Anglo-Normans
The Anglo-Normans (Norman: Anglo-Normaunds, Old English: Engel-Norðmandisca) were t he
medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combinat ion of et hnic Normans, French,
Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bret ons, following t he Norman conquest . A small number of
Normans had earlier befriended fut ure Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward t he Confessor, during
his exile in his mot her's homeland of Normandy in nort hern France. When he ret urned t o England
some of t hem went wit h him, and so t here were Normans already set t led in England prior t o t he
conquest . Edward's successor, Harold Godwinson, was defeat ed by Duke William t he Conqueror
of Normandy at t he Bat t le of Hast ings, leading t o William's accession t o t he English t hrone.
The vict orious Normans formed a ruling class in Brit ain, dist inct from (alt hough int er-marrying
wit h) t he nat ive populat ions. Over t ime t heir language evolved from t he cont inent al Old Norman
t o t he dist inct Anglo-Norman language. Anglo-Normans quickly est ablished cont rol over all of
England, as well as part s of Wales (t he Cambro-Normans
Cambro-Normans).
). Aft er 1130, part s of sout hern and
east ern Scot land came under Anglo-Norman rule (t he Scot o-Normans),
o-Normans), in ret urn for t heir support
of David I's conquest . The Norman conquest of Ireland in 1169 saw Anglo-Normans and Cambro-
Normans set t le vast swat hs of Ireland, becoming t he Hiberno-Normans.
The composit e expression regno Norman-Anglorum for t he Anglo-Norman kingdom t hat
comprises Normandy and England appears cont emporaneously only in t he Hyde Chronicle.[1]
Norman conquest
Aft er t he Norman Conquest of 1066, many of t he English nobles lost lands and t it les; t he lesser
t hegns and ot hers found t hemselves dispossessed of lands and t it les. A number of free geburs
, had t heir right s and court access much decreased, becoming unfree villeins, despit e t he fact
t hat t his st at us did not exist in Normandy it self (compared t o ot her "French" regions). At t he
same t ime, many of t he new Norman and Nort hern-France magnat es were dist ribut ed lands by
t he King t hat had been t aken from t he English nobles. Some of t hese magnat es used t heir
original French-derived names, wit h t he prefix 'de,' meaning t hey were lords of t he old fiefs in
France, and some inst ead dropped t heir original names and t ook t heir names from new English
holdings.
Norman possessions in the 12th century.
The Norman conquest of England brought Brit ain and Ireland int o t he orbit of t he European
cont inent , especially what remained of Roman-influenced language and cult ure. The England
emerging from t he Conquest owed a debt t o t he Romance languages and t he cult ure of ancient
Rome. It t ransmit t ed it self in t he emerging feudal world t hat t ook it s place. That herit age can be
discerned in language, incorporat ing t he French language and t he Roman past , and in t he
emerging Romanesque (Norman) archit ect ure.
Military impact
The Norman conquest of England also signalled a revolut ion in milit ary st yles and met hods. The
old Anglo-Saxon milit ary elit e began t o emigrat e, especially t he generat ion next younger t o t hat
defeat ed at Hast ings, who had no part icular fut ure in a count ry cont rolled by t he conquerors.
William (and his son, William Rufus), encouraged t hem t o leave, as a securit y measure. The first t o
The Anglo-Normans (Norman: Anglo-Normaunds, Old English: Engel-Norðmandisca) were t he
medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combinat ion of et hnic Normans, French,
Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bret ons, following t he Norman conquest . A small number of
Normans had earlier befriended fut ure Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward t he Confessor, during
his exile in his mot her's homeland of Normandy in nort hern France. When he ret urned t o England
some of t hem went wit h him, and so t here were Normans already set t led in England prior t o t he
conquest . Edward's successor, Harold Godwinson, was defeat ed by Duke William t he Conqueror
of Normandy at t he Bat t le of Hast ings, leading t o William's accession t o t he English t hrone.
The vict orious Normans formed a ruling class in Brit ain, dist inct from (alt hough int er-marrying
wit h) t he nat ive populat ions. Over t ime t heir language evolved from t he cont inent al Old Norman
t o t he dist inct Anglo-Norman language. Anglo-Normans quickly est ablished cont rol over all of
England, as well as part s of Wales (t he Cambro-Normans
Cambro-Normans).
). Aft er 1130, part s of sout hern and
east ern Scot land came under Anglo-Norman rule (t he Scot o-Normans),
o-Normans), in ret urn for t heir support
of David I's conquest . The Norman conquest of Ireland in 1169 saw Anglo-Normans and Cambro-
Normans set t le vast swat hs of Ireland, becoming t he Hiberno-Normans.
The composit e expression regno Norman-Anglorum for t he Anglo-Norman kingdom t hat
comprises Normandy and England appears cont emporaneously only in t he Hyde Chronicle.[1]
Norman conquest
Aft er t he Norman Conquest of 1066, many of t he English nobles lost lands and t it les; t he lesser
t hegns and ot hers found t hemselves dispossessed of lands and t it les. A number of free geburs
, had t heir right s and court access much decreased, becoming unfree villeins, despit e t he fact
t hat t his st at us did not exist in Normandy it self (compared t o ot her "French" regions). At t he
same t ime, many of t he new Norman and Nort hern-France magnat es were dist ribut ed lands by
t he King t hat had been t aken from t he English nobles. Some of t hese magnat es used t heir
original French-derived names, wit h t he prefix 'de,' meaning t hey were lords of t he old fiefs in
France, and some inst ead dropped t heir original names and t ook t heir names from new English
holdings.
Norman possessions in the 12th century.
The Norman conquest of England brought Brit ain and Ireland int o t he orbit of t he European
cont inent , especially what remained of Roman-influenced language and cult ure. The England
emerging from t he Conquest owed a debt t o t he Romance languages and t he cult ure of ancient
Rome. It t ransmit t ed it self in t he emerging feudal world t hat t ook it s place. That herit age can be
discerned in language, incorporat ing t he French language and t he Roman past , and in t he
emerging Romanesque (Norman) archit ect ure.
Military impact
The Norman conquest of England also signalled a revolut ion in milit ary st yles and met hods. The
old Anglo-Saxon milit ary elit e began t o emigrat e, especially t he generat ion next younger t o t hat
defeat ed at Hast ings, who had no part icular fut ure in a count ry cont rolled by t he conquerors.
William (and his son, William Rufus), encouraged t hem t o leave, as a securit y measure. The first t o
