The English Surrender of 1066

What was the surrender of the English after the Battle of Hastings?

Within a few weeks of Harold Godwinson's defeat at the Battle of Hastings, the other earls of England had surrendered to William's rule. However, at first it seemed as though they might continue to fight.

What happened in the surrender of the Anglo-Saxons after the Battle of Hastings?

After the Battle of Hastings, the Anglo-Saxons in London looked as though they might continue the fight.

• ❖ Surviving troops from Hastings fled to London, where they met with the reinforcements from the fyrd, who had not arrived at Hastings in time.
• ❖ The Witan elected Edgar Aetheling as king. The Archbishops Stigand of Canterbury and Ealdred of York crowned him, and he was also supported by Edwin and Morcar.
• ❖ Edwin and Morcar sent their sister and Harold's widow, Ealdgyth, to Chester for safety.

How did William cause the English surrender after the Battle of Hastings?

William had a number of priorities following his victory at the Battle of Hastings.

• ❖ He secured the south coast, so that supplies and more troops could be sent from Normandy, although he and many of his army became ill at Dover.
• ❖ He sent soldiers to seize the royal treasury at Winchester.
• ❖ He then headed to London to force a surrender, destroying people's homes as he went.
• ❖ Instead of directly approaching heavily-fortified London, he first went north-west to Berkhamsted.

Who surrendered to William in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings?

At Berkhamsted, Edgar Aetheling met William, along with Archbishop Ealdred, Edwin, Morcar, and other leading earls. They surrendered to William, swore oaths to obey him, gave him hostages, and offered him the crown.

Why did the Anglo-Saxons surrender after the Battle of Hastings?

It isn't clear why the Anglo-Saxons surrendered to William in 1066, as they were in a good position to continue fighting. However, the earls clearly felt that submission was the better option, perhaps because William had some key strengths.

How were the Anglo-Saxons in a good position to avoid surrender after the Battle of Hastings?

The Anglo-Saxons had several strengths against the Normans after the Battle of Hastings.

• ❖ London was well-fortified and a siege would cause losses and problems for William.
• ❖ William was in a foreign country, with only the soldiers he had brought with him. By contrast, the Saxons could potentially gather a new army to oppose him.
• ❖ Although William might have gained Wessex, Edwin and Morcar's earldoms of Mercia and Northumbria were large and important parts of England.

What Anglo-Saxon weaknesses meant they surrendered after the Battle of Hastings?

Although the Anglo-Saxons were in a strong position to fight on after the Battle of Hastings, they were also weak in some important ways.

• ❖ William might have been able to cut London off from help from the north. He was also experienced in sieges.
• ❖ Edgar and the earls could not agree about the best course of action.
• ❖ The Battle of Hastings had been a crushing defeat, in which many of England's best warriors were killed.
• ❖ Some earls saw William's victory as God's will, and therefore to be accepted rather than challenged.

How did the strengths of the Normans lead to English surrender after the Battle of Hastings?

William and the Normans had some advantages after their victory at Hastings.

• ❖ William seized the treasury of England, which meant he had the means to reward his followers while Edgar did not.
• ❖ William's effective leadership kept his troops going, despite their illness and battle-weariness.
• ❖ His methods of intimidating the Anglo-Saxons were effective. All the towns and villages the Normans destroyed were quick to surrender.

What Norman weaknesses might have meant the English didn't have to surrender after the Battle of Hastings.

After the Battle of Hastings, the Normans had some problems to contend with.

• ❖ They were deep in enemy territory, with no secure defences or base.
• ❖ The Witan and the leaders of the Church had chosen their new king, which made William's claim obsolete.
• ❖ He had fewer soldiers than the potential numbers of the fyrd.
• ❖ Sickness had hit the Norman troops at Dover.