How much changed in crime and punishment
following the Norman invasion?
In 1066 William the Conquerer embarked on a crusade to take what was supposedly Williams. William took Britain in the space over nearly a year by successfully beating the king himself (Harold) on the battle field at Hastings. Once William had taken a large chunk of Britain's countryside he set out to rebuild the ashes he had left behind into something of a reflection of the country across the english channel, Normandy. Anglo-saxon Britain had had a up till that point brutal system of law and order. Much of the country was run by the Nobel that lived in the county or parish. This meant that there was little law enforcement apart from any men working on the estate of that said Nobel. Norman law was based on the idea of the Mund - this is an area of land around every mans home in which peace and order was allowed to exist.
Army movements before Battle of Hastings, 1066 Bat...
RR Train, Great Britain (LOC)
The Alfred Jewel, a piece of ninth-century Anglo-S...Since William had now conquered the whole country, it was now his mind which meant that he was responsible for the law and order in his Kingdom. Law and Order under the Normans was very similar to that of Anglo-Saxon laws.
Forest Laws were put in place under William the Conquerer. This meant that William owned all or any forests within his kingdom, This meant that any animals or wood in that area was his and if taken would be treated as theft. These forest laws also included some farms and villages in quite remote places in England. This restricted people from hunting in these areas and foraging. Park rangers were employed to police these forests to make sure no poachers or villages stole anything from the woods. Farmers were not even allowed to a...