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Shropshire and the Norman Conquest |
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The Norman Conquest
The Bayeux Tapestry records the events of the Norman Conquest
© Mary Evans Picture Library |
In 1066, William the Conqueror's victory spelt the end of almost every single Anglo Saxon earl's influence, power and holdings. William had raised his invading army with promises of a share in the spoils of war, and once victorious he divided the country up, and gave large tracts of land to his most loyal supporters. Around 200 Norman barons replaced about 4,000 Anglo Saxon nobles.
Immediately after the Conquest, William the Conqueror placed Shropshire under the control of the Anglo-Saxon Earl Edwin of Mercia, who had accepted William as monarch in 1066. However, events of the next few years made the situation in Shropshire increasingly volatile. In 1069 an Anglo-Saxon thegn of Herefordshire, Edric the Wild, attacked Shrewsbury with the assistance of Welsh warriors and insurgents from Chester.
Whittington Castle in Shropshire (photo: Ben Osborne Photography)
© Ben Osborne Photography: Oswestry and Welsh Border Tourist Information |
Although his rebellion was easily put down by Norman force, the perpetrators were never caught. William the Conqueror, furious at the insurrection, and even more irate that the mavericks could not be caught, vented his fury by razing Shrewsbury to the ground. Two years later, in 1071, Earl Edwin of Mercia was killed by conspirators from his own clan. After two acts of defiance William the Conqueror felt Shropshire needed strong and loyal leadership, and installed Roger de Montgomery as Earl of this troublesome shire.
Roger de Montgomery was one of William the Conqueror's most loyal aides, he had entrusted Roger to look Normandy kingdom whilst he invaded England. The two were blood relations and had been friends since their teenage years. Given Roger's esteemed status, William's decision to grant him control of Shropshire highlights the strategic importance of the area.
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