Every card in Medieval Britain 1066–1509, Year 7: more practice
The whole deck, in order — so you can read it through before your child ever sees it.
- On which festival day in 1066 was William crowned King of England?
Christmas Day
HintIt fell just over two months after the battle.
WhyWilliam was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066. Choosing the abbey where Edward the Confessor was buried helped him look like a rightful king.
- Which region of northern France was William the duke of before he became king?
Normandy
HintThe people who invaded England in 1066 are named after it.
WhyThe name comes from "Northmen": the region was settled by Vikings in the early tenth century. By 1066 its dukes ruled as French-speaking lords.
- Which Norwegian king, a rival claimant, invaded England in September 1066?
Harald Hardrada
HintHis nickname meant "hard ruler".
WhyHarald Hardrada argued that an earlier agreement between kings of Norway and England gave him a claim. He landed in the north with a large fleet.
- What title did Harold Godwinson hold before he was crowned king in January 1066?
Earl of Wessex
HintHe was the most powerful nobleman in England, ruling the southern heartland.
WhyHarold was chosen by the Witan, the council of leading nobles and churchmen, and crowned the day after Edward died. He was the only claimant who was already in England.
- At which northern battle in September 1066 did Harold beat Hardrada, days before William landed?
Stamford Bridge
HintIt was fought near York, a long march from the south coast.
WhyHarold's army then marched hundreds of miles south to face William. The soldiers were tired and some had been left behind, which is one reason historians give for the English defeat.
- Which army fought mostly on foot at Hastings: the English or the Normans?
The English
HintOne army had a large force of mounted knights and many archers.
WhyThe English formed a shield wall on a ridge. The Normans mixed archers, foot soldiers and cavalry, which gave William more ways to attack.
- In a motte-and-bailey castle, what was the motte?
A raised mound of earth with a tower on top
HintThink of a small artificial hill.
WhyThe bailey was the fenced yard beside it. Together they could be built in days using local labour, which suited a small army holding a big country.
- The earliest Norman castles were quick to build because they were made mainly of earth and what material?
Timber (wood)
HintStone came later, once the Normans felt more secure.
WhyTimber castles could be raised quickly but could burn or rot. Many were rebuilt in stone over the next hundred years or so.
- Which king ordered the Domesday survey?
William the Conqueror (William I)
HintHe wanted to know what he now owned.
WhyThe survey was carried out in 1086, about twenty years after the conquest. It listed who held land and what it was worth, which helped William tax and control it.
- Why did people give the survey the name "Domesday"?
Its judgement was final, like the Day of Judgement
HintThink of a verdict that cannot be appealed.
WhyDoom means judgement. Once an entry said who held a piece of land, nobody could argue with it, just as no one could argue with God's judgement on the last day.
- In the feudal system, who was at the top of the pyramid and held all the land in theory?
The king
HintEveryone else held land from someone above them.
WhyThe king gave land to barons, barons gave land to knights, and peasants farmed it. Each level gave something back to the level above.
- What did peasants mainly give to their lord in return for land and protection?
Work on his land
HintThey did not have much money.
WhyMany peasants worked a set number of days on the lord's fields as well as farming their own strips. They also owed payments in goods.
1★ KS3-HIST-MED-0013
2★ KS3-HIST-MED-0014
3★ KS3-HIST-MED-0015
4★ KS3-HIST-MED-0016
5★ KS3-HIST-MED-0017
6★ KS3-HIST-MED-0018
7★ KS3-HIST-MED-0019
8★ KS3-HIST-MED-0020
9★ KS3-HIST-MED-0021
10★ KS3-HIST-MED-0022
11★ KS3-HIST-MED-0023
12★ KS3-HIST-MED-0024
Keep what you learn
Here, nothing is saved. In your child’s own sky every card is scheduled — it comes back just before they’d forget it — and the professor who wrote it is one tap away.