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The Norman kings of England were able administrators who took over the Anglo-Saxon system of government and developed it to fit their needs. The Norman counterpartof theAngloSaxon Witan was the Great Council of the leading men of the kingdom, which met to deal with important state affairs. William I made these meetings an occasion for pomp and ceremony. 'He wore his royal crown three times a year as often as he was in England: at Easter, at Winchester; at Whitsun, at Westminster; at Christmas, at Gloucester.' The display was calculated to impress and intimidate; also, perhaps, to stress his claim to be the lawful successor of the Anglo-Saxon kings. But although the Great Council met more regularly than the Witan, it handled less business, because William preferred to govern through the officers of his household, men whom he knew and trusted, and who were always at hand whether he was in England or Normandy. Known as the Curia Regis. the King's Court, this informal gathering, to which would be added visiting barons and churchmen, became the cornerstone of Norman government as well as running the King's household and serving as a court of feudal law. A list of court officials drawn up soon after 1135 names 60 categories, from Chancellor down to wolf-hunter though most were not servants but great noblemen. Their 1066-54 careers depended entirely on the king's favour and he could replace them at will. Fortunately for England, William I and Henry I in particular were good judges of men. The royal court moved round with the king, but under the Normans two departments grew too cumbersome to do so. These were the Treasury and the Exchequer: the financial driving force that led William Ito order the Domesday survey and Henry I, so it is said to count the candle ends, gave rise to heavier taxes than before and more complicated accounting to deal with them. The Exchequer was set up at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries and was so-called because the accounting was done on a table like a chess- or chequer-board. The clerks of the Treasury meantime wrote out the accounts in great rolls called pipe-rolls. Because this equipment was bulky, the accounting took place twice a year, at Westminster or Winchester. These were the first fixed departments of English government. living history Pipe-rolls, including one from 1130. are preserved at she Public Record Office, London.
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About the Author: Ken Austin has lived in France for 15 years, is a webmaster and a writer of stories. He and his wife, Linda, run a holiday rentals business in the Dordogne region.
www.leslavandes.com
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