King Of England William NORMANDY

   Another name for William was The CONQUEROR.

  General Notes:

Contemporaries: Edward the Confessor (King of England, 1047-1066); Harold Godwinson (King of England, 1066); Henry I (King of France, 1031-1060); Philip I (King of France, 1060-1108); Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085); Lanfranc (Archbishop of Canterbury)

William was known to his contemporaries as William the Bastard. After William's birth his mother was married to one of Robert's followers and had two more sons, Robert and Odo. Although William was illegitimate, the Duke, soon to leave on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, persuaded the barons of Normandy to recognize William's birthright.

William, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, spent his first six years with his mother in Falaise and received the duchy of Normandy upon his father's death in 1035. A council consisting of noblemen and William's appointed guardians ruled Normandy but ducal authority waned under the Normans' violent nature and the province was wracked with assassination and revolt for twelve years. In 1047, William reasserted himself in the eastern Norman regions and, with the aid of France's King Henry I, crushed the rebelling barons. He spent the next several years consolidating his strength on the continent through marriage, diplomacy, war and savage intimidation. William asked Count Baldwin of Flanders (one of William's few allies) for the hand of his daughter Matilda. The Count approved, but the Pope refused the marriage on the grounds that Matilda and William were too closely related. William was not a man easily deterred. He went ahead with the marriage not only because of the im;ortant alliance with Flanders, but because he was in love. According to contemporary accounts, William was never unfaithful to Matilda and she bore him nine children. There were also an odd-looking couple. The skeletal remains found in their graves show that William was about 5' 10" and Matilda 4' 2".

By 1066, Normandy was in a position of virtual independence from William's feudal lord, Henry I of France and the disputed succession in England offered William an opportunity for invasion. Edward the Confessor attempted to gain Norman support while fighting with his father-in-law, Earl Godwin, by purportedly promising the throne to William in 1051. (This was either a false claim by William or a hollow promise from Edward; at that time, the kingship was not necessarily hereditary but was appointed by the witan, a council of clergy and barons.) Before his death in 1066, however, Edward reconciled with Godwin, and the witan agreed to Godwin's son, Harold, as heir to thecrown - after the recent Danish kings, the members of the council were anxious to keep the monarchy in Anglo-Saxon hands. William was enraged and immediately prepared to invade, insisting that Harold had sworn allegiance to him in 1064. It was this sworn allegiance that branded Harold a usurper and a perjurer, and William was granted papal approval to invade England and claim his rights.

William's preparation for battle may have won him England before he ever set foot on the island fortress. Normandy, a small duchy, could not supply all the men needed for an expedition of this size, but the prospect of invading England, with its natural resources and wealth, was an appealing one. Soldiers and mercenaries from all over France and Flanders joined the campaign. William's ranks swelled, and throughout the spring and summer, he built ships and gathered supplies. Prepared for battle in August 1066, ill winds throughout August and most of September prohibited him crossing the English Channel. This turned out to be advantageous for William, however, as Harold Godwinson awaited William's pending arrival on England's south shores, Harold Hardrada, the King of Norway, invaded England from the north. Harold Godwinson's forces marched north to defeat the Norse at Stamford Bridge on September 25, 1066.

Two days after the battle, William landed unopposed at Pevensey and spent the next two weeks pillaging the area and strengthening his position on the beachhead. The victorious Harold, in an attempt to solidify his kingship, took the fight south to William and the Normans on October 14, 1066 at Hastings. After hours of holding firm against the Normans, the tired English forces finally succumbed to the onslaught. Harold and his brothers died fighting in the Hastings battle, removing any further organized Anglo-Saxon resistance tothe Normans. The earls and bishops of the witan hesitated in supporting William, but soon submitted and crowned him William I on Christmas Day 1066. The kingdom was immediately besieged by minor uprisings, each one individually and ruthlessly crushed by the Normans, until the whole of England was conquered and united in 1072. William punished rebels by confiscating their lands and allocating them to the Normans. Uprisings inthe northern counties near York were quelled by an artificial famine brought about by Norman destruction of food caches and farming implements. By 1071, the native English ruling class was wipe out. England was not ruled by a French speaking aristocracy.

The arrival and conquest of William and the Normans radically altered the course of English history. Rather than attempt a wholesale replacement ofAnglo-Saxon law, William fused continent al practices with native custom.By disenfranchising Anglo-Saxon landowners, he instituted a b rand offeudalism in England that strengthened the monarchy. Villages and manorswere given a l arge degree of autonomy in local affairs in return formilitary service and monetary payments . The Anglo-Saxon office of sheriffwas greatly enhanced: sheriffs arbitrated legal cases in t he shire courtson behalf of the king, extracted tax payments and were generallyresponsible fo r keeping the peace. "The Domesday Book" was commissionedin 1085 as a survey of land ownershi p to assess property and establish atax base. Within the regions covered by the Domesday surv ey, thedominance of the Norman king and his nobility are revealed: only twoAnglo-Saxon baron s that held lands before 1066 retained those landstwenty years later. All landowners were sum moned to pay homage to Williamin 1086. William imported an Italian, Lanfranc, to take the pos ition ofArchbishop of Canterbury; Lanfranc reorganized the English Church,establishing separa te Church courts to deal with infractions of Canonlaw. Although he began the invasion with pa pal support, William refusedto let the church dictate policy within English and Norman border s.

He died as he had lived: an inveterate warrior. He died September 9, 1087from complications o f a wound he received in a siege on the town ofMantes.

"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" gave a favorable review of William'stwenty-one year reign, but ad ded, "His anxiety for money is the onlything on which he can deservedly be blamed; . . .he wo uld say and do somethings and indeed almost anything . . .where the hope of money alluredhim. " He was certainly cruel by modern standards, and exacted a high tollfrom his subjects, but h e laid the foundation for the economic andpolitical success of England.

Contemporaries: Edward the Confessor (King of England, 1047-1066); HaroldGodwinson (King of E ngland, 1066); Henry I (King of France, 1031-1060);Philip I (King of France, 1060-1108); Pop e Gregory VII (1073-1085);Lanfranc (Archbishop of Canterbury)
William, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, spent his firstsix years with his moth er in Falaise and received the duchy of Normandyupon his father's death in 1035. A council co nsisting of noblemen andWilliam's appointed guardians ruled Normandy but ducal authority wane dunder the Normans' violent nature and the province was wracked withassassination and revol t for twelve years. In 1047, William reassertedhimself in the eastern Norman regions and, wit h the aid of France's KingHenry I, crushed the rebelling barons. He spent the next several ye arsconsolidating his strength on the continent through marriage, diplomacy,war and savage int imidation. By 1066, Normandy was in a position ofvirtual independence from William's feudal l ord, Henry I of France andthe disputed succession in England offered William an opportunity f orinvasion.

Edward the Confessor attempted to gain Norman support while fighting withhis father-in-law, E arl Godwin, by purportedly promising the throne toWilliam in 1051. (This was either a false c laim by William or a hollowpromise from Edward; at that time, the kingship was not necessaril yhereditary but was appointed by the witan, a council of clergy andbarons.) Before his deat h in 1066, however, Edward reconciled withGodwin, and the witan agreed to Godwin's son, Harol d, as heir to thecrown - after the recent Danish kings, the members of the council wereanxiou s to keep the monarchy in Anglo-Saxon hands. William was enragedand immediately prepared to i nvade, insisting that Harold had swornallegiance to him in 1064. Prepared for battle in Augus t 1066, ill windsthroughout August and most of September prohibited him crossing theEnglish C hannel. This turned out to be advantageous for William, however,as Harold Godwinson awaited W illiam's pending arrival on England's southshores, Harold Hardrada, the King of Norway, invad ed England from thenorth. Harold Godwinson's forces marched north to defeat the Norse atStamf ord Bridge on September 25, 1066. Two days after the battle, Williamlanded unopposed at Peven sey and spent the next two weeks pillaging thearea and strengthening his position on the beac hhead. The victoriousHarold, in an attempt to solidify his kingship, took the fight south toW illiam and the Normans on October 14, 1066 at Hastings. After hours ofholding firm against th e Normans, the tired English forces finallysuccumbed to the onslaught. Harold and his brother s died fighting in theHastings battle, removing any further organized Anglo-Saxon resistanc e tothe Normans. The earls and bishops of the witan hesitated in supportingWilliam, but soo n submitted and crowned him William I on Christmas Day1066. The kingdom was immediately besie ged by minor uprisings, each oneindividually and ruthlessly crushed by the Normans, until th e whole ofEngland was conquered and united in 1072. William punished rebels byconfiscating th eir lands and allocating them to the Normans. Uprisings inthe northern counties near York wer e quelled by an artificial faminebrought about by Norman destruction of food caches and farmi ng implements.

The arrival and conquest of William and the Normans radically altered the course of English history. Rather than attempt a wholesale replacement of Anglo-Saxon law, William fused continental practices with native custom. By disenfranchising Anglo-Saxon landowners, he instituted a brand of feudalism in England that strengthened the monarchy. Villages and manors were given a large degree of autonomy in local affairs in return for military service and monetary payments . The Anglo-Saxon office of sheriff was greatly enhanced: sheriffs arbitrated legal cases in the shire courts on behalf of the king, extracted tax payments and were generally responsible for keeping the peace. "The Domesday Book" was commissioned in 1085 as a survey of land ownership to assess property and establish a tax base. Within the regions covered by the Domesday survey, the dominance of the Norman king and his nobility are revealed: only two Anglo-Saxon barons that held lands before 1066 retained those lands twenty years later. All landowners were summoned to pay homage to William in 1086. William imported an Italian, Lanfranc, to take the position of Archbishop of Canterbury; Lanfranc reorganized the English Church, establishing separate Church courts to deal with infractions of Canon law. Although he began the invasion with papal support, William refused to let the church dictate policy within English and Norman borders.

It had not gone unnoticed by either France or Flanders that William was now the most powerful monarch in Northern Europe, and they saw their opportunity to change the balance of power in William's first-born son, Robert. Long ignored by William, Robert felt entitled to his father's wealth and power and was easily manipulated by William's into conspiracies against his father.

In yet another dispute with the King of France over Norman territory, William attempted a surprise attack on the town Mantes. While winning the town, William received serious injury and on September 9, 1087, he died. William was brought to the Church of St. Stephen at Caen for burial, but unfortunately in his later years William had grown very fat. (King Philip of France said he looked like a pregnant woman.) While trying to stuff his body into the stone sarcophagus, the corpse burst open and according to witnesses filled the church with a foul order. It was an unceremonious end to the man who changed the destiny of England forever.

"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" gave a favorable review of William's twenty-one year reign, but added, "His anxiety for money is the only thing on which he can deservedly be blamed; . . .he would say and do somethings and indeed almost anything . . .where the hope of money allured him. " He was certainly cruel by modern standards, and exacted a high toll from his subjects, but he laid the foundation for the economic and political success of England.[91502.ftw]

Contemporaries: Edward the Confessor (King of England, 1047-1066); Harold Godwinson (King of England, 1066); Henry I (King of France, 1031-1060); Philip I (King of France, 1060-1108); Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085); Lanfranc (Archbishop of Canterbury)

William was known to his contemporaries as William the Bastard. After William's birth his mother was married to one of Robert's followers and had two more sons, Robert and Odo. Although William was illegitimate, the Duke, soon to leave on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, persuaded the barons of Normandy to recognize William's birthright.

William, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, spent his first six years with his mother in Falaise and received the duchy of Normandy upon his father's death in 1035. A council consisting of noblemen and William's appointed guardians ruled Normandy but ducal authority waned under the Normans' violent nature and the province was wracked with assassination and revolt for twelve years. In 1047, William reasserted himself in the eastern Norman regions and, with the aid of France's King Henry I, crushed the rebelling barons. He spent the next several years consolidating his strength on the continent through marriage, diplomacy, war and savage intimidation. William asked Count Baldwin of Flanders (one of William's few allies) for the hand of his daughter Matilda. The Count approved, but the Pope refused the marriage on the grounds that Matilda and William were too closely related. William was not a man easily deterred. He went ahead with the marriage not only because of the im;ortant alliance with Flanders, but because he was in love. According to contemporary accounts, William was never unfaithful to Matilda and she bore him nine children. There were also an odd-looking couple. The skeletal remains found in their graves show that William was about 5' 10" and Matilda 4' 2".

By 1066, Normandy was in a position of virtual independence from William's feudal lord, Henry I of France and the disputed succession in England offered William an opportunity for invasion. Edward the Confessor attempted to gain Norman support while fighting with his father-in-law, Earl Godwin, by purportedly promising the throne to William in 1051. (This was either a false claim by William or a hollow promise from Edward; at that time, the kingship was not necessarily hereditary but was appointed by the witan, a council of clergy and barons.) Before his death in 1066, however, Edward reconciled with Godwin, and the witan agreed to Godwin's son, Harold, as heir to thecrown - after the recent Danish kings, the members of the council were anxious to keep the monarchy in Anglo-Saxon hands. William was enraged and immediately prepared to invade, insisting that Harold had sworn allegiance to him in 1064. It was this sworn allegiance that branded Harold a usurper and a perjurer, and William was granted papal approval to invade England and claim his rights.

William's preparation for battle may have won him England before he ever set foot on the island fortress. Normandy, a small duchy, could not supply all the men needed for an expedition of this size, but the prospect of invading England, with its natural resources and wealth, was an appealing one. Soldiers and mercenaries from all over France and Flanders joined the campaign. William's ranks swelled, and throughout the spring and summer, he built ships and gathered supplies. Prepared for battle in August 1066, ill winds throughout August and most of September prohibited him crossing the English Channel. This turned out to be advantageous for William, however, as Harold Godwinson awaited William's pending arrival on England's south shores, Harold Hardrada, the King of Norway, invaded England from the north. Harold Godwinson's forces marched north to defeat the Norse at Stamford Bridge on September 25, 1066.

Two days after the battle, William landed unopposed at Pevensey and spent the next two weeks pillaging the area and strengthening his position on the beachhead. The victorious Harold, in an attempt to solidify his kingship, took the fight south to William and the Normans on October 14, 1066 at Hastings. After hours of holding firm against the Normans, the tired English forces finally succumbed to the onslaught. Harold and his brothers died fighting in the Hastings battle, removing any further organized Anglo-Saxon resistance tothe Normans. The earls and bishops of the witan hesitated in supporting William, but soon submitted and crowned him William I on Christmas Day 1066. The kingdom was immediately besieged by minor uprisings, each one individually and ruthlessly crushed by the Normans, until the whole of England was conquered and united in 1072. William punished rebels by confiscating their lands and allocating them to the Normans. Uprisings inthe northern counties near York were quelled by an artificial famine brought about by Norman destruction of food caches and farming implements. By 1071, the native English ruling class was wipe out. England was not ruled by a French speaking aristocracy.

The arrival and conquest of William and the Normans radically altered the course of English history. Rather than attempt a wholesale replacement ofAnglo-Saxon law, William fused continent al practices with native custom.By disenfranchising Anglo-Saxon landowners, he instituted a b rand offeudalism in England that strengthened the monarchy. Villages and manorswere given a l arge degree of autonomy in local affairs in return formilitary service and monetary payments . The Anglo-Saxon office of sheriffwas greatly enhanced: sheriffs arbitrated legal cases in t he shire courtson behalf of the king, extracted tax payments and were generallyresponsible fo r keeping the peace. "The Domesday Book" was commissionedin 1085 as a survey of land ownershi p to assess property and establish atax base. Within the regions covered by the Domesday surv ey, thedominance of the Norman king and his nobility are revealed: only twoAnglo-Saxon baron s that held lands before 1066 retained those landstwenty years later. All landowners were sum moned to pay homage to Williamin 1086. William imported an Italian, Lanfranc, to take the pos ition ofArchbishop of Canterbury; Lanfranc reorganized the English Church,establishing separa te Church courts to deal with infractions of Canonlaw. Although he began the invasion with pa pal support, William refusedto let the church dictate policy within English and Norman border s.

He died as he had lived: an inveterate warrior. He died September 9, 1087from complications o f a wound he received in a siege on the town ofMantes.

"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" gave a favorable review of William'stwenty-one year reign, but ad ded, "His anxiety for money is the onlything on which he can deservedly be blamed; . . .he wo uld say and do somethings and indeed almost anything . . .where the hope of money alluredhim. " He was certainly cruel by modern standards, and exacted a high tollfrom his subjects, but h e laid the foundation for the economic andpolitical success of England.

Contemporaries: Edward the Confessor (King of England, 1047-1066); HaroldGodwinson (King of E ngland, 1066); Henry I (King of France, 1031-1060);Philip I (King of France, 1060-1108); Pop e Gregory VII (1073-1085);Lanfranc (Archbishop of Canterbury)
William, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, spent his firstsix years with his moth er in Falaise and received the duchy of Normandyupon his father's death in 1035. A council co nsisting of noblemen andWilliam's appointed guardians ruled Normandy but ducal authority wane dunder the Normans' violent nature and the province was wracked withassassination and revol t for twelve years. In 1047, William reassertedhimself in the eastern Norman regions and, wit h the aid of France's KingHenry I, crushed the rebelling barons. He spent the next several ye arsconsolidating his strength on the continent through marriage, diplomacy,war and savage int imidation. By 1066, Normandy was in a position ofvirtual independence from William's feudal l ord, Henry I of France andthe disputed succession in England offered William an opportunity f orinvasion.

Edward the Confessor attempted to gain Norman support while fighting withhis father-in-law, E arl Godwin, by purportedly promising the throne toWilliam in 1051. (This was either a false c laim by William or a hollowpromise from Edward; at that time, the kingship was not necessaril yhereditary but was appointed by the witan, a council of clergy andbarons.) Before his deat h in 1066, however, Edward reconciled withGodwin, and the witan agreed to Godwin's son, Harol d, as heir to thecrown - after the recent Danish kings, the members of the council wereanxiou s to keep the monarchy in Anglo-Saxon hands. William was enragedand immediately prepared to i nvade, insisting that Harold had swornallegiance to him in 1064. Prepared for battle in Augus t 1066, ill windsthroughout August and most of September prohibited him crossing theEnglish C hannel. This turned out to be advantageous for William, however,as Harold Godwinson awaited W illiam's pending arrival on England's southshores, Harold Hardrada, the King of Norway, invad ed England from thenorth. Harold Godwinson's forces marched north to defeat the Norse atStamf ord Bridge on September 25, 1066. Two days after the battle, Williamlanded unopposed at Peven sey and spent the next two weeks pillaging thearea and strengthening his position on the beac hhead. The victoriousHarold, in an attempt to solidify his kingship, took the fight south toW illiam and the Normans on October 14, 1066 at Hastings. After hours ofholding firm against th e Normans, the tired English forces finallysuccumbed to the onslaught. Harold and his brother s died fighting in theHastings battle, removing any further organized Anglo-Saxon resistanc e tothe Normans. The earls and bishops of the witan hesitated in supportingWilliam, but soo n submitted and crowned him William I on Christmas Day1066. The kingdom was immediately besie ged by minor uprisings, each oneindividually and ruthlessly crushed by the Normans, until th e whole ofEngland was conquered and united in 1072. William punished rebels byconfiscating th eir lands and allocating them to the Normans. Uprisings inthe northern counties near York wer e quelled by an artificial faminebrought about by Norman destruction of food caches and farmi ng implements.

The arrival and conquest of William and the Normans radically altered the course of English history. Rather than attempt a wholesale replacement of Anglo-Saxon law, William fused continental practices with native custom. By disenfranchising Anglo-Saxon landowners, he instituted a brand of feudalism in England that strengthened the monarchy. Villages and manors were given a large degree of autonomy in local affairs in return for military service and monetary payments . The Anglo-Saxon office of sheriff was greatly enhanced: sheriffs arbitrated legal cases in the shire courts on behalf of the king, extracted tax payments and were generally responsible for keeping the peace. "The Domesday Book" was commissioned in 1085 as a survey of land ownership to assess property and establish a tax base. Within the regions covered by the Domesday survey, the dominance of the Norman king and his nobility are revealed: only two Anglo-Saxon barons that held lands before 1066 retained those lands twenty years later. All landowners were summoned to pay homage to William in 1086. William imported an Italian, Lanfranc, to take the position of Archbishop of Canterbury; Lanfranc reorganized the English Church, establishing separate Church courts to deal with infractions of Canon law. Although he began the invasion with papal support, William refused to let the church dictate policy within English and Norman borders.

It had not gone unnoticed by either France or Flanders that William was now the most powerful monarch in Northern Europe, and they saw their opportunity to change the balance of power in William's first-born son, Robert. Long ignored by William, Robert felt entitled to his father's wealth and power and was easily manipulated by William's into conspiracies against his father.

In yet another dispute with the King of France over Norman territory, William attempted a surprise attack on the town Mantes. While winning the town, William received serious injury and on September 9, 1087, he died. William was brought to the Church of St. Stephen at Caen for burial, but unfortunately in his later years William had grown very fat. (King Philip of France said he looked like a pregnant woman.) While trying to stuff his body into the stone sarcophagus, the corpse burst open and according to witnesses filled the church with a foul order. It was an unceremonious end to the man who changed the destiny of England forever.

"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" gave a favorable review of William's twenty-one year reign, but added, "His anxiety for money is the only thing on which he can deservedly be blamed; . . .he would say and do somethings and indeed almost anything . . .where the hope of money allured him. " He was certainly cruel by modern standards, and exacted a high toll from his subjects, but he laid the foundation for the economic and political success of England.

William married Queen Of England Matilda DE FLANDERS, daughter of Count Of Flanders Baldwin V Le Blount DE FLANDERS and Princess Adela CAPET, in 1051. (Queen Of England Matilda DE FLANDERS was born in 1030 in Flanders, France, died on 2 Nov 1083 in Caen, Calvados, France and was buried in Holy Trinity Abbey, Caen, Normandy, France.)