Page 35 - All About History - Issue 09-14

What was it like?
ENGLAND 1070

Education
The vast majority of the population
had no access or need for education
as most worked the land. The
Domesday book of 1086 reveals
just how common work in the The Domesday Book of 1086 is an
fields was and how children were invaluable source of information
expected to work from an early
age. Churchmen were generally the
most educated members of society.

Society
Society was very hierarchical, with
the king at the top, followed by his
lords. Further down were different
classes (such as the villein and the
bordar, depending on how much By 1070 Normans occupied many
key positions in English society
land they owned). The serfs were at
the bottom of the pile.

Like most of the rest of the world at this time,
agriculture was England’s main industry
Religion
England was a predominantly
Catholic country that
acknowledged the Pope’s authority.
William replaced most of the
English-born bishops and abbots
with Normans and brought bishops
into the feudal military structure,
which meant they had to provide a
certain number of knights for him.

Industry
England’s industry was
overwhelmingly agricultural. The
most reliable information about
this comes from the Domesday
Book of 1086 which reveals that © Getty Images; Alamy; Look and Learn; Corbis
wheat was the most important
arable crop over a third of England England was a staunchly
was covered in arable land. Catholic country in 1070

35