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William I set up a "feudal system", he established a strong monarchy through centralization of the government. The king owned all the land, granting estates to his barons, which they devided among their followers; below there were the Saxon serfs. The newly established Royal Council (Curia Regis) was more dependent on the king than the Saxon Witan had been.
But the cruel rule of William´s successors came to an end when Henry, Duke of Anjou, ascended the throne through marriage.
Henry restored peace by re-establishing a highly competent government and freed England from feudal strife by putting down baronial rebellions and instituted royal courts, travelling judges (today´s "circuit judges") and the jury system. From then on the sentences pronounced at the courts were collected; they form the Common Law that serves as case examples for judges even today. But the church had ist own courts, hoping to have them abolished, he made his best friend, Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry was furious when Thomas now opposed him; four knights, wrongly believing they were carrying out the king´s wish, murdered Thomas in Canterbury Cathedral.
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