British King "Bullet Book", William the Conqueror 1066 - 1087
William the Conqueror Penny, S-1257
• William the Conqueror is founder of the modern British monarchy. The current queen, Elizabeth II, can trace her heritage to him although, the family connection becomes very distended at times.
• William won the crown by defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which is a pivotal date in British history.
• William was stern ruler who demanded loyalty from his subjects. Those who did not knuckle under to his rule were punished or liquidated.
• William changed England with a tax system, a program of land tenure and military organization.
• The Doomsday Book was a record of the owner of every piece of land in the nation plus every ox, pig or cow. It was likened to “the judgment of God” with which there was no discussion.” It provided the basis for tax collections and records.
• William started building the White Tower, which is at the center of the “Tower of London.
• Forever the warrior, William died while sacking the City of Nantes when his horse bucked and ruptured his intestines when he was thrown on his saddle pommel.
Comments
The 11th century was known for its violence. In some European countries murder was apparently punished by fines rather than execution because there was a shortage of men and men were needed for armies. The initiation of the First Crusade at the end of the 11th century was an attempt to channel this violence away from Europe. The crusaders seized Jerusalem in 1099 just as the century was coming to a close.
Interesting...
The Crusades were a way to cut the murder rate ...