The Anglo-Saxon period dates from the arrival of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, following the fall of the Roman Empire in 410CE. The period lasted until the Norman Conquest of 1066.
By the 11th century, Anglo-Saxon England had a well-defined social hierarchy, organized around a mix of class, kinship, and military service. This article looks at how Anglo-Saxon Society was organised and the roles played by each societal group during this period.
King
Anglo-Saxon kings were at the top of Anglo-Saxon society. After the unification of England in 927, kings held significant political and military power.
The king was responsible for protecting his people, maintaining justice, and managing the kingdom’s resources. His power was not absolute, as he relied on the loyalty and support of the noble class. In periods of crisis, such as risk of invasion or threat of civil war, it was the Witan (comprised of Earls, high-ranking Thegns and leading churchmen) that advised the King.
The King was protected by his Housecarls. These were a body of professional soldiers, usually of free but non-noble background. They were selected for their military ability and paid a wage.
Primogeniture (the automatic succession of the eldest son of the King) was not used in Anglo-Saxon England. Rather, it was the Witan that had responsibility for electing a new King.
The year 1066 saw three kings of England – Edward the Confessor (died 5th January 1066), Harold Godwinson (6th January – 14th October 1066) and William I (crowned 25th December 1066).
Earls
Below the king were the earls. Originally known as Ealdormen, they became known as Jarls (Earls) by the Danish King Canute. They were rich and powerful men in Anglo-Saxon society.
Earls acted as governors of the seven regions that had been Kingdoms prior to the unification of England. They were answerable only to the king and had the power to pass local laws, serve justice and set taxation. Earls also had to power to order local thegns to raise the fyrd (1 man for every 5 hides of land) if their region was under threat.
Like the King, Earls had their own Housecarls for protection and support.
Anglo-Saxon Earls were responsible for collecting taxes from those that lived in their region. They kept one third of money raised and sent the rest to the King.
The leading Earls in 1066 were: Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex; Edwin, Earl of Mercia; Morcar, Earl of Mercia; Gyrth Godwinson, Earl of East Anglia; Leofwine Godwinson, Earl of Kent.
High Clergy
The High Clergy were a powerful body in Anglo-Saxon society. They included Archbishops, Bishops and Abbots, all of whom attended the Witan when it was called. In addition to presiding over church affairs, they advised the King and were often at court.
Archbishops – there were two in 1066 – Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury and Ealdred, Archbishop of York. Archbishops were always appointed by the Pope, but Stigand was controversially appointed by Edward the Confessor without the Pope’s approval.
Bishops – there were around 10 – 15 Bishops in 1066. The most senior of these attended the Witan. Bishops were responsible for the management of their see as well as ordaining priests, dedicating new churches and presiding over confirmations. Some were also sent on diplomatic missions overseas by the king.
The leading bishops in 1066 were – Stigand, Bishop of Winchester (as well as Archbishop of Canterbury); Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester; Leofric, Bishop of Exeter; Herman, Bishop of Ramsbury and Sherbourne.
Abbots – the exact number of abbots in 1066 is not known, but it is believed that there were at least 50 monasteries in the country. Abbots were responsible for the management and running of monasteries as well as ensuring that the rules of their order were adhered to by monks and nuns.
Abbots of the most important monasteries attended the Witan when it was summoned. These included: Leofric, Abbot of Peterborough; Aelfwig, Abbot of New Minster, Winchester; Aethelwig of Evesham; Odric of Abingdon.
Thegns
Thegns were lesser nobles. They were landowners that owned at least 5 hides of land, though many owned much more. Despite being freemen, they owed loyalty to their King and Earl and could be summoned by both.
They were generally well-trained in military arts and would be called upon to defend their region if it were invaded, or to put down local disturbances. Most thegns had a number of retainers that supported them militarily. They were also responsible for summoning and leading their local fyrd in times of battle.
Thegns also held administrative roles in Anglo-Saxon society, supporting their Earl. Their duties would include tax collection and maintaining law and order in their shire. It was a thegn that would be appointed as Shire Reeve (Sherriff) to keep law and order.
Leading thegns also presided over local courts. Justice was based on a system of compensation, or wergild (a value assigned to each person based on their social status), that determined the fines or reparation due for crimes.
Peasants
The vast majority of Anglo-Saxon society were peasants who farmed the land. Some peasants were relatively free (Ceorls) while others (Geburs and Cottars) owed fealty to their lord. A peasant’s lord was the landowner whose land they farmed and could be the king, an earl or a thegn.
Ceorls – sometimes called Churls, were free peasant farmers who owned or rented land. They had certain rights under the law and could participate in local assemblies, known as moots or folkmoots, where decisions were made on local matters.
Although they were free men, they still owed fealty to their local thegn or earl and could be called upon to serve in the fyrd, particularly in times of war.
Some ceorls rose in status to become lesser thegns.
Geburs and Cottars – these were peasant farmers that farmed land owned by earls, thegns or churchmen. They were less free than ceorls. In return for the land they lived on and farmed, they were bound to provide produce, labour and loyalty to their lord.
They did not serve in the fyrd, though they were called upon to help with logistics (providing and transporting food and maintaining the armour and weapons of their lord and the fyrd).
Slaves
Also known as Thralls, slaves were the lowest tier of Anglo-Saxon society. They were not free and had no legal rights. They were the property of their master.
People were either born into slavery or became slaves through being captured in war or because they were unable to pay debts to their master.
Slaves performed the most menial tasks as house servants or agricultural workers.
Overall, Anglo-Saxon society was a structured hierarchy where social roles were defined. There was a degree of social mobility, especially for the more enterprising or skilled within each group. All groups were expected to follow the law and support their king and lord in times of need.