Medieval government

William's later chroniclers

Jul 1, 1065

Edward the Confessor offered William the crown and sent Harold to pledge it to him in the Winter Harold was shipwrecked in Normandy whilst trying to visit France by trying to secure the release of his brother & nephew who were held as hostages in the Norman court

The events of 1066

Jan 1, 1066

Edward the Confessor dies Harold gambles and makes a bid for the Crown despite the so-called oath wiliam did nothing William is a moot point but certainly William sees this as his chance to invade

Early may

May 1, 1066

Tostig makes an abortive attempt to invade England. Harold calls out the English levy to defend against an expected thrust but it never comes Harold has to disband the fyrd and let it go home to harvest its crops

10,000 men

Sep 20, 1066

Sailing up the Ouse with more than 10,000 men Harald Hardrada and Tostig defeat the hastily assembled forces of Earls Edwin & Morcar at Fulford outside York the army of the Earls is decimated and Edwin & Morcar are unable to play any more part in the campaigns

5 days later

Sep 25, 1066

he respondesponds by scraping together a scratch force made up largely of his own housecarls and personal followers and racing north, calling up the shire levies as he passes through he has marched 180 miles, and surprised them

the 28th

Sep 28, 1066

Having sailed his fleet to St Valery sur Somme, William waits for the wind to change directions It changes 2 days after Stamford Bridge, and William's fleet makes landfall at Pevensey completely unopposed

1st of october

Oct 1, 1066

Harold learns of William's landing he marches back down Ermine Street, stopping to pray at Waltham Abbey on the way he is back in London and gathering what forces he could to face William

14the of october

Oct 14, 1066

Harold takes up a position blocking the Norman advance to London on Senlac Ridge at the site of Battle with an army of little more than 5,000 weary and footsore men. He intends to fight a purely defensive battle, sitting behind the famous Saxon shield wall and letting the Normans break themselves against it

1st of november

Nov 1, 1066

Harold takes an arrow in the eye and as his men mill around him, four Norman knights break through and hack him down

25th

Dec 25, 1066

A state of war continues until Christmas 1066, when a deal is struck between William and the English magnates in which he guarantees their positions in return for their support. William is crowned King of England on Christmas Day