[Norman Conquest 01] Wolves in Armour (12 page)

The Manor House was on the east of the town. The nine riders dismounted in the forecourt, where they received a mixed reception as, although Toli was a respected neighbour, Alan’s companions were dressed in Norman armour and Alan in a non-descript but now travel-stained black tunic and trousers. A short man of slight build and few years with long dark hair hurried out of the Hall. “Aelfhare,” murmured Toli in Alan’s ear, followed a few moments later by another man slightly younger but taller and more heavily built. “Bertholf.”

“Greetings, Toli! What brings you here so early in the day? Have you broken your fast, or would you like something to eat?” asked Aelfhare, whose sharp eyes were taking in the weapons that the visitors carried and the foreign armour worn by men who, by their appearance and hairstyles, were Englishmen.

“I have eaten, thank you. Myself and my men have been asked here as witness by my new
landrica
, Alan,” said Toli. Since coming to Tendring Hundred Alan had deliberately not described himself as ‘de Gauville’ nor emphasised his Norman nobility by the use of the honorific ‘Sir’.

Alan stepped forward, towering over the smaller Englishman, who barely came up to his chest. “You are aware that your brother Aelfric died in battle at Hastings and that the land of all who did so has been declared forfeit by King William. The three manors formerly held by your brother have been given to me as landboc. I’m the new owner.”

Bertholf spat on the ground, deliberately near Alan’s feet. “I give that for your king and his proclamations!” he said aggressively. Alan noticed out of the corner of his eye that three of his own companion’s hands had gone to their swords and were gripping the hilts. Edric, who preferred the single-handed battle-axe, unclipped it from his belt and held the end of its two and a half foot haft, while resting the eight-inch polished steel head on his shoulder. The movements also caught the eye of the two Kemp brothers who, while they could call on many more men, did not have men under arms immediately available.

Alan spoke in a dangerously quiet voice, while resting his hand on the hilt of his still un-drawn sword. “King William was anointed by Ealdred, Archbishop of York, the same man who crowned Harold Godwinson. Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury and all the nobles of England have submitted to him. He is not just my king, he is also your king and to defy his edicts is treason punishable by death. I’m also Chief Judge of the Hundred court. I’m happy to carry out sentence here and now if that is your wish? I am prepared to give the two of you three days to vacate the manors. I’m seeking skilled and obedient warriors who will follow my orders. If you wish, I may be prepared to give you a trial amongst my warriors, which may in time result in you being granted laenland. I make no promises and that would depend on both your skills and your attitude, which has been lacking so far today. Take me to the manor strongbox now.”

There was no movement on the part of the brothers. Alan sighed and drew his sword, as did his companions. Toli and Ordmer moved back to give them room. “Who is the steward here?” There was no reply, but several others shuffled away from one man who was left standing alone. “Your name?” asked Alan.

“Durand,” was the reply.

“Well, Durand, you have a chance in the next few seconds to possibly keep your position secure, and to keep your head on your shoulders. The strongbox will be in the bedchamber or solar. I’ll find it within a minute or so and if I don’t have the key, Edric here will simply hit it a few times with his axe.” Alan placed his drawn sword against the steward’s throat. “Your choice,” he said.

Durand suddenly found the key easily enough, and as expected the strongbox was in the bedchamber. With a turn of the key and a loud click it opened. It contained cash, which without counting it Alan estimated about £6. More importantly it also contained the landbocs that showed ownership of all three manors and the books of account of all three manors. Alan had these placed in a large sack, to be tied to the pack on a spare horse that Alan took from the stable.

“Remember. I’ll be back in three days,” said Alan to the two brothers as he and his party mounted. They then rode the five miles west to Bradfield, the nearest of the other Kemp manors. That manor was of four and a half hides of land, good farmland with saltpans and a salt house. Already having the landboc, Alan forced the steward Werian into submission and took possession of about £2 in cash and the latest accounting books. Then they retraced their path back to Great Oakley, the second largest of the Kemp estates, four and a half miles to the east. On arrival there they met with the steward Courtney, who told them that Bertholf had been there shortly before and emptied the strongbox of cash, which Courtney estimated at £3, but he had left the accounting books, which Alan now removed.

After parting with Toli and his men at Great Oakley, with thanks for their assistance, Alan and his men arrived back at Thorrington just before dark on Saturday 29th January.

The next day Brother Godwine performed Sunday Mass at Terce as instructed and most of the village spent the Lord’s Day in rest or in the tavern, as their leanings took them. Alan spent the day trying to decipher and gain an understanding of the books of account of Aelfric Kemp. The cash collected from Ramsey and Bradfield came to £6 4/ and 8p, which was a little less than the books indicated, but didn’t seem unduly deficient. The books also indicated there should have been £4 2/ at Great Oakley, had the Kemps not got there first.

Late on Monday morning Alan and Hugh were teaching swordsmanship to the trainee men-at-arms, now ten in number, and Roger was working with five of the village peasant archers at the butts, when word came that a group of horsemen was approaching from the north.

Alan told Hugh to gather their men, but keep them in the background at the moment. Alan quickly swapped the training sword he had been using for his usual sword Blue Fire, called Baldwin to stand with him and for Kendrick to gather a couple of stable hands. He then waited the few minutes until the visitors rode up. As the riders rode through the gate Alan was standing in his padded practice gambeson jacket, hot and sweaty. He recognised Aelfhare and Bertholf and several others from Ramsey, as well as Frewin and Alward, thegns from Tendring who had each brought one man.

Following protocol Alan first greeted his equals Frewin and Alward. Alward commented that Aelfhare and Bertholf had been riding through Tendring and from the comments they had made when he had offered them a sup of ale in his Hall as refreshment, he and Frewin had felt that they should accompany them to ensure that nothing untoward happened.

Alan did not invite the visitors into the Hall and after they dismounted they stood in the forecourt in the thin sunlight of the chill January day. “What can I do for you Aelfhare and Bertholf? We spoke on Saturday and I gave you until tomorrow to vacate the manors you are illegally holding. By the way you owe me the £4 2/ you removed from the strongbox at Great Oakley. Is it that you have come to pay that?”

Bertholf snarled, “You wish! No, we have come to dispute your right to take the manors from us.”

Alan gestured to Kendrick, who handed the rolled parchment Charter from King William to Alan, who in turn handed it to Alward. “Please read it aloud Alward, it is written in both Latin and English with the king’s Great Seal at the foot.”

Alward read aloud the flowery language that granted the honour to Alan, concluding, “Signed and sealed this 27th day of December 1066. William, king of England. I’m sorry Aelfhare and Bertholf, but as one of the Hundred thegns I accept that this is valid and must act to uphold it.”

“I offered you employment fit for your station and the possibility of advancement when we last spoke,” said Alan. “Those offers are now revoked. Make sure you are out of the Hundred by mid-night tomorrow. Alward and Frewin, may I invite you inside for refreshments while these geburs take themselves off? By the way Aelfhare and Bertholf, the horses you ride belong to me. Make sure you leave them behind when you depart.”

With a snarl Bertholf launched himself forward, moving to draw his sword from its scabbard. The sword was less th
a
n half out when an arrow thumped into his chest, stopping Bertholf two paces away from Alan. With a surprised expression on his face he began to collapse. Alan glanced back over his shoulder and saw Roger reaching for a new arrow from his quiver.

Aelfhare shouted, “No!” and drew his own sword as he raced towards Alan. Initially Alan didn’t move, although he rose onto the balls of his feet ready to dodge as required. Three paces before he reached Alan, and just as Alan began to move his feet and right hand, four arrows thumped into Aelfhare’s chest, dropping him like a hare. Glancing back over his shoulder again Alan saw that four of his English archers were notching new arrows in their bows.

Alan looked at the four Englishmen from Ramsey and asked, “Anybody else? You all saw me attacked without provocation outside my own Hall by armed guests.” Turning to the practical he asked Alward, “Do they have any kin surviving?”

“I think perhaps a sister over Meldon way,” Alward replied.

“I’ll arrange their burial in the churchyard there and have their bodies taken to the church now. Brother Godwine is around somewhere and can say Last Rights. Alward, can you send a message to this sister and tell them of the death of her brothers and the fact that they died attacking their liege lord without provocation? I’ll arrange men to go to Great Oakley, Ramsey and Bradfield today. Can you arrange your men here to accompany mine and act as witnesses to what has occurred? I would prefer to avoid further conflict when my men take possession of those manors. Roger, you can give your men the rest of the day off, take them down to the tavern and buy them a few quarts of ale. I think that they’ve deserved it.”

As Alan escorted the thegns and their men into the Hall, he heard one of his archers named Barclay rather loudly proclaiming, “He may be a
ælfremede
foreigner, but lord Alan has done right by us and our village and I wasn’t going to let no bastard from Ramsey cut him down unprovoked when he wasn’t defending himself,” which gave him a warm feeling of both belonging and responsibility.

After giving Frewin and Alward a rather abbreviated mid-day meal, accompanied by wine and ale, Alan expressed a wish to leave early to take possession of the estates of Great Oakley, Ramsey and Bradfield, preferring to ride with Frewin and Alward as far as Tendring, but offering his guests further hospitality if they wished to stay. Both declared themselves ready to leave at once. Using an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to avoid potential problems, Alan decided to take Ainulf, Edric, Alfward and Ledmer and four archers to Ramsey, where any problems were likely to occur. Warren was to take three archers and two horsemen to Great Oakley, and Baldwin three archers and two horsemen to Bradfield. Frewin and Alward agreed to send one man as an independent witness to each village. This left Hugh and Roger at Thorrington to conduct training, but had removed all the current recruits, making them temporarily superfluous.

They rode out in the early afternoon, allowing ample time to return the two thegns home and proceed on to their destinations.

Alan, with Edric ‘The Axe’, Ledmer and Alfward, together with archers Barclay, Abracan, Aethelbald and Oswy and Frewin’s man Irwin arrived at Ramsey as darkness was setting in. Of the archers Barclay was officially a hunter, although Alan suspected that both he and Aethelbald had in fact been poachers.

Aelfhare’s and Bertholf’s companions had arrived an hour or so before, and the Hall was in uproar at the news of the death of their lords.

Alan called for the steward Durand to maintain calm and asked for the four village elders, including head-cheorl Putman, to attend at the Hall immediately. A few minutes later, standing at the end of the Hall with his men at his back, Alan explained to the elders and the retainers in the Hall the details of the deaths of Aelfhare and Bertholf. He stated that both had come uninvited to his Hall and attempted to kill him. Frewin’s man Irwin, as independent witness, confirmed this.

Alan advised all that he and his men would be taking possession of the three manors and that he expected, nay demanded, the whole-hearted co-operation of all the people in each manor. No argument from either those who lived at the Hall or in the village would be tolerated. The manors would be ruled with an iron fist in an iron glove. Those retainers who proved their worth and reliability would be rewarded. Those who did not would be released to find alternative service forthwith.

That night Alan slept in the bedchamber together with most of his men, with two men on guard outside the door.

The next day, Tuesday, Alan visited the horse stud property that the Kemps had developed just outside the village. He arranged with stud-master Roweson that the eighteen horses that had reached three years of age would be sent to Thorrington at once. He also promised additional breeding stock, including chargers, rather than just rounceys, and in the springtime the use of his own destrier stallion for breeding duties with suitably chosen mares.

Over the next week the situation settled down. Alan arranged with Toli of Dovercourt to borrow a huscarle who would administer Bradfield. Baldwin would base himself at Ramsey and train a squadron of ten horsemen, and Warren would supervise Great Oakley and train a squad of archers there.

Alan and most of the cavalry and archers returned home to Thorrington on Saturday 27th January. There he found to his pleasant surprise that Toland had used this normally quiet time of the year for the peasants to get busy with the construction of the new saltpans, which were nearly complete.