What did Earls Edwin and Morcar do at Fulford?

• A. They led 4,000 men south to meet them.
• B. They joined Hardrada's army.
• C. They retreated to London.
• D. They attacked York from the north.

Answer: (A)

The question tests what the northern earls did when Harald Hardrada’s Norse army invaded in 1066. Edwin and Morcar gathered a sizeable local force and moved south to confront the invaders near Fulford, aiming to stop them before they could threaten York. Their army, often cited as about 4,000 men, went out to meet Hardrada rather than joining him or retreating elsewhere, and the plan was to strike the Norse where they stood in the countryside south of York. That’s why leading a force south to meet them is the best description of their action at Fulford. They did not join Hardrada, they did not retreat to London, and they did not attack York from the north; Fulford was a southward engagement intended to block the Norse advance toward York.