Jack J. Kanski - History of England: A Concise Outline

History of England Copyright 2018 Jack J. Kaski The moral right of the author has been asserted. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Matador 9 Priory Business Park, Wistow Road, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire. LE8 0RX Tel: 0116 279 2299 Email: Web: www.troubador.co.uk/matador Twitter: @matadorbooks ISBN 978 1789011 821 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Matador is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd To Dafydd and Celia PREFACE The main purpose of this book is to present the history of England in a concise and didactic way. For this purpose I have used a bullet-point format with many illustrations, so as to enable the reader to absorb the text more easily. The two last chapters describe important political and military personalities. I am very grateful to Tom Ayling for reviewing the manuscript and for making many helpful suggestions. CONTENTSEARLY INVASIONS ROMAN Before the Roman invasion, Britain was ruled by tribes of people called the Celts. CONTENTSEARLY INVASIONS ROMAN Before the Roman invasion, Britain was ruled by tribes of people called the Celts.

In 55 BC, Julius Caesar invaded Britain but was unable to establish a province. In 43 AD, the Romans conquered Britain, at the behest of the Emperor Claudius. In 60 AD, warriorqueen Boudicca () rose against the occupying Roman forces but was defeated. (Fig 1.1) ANGLOSAXON From the middle of the 4th century, England was progressively settled by Germanic groups known as the AngloSaxons, consisting of Angles and Saxons from what is now the Danish/German border area, and Jutes from the Jutland peninsula (). The indigenous Britons were invaded by Picts, from the north (now Scotland) and the Scotti (now Ireland). The Saxons established seven kingdoms: Sussex, Kent, Essex, Mercia, East Anglia, Northumbria, and Wessex (). Mercian power reached its peak under King Offa, and after his death in 796, Wessex became the strongest kingdom under King Egbert. The AngloSaxons, including Saxonified Britons, progressively spread into England, by a combination of military conquest and cultural assimilation. (Fig 1.4)(Fig 1.5) ), who incorporated Mercia and East Anglia. Edwards son King thelstan extended the borders of Wessex northwards and in 917, conquered the Kingdom of York and invaded Scotland. (Fig 1.6)(Fig 1.7) In 978, with the accession of King thelred the Unready, the Danish threat resurfaced, when King Harold Bluetooth and later his son, King Sweyn, launched devastating invasions. (Fig 1.6)(Fig 1.7) In 978, with the accession of King thelred the Unready, the Danish threat resurfaced, when King Harold Bluetooth and later his son, King Sweyn, launched devastating invasions.

AngloSaxon forces were resoundingly defeated and King thelred grew increasingly desperate; for almost 20 years he managed to keep the Danes away from the English coasts by paying them increasingly large sums of money but in 1002, he ordered the massacre of all the Danes in England. In anger, Sweyn unleashed a decade of devastating attacks, seized the throne but died in 1014 AD. thelred recovered the throne but died suddenly in 1016. Sweyns son, Cnut killed thelreds son, King Edmund 2nd Ironside, and became King Cnut of England (). Under Cnuts rule, England became the centre of government for an empire which also included Denmark, Norway and a part of Sweden (). (Fig 1.8)(Fig 1.9)(Fig 1.10)HOUSE OF NORMANDY KING WILLIAM 1st (THE CONQUEROR) (Fig. 2.1) William (10271087) was Duke of Normandy (10351087) and King of England (10661087); he was the illegitimate son of Robert 1st Duke of Normandy and his mistress, Herleva. 2.1) William (10271087) was Duke of Normandy (10351087) and King of England (10661087); he was the illegitimate son of Robert 1st Duke of Normandy and his mistress, Herleva.

In 1053, he married Matilda of Flanders () and had 10 children including; Robert Curthose, William 2nd, Henry 1st, and Adela, the mother of King Stephen. (Fig 2.2) William was tall, redhaired, brave, strong, just and pious but also ruthless in war. In 1066, he invaded England in a campaign known as the Norman Conquest and defeated the Saxons under King Harold 2nd Godwinson, at the Battle of Hastings (), during which Harold was killed. William was crowned king at Westminster Abbey (), but by 1067 he faced revolts. He spent four years brutally crushing each one and forced Scotland and Wales to recognise him as overlord. (Fig 2.3)