Analysis of the Statutes of William the Conqueror

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

The author’s of the Statutes of William the Conqueror are William I and his princes. William I was a very famous man throughout history and the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror was born in Falaise in 1027 or 1028. He was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I and Herleve a girl who lived in that time. After his father's death in 1035, William was recognized by his family as the heir. William was an exception to the general rule that illegitimacy barred succession. He was known as William "The Bastard" to his colleagues; his illegitimacy shaped his career when he was young.

After his father’s death, Normandy was going through a period of anarchy. Since William I was then too young to look after the Duchy his great-uncle temporally assumed the role. William’s king, King Henry I of France, knighted him at the age of fifteen. During William’s early life he was in constant danger, because many Normans would have preferred to have a different ruler. Because of this he learned at an early age not to trust anyone. This attitude leads William I into a series of conflicts within Normandy which caused him to become a gifted knight and warrior.

In 1050, William was threatened by the King of France and the Count of Anjou both significant players in contemporary French politics. He married Matilda of Flanders. This marriage secured the support of Flanders and helped minimize the threats. In 1060, the King of France and the Count of Anjou died. That enabled William to secure and create his Norman Empire.

William took advantage of the lack of leadership and conquered the region of Maine in 1063. After, King Edward of England secured his throne he invited William I to England and nominated him to be the next heir to the throne. Prior to Edward’s death in 1066 there was a change of heart, in which he named Harold of Wessex as his heir. William found out several days later and gained support from European leaders and the church. William then prepared for an invasion of England in what is known as the "Battle of Hastings". He defeated Harold and became the King of England.

Once William the Conqueror became King of England, he spent the rest of his life, until his death in 1087, organizing the English government. He created a centralized feudal government, something unique in Europe at the time. William was able to do this because he not only conquered the country outright, but also replaced the nobility with his own men. Moreover, he made sure there were fewer nobles per capita than in any other nation. The English nobles would eventually rebel, and would do so several times over the next few centuries. However, because the royal government was stronger, and ...

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The basic statutes created by William the Conqueror, though few compared to the body of law, which governs nations today, seemed to cover many of the basic tenets of medieval laws. It governed loyalty to the king, commerce between the citizens, keeping order among the citizens and the punishment for crime. The ten laws are outlined as follows:

First that above all things he wishes one God to be revered throughout his whole realm, one faith in Christ to be kept ever inviolate, and peace and security to be preserved between English and Normans.
We decree also that every freeman shall affirm by oath and compact that he will be loyal to king William both within and without England, that he will preserve with him his lands and honor with all fidelity and defend him against his enemies.
I will, moreover, that all the men I have brought with me, or who have come after me, shall be protected by my peace and shall dwell in quiet. And if any one of them shall be slain, let the lord of his murderer seize him within five days, if he can; but if he cannot, let him pay me 46 marks of silver so long as his substance avails. And when his substance is exhausted, let the whole hundred in which the murder took place pay what remains in common.
And let every Frenchman who, in the time of king Edward, my kinsman, was a sharer in the customs of the English, pay what they call "scot and lot", according to the laws of the English. This decree was ordained in the city of Gloucester.
We forbid also that any live cattle shall be bought or sold for money except within cities, and this shall be done before three faithful witnesses; nor even anything old without surety and warrant. But if anyone shall do otherwise, let him pay once, and afterwards a second time for a fine.
It was decreed there that if a Frenchman shall charge an Englishman with perjury or murder or theft or homicide or "ran", as the English call open rapine which cannot be denied, the Englishman may defend himself, as he shall prefer, either by the ordeal of hot iron or by wager of battle. But if the Englishman be infirm, let him find another who will take his place. If one of them shall be vanquished, he shall pay a fine of 40 shillings to the king. If an Englishman shall charge a Frenchman and be unwilling to prove his accusation either by ordeal or by wager of battle, I will, nevertheless, that the Frenchman shall acquit himself by a valid oath.
This also I command and will, that all shall have and hold the law of the king Edward in respect of their lands and all their possessions, with the addition of those decrees I have ordained for the welfare of the English people.
Every man who wishes to be considered a freeman shall be in pledge so that his surety shall hold him and hand him over to justice if he shall offend in any way. And if any such shall escape, let his sureties see to it that they pay forthwith what is charge against him, and let them clear themselves of any complicity in his escape. Let recourse be had to the hundred and shire courts as our predecessors decreed. And those who ought of right to come and are unwilling to appear, shall be summoned once; and if for the second time they refuse to come, one ox shall be taken from them, and they shall be summoned a third time. And if they do not come the third time, a second ox shall be taken from them. But if they do not come the fourth summons, the man who is unwilling to come shall forfeit from his goods the amount of the charge against him -"ceapgeld" as it is called -- and in addition to this a fine to the king.
I prohibit the sale of any man by another outside the country on pain of a fine to be paid in full to me.
I also forbid that anyone shall be slain or hanged for any fault, but let his eyes be put out and let him be castrated. And this command shall not be violated under pain of a fine in full to me.

Despite being a new king, he respected and followed the laws set before him but at the same time editing them and infusing them with Norman tradition. One of the primary reasons for the document was to strengthen the unity of England between the Normans and English. This is shown through the use of religion as a uniting factor in the first statute, “ Firstly that, above all things, he wishes one God to lie venerated throughout his whole kingdom, one faith of Christ always to be kept inviolate, peace and security to be observed between the English and the Normans.”

In order to legitimize and protect his kingdom William the Conqueror established the second and the seventh statues. The statues state as follows” 2 We decree also that every free man shall affirm by compact and an oath that, within and without England, he desires to be faithful to king William, to preserve with him his lands and his honor with all fidelity, and first to defend him against his enemies.” “7. This also I command and will, that all shall hold and keep the law of Edward the king with regard to their lands, and with regard to all their possessions, those provisions being added which I have made for the utility of the English people.” William saw that as the kingdom of England could best be won over by making himself the legitimate ruler, the predecessor of Edward. He did this primarily by leaving many of the old English laws intact. From his experience with other lands William knew the dangers which threatened that unity; and took the measures were needed to preserve it during his time.

My group generally agrees with William’s views. By uniting Norman and English law, instead of throwing out old English, William had a much simpler job of ruling his kingdom with few disputes. Also by legalizing his rule he prevents anyone from rising up and challenging his authority. His overall leadership led to the strengthening of England.

David C. Douglas, William the Conqueror, The Norman Impact Upon England ( Berkely California University of California Press 1964 renewed 1992) pg. 15.

Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies “ Internet Medieval Source Book ; Laws of Williams the Conqueror” Fordham University http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

“Statutes of William the Conqueror,” in The Avalon Project at Yale Law School [online] October 1996 [cited 3 November 2005]; available from http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/medieval/lawwill.htm.

Ibid.