▁and ▁ships ▁to ▁in va de ▁England . ▁T ost ig ▁God win son , ▁brother ▁of ▁Harold , ▁made ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁attacks ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 0 6 6 ▁that ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁bid ▁for ▁the ▁throne , ▁but ▁after ▁defeat ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Ed win ▁and ▁Mor car ▁and ▁the ▁desert ion ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁follow ers ▁he ▁threw ▁his ▁lot ▁in ▁with ▁Har ald ▁Hard r ada , ▁who ▁inv aded ▁northern ▁England ▁in ▁early ▁September . ▁Harold ▁defeated ▁and ▁killed ▁Hard r ada ▁and ▁T ost ig ▁at ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁St am ford ▁Bridge . ▁William ▁inv aded ▁with ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁Norman ▁follow ers ▁and ▁mer cen aries . ▁Harold ▁march ed ▁south ▁to ▁meet ▁him , ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁and ▁killed ▁at ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁H ast ings ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁October ▁and ▁William ' s ▁forces ▁rapidly ▁occupied ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁William ▁I ▁( 1 0 6 6 – 8 7 ) ▁ ▁Major ▁revol ts ▁followed , ▁which ▁William ▁suppress ed ▁before ▁interven ing ▁in ▁the ▁north - east ▁of ▁England , ▁establish ing ▁Norman ▁control ▁of ▁York ▁and ▁dev ast ating ▁the ▁region . ▁Once ▁England ▁had ▁been ▁conquer ed , ▁the ▁Norm ans ▁faced ▁many ▁challeng es ▁in ▁maintain ing ▁control . ▁They ▁were ▁few ▁in ▁number ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁native ▁English ▁population ; ▁including ▁those ▁from ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁France , ▁histor ians ▁estimate ▁the