William I's Forest Laws:

Large sections of the English countryside were declared 'royal forests', these are areas William would use as hunting grounds. This impacted people in a dramatic way, for example, the 'Nova Foresta' (New Forest). After William took control of this forest, around forty village communities were evicted from the area.

Land that had originally belonged to peasants (their animals could graze there, they collected firewood, they could catch rabbits) was under strict control of the king. Only those who could afford hunting rights were allowed use the forest. For peasants, it became illegal to carry any hunting gear and even take a fallen branch. Hunting wild animals for food became a crime known as poaching (illegally hunting on land that does not belong to you).

The Forest Laws took away people's natural resources, which were needed for survival
People saw the laws as unjust and unfair and therefore, broke them
The Forest Laws created 'social crimes' (actions which are illegal but most people in society do not disapprove of them)

William hired men to work as foresters in order to enforce the Forest Laws and carry out due punishment against criminals. Punishments ranged from hanging to castration and blinding. These punishments were harsh and were aimed at deterring people from breaking Forest Laws.

Forest Outlaws:

Beginning in the Anglo-Saxon era, any man over the age of 14, who tried to avoid trial and punishment by running away from his local community was labelled an outlaw. Women who ran away were referred to as 'waived'. Both these men and women lost the protection of the law. These people could be killed without any legal repercussion for the person responsible.

Outlaws have strong connections with the forest. This is evident in the Robin Hood story that appeared in literature from the 14th century. Robin Hood and his gang are described as brave heroes who challenge the injustices in society. However, in reality, outlaw gangs were very much the opposite in nature.

	Created by Andrew Burke over 7 years ago

As part of the series on Crime and Punishment in the UK 1250 - 1500, this study note looks at Norman Rule in England from the point of view of law and order. It details the new system that now applied, rebellions and kings and Murdrum.

Norman Rule in England Study Note