Who were the nobles granted land by the Crown after the Norman Conquest?

After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Crown, under William the Conqueror, granted large portions of land to loyal supporters and nobles. These nobles were referred to as tenants-in-chief, meaning they held their lands directly from the king. They played a crucial role in the feudal system that emerged in England, acting as vassals to the king and providing military service in exchange for land.

Tenants-in-chief were responsible for managing their lands and for the administration of justice, defense, and local governance. They had the right to grant portions of their land to sub-tenants or knights, creating a hierarchical structure of land ownership and loyalty that characterized the feudal system.

In contrast, the other groups mentioned—middle lords, peasantry, and commoners—did not receive land directly from the Crown in the same manner. The peasantry worked the lands and were often bound to the estate, and commoners generally did not have ownership of land in a feudal sense. Thus, the identification of tenants-in-chief as the individuals granted land after the Norman Conquest reflects the foundational structure of the feudal system established during that period.