William the Conqueror

Table of content

1. Argument

2. Biography of William the Conqueror

3. Appearance and character

4. Battle of Hastings

5. Church affairs

6. William as king

Changes in England  Domesday Book

7. Curiosities

8. Death and aftermath

9. Legacy

10.Conclusion

11.Bibliography

Nicolae RalucaNicolae RoxanaVlad IonelaCoordinator teacher: Vadasz Reka

Nicolae RalucaNicolae RoxanaVlad IonelaCoordinator teacher: Vadasz RekaGrade:11G

Argument

We have chosen to present this project about William the Conqueror because he was not only one of the most important kings of England, he was and still is a remarkable personality of English history and culture. Through his actions he succeeded to change the course of English history, by establish the reign of a new dynasty, the Norman dynasty. Nowadays William the Conqueror represent a symbol of English monarchy, a brave, strong and imposing king that certainly would never be forgotten.

Biography of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England

William, the illegitimate son of Robert, Duke of Normandy and Herleva of Falaise, was born in 1027. Instead of marrying Herleva, Robert persuaded her to marry his friend, Herluin of Conteville. In 1035, Robert of Normandy went on a pilgrimage.

Before setting out on his trip Robert forced his lords to swear fealty to William. Although William was illegitimate, he was Robert's only living son. When Robert of Normandy died in 1035 William inherited his father's title. Several leading Normans, including Gilbert of Brionne, Osbern the Seneschal and Alan of Brittany, became William's guardians. A number of Norman barons would not accept an illegitimate son as their leader and in 1040 an attempt was made to kill William. The plot failed but they did manage to kill Gilbert of Brionne, Alan of Brittany and Osbern the Seneschal. William survived but he was forced to accept Ralph of Wacy as his guardian and leader of his armed forces. William was unhappy with this, as Ralph had been involved in the plot against him and had been responsible for the murder of Gilbert of Brionne. William began to govern Normandy in 1045. Two years later, the lords of the western region of the duchy rebelled, but William successfully defeated them at Val-es-dunes. In 1051 William visited Edward the Confessor, the king of England. Later, William claimed that Edward promised him that he would become his heir. In 1053 William married Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders. Over the next sixteen years the couple had nine children: Robert Curthose, Richard (killed in a hunting accident in 1075), Cecily, William Rufus, Agatha, Henry Beauclerk, Adela, Matilda, Constance.

William's power in Normandy was constantly under threat. In 1053 he suppressed a revolt led by William of Arques. After repulsing two French invasions, William eventually managed to capture Maine. At first the people of Maine were unwilling to accept William as their leader. In 1063 William's army ravaged the land until he received their submission. In 1064 Harold of Wessex was on board a ship that was wrecked on the coast of Ponthieu. He was captured by Count Guy of Ponthieu and imprisoned at Beaurain. William demanded that Count Guy release him into his care. Guy agreed and Harold went with William to Rouen. Later the two men went into battle against Conan of Brittany. In 1065 Edward the Confessor became very ill. Harold claimed that Edward promised him the throne just before he died on 5th January, 1066. The next day there was a meeting of the Witan to decide who would become the next king of England. The Witan was made up of a group of about sixty lords and bishops and they considered the merits of four main candidates: William, Harold, Edgar Etheling and Harald Hardrada. On 6th January 1066, the Witan decided that Harold was to be the next king of England, but after some fights that he had with Harold, William became one of the most important kings of England. Crowned in 1066, William claimed that all the land in England now belonged to him.

Appearance and character

No authentic portrait of William has been found; the contemporary depictions of him on the Bayeux Tapestry and on his seals and coins are conventional representations designed to assert his authority. There are some written descriptions of a burly and robust appearance, with a guttural voice. He enjoyed excellent health until old age, although he became quite fat in later life.  He was strong enough to draw bows that others were unable to pull and had great resistance. Geoffrey Martel described him as without equal as a fighter and as a horseman. Examination of William's femur, the only bone which survive when the

rest of his remains were destroyed, showed he was approximately 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) in height, quite tall for the time.

There are records of two tutors for the young duke during the late 1030s and early 1040s, but the extent of William's literary education is unclear. He was not known as a patron of authors, and there is little evidence that he sponsored scholarship or other intellectual activities. Orderic Vitalis records that late in William's life the king tried to learn to read Old English, but was unable to devote sufficient time to the effort and quickly gave up.William's main hobby appears to have been hunting. His marriage to Matilda appears to have been quite affectionate. Medieval writers criticised William for his greed and cruelty, but his personal piety was universally praised by contemporaries.

Battle of Hastings

The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror and the English army under King Harold II. It took place at Senlac Hill, approximately 10 km northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory. The battle began at about 9 am and lasted all day.

The available sources are more confused about events in the afternoon, but it appears that the decisive event was Harold's death, about which different stories are told. Legend says that he was hit in the eye with an arrow. Although there was further English resistance, this battle is seen as the point at which William gained control of England, becoming its first Norman ruler as King William I. The famous Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events before, during and after the battle. The tapestry shows both armies fighting bravely but the final remaining scene shows the unarmoured English troops who run away from the battlefield.

Scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings

The exact number and composition of William's force are unknown. Modern historians have offered a range of estimates for the size of William's forces: 7000–8000 men, 1000–2000 of them cavalry; 10,000 men, 3000 of them cavalry; or 7500 men. The army would have consisted of a mix of cavalry, infantry, and archers. Both the infantry and cavalry usually fought with a straight sword, long and double-edged. Some of the cavalry may have used a mace instead of the sword. Archers would have used a selfbow or a crossbow. Most archers would not have had armour. Also the exact number of soldiers in Harold's army is unknown. Most modern historians argue for a figure of 7000–8000 English troops. The English army consisted entirely of infantry. The Battle of Hastings had a tremendous influence on the English language. The Normans were French-speaking, and as a result of their rule, they introduced many French words that started in the nobility and eventually became part of the English language itself.

Battle Abbey was built on the site of the battle. Founded by King William the Conqueror, the abbey it serves as a memorial to the dead and may have been an act of penance for the bloodshed. A plaque marks the place where Harold is believed to have fallen in the battle and the location where the high altar of the church once stood.

The battlefield from the north side Harold's plaque (2006) Battle Abbey - French monument to Harold

After the victory of the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror became the first Norman king of England. In this way the Anglo-Saxon period from England's history ended.

Church affairs

William cultivated close relations with the church in his duchy. He took part in church councils, and made several appointments to the Norman episcopate, including the appointment of Maurilius as Archbishop of Rouen. Another important appointment was that of William's half-brother Odo as Bishop of Bayeux in either 1049 or 1050. He also relied on the clergy for advice, including Lanfranc, a non-Norman who rose to become one of William's prominent ecclesiastical advisors in the late 1040s and remained so throughout the 1050s and 1060s. William gave generously to the church; from 1035 to 1066, the Norman aristocracy founded at least 20 new monastic houses, including William's two monasteries in Caen, a remarkable expansion of religious life in the duchy.

Abbey of Sainte-Trinité Odo,Bishop of Bayeux

William as king

Changes in England

The first years of William's reign were spent crushing resistance and securing his borders, which he did with ruthless efficiency. He invaded Scotland in 1072 and concluded a truce with the Scottish king. He marched into Wales in 1081 and created special defensive 'marcher' counties along the borders. The last serious rebellion against his rule, the Revolt of the Earls, took place in 1075. As part of his efforts to secure England, William ordered many castles, keeps, and mottes built – among them the central keep of the Tower of London, the White Tower. The early castles were simple earth and timber constructions, later replaced with stone structures. The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror during the late 11th century, and subsequently extended. The White Tower was multi-purpose. It was the castle's strongest point militarily yet provided accommodation fit for the king and his representatives. In Norman architecture the keep was a symbol of a lord's power. The White Tower was probably complete by 1100 at the latest. 

The White Tower in London, begun by William Building a motte, from the Bayeux Tapestry The White Tower(11th century)

By William's death, after weathering a series of rebellions, most of the native Anglo-Saxon aristocracy had been replaced by Norman and other continental magnates. Not all of the Normans who accompanied William in the initial conquest acquired large amounts of land in England. Some appear to have been reluctant to take up lands in a kingdom that did not always appear pacified. 

Domesday Book

At Christmas in 1085, William ordered the compilation of a survey of the landholdings of himself and his vassals throughout the kingdom, organised by counties, a work now known as the Domesday Book. It remained one of the oldest valid legal documents in Britain. William sent out his officials to every town, village and hamlet in England. Each county's listing gives the holdings of each landholder, grouped by owners. The lists describe the holding, who owned the land before the Conquest, its value, what the tax assessment was, and usually the number of peasants, animals, ploughs and any other farm equipment. The lists also contained information about how the land it was used. William's exact motivation in ordering the compilation of Domesday Book is unclear, but it probably had several purposes, such as: 1. The information would help William to discover how much people of England could afford to pay the taxes. 2. The information about the distribution of the population would help William to plan the defence of England against possible invaders.

3. There was a great deal of doubt about who owned some of the land in England. William planned to use this information to help him make the right judgements when people were in dispute over land ownership. When the information was collected it was sent to Winchester, where it was recorded in a book. About a hundred years after it was produced, the book became known as the Domesday Book. Domesday means "day of judgement". All landowners were summoned to pay homage to William in 1086.

Curiosities

1. His name, William, an Old French name composed of Germanic elements (“wil,” meaning desire, and “helm,” meaning protection), was introduced to England by William the Conqueror and quickly became extremely popular. By the

13th century, it was the most common given name among English men. Today it ranks eighth, and some have predicted that the future crowning of another King

William will propel the name back to the top. 2. Firstly Pope forbade marriage to Matilda due to some relatedness which makes it illegal. 3. Analyzing the family tree of William we find that his rights to the crown of England were void. 4. William was known for his love of hunting, and he introduced the forest law into areas of the country, regulating who could hunt and what could be hunted. 5. 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. 6. Tower of London, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. 7. In a twelfth-century document William appears with title of “Rex Norm”, which is why he is considered the first Norman King of England.

Death and aftermath

William the Conqueror died early on the morning of September 9, 1087. He was fifty-nine years old and had ruled England for twenty-one years and Normandy for thirty-one years. Knowledge of the events preceding his death is confused. It is assumed that the cause of death would be represented by a riding accident. It was determined that the body would be taken to Caen and buried in the Abbaye-aux-Hommes (which William had founded as penance for having married Matilda of Flanders against the wishes of the Pope). Bishops, abbots, monks, and physicians all were in attendance at his funeral. His treasure was distributed to the churches and the poor, "so that what I amassed through evil deeds may be assigned to the holy uses of good men." The custody of England was given to William's second surviving son, also called William, on the assumption that he would become king. Disorder followed William's death; everyone who had been at his deathbed left the body and hurried off to attend to their own affairs. William's grave is currently marked by a marble slab with a Latin inscription dating from the early 19th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle provides his epitaph:"He who was earlier a powerful king, and lord of many a land, he had nothing of any land but a seven-foot measure; and he who was at times clothed with gold and with jewels, he lay then covered over with earth."

Slab marking the site of William's grave Funeral of William the Conqueror

The tomb has been disturbed several times since 1087. The intact body was restored to the tomb at that time, but in 1562, during the French Wars of Religion, the grave was reopened and the bones scattered and lost, with the exception of one thigh bone.

Legacy

William’s ascent to the English throne ushered in a new era and forever transformed the country’s culture, language and identity. The impact on England of William's conquest was profound; changes in the Church, aristocracy, culture, and language of the country have persisted into modern times. The Conquest brought the kingdom into closer contact with France and forged ties between France and England that lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Another consequence of William's invasion was the sundering of the formerly close ties between England and Scandinavia. William's government blended elements of the English and Norman systems into a new one that laid the foundations of the later medieval English kingdom. On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned as the first Norman King of England at Westminster Abbey, and the Anglo-Saxon period of British history was over. Since then, every monarch has been crowned king or queen at Westminster Abbey. The last monarch who was crowned at Westminster Abbey was Queen Elizabeth II. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the one who officiating the ceremony of coronation.

The coronation of William the Conqueror Westminster Abbey

  Millions of people are thought to descend from William the Conqueror. Every English monarch that followed him, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of William. According to some genealogists, more than 25 percent of the English population is also distantly related to William, as are countless Americans with British ancestry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, William I or William the Conqueror was a very important figure in English history, from the eleventh century, even if he was not of English origin. At first, William the Conqueror was only Duke of Normandy, but soon he will become one of the most representative kings of England, and his achievements will include many areas. During his reign, there were major changes in the Church, social structure, administration, diplomatic ties, culture, language etc. He founded the medieval English kingdom, the language spoken in his time resisted until now and he was also the initiator of some traditions that are practiced even today.

Bibliography

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

http://www.biography.com

http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk

http://images.google.com

http://www.newadvent.org

http://en.wikipedia.org