In West Africa there was a war. The Almoravids, who were a nomadic group of people, took over the kingdom of Ghana. Kumbi was the capital city of Ghana at this time. Ghana had been an important empire in the continent of Africa.

The King of Scotland was Malcolm III. He was the son of Duncan, who had been killed by Macbeth. He reigned from 1058 to 1093.

The King of England was William I, who had conquered England in 1066. Since then, he had tried to keep the people in line by building a number of castles. In 1078 he ordered the Tower of London to be built. He also ordered the cathedral at Winchester to be started in 1079.

After 1071 William's hold on England was fairly secure and most of his attention from 1071 to 1087 (the end of his reign) was taken up by war and diplomacy on the Continent. Normandy, his homeland, was far more vulnerable to attack than England. Several of his neighbours in France took every opportunity to challenge William's new power. These were mainly King Philip of France and Count Fulk le Rechin of Anjou.
       
Robert was William's eldest son. He had been recognised as the heir to Normandy in 1066, but not allowed to enjoy money or power, and from 1078 onwards he became involved in a series of intrigues against his father. In 1079 Robert began to build the castle in the north of England which was to give Newcastle-upon-Tyne its name.

Tutbury -  A Benedictine Priory was founded in 1080 by Henry de Ferrers, one of William's followers. William was still the main landowner, but he, with three others, Roger de Montgomery (Earl of Shrewsbury,) Robert de Stafford and William Fitz Ansculf, were given much of the remaining land in the county.