Research Paper On William The Conqueror
A Portrait William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror:
First English King
Dominique Joyner Period 3 March 10, 2013
William the Conqueror was the first Norman king of England. During the time of his reign as Duke and King, William I strengthened the relationship between the English and the French. William the Conqueror’s conquests improved the prosperity of both England and France. William I was born 1027 in Falaise, Normandy. He is the illegitimate child of Herleva of Falaise and Robert I, Duke of Normandy. Due to Herleva’s modest lifestyle as a tanner’s daughter, it was decided that she would not be accepted as the Duke’s wife. Robert I did arrange the marriage between Herleva and a favored nobleman, Herluin de Conteville. From that marriage were born 4 more children, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, Count Robert of Mortain, Emma, and another unnamed daughter. Robert I had another illegitimate child, with a different mistress, Adelaide of Normandy. Since Robert had only one son, he had his lords, barons, and counts swear loyalty to William as his heir. In 1035 Robert left for the crusades, leaving William to assume his position as Duke of Normandy. Robert’s departure for the crusades led to his death and a decade of turmoil in …show more content…
Normandy for young William. Not all of Normandy’s upper-class men took to idea of William being duke. At the time when Robert I left for the crusades, William was only 8 years old. Many attempted to assassinate William but failed. 5 or more of William’s guardians were killed over the decade of turbulence. In 1046 and 1047 Guy of Burgundy, William’s cousin, and other powerful Norman lords made an attempt to seize the duchy. With the help of King Henry I of France, William defeated his cousins and consolidated his position as duke. Now at the age of 20 years old, William had established a good relationship with the king of France, the majority of his nobles, and the church. As the years went on William gained control of a large portion of France. He had control of Maine in the south, Brittany in the west, and land given to him by the Count of Anjout and King Henry I. William married Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of the Count of Flanders, further enhancing his relationship with his duchy. With his vast duchy under his belt, William set off to look for something more. King Edward, also known as Edward the Confessor, was the married but childless king of England. In 1051 during a visit to England, Edward named William his heir. Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex, promised and swore to William that he would help William’s claim to the English throne in the year 1064. Harold Godwinson’s aunt, Edith, was the wife of Edward of the Confessor. It soon became a fact that Harold Godwinson was the main contender for the English throne. Two other contenders also sought at the throne, Edgar the Atheling and Harald Hardrada. Edgar the Atheling was the youngest contender, being only 12 years old, was the son of Edward the Exile. Harald Hardrada, a descendent of the late English Viking King Canute, also put a claim to the throne. Edgar’s claim was quickly shot down. On January 5th, 1066 King Edward died peacefully in England. Within the next 24 hours, Harold Godwinson was crowned King by an unknown person at the Westminster Abbey. Months later in October, Harald Hardrada and Harold Godwinson’s brother, Tostig had formed an alliance. Harald Hardrada attacked from the north, invading York, and Tostig attacked the south. King Harold Godwinson stopped both forces, killing Harald and Tostig in the process. With Harald and Tostig out of the way, King Harold could focus his attention on the rapidly growing Norman army. While Harold’s attention was on Harald Hardrada and Tostig, Duke William was building a great army. Starting with his territories, William gathered Norman and French nobles and their sons, knights, and others who were willing to fight. Next William asked for help from Emperor Henry IV and King Sweyn II of Denmark. Then William was granted permission from Pope Alexander II to proceed with the invasion. Finally William had his cavalry, infantry men, supplies, war horses, and a portable castle, he was ready to attack. Unfortunately nature intervened when William had to wait for the winds to face the correct direction before setting sail. Word that Harold had his army waiting for William also caused the delay. Throughout the summer King Harold waited for Duke William to arrive but let his army go when harvest season started on September 8th. William was soon able sneak his army into Hastings, England. King Harold, who had just finished dealing with Tostig and Harald, left the majority of his army in Northern England. Harold and the rest of his army went set off towards Hastings. On October 14, 1066, Duke William I and King Harold Godwinson finally meet in the legendary Battle of 1006/Battle of Hastings. Both armies were equal in quantity but William’s army consisted of cavalry, infantry, and archers, while Harold’s army consisted mainly of infantry and few to none archers. Harold’s advantage was geographical position; Harold’s army was placed on top of a hill, where they barricaded themselves shields, leaving William’s men to climb upwards. After many false alarms, close calls, and deaths, William’s army broke through the shield barricade. Soon after, Harold Godwinson died on the battle field when he was shot in the eye with an arrow. With the Harold and the other contenders dead, the path to throne was clear for William to take. As England quickly learned of the Norman’s conquest, many cities refused to submit and revolted. Although their efforts were brave, William made his presence known. William marched his way all the way through England for the next two month, silencing any rebellions on the way. When he reached London, William sent orders to start constructing a castle in London. This castle would later be known as the Tower of London. Finally on Christmas Day 1066 the royal coronation was held at Westminster Abbey, where William was given the title King William I of England. From that day forward William was known as the first Norman King of England. With England conquered, William gave pieces of land to his Norman Nobles. This was the start of the feudal system in England. Those who were classified as peasants were given to the manors to serve Norman and French overlord. The Anglo-Saxon Nobles were either killed or driven out which left more land for the Normans. The Noblewomen were married off to the William’s noblemen. The stable country of England led to William returning to Normandy and ruling England from distance. Dividing his time between both England and France, William continued to enforce his rule when ever there was a rebellion. While most English cities cracked and crumbled under Norman rule, some cities prospered under William’s rule. London, one of the few cities that surrendered peacefully, for example had become one England’s golden city: trade increased greatly, the building of the Tower of London, and was he location of Westminster Abbey. Arabian gold, Chinese silks, Russian furs, Egyptian gems, and French wines are just some of the various new trades that were imported to London. As a seal of approval of William’s conquest Pope Alexander sent 3 clergymen, John Minutus, Peter, and Ermenfrid of Sion, to Winchester. At Winchester, the clergymen coroneted William king of England for second time during the Easter service of 1070. While in Winchester, William took this as an opportunity to reorganize the church system. The majority of abbots and bishops were relieved of their jobs. The Whitsun council and the Pope all agreed that Lanfranc should be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury opposed to Odo, William’s brother. In the end, Lanfranc was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas of Bayeux was appointed Archbishop of York. Norman clergy members filled the jobs of the former English abbots and bishops. By the time William was down with his reorganization, only 2 Englishmen remained bishops as well as the few bishops appointed by Edward the Confessor. The Battle Abbey, a monastery, was also founded during 1070 at the location of the Battle of Hastings. The reason was for the construction of Battle Abbey was an act of penance for William and as memorial of the lives lost during the Battle of Hastings. On May 11th, 1068, just after William defeated another group of rebellious Englishmen, Matilda was named crowned Queen of England. Their marriage was a very successful marriage considering the time period. Neither William nor Matilda had other relationships outside of their marriage. William and Matilda had 9 children between them. They had 4 boys, Robert, Richard, William, and Henry. Their 5 girls were Adelaide, Cecilia, Matilda, Constance, and Adela. The relationship between William I and his son Robert has been documented as a very turbulent relationship. Problems arose in early 1078, when Robert, William II, and Henry I were have a quarrel. Recently Robert had been denied power of Maine and Normandy. This resulted in Robert and a group of the sons of William I’s followers going to a Castle in Remalard. It was here in Remalard that Robert and his followers raided Normandy. Immediately William drove his son and the raiders out of Remalard. Fortunately for Robert and his men, King Philip of France gave them the castle Gerberoi. Along with the castle, Robert also gained more supporters. In January 1079, William arrived with his own troops and began besieging the castle. After three weeks of battle, Robert’s forces took his fathers men by surprise. Robert had managed to unhorse his father and was seconds from killing him if an Englishman had not stepped in the way. Forced to stop the siege, William and his men left and returned to Rouen. On April 12th, 1080 William I and Robert came to a compromise and William reclaimed Robert as heir to be Duke of Normandy, after William’s death. The compromise between William and Robert is said to be the result of Queen Matilda’s, William’s wife and Robert’s mother, inference. Three years later on November 2, 1083 Matilda died of an illness. Matilda’s death increased William’s tyrannical and iron-fisted rule. Towards the middle of 1087, William’s son Robert appeared to be causing trouble again with his allied force, King Philip I of France. This led to William starting an expedition against the French in July of 1087. While seizing the land of Mantes, William was severely injured in a riding accident. While on his deathbed, William had all of his last wishes and arrangements fulfilled. The land of Normandy and the title of Duke were given to William’s eldest son Robert. The third eldest son, Richard had passed away over 11 years prior to the death of William I. William’s youngest son, Henry was given money. Seeing that they were female and already married off, William’s daughters received nothing. The great kingdom of England was left to William’s second son, William II, under the assumption that William II would become king. Two days before his death, William I sent his son, William II to Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury, with a letter requesting Lanfranc aid William II as King of England. Money was also distributed to the poor and the Church. All of William’s prisoners were released from captivity, including William’s half-brother Odo. Finally on the morning of September 9th, 1087, William the Conqueror took his last breathes in priory of St Gervase at Rouen. As the body of William the Conqueror was being lowered into the tomb, it became apparent that the body was to big for the tomb. When the body was forced into the tomb, it burst leaving a horrid smell in the church of Abbaye-aux-Hommes. William the Conqueror’s accomplishments and life stories can fill an entire book.
From establishing his name as Duke to conquering England, from silencing his rivals to building connections between Church and government, William the Conqueror accomplish many things during his lifetime. During his rule, William the Conqueror was able to connect England and France without merging the two countries but simply making both countries similar in different areas. William the Conqueror changed the English government and Church so that they were the same as the ones in his French territories. Enforcing his power in both countries improved the prosperity of England and France because he was able to successfully govern both
areas.
William the Conqueror:
First English King
Dominique Joyner Period 3 March 10, 2013
William the Conqueror was the first Norman king of England. During the time of his reign as Duke and King, William I strengthened the relationship between the English and the French. William the Conqueror’s conquests improved the prosperity of both England and France. William I was born 1027 in Falaise, Normandy. He is the illegitimate child of Herleva of Falaise and Robert I, Duke of Normandy. Due to Herleva’s modest lifestyle as a tanner’s daughter, it was decided that she would not be accepted as the Duke’s wife. Robert I did arrange the marriage between Herleva and a favored nobleman, Herluin de Conteville. From that marriage were born 4 more children, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, Count Robert of Mortain, Emma, and another unnamed daughter. Robert I had another illegitimate child, with a different mistress, Adelaide of Normandy. Since Robert had only one son, he had his lords, barons, and counts swear loyalty to William as his heir. In 1035 Robert left for the crusades, leaving William to assume his position as Duke of Normandy. Robert’s departure for the crusades led to his death and a decade of turmoil in …show more content…
Normandy for young William. Not all of Normandy’s upper-class men took to idea of William being duke. At the time when Robert I left for the crusades, William was only 8 years old. Many attempted to assassinate William but failed. 5 or more of William’s guardians were killed over the decade of turbulence. In 1046 and 1047 Guy of Burgundy, William’s cousin, and other powerful Norman lords made an attempt to seize the duchy. With the help of King Henry I of France, William defeated his cousins and consolidated his position as duke. Now at the age of 20 years old, William had established a good relationship with the king of France, the majority of his nobles, and the church. As the years went on William gained control of a large portion of France. He had control of Maine in the south, Brittany in the west, and land given to him by the Count of Anjout and King Henry I. William married Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of the Count of Flanders, further enhancing his relationship with his duchy. With his vast duchy under his belt, William set off to look for something more. King Edward, also known as Edward the Confessor, was the married but childless king of England. In 1051 during a visit to England, Edward named William his heir. Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex, promised and swore to William that he would help William’s claim to the English throne in the year 1064. Harold Godwinson’s aunt, Edith, was the wife of Edward of the Confessor. It soon became a fact that Harold Godwinson was the main contender for the English throne. Two other contenders also sought at the throne, Edgar the Atheling and Harald Hardrada. Edgar the Atheling was the youngest contender, being only 12 years old, was the son of Edward the Exile. Harald Hardrada, a descendent of the late English Viking King Canute, also put a claim to the throne. Edgar’s claim was quickly shot down. On January 5th, 1066 King Edward died peacefully in England. Within the next 24 hours, Harold Godwinson was crowned King by an unknown person at the Westminster Abbey. Months later in October, Harald Hardrada and Harold Godwinson’s brother, Tostig had formed an alliance. Harald Hardrada attacked from the north, invading York, and Tostig attacked the south. King Harold Godwinson stopped both forces, killing Harald and Tostig in the process. With Harald and Tostig out of the way, King Harold could focus his attention on the rapidly growing Norman army. While Harold’s attention was on Harald Hardrada and Tostig, Duke William was building a great army. Starting with his territories, William gathered Norman and French nobles and their sons, knights, and others who were willing to fight. Next William asked for help from Emperor Henry IV and King Sweyn II of Denmark. Then William was granted permission from Pope Alexander II to proceed with the invasion. Finally William had his cavalry, infantry men, supplies, war horses, and a portable castle, he was ready to attack. Unfortunately nature intervened when William had to wait for the winds to face the correct direction before setting sail. Word that Harold had his army waiting for William also caused the delay. Throughout the summer King Harold waited for Duke William to arrive but let his army go when harvest season started on September 8th. William was soon able sneak his army into Hastings, England. King Harold, who had just finished dealing with Tostig and Harald, left the majority of his army in Northern England. Harold and the rest of his army went set off towards Hastings. On October 14, 1066, Duke William I and King Harold Godwinson finally meet in the legendary Battle of 1006/Battle of Hastings. Both armies were equal in quantity but William’s army consisted of cavalry, infantry, and archers, while Harold’s army consisted mainly of infantry and few to none archers. Harold’s advantage was geographical position; Harold’s army was placed on top of a hill, where they barricaded themselves shields, leaving William’s men to climb upwards. After many false alarms, close calls, and deaths, William’s army broke through the shield barricade. Soon after, Harold Godwinson died on the battle field when he was shot in the eye with an arrow. With the Harold and the other contenders dead, the path to throne was clear for William to take. As England quickly learned of the Norman’s conquest, many cities refused to submit and revolted. Although their efforts were brave, William made his presence known. William marched his way all the way through England for the next two month, silencing any rebellions on the way. When he reached London, William sent orders to start constructing a castle in London. This castle would later be known as the Tower of London. Finally on Christmas Day 1066 the royal coronation was held at Westminster Abbey, where William was given the title King William I of England. From that day forward William was known as the first Norman King of England. With England conquered, William gave pieces of land to his Norman Nobles. This was the start of the feudal system in England. Those who were classified as peasants were given to the manors to serve Norman and French overlord. The Anglo-Saxon Nobles were either killed or driven out which left more land for the Normans. The Noblewomen were married off to the William’s noblemen. The stable country of England led to William returning to Normandy and ruling England from distance. Dividing his time between both England and France, William continued to enforce his rule when ever there was a rebellion. While most English cities cracked and crumbled under Norman rule, some cities prospered under William’s rule. London, one of the few cities that surrendered peacefully, for example had become one England’s golden city: trade increased greatly, the building of the Tower of London, and was he location of Westminster Abbey. Arabian gold, Chinese silks, Russian furs, Egyptian gems, and French wines are just some of the various new trades that were imported to London. As a seal of approval of William’s conquest Pope Alexander sent 3 clergymen, John Minutus, Peter, and Ermenfrid of Sion, to Winchester. At Winchester, the clergymen coroneted William king of England for second time during the Easter service of 1070. While in Winchester, William took this as an opportunity to reorganize the church system. The majority of abbots and bishops were relieved of their jobs. The Whitsun council and the Pope all agreed that Lanfranc should be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury opposed to Odo, William’s brother. In the end, Lanfranc was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas of Bayeux was appointed Archbishop of York. Norman clergy members filled the jobs of the former English abbots and bishops. By the time William was down with his reorganization, only 2 Englishmen remained bishops as well as the few bishops appointed by Edward the Confessor. The Battle Abbey, a monastery, was also founded during 1070 at the location of the Battle of Hastings. The reason was for the construction of Battle Abbey was an act of penance for William and as memorial of the lives lost during the Battle of Hastings. On May 11th, 1068, just after William defeated another group of rebellious Englishmen, Matilda was named crowned Queen of England. Their marriage was a very successful marriage considering the time period. Neither William nor Matilda had other relationships outside of their marriage. William and Matilda had 9 children between them. They had 4 boys, Robert, Richard, William, and Henry. Their 5 girls were Adelaide, Cecilia, Matilda, Constance, and Adela. The relationship between William I and his son Robert has been documented as a very turbulent relationship. Problems arose in early 1078, when Robert, William II, and Henry I were have a quarrel. Recently Robert had been denied power of Maine and Normandy. This resulted in Robert and a group of the sons of William I’s followers going to a Castle in Remalard. It was here in Remalard that Robert and his followers raided Normandy. Immediately William drove his son and the raiders out of Remalard. Fortunately for Robert and his men, King Philip of France gave them the castle Gerberoi. Along with the castle, Robert also gained more supporters. In January 1079, William arrived with his own troops and began besieging the castle. After three weeks of battle, Robert’s forces took his fathers men by surprise. Robert had managed to unhorse his father and was seconds from killing him if an Englishman had not stepped in the way. Forced to stop the siege, William and his men left and returned to Rouen. On April 12th, 1080 William I and Robert came to a compromise and William reclaimed Robert as heir to be Duke of Normandy, after William’s death. The compromise between William and Robert is said to be the result of Queen Matilda’s, William’s wife and Robert’s mother, inference. Three years later on November 2, 1083 Matilda died of an illness. Matilda’s death increased William’s tyrannical and iron-fisted rule. Towards the middle of 1087, William’s son Robert appeared to be causing trouble again with his allied force, King Philip I of France. This led to William starting an expedition against the French in July of 1087. While seizing the land of Mantes, William was severely injured in a riding accident. While on his deathbed, William had all of his last wishes and arrangements fulfilled. The land of Normandy and the title of Duke were given to William’s eldest son Robert. The third eldest son, Richard had passed away over 11 years prior to the death of William I. William’s youngest son, Henry was given money. Seeing that they were female and already married off, William’s daughters received nothing. The great kingdom of England was left to William’s second son, William II, under the assumption that William II would become king. Two days before his death, William I sent his son, William II to Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury, with a letter requesting Lanfranc aid William II as King of England. Money was also distributed to the poor and the Church. All of William’s prisoners were released from captivity, including William’s half-brother Odo. Finally on the morning of September 9th, 1087, William the Conqueror took his last breathes in priory of St Gervase at Rouen. As the body of William the Conqueror was being lowered into the tomb, it became apparent that the body was to big for the tomb. When the body was forced into the tomb, it burst leaving a horrid smell in the church of Abbaye-aux-Hommes. William the Conqueror’s accomplishments and life stories can fill an entire book.
From establishing his name as Duke to conquering England, from silencing his rivals to building connections between Church and government, William the Conqueror accomplish many things during his lifetime. During his rule, William the Conqueror was able to connect England and France without merging the two countries but simply making both countries similar in different areas. William the Conqueror changed the English government and Church so that they were the same as the ones in his French territories. Enforcing his power in both countries improved the prosperity of England and France because he was able to successfully govern both
areas.