Chronology of English History: 1 Quiz

Answer: Canute

During 1019, Canute became King of both nations. Three years previously he was offered the throne of England after the defeat of Edmund Ironside. The death of Harald of Denmark enabled Canute to unite the two countries. Since 995, England under Aethelred had been unstable and liable to frequent Viking incursions. Aethelred ordered every Dane in the country to be killed. At the time of Aethelred's death, in 1016, there were fluctuating alliances between Saxons and Danes, many of whom had intermarried. While Canute's army ravaged the south, Edmund controlled most of the treacherous north of England; Eadric supported first one, then the other.
Canute defeated Edmund at Ashington in Essex, and the two agreed to divide the country. Edmund was murdered soon afterwards, and Canute eliminated potential rivals, including Eadric.
In 1017 he married Aethelred's widow Emma of Normandy. He then gave equal rights for Danes and Englishmen, and, confident of his position, sent most of his army back to Denmark.

Answer: Senlac (Sandlake) Hill

The Battle of Hastings has been a major historical study for the majority of British school children for many years. Many questions have arisen from this fateful day in 1066, such as: Why did Edward the Confessor, on his deathbed, disinherit his cousin, the duke, and nominate Harold as his successor? Why did Harold, after marching to York to defeat the Norwegian King Hardrada at Stamford Bridge only three weeks earlier, rush his tired troops to Hastings and not wait for reinforcements? The battle itself took place on the site that is now Battle Abbey.

The Abbey was built at the instigation of William as a symbol of both his victory but also the respect for both sets of soldiers who were involved in the carnage. The steepness of Senlac hill caused architects problems and the original plans placed the Abbey away from the battle scene. William demanded that it be built on the hillside and made sure that no one was to defy his orders. If you visit the South East of England it is recommended that you spend a day at the Abbey itself and witness the scene of arguably one of the world's most amazing battles, which moulded to this day the way England developed over the ensuing centuries.

Answer: Stephen vs. Matilda

In December 1135 Henry I died and the crown was passed over to his nephew, Stephen of Blois. Henry's preferred candidate was his daughter Matilda, and in 1141 England fell into anarchy. At Lincoln, in February, Stephen's cavalry fled in panic when Matilda's forces charged.

He was taken prisoner, while Matilda's men slaughtered the citizens of Lincoln. Matilda, though disliked for her temper, became 'The Lady of England' and prepared for her coronation. It never happened; little more than seven months later her half-brother, the Earl of Gloucester, was captured.

He was released in exchange for Stephen, who was back on the throne, but he was no more popular than Matilda.

Answer: "Who will free me of this turbulent priest?"

Some sources give the words used as: "Will no one free me from this turbulent priest?"

Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was struck down by swords whilst he stood by the altar in his own cathedral on December 29th 1170. His four killers were knights of royal household, who had ridden there in the afternoon and began a violent argument with Becket.
The Archbishop struggled for several minutes with his assailants, whilst a crowd of his men and townspeople who had come to attend mass looked on. He realised that death was near and bowed his head and joined his hands in prayer.
The murder came as a brutal climax to a prolonged quarrel between Thomas and Henry II.
Becket, the son of a Norman merchant, had risen rapidly in the royal service, and when Henry had him installed at Canterbury he believed he was getting a docile cleric. Becket however, became a firm upholder of ecclesiastical privileges.
On one occasion Becket, waving his crozier at the king, told him he had no right to judge him.
In June 1170 Henry had his son and heir crowned in Westminster abbey by the Archbishop of York, assisted by six bishops. (Since then all coronations have been performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury). Becket denounced the action and excommunicated the bishops.
In his fury the king uttered his fatal cry, later to be devastated by the murder of his once great friend.

Answer: Great Charter of Liberties

King John, known as John Lackland, was forced to make significant compromises in his struggles with the nobles who threaten his rule. After lengthy negotiations at Runnymede, in Surrey, near London, John sealed the Great Charter which guaranteed the privileges of the barons and the promise to maintain the laws.
John's bargaining position had been increasingly undermined by the loss of territories in France and by his highly unpopular attempts to tax those lords and knights who resisted joining costly and unsuccessful campaigns.
The Magna Carta was essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, with a committee of barons to ensure that it was carried out. Within the sixty three clauses, promises were made to administer an equitable legal system: everyone shall be entitled to the judgement of his peers; corruption to be ended and justice to all free men.

Answer: Isabella

Seen by many as weak and foolish, English King Edward II was forced to abdicate his throne in early 1327 and on September 21st was murdered at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, where he had been held prisoner. His young son, still a minor, with no real power, was crowned Edward III in the January. Edward II's fate was sealed in 1326 when his wife Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer, landed in Essex with a band of foreign mercenaries and marched on London. Isabella's cause found widespread support among the barons and bishops.

The king's favourites, upon whom he lavished lands and lordships, had caused great resentment, and Edward's weakness encouraged dissension, especially after a humiliating defeat by Robert the Bruce in Scotland. Isabella and Mortimer had represented their coup by claiming support of parliament and the people. Archbishop of Canterbury Walter Reynolds said "the voice of the people is the voice of God" during his sermon.

Answer: Richard II

Wat Tyler led the revolt and found his head on a spike by the end of it, with his followers pardoned and the king safe. The peasant's revolt was a bloody but short lived affair, which as far as London was concerned lasted two days after Tyler had tricked his way over the only bridge that crossed the Thames.

The march that ensued saw towns such as Maidstone, Rochester and Canterbury lending numbers to the Tyler led rampage. When the group entered London, widespread looting took place and documents were destroyed in protest against the poll tax which led to the uprising.

Then the horror began. A judge was beheaded with 18 other leading citizens. The mob vented its anger on the Flemish community, beheading 35 in the street. The archbishop was dragged from the Tower chapel and executed at Tower Hill, with his head set up on London Bridge, his mitre nailed to his skull. As London burned around him, Richard II, the king bargained with the rebel leader, but, angered by Tyler's arrogant attitude, the mayor lunged with his sword. Tyler died soon afterwards and the king pardoned his followers.

Answer: Orleans

Joan of Arc was said to have heard voices in her father's garden as a child that led to victory at Orleans in 1429. The retreating English army of 5,000, led by the earl of Salisbury, had sought to establish a foothold on the river Loire and open up Anjou to occupation. They had not reckoned with the revitalised, well disciplined French army, spiritually transformed by Joan's voices.
The voices told Joan that it was the will of heaven that the English should be thrown out of France and that she, Joan, was in some way to be instrumental in the eviction.
It was indeed a very different army that Joan rode with to Orleans. Whether they viewed the slight young 17 year old as a mascot, a saint or an inspired leader cannot be said. But this was an elated, ecstatic, crusading army that foreswore swearing and harlots and attended Mass at which they vowed to follow Joan's voices.

Answer: Bordeaux

The French army of Charles VII defeated the English army at Castillon near Bordeaux brought over 100 years of hostilities to an end. Four years earlier, Henry VI's armies occupied nearly a third of France, but in 1453 French troops rounded up English survivors from the battle of Castillon, and only Calais remained in English hands.

It was the death of the English commander, John Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, which made a French victory certain. Talbot, a general much respected by both sides, had led an expeditionary force which had been welcomed into Bordeaux by its inhabitants, a welcome that began to cool when it became know that three French armies were approaching. Bordeaux and the walled city of Castillon were threatened with siege; and it was the reluctant Talbot who went to Castillon's aid. Talbot reckoned with neither the firepower of the 600 cannon that the French brought with them or the skill of his opponent, Jean Bureau, who succeeded in drawing his enemy between his artillery and the Dordogne River.

It was a French cannon ball that killed Talbot's horse, pinning the aged general beneath it. The battle was lost.

Answer: Wars of the Roses

Dawn broke over Redmoor with few guessing that by noon a new king and dynasty would occupy the throne of England. August 22nd 1485 was the crowning date. On the surface, the odds were against the young exile, Henry Tudor, the heir to the Lancastrian cause, and heavily in favour of King Richard III and the white rose of York. Henry was a complete novice in battle, and led a force of 5,000 men, while the soldierly Richard headed over double that number.
But although Richard's army boasted distinguished commanders of the calibre of the Duke of Norfolk, he was beset by men of wavering loyalty, such as the earl of Northumberland and Lord Stanley, who initially held back his troops.
Henry's army, led by the earl of Oxford, was lighter and more manoeuvrable than Richard's, and contained many expert Welsh, Scottish and French soldiers. In the event, Oxford ably held his own against Norfolk until Richard, frustrated, decided to enter the fray in person at the head of a stupendous cavalry charge. Henry stood his ground, until Stanley finally joined the melee, on Henry's side. Richard, it seems, was forced into a swamp, unhorsed, and hacked to death by Welsh pike men. His coronet was retrieved and soon after, was placed on the head of the Tudor prince, henceforth known as King Henry VII.