Harrying of the North Grade 7

Threat 1 William was now the king of England. There were about 10,000 Normans in England supporting him. However, they were surrounded by a hostile population of one to two million English people. For almost next ten years, William spent most of his time in England putting down rebellions against his rule by English lords.

Threat 2 The French king feared that being king of England would make William too powerful. He could be a threat to the French king. From around 1074, William faced attacks from the French king.

Threat 3 The most serious threat to William was the rebellion in the north of England in 1069. The northern English earls had joined with the king of Scotland and a Viking fleet of 250 ships. William dealt with the rebellion ruthlessly. His actions became known as the Harrying (devastating) of the North. He destroyed villages and farms across a wide area and slaughtered livestock. This Harrying of the North caused terrible famine and many people died of starvation.

The Harrying of the North was the main reason why William survived the threats against him. It effectively wiped out the existing English lords in large parts of the country.