“As to your first point, I would say my concern is not just for the Hundred, but of the shire and the kingdom,” replied Alan. “You’ll be aware that I have retained Englishmen in my service rather than engaging Normans or Frenchmen. I believe that it is inevitable that changes will take place at the top of the social hierarchy. Your nobility was comprised of four families and dominated by the family of Godwin. With their fall, and the coming of a foreign king- and I don’t believe it would have made any real difference had it been a Norman or a Norwegian, or even a Danish king- many changes will take place.
“I do not agree with the Heriot charge and spoke against it with the king. Nor do I believe that the geld, which I do have to pay, should be levied at the rate that it is being levied. But the king has made those decisions and they are law. I also have to provide men in military service for forty days a year, which the thegns of this shire are not required to do.
“What I do object to is that officers of the king- who as I have said before are at least by legal definition Englishmen, Ralph being half Breton and half-English and Bishop William a Norman appointed to his position by Edward the Confessor- are taking advantage of the Heriot for their own advantage. I intend to report those abuses to the king and I’m sure he will act on them, as he’s completely intolerant of corruption. Is there anyone here who is suffering abuse in the application of the Heriot? Not disagreement with its implementation or difficulty with its payment, but who is suffering actual extortion?”
One man put up his hand and said. “I am Alstan of Dickley, with one hide and 37 acres of land. My geld is?1 a year, and so should be my Heriot, if pay it I must. I have no sons, and two daughters. My eldest daughter Hilda is fifteen and fair. The clerk who visited me bearing authority from Bishop William has stated that if she does not marry a Norman of the Bishop’s choosing before All Saints Day on 1st of November my Heriot will be?5. I would have to forfeit and I do not doubt that my land would then be taken by the Bishop.”
Another stood. “Aelfric, a freeman from Old Hall and Lawford. Both myself and the other freemen of the village of Lawford are being charged a Heriot of three times our annual geld assessment. We cannot pay our proper Heriot, let alone that being sought, also by Bishop William.”
Several others made complaint of excessive Relief amounts. Alan asked each to meet with Osmund for him to take their depositions, with attested copies, to be sworn before and witnessed by the local priests Father Ator and Brother Wacian.
“In two weeks I intend to meet with Sheriff Robert fitzWymarc and put to him the depositions I have received by that date for him to investigate and prosecute. I swear I will also raise each with the King’s Chancellor within the month and with the king when he returns. Please pass the word around the whole shire, to those you know in each Hundred, that I need as many depositions as possible when I meet fitzWymarc and that if they want their grievances addressed this is the only chance they will have.
“I don’t care if the complainant is a thegn, a cheorl, sokeman or freeman. I don’t care if it’s for five hides or one acre. All are equal before the law and all are entitled to its protection when abuse and extortion takes place. Next week Osmund will travel to Thaxted, Halsted, Chippingong, Chelmsford, Bilrekay, Maldon and Braintree. We’ll be in Colchester for two days before I see fitzWymarc to take depositions from those in Lexden Hundred. Tell your countrymen to be brave and come forward with their grievances.”
“Won’t this make you unpopular with the Normans?” came a voice out of the crowd.
“Probably. Certainly with those who are in charge of the Heriots,” replied Alan.
“We will take you at your word,” said Leofstan of Great and Little Oakley, one of the larger landholders present. “We’ll dispatch riders all over the shire this day. Now what else do you want?”
“A unified approach to equipping and training the fyrd in the Hundred, with a thegn as my lieutenant in each of the districts within the Hundred, responsible for arranging the training of the fyrdmen,” replied Alan.
“Isn’t that the sheriff’s job?” asked Edwold, one of the three thegns from Alresford.
“So was fighting off the Danes,” interjected Anne, joining in the conversation for the first time. “But we had to do it ourselves. We also have a number of holdings with widows, some of those killed at Hastings and some whose husbands have simply died naturally- although there have been few enough of those this past year! Some estates have heirs not yet of age and who are subject to the appointment of a guardian by Earl Ralph. As Alan has said, Earl Ralph is an ‘Englishman’, but one much taken with improving his own position. How many heirs will survive to inherit? And in what condition will their holding be if that happens? They’ll be stripped bare. And the widows will receive the same threats I received to enter an arranged marriage. You can follow Alan’s lead or not. It’s your choice, but he and I will go our own way irrespective of what you do or say.
“Further,” she continued “For those in the shire who genuinely cannot pay the Heriot, Alan and myself will lend money for up to two years, as usual as a charge against your land, with no interest charged. For those, particularly smallholders and freemen, who wish to sell their land because they cannot meet the Heriot but wish to remain on their land as cheorls in laen, we would discuss their needs individually. As I said, what you choose to do is up to you, but please do not make what we seek to do more difficult by reporting what we have discussed to Earl Ralph, Bishop William or Engelric, or their men. Now we’ll serve the mid-day meal and you are free to use the Hall for your discussions before you leave,” concluded Anne.
“The church, the abbeys, monasteries and cathedrals, are lending money to the thegns and cheorls also, at no interest,” interjected Alfric.
Alan nodded his agreement and replied, “That is true. But the church rarely provides something for nothing. I think that such loans are a way of the church seeking to profit from the situation by lending money, and then when repayment is not made to then take possession of the manors involved. That way the church will acquire land at bargain prices!”
“What if we choose not to pay the Heriot and choose to fight?” asked Edwold.
Alan quickly interjected. “Please do not make that mistake! The Normans are here to stay. What is happening should realistically be looked at as the inevitable outcome of an invasion. The conquerors take over and run the country to their benefit. Whether that is also to the benefit of the current owners is questionable. England has been invaded successfully time after time over the last thousand years. The last was Cnut in 1016, but before him were many others from the Romans to the Saxons themselves, then the Vikings and the Danes several times.
“There has never once been a successful revolt in England. At first the tribes and now the earls have been too self-interested to successfully join together behind one man and raise the whole country. Can you see the Northmen accepting somebody from the South? What Englishman has the authority to raise the whole country? The Aetheling? Perhaps.
“Does Edgar Aetheling or any of the English earls have the capability to defeat King William? William is a brilliant general who commands an army of combined forces that some of you faced at Hastings in the most advantageous situation you could have hoped for, and he crushed the army of probably the best general England has ever had. Edwin or Morcar? They couldn’t even defeat a Norwegian army comprised solely of infantry at Fulford Gate!
“If there is a revolt, the whole land will need to rise as one behind one leader. Even Alfred the Great couldn’t get that degree of co-operation between the Englishmen. Scattered and isolated opposition will be crushed without mercy. William will bring total devastation to those areas that oppose him. I suggest you accept the successful Norman invasion as a fact, live with it and look to the long term. Now I will leave you to your discussions. If anybody wishes to speak with me further privately, as Edward said you know where my ‘castle’ is,” Alan and Anne rose, and with Alan holding her hand in a formal manner, proceeded out of the Hall, followed by his nineteen huscarles.