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Background to the Battle of Hastings

Total questions: 16

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of these groups did not invade England during the Dark Ages?

a)

Saxons

b)

Angles

c)

Vikings

d)

Romans

2.

Which of these jobs was not carried out by the Earls?

a)

governors of their local area

b)

leaders of the church

c)

leaders of the army

d)

judges and tax collectors

3.

What was the Witenagemot?

a)

A kind of council that advised the king and helped to choose his successor.

b)

A group of warriors.

c)

The king's family

d)

A Viking army.

4.

What was the capital city of England in 1066?

a)

London

b)

Hastings

c)

Winchester

d)

York

5.

In the 1060s England was divided into Earldoms, each run by a powerful local leader called an Earl. How many Earldoms were there at this time?

a)

4

b)

5

c)

6

d)

7

6.

Who was the leader of the Christian Church in the Middle Ages?

a)

The Pope

b)

The Clergy

c)

The King

d)

The Bishop

7.

What was the name of the English king who died in January 1066 without a son to be his successor?

a)

Edmund the Confessor

b)

Edgar the Confessor

c)

Egbert the Confessor

d)

Edward the Confessor

8.

Which of the following contenders for the English throne in 1066 was supported by the Witenagemot and was promised the throne by Edward the Confessor on his deathbed?

a)

Harold Godwinson

b)

Harald Hardrada

c)

William of Normandy

d)

Edgar the Atheling

9.

Which of the following contenders for the English throne in 1066 was supported by the Pope and said he had been promised the throne by both Edward the Confessor and another of the contenders?

a)

Harold Godwinson

b)

Harald Hardrada

c)

William of Normandy

d)

Edgar the Atheling

10.

Which of the following contenders for the English throne in 1066 based his claim to be king of England on the fact that Viking kings had ruled the country until 1042?

a)

Harold Godwinson

b)

Harald Hardrada

c)

William of Normandy

d)

Edgar the Atheling

11.

Which of the following contenders for the English throne in 1066 was Edward the Confessor's great nephew?

a)

Harold Godwinson

b)

Harald Hardrada

c)

William of Normandy

d)

Edgar the Atheling

12.

Which of the following contenders for the English throne was crowned King of England on 6th January 1066?

a)

Harold Godwinson

b)

Harald Hardrada

c)

William of Normandy

d)

Edgar the Atheling

13.

Which of these things delayed William of Normandy's planned invasion of England until the end of September, 1066?

a)

The weather was bad so his ships couldn't sail across the English Channel from Normandy.

b)

He didn't have enough wood to build his ships.

c)

His soldiers took a long time to get to northern France.

d)

He thought it was unlucky to try and attack England in the summer.

14.

At which battle in northern England did Harold Godwinson defeat the Viking King Harald Hardrada on 25th September 1066?

a)

The Battle of Gate Fulford

b)

The Battle of York

c)

The Battle of Hastings

d)

The Battle of Stamford Bridge

15.

When William of Normandy landed his ships at Pevensey, Harold Godwinson's army was fighting the Vikings in the north of England. How many miles per day did his army march in order to get to the Battle of Hastings?

a)

30

b)

40

c)

50

d)

60

16.

On what day was the Battle of Hastings fought between Harold Godwinson and William of Normandy?

a)

4th October, 1066

b)

14th October, 1066

c)

24th October, 1066

d)

4th November, 1066