of Tendring Hundred. At least I do speak some English! Had the Norwegians prevailed your Norse lord may not have done so. My men Hugh, Baldwin, Warren and Roger are learning the language, so please bear with their ignorance as they learn.

  “Your status has not changed. Those nobles who were thegns before remain thegns. Those who were cheorls remain cheorls, and so on. Your freedom and your rights have not altered. All but the slaves remain geburs, freemen. The laws of Edward and his predecessors still apply to you. The frithbogh system of pledges for each other’s good behaviour remains, as do the fines and wergild of Edward. Indeed, King William is reinforcing the frithbogh tithing by having lords and royal officials ensure that all men belong to a frithbogh.” There was a growing murmur of discussion and general relief at this point. “Let me make it clear that the Normans are not subject to English laws. They are subject to Norman laws, which in many cases are much more harsh. If an Englishman kills unlawfully, he and his frithbogh pay wergild of 200 shillings. If a Norman is convicted of killing unlawfully, including killing an Englishman, the penalty is hanging- with no option of wergild or bot.

  “Now to the bad news. You’ll have to deal with the fact that Normans control this land, under God and the Law. Most Normans are arrogant, ruthless and care little or nothing for those of a lesser social level. I hope that that’s not true of me and my men, but is a general fact that you will have to deal with. And for the worst news of all. The geld tax has been reintroduced, the first instalment is due on Lady Day on 25th March. The assessment for this village is 3 shillings. One third of that will be paid by me, as I own one third of the land. The rest will be payable by the freemen of the village.

  “I will be making changes to the way that my demesne land is farmed, to increase productivity so that I can pay my share of the taxes without suffering undue hardship. I’ll also be building more saltpans for my demesne and taking to plough some of the waste-land outside the village land, land that is some distance away and is of marginal fertility. I understand that Tolland and the village elders will be addressing you after I finish and I’ll then leave you to your deliberations.

  “However, before that are two other issues. Firstly, Brother Godwine will be presenting Mass every Sunday at the church here at Terce, and will spend each Tuesday ministering to the ill and those in need in this village. Secondly, I’m looking for warriors. Twenty men who will fight on horseback in the Norman fashion, equipped and trained by me, to be employed full- time. That includes me providing horse, armour and weapons, food and accommodation and half a shilling a week. I also require twenty archers, who will spend an initial short period of training and then train for half a day twice a week and be available to my call- otherwise they’ll be free to pursue their normal occupation. If any men feels a call to do something other than walk behind a plough, see Kendrick. We’ll also arrange regular training for the fyrd members on Sundays. Now I’ll leave you to Tolland and the elders to discuss together the issues I’ve raised.” Alan raised a hand in farewell, stepped off the boxes and with a nod to Tolland he and the other Normans walked off to the manor house.

  Back at Thorrington Hall, just before dark at a little after four in the afternoon, Kendrick advised Alan that Tolland would like to meet with him and would arrive shortly. In the interim Hugh had a word with Alan. “Kendrick tells me that we have ten potential volunteers as bowmen and four men who wanted to train full-time as cavalry, all of whom can already ride. Do you want to interview them, or should I?” asked Hugh. “Right, I’ll do it in the morning. Lack of suitable horses for further volunteers is going to be a problem shortly as there were only five horses in the stables until we arrived with our five beasts.”

  When Tolland arrived he was glad of the offer of a cup of hot mulled wine and passed on the information of the outcome of the folkmoot. “The geburs recognise that we’ll all have to work a bit harder to pay our taxes. Your suggestion about the extra saltpans was accepted well. They’ll need some labour to set up, but that shouldn’t be too hard to do on the flat low-lying land next to the current pans. Once that’s done the salt harvest in early autumn is easy. Planting peas, beans and alfalfa in the fallow fields also makes sense to us, both to improve the soil and provide either crops or better grazing for the animals. But, while we can see the theoretical benefits of a change to the three-field system of agriculture, we are traditional and know what works. Most think why should we change something that works? We’ll provide some extra ‘boon days’ of labour, free of charge, to help you implement your plans on the demesne land if needed and wait and see what is the outcome of your experiment.”

  “That’s good news,” said Alan. “I appreciate the offer of labour and of course I’ll supply the usual food and drink on any labour days. I also appreciate it’s difficult for men to change their habits and embrace new practices until they are proven to be of value. I’m also prepared to make an offer and will waive my usual rights as landowner regarding minor game. Village men will be permitted to freely take hares, squirrels, fox and pigeons, and what fish they can take from the shore of the estuary or the banks of the creeks by use of hook and line. This excludes the larger wild game and game birds, of course, and is to be only for the use of the family of the villager who does the hunting- no barter or sale, except of skins. That should put meat into nearly every pot in the village at least several times a week.”

  Tolland, taken somewhat by surprise by the generous offer, expressed his gratitude. By law, both Anglo-Saxon and Norman, all game whether great or small was reserved to the lord of the manor. Many of the villagers engaged in the occasional minor poaching, but the right to freely take the smaller wildlife would significantly increase the amount of meat available to the villagers and provide a more varied and healthier diet.

  All in all the discussion had given something for everybody and Alan expected much goodwill to flow from the waiving of rights on minor game. Everybody likes something for nothing and in the context of the village food supply this was a significant concession by him as lord. From a personal perspective Alan saw it as costing him nothing as there were ample fish in the river and sea and he was not interested in eating hares and squirrels. He also intended to plant most of his own fallow land with beans and allow the villagers to harvest them before the beasts were allowed to graze. The legumes would improve the soil, and the improved diet of the villagers would increase the amount of work each man and woman could perform. ‘Everybody a winner,’ mused Alan.

  Next day Alan, Baldwin and Warren rode out to Great Bentley and Tendring, meeting with Swein, who held Great Bentley on laen from Alan, and a courtesy call on the thegns of Tendring. These were Frewin, who held just half a hide of land, some 60 acres, and also A
lfward. Ednoth, the other major landholder, lived on his larger estate at Little Oakley. Swein appeared not to be disconcerted to have a Norman as his new lord, although unsurprisingly was disgruntled about the geld tax that would cost him?6 a year. Alan made a number of suggestions about increasing the manor income to help cover the impost, but Swein appeared to be a man who did not understand the land or its management and commented only that he would think about increasing the number of saltpans as Alan suggested.

  Two days later Alan rode through the village of Tendring to his manor at Beaumont three miles beyond, a distance of ten miles which took about an hour with the horses at a quick walk. He was accompanied by four of the now eight new recruits for his cavalry unit, Ainulf, Edric, Alfward and Ledmer. They looked resplendent in their mail hauberks (repaired ex-Hastings purchases), helmets, green-painted kite shaped-shields and green cloaks tied closely about them against the light snow that was falling. The fact that each hardly knew which end of a sword to hold didn’t affect their impressiveness or their feeling of smug self-satisfaction.

  Beaumont was a small manor of only two hides, some 240 acres, but with rich soil. It had seven ploughs and oxen teams, two salt houses, six taxed beehives (and many more untaxed ones relocated whenever the tax assessors called) and most importantly a mill. This was one of the properties formerly owned by Wulfwin and the steward was a relatively young and apparently capable man called Siric. It formed part of the parish that included the villages of Moze, Birch Hall and Tendring, the priest’s benefice being in the gift of Leofson of Moze. The priest, by name Edwin, was at his home at Birch Hall. According to Siric the priest was quite elderly but conscientious in the performance of his duties. The head-cheorl was Alstan. Although with only half the cultivated land of Thorrington, Beaumont was sufficiently wealthy that it had twice the amount of assessed annual geld.

  This was a small but rich manor that Alan was determined would be administered properly. The procedure followed by Alan was virtually identical to that when he took possession of Thorrington, although the strong-box was reasonably full of silver pennies, about?2 worth. The outcome of the folkmoot was similar to that at Thorrington and Alan gave similar instructions to Siric about the use of the demesne land and building more saltpans. Alan also gave the same spiel about wanting more mounted men-at-arms, this time the message being reinforced by the immaculate and impressive presence at his back of the four horsemen who had already commenced training.

  Alan by-passed Great Oakley, a manor he had ‘inherited’ from Aelfric Kemp. Wulfwin had lived in Lexden Hundred near Colchester and Estan had died without issue. Kemp had died leaving family, two brothers, and Alan intended to deal with them last. Instead, he called at Little Oakley as a courtesy to see thegn Ednoth, who also held land at Tendring and who Alan had not seen on his visit to that village, before proceeding in the afternoon to another of Wulfric’s former properties at Dovercourt, eight miles from Beaumont.

  Dovercourt was in laen to the thegn Toli and Alan spent a convivial evening with the thegn, his steward Haldane and head-cheorl Ordmer and the guests invited by Toli. The village was quite wealthy with six hides of land, nine ploughs (three belonging to the lord) and with a large flock of sheep and herd of cattle. Toli had taken the opportunity to invite Brictmer of Great Bromley, Ednoth from Little Oakley, Adamnan the steward to Queen Edith’s lands at Wix, Werian the steward of Alan’s own land at Bradfield and also Courtney, Alan’s steward from Great Oakley, and Alwin from Little Bromley.

  Alan gave the same talk about succession and taxes as he had at Thorrington. The financial implications were of obvious concern to the English and they chatted amongst themselves after Alan had finished his speech.

  After a while Toli urged, “Tell us about the great battle. None of us were there, and those who went to the battle did not return. The earl made his call and those with standing forces departed and did not return. These included Wulfwin, from his lands further west, Alfred Kemp and Estan. Those of us who needed to call in our men had just about reached London when word of the outcome of the battle reached us.”

  Alan felt warmed by the invitation and the implicit acceptance given by the request. He also appreciated that the semi-illiterate loved a good story. “Well, as you would expect, we Normans marched from Hastings at dawn. It was difficult country and we were marching along what was little more than a track. We came across the English line about an hour before Terce. They were in a superb defensive position on a steep hill with streams and marshy ground to their front, followed by a ploughed field. Each flank was protected by steep terrain and the trees of the Andreswald.

  “The armies were nearly equal in numbers. Probably the English had 1,000 or maybe 2,000 more men, but many were fyrdmen. A third of the Norman forces were heavy cavalry.” Alan described the battlefield and gave a detailed description of the battle to the point that he had departed, the thegns and their men nodding their understanding as he proceeded.

  “Why do you think we lost?” asked Ednoth.

  “Several factors,” replied Alan. “The main factor was probably the archers and crossbowmen, which over time bled the shield-wall of men. The nature of the land took away the Norman cavalry’s ability to manoeuvre and made head-on attacks both difficult and costly. The English heavy infantry were better than the Norman and French infantry and were strongly positioned. But the archers and crossbowmen could stand off and slowly bleed the defenders to death.”

  He took a sip of ale from the tankard before him on the table and continued, “The disposition and arranging of the Saxon infantry was poor. They just seem to have gone into line in the order they arrived with no real organisation or control of the forces that I could see. Also Leofric and Gyrth being killed early in the day didn’t help. When the last of the Godwinsons died there was nobody left to conduct a fighting withdrawal, and nobody able to raise and lead a new army. The main issue was the slow loss of the men on the shield-wall, the King’s Thegns, Royal Huscarles and the lesser thegns and huscarles, meant that eventually the line was shortened enough until some horsemen could get up the west flank. It appeared the thegns wouldn’t allow the fyrdmen to stand in the shield-wall- the line was still four or six deep at the end.”

  “What about the loss of men who chased the Bretons down the hill?” queried Ednoth.

  “I don’t think that made much difference,” replied Alan with a shrug. “The English had plenty of men and nearly all those lost in that undisciplined charge were fyrdmen armed with a spear or pitchfork, not professional soldiers. Sword-fodder,” said Alan dismissively.

  Alan found it interesting that the thegns and cheorls had been keen to hear the story of the battle, even from a man who had been on the other side and facing up the hill, and he had deliberately cast his story to be factual and impartial. Afterwards the evening progressed to heavy drinking and the telling of amusing or ribald stories and jokes, frequently at the expense of either some of those present or other men of local note.

  The next day, nursing a slight hang-over, Alan girded his loins to confront the Kemps, brothers of the dead Aelfric. Toli had described them the night before as two impetuous youths of sixteen and seventeen named Aelfhare and Bertholf, who had taken it upon themselves to assume the ownership of Aelfric’s three rich manors and who were both currently living at the Manor Hall at Ramsey. Toli’s comment was that they thought more with their fists and swords and that was why Aelfric’s father had left all three manors to him, instead of leaving one to each son.

  Alan asked Toli to accompany him as a witness, and Toli arranged for Dovercourt’s head-cheorl Ordmer and two seasoned fyrdmen to also join them. All were armed with swords. The new cavalrymen Ainulf, Edric, Alfward and Ledmer proudly wore their armour. Alan had been in two minds about that, feeling it may cause unnecessary friction but in the end deciding it made a point, and that the inexperienced cavalrymen would benefit from the extra self-confidence that wearing mail would give.

  To be sure of meeting Ael
fhare and Bertholf at home they departed at daybreak, and the two and a half mile ride to Ramsey took about fifteen minutes. Ramsey was a large, relatively populous and neat village with about fifty cottages, a mill and a salt house. Unlike many English villages its buildings were extended along the road, rather than being arranged around a central village green. The village was about a mile inland from the sea; the land was flat, with over seven hides of land and a small area of woodland. It had significant pasture and meadowland, which the Kemp family had used to build up a large sheep flock, cattle herd and a horse stud.

  The Manor House was on the east of the town. The nine riders dismounted in the forecourt, where they received a mixed reception as, although Toli was a respected neighbour, Alan’s companions were dressed in Norman armour and Alan in a non-descript but now travel-stained black tunic and trousers. A short man of slight build and few years with long dark hair hurried out of the Hall. “Aelfhare,” murmured Toli in Alan’s ear, followed a few moments later by another man slightly younger but taller and more heavily built. “Bertholf.”

  “Greetings, Toli! What brings you here so early in the day? Have you broken your fast, or would you like something to eat?” asked Aelfhare, whose sharp eyes were taking in the weapons that the visitors carried and the foreign armour worn by men who, by their appearance and hairstyles, were Englishmen.

  “I have eaten, thank you. Myself and my men have been asked here as witness by my new landrica, Alan,” said Toli. Since coming to Tendring Hundred Alan had deliberately not described himself as ‘de Gauville’ nor emphasised his Norman nobility by the use of the honorific ‘Sir’.

  Alan stepped forward, towering over the smaller Englishman, who barely came up to his chest. “You are aware that your brother Aelfric died in battle at Hastings and that the land of all who did so has been declared forfeit by King William. The three manors formerly held by your brother have been given to me as landboc. I’m the new owner.”