Alfred the Great

(born 849—died 899)

 When he was born, it must have seemed unlikely that Alfred would
become king, since he had four older brothers;
 His mother early aroused his interest in English poetry, and from his
boyhood he also hankered after Latin learning, possibly stimulated by
visits to Rome in 853 and 855.
 Alfred reorganized his army and used ships against the invaders as early
as 875. Later he had larger ships built to his own design for use against
the coastal raids that continued even after 896.
 Alfred succeeded in government as well as at war. He was a wise
administrator, organizing his finances and the service due from his thanes
(noble followers).
 He scrutinized the administration of justice and took steps to ensure the
protection of the weak from oppression by ignorant or corrupt judges.
 He promulgated an important code of laws again with special attention to
the protection of the weak and dependent.
 While avoiding unnecessary changes in custom, he limited the practice of
the blood feud and imposed heavy penalties for breach of oath or pledge.
 His reign also saw activity in building and in art, and foreign craftsmen
were attracted to his court.

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 William of Normandy
(born c. 1028—died September 9, 1087, Rouen)

William soon learned to control his youthful recklessness. He was always ready
to take calculated risks on campaign and to fight a battle, but he was not a
flamboyant commander.

He never lost sight of his aim to recover lost ducal rights and revenues, and,
although he developed no theory of government or great interest in
administrative techniques, he was always prepared to improvise and experiment.

He was moral and pious by the standards of the time, and he acquired an interest
in the welfare of the Norman church.

William was just above average height and had a robust, thickset body.
Although he was always sparing of food and drink, he became fat in later life.
He had a rough bass voice and was a good and ready speaker. Writers of the
next generation agree that he was exceptionally strong and vigorous. He was a
hunter and soldier, fierce and despotic, and generally feared; uneducated, he had
few graces but was intelligent and shrewd and soon obtained the respect of his
rivals.

Had the Norman rebels coordinated their attacks with king and count, it would
have meant the end for William, but his own skill and some luck allowed him to
prevail.

The Norman church flourished under his reign, as he adapted its structures to
English traditions. Like many contemporary rulers, he wanted the church in
England to be free of corruption but also subordinate to him.

He would not tolerate opposition from bishops or abbots or interference from the
papacy, but he remained on good terms with Popes Alexander II and Gregory
VII—though tensions arose on occasion.

He also promoted monastic reform by importing Norman monks and abbots,

thus quickening the pace of monastic life in England and bringing it into line
with Continental developments.

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William ordered an economic and tenurial survey to be made of the kingdom,
the results of which are summarized in the two volumes of Domesday Book, one
of the greatest administrative accomplishments of the Middle Ages.

The result of this was a unique picture of the English society:

 almost all population (about one and a half million) worked in agriculture
 there was little or no industry or commerce
 one fifth of the land in England belonged to William, a quarter of the land
belonged to the Church and the rest to the Norman noblemen