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Medieval Britain

Castles, councils and clues that are not quite what they seem. Twelve questions, with a few convincing wrong turns along the way.

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Question sheet

  1. 1. What did the 1086 Domesday survey principally record?
    • A. Every resident's name and age
    • B. Landed property, holders and value
    • C. Parish baptisms
    • D. Overseas military service
  2. 2. How was King John's authority attached to Magna Carta in 1215?
    • A. Handwritten signature
    • B. Parliamentary vote
    • C. Fingerprints
    • D. Royal seal
  3. 3. Despite its name, how was the Bayeux Tapestry made?
    • A. Embroidery on linen
    • B. Pictures woven into wool
    • C. Painting on silk
    • D. Printing on cotton
  4. 4. To whom was the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath addressed?
    • A. Edward II
    • B. Holy Roman Emperor
    • C. Pope John XXII
    • D. King of France
  5. 5. What distinguished de Montfort's Parliament of 1265?
    • A. Women became members
    • B. Towns and counties both sent representatives
    • C. Monarchy was abolished
    • D. Universal male voting began
  6. 6. Which counties form Little Domesday?
    • A. Kent, Surrey, Sussex
    • B. Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland
    • C. Devon, Dorset, Cornwall
    • D. Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex
  7. 7. Which groups were meeting together as the Commons by 1332?
    • A. County knights and town burgesses
    • B. Bishops and abbots
    • C. Earls and royal judges
    • D. Sheriffs and parish priests
  8. 8. Which English king was deposed in 1399?
    • A. Edward II
    • B. Henry III
    • C. Richard II
    • D. Edward III
  9. 9. Where were the Lewis chess pieces probably made?
    • A. Scotland
    • B. Norway
    • C. France
    • D. Ireland
  10. 10. Which observance was central to the Synod of Whitby's dispute in 664?
    • A. Bible language
    • B. Papal elections
    • C. Church bells
    • D. Calculation of Easter
  11. 11. What procedure did the Commons use against royal advisers in 1376?
    • A. Impeachment before the Lords
    • B. Trial by combat
    • C. Excommunication
    • D. National referendum
  12. 12. Which English king lost Normandy in 1204?
    • A. Richard I
    • B. Henry II
    • C. John
    • D. Henry III

Answer sheet (for the quizmaster)

  1. 1. B - Landed property, holders and value
    Domesday surveyed landed property and value. It was not a census naming every inhabitant.
  2. 2. D - Royal seal
    Magna Carta was authenticated with the royal seal rather than signed in the modern sense.
  3. 3. A - Embroidery on linen
    Its pictures were embroidered in wool thread on linen, not woven as a true tapestry.
  4. 4. C - Pope John XXII
    The letter defended Scotland's independence and Robert Bruce's kingship before the pope.
  5. 5. B - Towns and counties both sent representatives
    County knights and town burgesses were summoned together. It was not universal suffrage.
  6. 6. D - Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex
    Little Domesday preserves the more detailed survey for Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
  7. 7. A - County knights and town burgesses
    Knights of the shire and burgesses formed the Commons, distinct from senior nobles and churchmen.
  8. 8. C - Richard II
    Richard II was deposed in 1399, when Henry IV's reign began.
  9. 9. B - Norway
    Found in Scotland, they are probably Norwegian work from the late twelfth or early thirteenth century.
  10. 10. D - Calculation of Easter
    Different Christian traditions calculated Easter differently. Northumbria adopted the Roman practice.
  11. 11. A - Impeachment before the Lords
    The Good Parliament prosecuted advisers before the Lords, an early use of parliamentary impeachment.
  12. 12. C - John
    John lost Normandy. Attempts to recover continental lands contributed to pressures preceding Magna Carta.