Northumbria And The Normans

The Norman invasion in 1066 brought England under the strenuous rule of William the Conqueror. His reign unified the Anglo-Saxon and Viking kingdoms of England and brought the tense relationship between the Scots and the northern English clans to the fore. Malcolm Canmore of Scotland supported his brother-in-law, Edgar Atheling, as a contender to William's throne, and began to make continuous raids on the borders of Northumbria. The border became the scene of fierce warfare.

Malcolm continued in his quest until he was killed at Alnwick in 1093 (his cross lies just north of the town).

The Normans had put down all independent power in the north of England, but they now found that the resulting vacuum led to instability, and made it impossible to administer law. This also made it more difficult to defend the Scottish frontier. They therefore decided to establish County Palantine of Durham, and establish the line of the Prince Bishops as the ruling clan of the north. This effectively created a minor kingdom of the north, answerable only to the King of England. Within their own lands they could raise armies, create barons, and coin their own money.

This strategy proved very successful. The bishops proved that they could defend against the Scots on a number of occasions, and never once put an army in the field against an English King. The office of Prince Bishop lasted until 1836, when the remaining powers were transferred to the crown.

However successful, however, the Prince Bishops could not guarantee peace. In the early part of the 12th century, with England in a state of civil war, David I of Scotland took control of Northumbria as far as the river Tyne. This was taken back after a few years but the subsequent dispute over ownership of the counties, and the distrust which built up between the rival factions fuelled many subsequent battles.