William
[middle name?]
Normandy
Born 1028
[place of birth?]
Son of
Robert I Normandy and
Herleva De Falaise
Brother of
Adelaide Normandy [add sibling]
Husband of
Matilda Normandy
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Father of
Robert Normandy, Richard Normandy, Alice Normandy, William Normandy, Cecily Normandy, Agatha Normandy, Constance Normandy, Adela Normandy and Henry I Normandy [add child]
Died September 9, 1087
[place of death?]
About William Normandy
William the Conqueror
Born Autumn of 1028 in Normandy, France died Sept. 9, 1087 in France.
His titles: Duke of Normandy by 1036 and King of England by 1066.
After the victory of England in 1066, he brought Norman culture to the various tribes of England.
Because his father, Robert I of Normandy had not married William's mother, William was considered illegitimate but was declared the heir to his father, Robert I by hsi father.
Wiliam became Duke of Normandy at age 8 in 1035. Knighted by King Henry of France at age 15.
William married Matilda of Flanders (born 1031 - died November 2, 1083) in 1053 at the Catherine of Notre Dame at Eu, Normandy. They had 9 children.
Description of William: a man of fair stature (5’ 10”) with remarkably strong arms and could shoot a bow while in full gallop on a horse. William had a magnificent appearance. Tough, brave, inspirational and religious.
In 1062, William invaded and took control of the county of Maine, which had been a fief of Anjou.
William also contended that Edward the Confessor, who had no children, and had spent much of his life in exile in Normandy during the Danish occupation of England, had promised William the throne when William visited Edward in London in 1052.
But January 1066, Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England based on Edward the Confessor’s last wishes. William felt he was entitled to the title of King of England. Got the support of Pope Alexander II and recruited 7,000 men and 600 ships. Harold placed his troops on the south coast of England. There were delays because of weather causing problems for both sides, especially for Harold’s armies. Harold’s troops had moved to northern end by York to stop any invasion from the Norway.
William arrived at the south of England and built a wooden castle near Hastings.
By Oct. 13, 1066, Harold’s forces headed from London to Hastings. There followed a one day battle, The Battle of Hastings. Losses of soldiers on both sides was equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few if any archers.
Norman arrows also took their toll, progressively weakening the English wall of shields. A final Norman cavalry attack decided the battle irrevocably, resulting in the death of Harold, killed by an arrow in the eye. The rest of the English soldiers fled and William had total control. He did march onto London to take that city by force. No more supporters for the English and there was surrender. He was first claimed the new English King and had a formal coronation in London at Westminster Abby on December 25, 1066. The northern part of England did continue to resist the new King but total surrender was by 1072.
In spite of being the English King, he did live for many years back in Normandy, France.
He did build many great castles throughout England, including the White Tower (Tower of London). Also produced by his orders, The Doomsday Book which was begun in 1086 and contained detailed records of 13,418 settlements in England. The Doomsday Book, a land survey, which still survives, provides an insight into the medieval life and times of this era. It has extensive records of landholders, their tenants, the amount of land they owned, how many people occupied the land (villagers, smallholders, free men, slaves, etc.), the amounts of woodland, meadow, animals, fish and ploughs on the land (if there were any) and other resources, any buildings present (churches, castles, mills, salt houses, etc.), and the whole purpose of the survey - the value of the land and its assets. Maybe about 1 ½ million people in England then.
William set about to make the land holding and the duties of tenants much clearer and stricter, with the King, himself as the sole land-owner.
In 1087 while in a small battle of the town of Mantes, west of Paris, William fell off his horse and injured his abdomen. He died Sept. 9, 1087 and divided his properties with his sons. Son, William II would rule England and then Henry I was King because William II had no children.
William the Conqueror was buried in Normandy.
William’s takeover in 1066 of England was the last time England was conquered by a foreign power.
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