ief ▁or ▁an ▁honour . ▁Major ▁nobles ▁in ▁turn ▁granted ▁lands ▁to ▁smaller ▁land own ers ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁hom age ▁and ▁further ▁military ▁support , ▁and ▁eventually ▁the ▁pe asant ry ▁held ▁land ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁local ▁labour ▁services , ▁creating ▁a ▁web ▁of ▁lo y alt ies ▁and ▁resources ▁enfor ced ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁new ▁hon orial ▁courts . ▁This ▁system ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁Norm andy ▁and ▁concentr ated ▁more ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁king ▁and ▁the ▁upper ▁el ite ▁than ▁the ▁former ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁system ▁of ▁government . ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁sla very ▁decl ined ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁con quest , ▁as ▁the ▁Norm ans ▁considered ▁the ▁practice ▁back ward ▁and ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁the ▁church . ▁The ▁more ▁prosper ous ▁pe as ants , ▁however , ▁lost ▁influence ▁and ▁power ▁as ▁the ▁Norm ans ▁made ▁holding ▁land ▁more ▁dependent ▁on ▁providing ▁labour ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁lord . ▁They ▁s ank ▁down ▁the ▁economic ▁hierarchy , ▁sw elling ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁un free ▁ville ins ▁or ▁ser fs , ▁forb idden ▁to ▁leave ▁their ▁man or ▁or ▁seek ▁alternative ▁employ ment . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁power , ▁the ▁k ings ▁employed ▁a ▁succession ▁of ▁cler gy ▁as ▁ch an cell ors , ▁responsible ▁for ▁running ▁the ▁royal ▁ch anc ery , ▁while ▁the ▁familia ▁reg is , ▁the ▁military ▁household , ▁emer ged ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁body guard ▁and ▁military ▁staff . ▁England ' s ▁b ish