Person Page - 10203

     Joan Plantagenet was born in October 1165 at Angers Castle, Angers, Anjou, France^G.¹ She was the daughter of Henry II 'Curtmantle' d'Anjou, King of England and Eleanor, Duchesse d'Aquitaine. She married Guglielmo II di Sicilia, Re di Sicilia, son of Guglielmo I di Sicilia, Re di Sicilia and Marguerite de Navarre, Rengent di Sicilia, on 13 February 1177 at Palermo Cathedral, Palermo, Sicily, Italy^G.¹ She married Raimond VI, Comte de Toulouse, son of Raimond V, Comte de Toulouse and Constance de Toulouse, in October 1196 at Rouen, Caux, France^G.¹ She died on 4 September 1199 at age 33 at Fontevraud Abbey, Fontevraud, France^G, childbirth.¹ She was buried at Fontevraud Abbey, Fontevraud, France^G.¹
     After her marriage, Joan Plantagenet was styled as Queen Joan of Sicily on 13 February 1177.¹

     William I 'the Conqueror', King of England was born between 1027 and 1028 at Falise Castle, Falaise, Normandy, France^G, illegitimately.^2,3 He was the son of Robert I, 6th Duc de Normandie and Herleva de Falaise. He married Matihilde van Vlaanderen, daughter of Baldwinus V Graaf van Vlaanderen Comte d'Artois Markgraaf van Ename and Adèle Capet, Princesse de France, in 1053 at Cathedral of Notre Dame d'Eu, Normandy, France^G.³ He died on 9 September 1087 at Priory of St. Gervais, Rouen, Caux, France^G, from wounds received while fighting.⁴ He was buried at St. Stephen Abbey, Caen, Normandy, France^G.⁴
     William I 'the Conqueror', King of England also went by the nick-name of William 'the Conqueror'.⁵ William I 'the Conqueror', King of England also went by the nick-name of William 'le Batard' (or in English, the Bastard.)⁵ In 1035 on his father's death, William was recognised by his family as the heir - an exception to the general rule that illegitimacy barred succession. His great uncle looked after the Duchy during William's minority, and his overlord, King Henry I of France, knighted him at the age of 15.⁶ He succeeded as the 7th Duc de Normandie on 22 June 1035.³ He gained the title of Comte de Maine in 1063.³ He fought in the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 at Hastings, Sussex, England^G.³ He was crowned King of England on 25 December 1066 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England^G, and styled 'Willielmus Rex Anglorum.⁷' He gained the title of King William I of England on 25 December 1066.⁷ He fought in the Siege of Mantes in September 1087.⁴ From 1047 onwards, William successfully dealt with rebellion inside Normandy involving his kinsmen and threats from neighbouring nobles, including attempted invasions by his former ally King Henry I of France in 1054 (the French forces were defeated at the Battle of Mortemer). William's military successes and reputation helped him to negotiate his marriage to Mathilda, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders. At the time of his invasion of England, William was a very experienced and ruthless military commander, ruler and administrator who had unified Normandy and inspired fear and respect outside his duchy. William's claim to the English throne was based on his assertion that, in 1051, Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne (he was a distant cousin) and that Harold II - having sworn in 1064 to uphold William's right to succeed to that throne - was therefore a usurper. Furthermore, William had the support of Emperor Henry IV and papal approval. William took seven months to prepare his invasion force, using some 600 transport ships to carry around 7,000 men (including 2,000-3,000 cavalry) across the Channel. On 28 September 1066, with a favourable wind, William landed unopposed at Pevensey and, within a few days, raised fortifications at Hastings. Having defeated an earlier invasion by the King of Norway at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York in late September, Harold undertook a forced march south, covering 250 miles in some nine days to meet the new threat, gathering inexperienced reinforcements to replenish his exhausted veterans as he marched.
     At the Battle of Senlac (near Hastings) on 14 October, Harold's weary and under-strength army faced William's cavalry (part of the forces brought across the Channel) supported by archers. Despite their exhaustion, Harold's troops were equal in number (they included the best infantry in Europe equipped with their terrible two-handled battle axes) and they had the battlefield advantage of being based on a ridge above the Norman positions. The first uphill assaults by the Normans failed and a rumour spread that William had been killed; William rode among the ranks raising his helmet to show he was still alive. The battle was close-fought: a chronicler described the Norman counter-attacks and the Saxon defence as 'one side attacking with all mobility, the other withstanding as though rooted to the soil'. Three of William's horses were killed under him. William skilfully co-ordinated his archers and cavalry, both of which the English forces lacked. During a Norman assault, Harold was killed - hit by an arrow and then mowed down by the sword of a mounted knight. Two of his brothers were also killed. The demoralised English forces fled. In 1070, as penance, William had an abbey built on the site of the battle, with the high altar occupying the spot where Harold fell. The ruins of Battle Abbey, and the town of Battle, which grew up around it, remain.
     Three months after his coronation, he was confident enough to return to Normandy leaving two joint regents (one of whom was his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who was later to commission the Bayeux Tapestry) behind to administer the kingdom. However, it took William six years to consolidate his conquest, and even then he had to face constant plotting and fighting on both sides of the Channel. In 1068, Harold's sons raided the south-west coast of England (dealt with by William's local commanders), and there were uprisings in the Welsh Marches, Devon and Cornwall. William appointed earls who, in Wales and in all parts of the kingdom, undertook to guard the threatened frontiers and maintain internal security in return for land.
     In 1069, the Danes, in alliance with Prince Edgar the Aetheling (Ethelred's great-grandson) and other English nobles, invaded the north and took York. Taking personal charge, and pausing only to deal with the rising at Stafford, William drove the Danes back to their ships on the Humber. In a harsh campaign lasting into 1070, William systematically devastated Mercia and Northumbria to deprive the Danes of their supplies and prevent recovery of English resistance. Churches and monasteries were burnt, and agricultural land was laid to waste, creating a famine for the unarmed and mostly peasant population which lasted at least nine years. Although the Danes were bribed to leave the north, King Sweyn of Denmark and his ships threatened the east coast (in alliance with various English, including Hereward the Wake) until a treaty of peace was concluded in June 1070.
     Further north, where the boundary with Scotland was unclear, King Malcolm III was encroaching into England. Yet again, William moved swiftly and moved land and sea forces north to invade Scotland. The Treaty of Abernethy in 1072 marked a truce, which was reinforced by Malcolm's eldest son being accepted as a hostage. William consolidated his conquest by starting a castle-building campaign in strategic areas. Originally these castles were wooden towers on earthen 'mottes' (mounds) with a bailey (defensive area) surrounded by earth ramparts, but many were later rebuilt in stone. By the end of William's reign over 80 castles had been built throughout his kingdom, as a permanent reminder of the new Norman feudal order.
     William's wholesale confiscation of land from English nobles and their heirs (many nobles had died at the battles of Stamford Bridge and Senlac) enabled him to recruit and retain an army, by demanding military duties in exchange for land tenancy granted to Norman, French and Flemish allies. He created up to 180 'honours' (lands scattered through shires, with a castle as the governing centre), and in return had some 5,000 knights at his disposal to repress rebellions and pursue campaigns; the knights were augmented by mercenaries and English infantry from the Anglo-Saxon militia, raised from local levies. William also used the fyrd, the royal army - a military arrangement which had survived the Conquest. The King's tenants-in-chief in turn created knights under obligation to them and for royal duties (this was called subinfeudation), with the result that private armies centred around private castles were created - these were to cause future problems of anarchy for unfortunate or weak kings. By the end of William's reign, a small group of the King's tenants had acquired about half of England's landed wealth. Only two Englishmen still held large estates directly from the King. A foreign aristocracy had been imposed as the new governing class.
     The expenses of numerous campaigns, together with an economic slump (caused by the shifts in landed wealth, and the devastation of northern England for military and political reasons), prompted William to order a full-scale investigation into the actual and potential wealth of the kingdom to maximise tax revenues. The Domesday survey was prompted by ignorance of the state of land holding in England, as well as the result of the costs of defence measures in England and renewed war in France. The scope, speed, efficiency and completion of this survey was remarkable for its time and resulted in the two-volume Domesday Book of 1086, which still exists today. William needed to ensure the direct loyalty of his feudal tenants. The 1086 Oath of Salisbury was a gathering of William's 170 tenants-in-chief and other important landowners who took an oath of fealty to William. William's reach extended elsewhere into the Church and the legal system. French superseded the vernacular (Anglo-Saxon). Personally devout, William used his bishops to carry out administrative duties. Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1070, was a first-class administrator who assisted in government when William was absent in France, and who reorganised the Church in England. Having established the primacy of his archbishopric over that of York, and with William's approval, Lanfranc excommunicated rebels, and set up Church or spiritual courts to deal with ecclesiastical matters. Lanfranc also replaced English bishops and abbots (some of whom had already been removed by the Council of Winchester under papal authority) with Norman or French clergy to reduce potential political resistance. In addition, Canterbury and Durham Cathedrals were rebuilt and some of the bishops' sees were moved to urban centres.
     At his coronation, William promised to uphold existing laws and customs. The Anglo-Saxon shire courts and 'hundred' courts (which administered defence and tax, as well as justice matters) remained intact, as did regional variations and private Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions. To strengthen royal justice, William relied on sheriffs (previously smaller landowners, but replaced by influential nobles) to supervise the administration of justice in existing county courts, and sent members of his own court to conduct important trials. However, the introduction of Church courts, the mix of Norman/Roman law and the differing customs led to a continuing complex legal framework. More severe forest laws reinforced William's conversion of the New Forest into a vast Royal deer reserve. These laws caused great resentment, and to English chroniclers the New Forest became a symbol of William's greed. Nevertheless the King maintained peace and order. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1087 declared 'he was a very stern and violent man, so no one dared do anything contrary to his will ... Amongst other things the good security he made in this country is not to be forgotten.'
     William spent the last months of his reign in Normandy, fighting a counter-offensive in the French Vexin territory against King Philip's annexation of outlying Normandy territory. Before his death on 9 September 1087, William divided his 'Anglo-Norman' state between his sons. (The scene was set for centuries of expensive commitments by successive English monarchs to defend their inherited territories in France.) William bequeathed Normandy as he had promised to his eldest son Robert, despite their bitter differences (Robert had sided with his father's enemies in Normandy, and even wounded and defeated his father in a battle there in 1079). His son, William Rufus, was to succeed William as King of England, and the third remaining son, Henry, was left 5,000 pounds in silver.⁸ He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.⁹
     

     Matihilde van Vlaanderen was born circa 1031 at Flanders, Belgium^G.¹ She was the daughter of Baldwinus V Graaf van Vlaanderen Comte d'Artois Markgraaf van Ename and Adèle Capet, Princesse de France.¹ She married William I 'the Conqueror', King of England, son of Robert I, 6th Duc de Normandie and Herleva de Falaise, in 1053 at Cathedral of Notre Dame d'Eu, Normandy, France^G.² She died on 2 November 1083 at Caen, Normandy, France^G.³ She was buried at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.³
     After her marriage, Matihilde van Vlaanderen was styled as Queen Consort Matilda of England on 11 May 1068.³

     Robert III 'Curthose', 8th Duc de Normandie was born in 1051 at Normandy, France^G.^1,2 He was the son of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen.³ He married, firstly, Sybilla de Conversano, daughter of Goffredo d'Altavilla, Conte di Conversano, in 1100 at Apulia, Sicily, Italy^G.¹ He married, secondly, Margaret de Maine.⁴ He died on 10 February 1134 at Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales^G.¹ He was buried at Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England^G.¹
     He succeeded as the 8th Duc de Normandie on 9 September 1087.¹ On 27 September 1106 he was taken prisoner at Tenchebrai and imprisoned in Cardiff Castle by his brother Henry for 28 years. He was deposed as Duke of Normandy on 28 September 1106.¹ He fought in the Battle of Tinchebrai on 28 September 1106, where he lost to his brother Henry I.¹

     Richard of Bernay, Duke of Bernay was born in 1054 at Normandy, France^G.² He was the son of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen. He died circa 1081 at New Forest, Hampshire, England^G, killed in an accident with a stag, while hunting, unmarried.² He was buried at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.²
     He gained the title of Duke of Bernay [Norman].²

     William II 'Rufus', King of England was born between 1056 and 1060 at Normandy, France^G.³ He was the son of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen. He died on 2 August 1100 at New Forest, Hampshire, England^G, an 'accident' with an arrow while hunting, unmarried He may have been assassinated at the orders on of his younger brother, Henry I.³ He was buried at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.¹
     William II 'Rufus', King of England also went by the nick-name of William 'Rufus' because of his red face and, like his father, he was fat.⁴ He succeeded as the King William II of England on 9 September 1087.³ He was crowned King of England on 26 September 1087 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England^G, and styled 'Dei Gratiâ Rex Anglorum', crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury Llanfranc.⁵
     William was very fond of his father and always loyal to him. He had a tendancy to stutter when excited. He won military successes in Normandy, and advanced the Norman cause in Wales as well as overcoming rebellions of his barons. The church certainly had no liking for him, a view he reciprocated. He had the reputation of being cruel, harsh, capricious and profligate and yet he was admired by many as a good soldier and leader and a generous man. His true character may be lost forever in the mists of time.⁴ He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.⁶
     

     Cecilia de Normandie, was born between 1054 and 1055 at Normandy, France^G.¹ She was the daughter of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen. She died on 3 July 1126 at Caen, Normandy, France^G.¹ She was also reported to have died on 30 July 1126. She was buried at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.²
     She was a nun on 18 June 1066 at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.¹ She was the Abbess between 1112 and 1126 at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.¹

     Agatha de Normandie was born circa 1064.² She was the daughter of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen. She married Alfonso VI of Galicia, King of Galicia and Léon before 1074 at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.² She died before 1080. She was buried at Bayeaux Cathedral, Bayeaux, Normandy, France^G.²
     She was also known as Elgiva de Normandie.² She was also known as Margaret de Normandie.²

     Adeliza de Normandie was born circa 1055.¹ She was the daughter of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen. She and Harold II Godwinson, King of England were engaged circa 1063.² She died circa 1065.²
     She was a nun.² She has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.³
     

     Adela de Normandie was born circa 1062 at Normandy, France^G.¹ She was the daughter of William I 'the Conqueror', King of England and Matihilde van Vlaanderen.² She married Stephen II Henry, Comte de Blois, son of Thibaud III, Comte de Blois and Gersende de Maine, in 1080 at Breteuil, France^G, in a, and again in 1081 at the Chartres Cathedral marriage.³ She died on 8 March 1137 at Marcigny-sur-Loire, France^G.⁴ She was buried at Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy, France^G.¹ She was buried at Cluniac Priory, Marcigny-sur-Loire, France^G.
     She was a nun circa 1122 at Cluniac Priory, Marcigny-sur-Loire, France^G.¹ She has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.⁵