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England was one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Europe. This was due to successful farming and trade in the towns and villages. The king, his earls and the Church all profited from this through taxes.

The Anglo-Saxon community in England was basically a rural one. Most people depended on the land for survival. At the top of the social system was the royal house. This consisted of the king and aethelings who claimed a common ancestry with the king.

Royal family:

• By the middle of the 9th century, the royal family of Wessex was universally recognised as the English royal family and held a hereditary right to rule. Succession to the throne was not guaranteed as the Witan, or council of leaders, had the right to choose the best successor from the members of the royal house.

Major nobility:

• Below the king were the earls, the ruling nobility. The earl was the king's ‘right hand man’ in a shire. The position was not hereditary, but it became usual in the 10th century to choose earls from a few outstanding families.

Minor nobility:

• Below an earl was a thegn. They formed the backbone of the Anglo-Saxon army. With good service they received lands from the king and could rise to become earls.

Freemen:

• The upper group of commoners who held land freely and did not pay rent to a lord were known as freemen. Some freemen were expected to attend local courts to solve disputes. The lower group worked on land held by a lord and made their money by selling or exchanging crops or by pursuing craft activities like blacksmithing.

Serfs:

• There were many people in England in the 10th century who held no land and worked for others in exchange for food and shelter. There were others who were legally recognised as enslaved and had no civil rights although they could work on their own behalf and earn enough to buy their own freedom.

Urban Society

Towns were not structured in the same way as rural estates were. The major towns such as London, York, Winchester and Oxford were fortified against enemy attack. Most commercial activity took place in the towns. It was also home to skilled tradesmen and other professionals such as doctors and merchants. Most people lived in what we would consider to be villages. London was the biggest town in England and yet only had 10,000 residents.