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Year 10 - History

Lanfranc's reforms

British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils study an aspect of British medieval history in depth. They learn about the social, economic, religious and political events that influenced the lives of those who lived in this period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the most important reforms carried out by Lanfranc.

Key Notes

  • Stigand was deposed and Lanfranc introduced as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070.
  • Lanfranc's reforms aimed to reduce corruption, and to modernise and re-organise the English Church.
  • Lanfranc secured primacy for Canterbury over the English Church.
  • Lanfranc's reforms involved the replacement of Anglo-Saxon prelates with Normans.
  • Lanfranc's reforms included the separation of Church cases from secular courts.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • pluralist: someone who holds more than one position within the Church
  • clergy: members of the Church who have been ordained, which means they are permitted to carry out religious services
  • primacy: the state of being most important
  • diocese: an area under the control of a bishop

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Lanfranc's reforms introduced new concepts like celibacy for monks, Benedictine rules for monasteries and separate courts for the Church (or even archdeacons).

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Stigand was deposed and Lanfranc introduced as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070. Lanfranc's reforms aimed to reduce corruption, and to modernise and re-organise the English Church.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'pluralist'

someone who holds more than one position within the Church.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Lanfranc's reforms introduced new concepts like celibacy for monks, Benedictine rules for monasteries and separate courts for the Church (or even archdeacons). Correction: All these were already present in Anglo-Saxon England - monasteries had been following the laws of St Benedict for centuries, for example - but Lanfranc revitalised them, ensured that they were carried out and repurposed them to boost Norman control.

More Lessons In This Unit

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