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The Revolt of
the Earls, 1075 |
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Two of William's new Earls
plotted against him. Roger, Earl of Hereford and his half-brother
Ralf, Earl of East Anglia. |
According to Orderic Vitalis, the Earls began
saying that:
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"... the king is
unworthy ... all men hate him and his death would cause great rejoicing." |
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Chibnall, M. Orderic
Vitalis (1969) Vol. II, p.318 |
These were King William's men, not Saxon
rebels. Most Saxons had been scared to stand up to William after the Harrying
of the North. But if two Normans were leading a rebellion, everything
would be different.
The Earls could have united all the rebels in
England, both Saxons and Normans - anyone upset with King William. This
would have been difficult for William to stop!
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