Old English Chronicle
The " moot " or national assembly held at Salisbury In 1080 is famous because the occupiers of land were required to take the oath of allegiance to the king, whether they actually held their land direct from the king or from an intermediate overlord . The oath bound them to follow the king even against the overlord.
THE MOOT OF SALISBURY
An. M.LXXXVI. In this year the king bare his crown, and held his court in Winchester, at Easter; and so he went that he was by Pentecost at Westminster, and dubbed his son Henry a knight there. After that he went about, so that he came by Lammas to Salisbury, and there his witan came to him, and all the landholders that were of account over all England, be they the men of what man they might; and they all submitted to him, and were his men, and swore to him oaths of fealty, that they would be faithful to him against all other men. Thence he went to Wight, because he would go to Normandy and afterwards did so; and yet he first did after his wont, obtained a very great treasure from his subjects, where he could have any accusation, either with justice or otherwise. He then went afterwards to Normandy; and Eadgar aetheling, the kinsman of king Eadward, revolted from him because he had no great honour from him; but may the Almighty God give him honour in the life to come. And Christina, the aetheling's sister, retired to the monastery at Rumsey, and received the holy veil. And the same year was a very heavy, toilsome, and sorrowful year in England, through murrain of cattle, and corn and fruits were at a stand, and so great unpropitiousness in weather, as no one can easily think; so great was the thunder and lightning, that it killed many men; and ever it grew worse with men more and more. May God Almighty better it, when it shall be His will.
