The Anglo-Saxon Church Before 1066 (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note

Summary

Religion was extremely important in Anglo-Saxon England, and the Church was a highly developed and important institution. Its leaders were very influential, and the Church had a presence and representative in the form of a priest in almost every village in England. It was also quite controversial, and the way the Church was run in England before 1066 angered the pope.

The structure of the Anglo-Saxon Church

• The Anglo-Saxon Church was divided into two Archbishoprics

  • The Archbishop of Canterbury oversaw the south and was the most important churchman in England

  • The Archbishop of York oversaw the north and was the second most important churchman

• In 1052, the Archbishop of Canterbury was a man named Stigand

  • He was a skilled politician but was not very religious and often broke church rules - which angered the pope

  • Support from the Godwins meant Stigand kept his position until the Norman Conquest

• The two Archbishoprics were divided into Bishoprics or dioceses which were each overseen by a bishop

  • He was responsible for the administration, discipline and church land  in his area

  • The most important bishops in 1066 were those for London, Winchester, Durham, Worcester, Hereford and Exeter

• Each Bishopric or diocese was divided into parishes which had their own priest

  • Parish priests performed services such as marriages and funerals and provided spiritual guidance

• There were also major monasteries and abbeys in England in 1066 including Glastonbury, Westminster, Ely and Bury St. Edmunds

  • Monasteries and abbeys acted as centres of learning, manuscript production, hospitals and land managers

  • The abbots and abbesses who were in charge of these institutions were also important and influential figures 

  • They were also in charge of the monks and nuns who lived and worked in the monasteries 

Problems with the Anglo-Saxon Church

• The Anglo-Saxon Church was seen as being too independent and out of step with the Church in the rest of Europe

  • This was one of the main reasons why the pope gave his support to William’s invasion in 1066

• There were four main criticisms of the Anglo-Saxon Church: