William 1. from his Great seal. WILLIAM I. Arms ascribed to William I. WILLIAM, the illegitimate son of Robert, sixth duke of Normandy, was born at Falaise about the end of the year 1027. In 1035 his father died, but William only obtained full possession of the duchy after several contests with his neighbour and the king of France, in 1056. His father's sister, Emma, being mother to Edward the Confessor, William alleged that that prince had named him heir to the crown of England, and he successfully asserted his claim at the battle of Hastings, after gaining which, on the 14th October, 1066, he advanced on London and was crowned king at Westminster on the following Christmas-day; the troubled character of his reign being aptly foreshadowed by a tumult on the occasion, in which some houses were burnt, and many people slain. William's reign was passed, after a brief attempt at conciliation at his first coming, in a systematic endeavour to crush his new subjects. Churches and towns were destroved, and whole districts laid waste, sometimes to He granted charters to several towns, among them to London, in which he promised that each man should be law worthy" as in King Edward's days, and that no one should do them wrong, but forcibly resumed most of them a few years after. See p. 192. THE NORMAN ERA. punish unsuccessful revolt, sometimes to provide against hostile invasion, and sometimes to furnish scope for the chase, though it appears from Domesday Book that this latter matter has been much exaggerated1. His wars with France were not altogether successful, and his latter years were embittered by the rebellions of his sons. He died Sept. 8 or 93, 1087, at Rouen, from an accidental injury, and was buried at Caen. The splendid monument raised to his memory by his son William was destroyed in the religious wars in France in the 16th century. In 1054 William married his cousin, Matilda, daughter of Baldwin IV., count of Flanders, by whom he had a family of four sons and five (perhaps six) daughters. Matilda died Nov. 2, 1083, and was buried at Caen. Their children were : 1. Robert, known as Courthose, born probably about 1056, who became duke of Normandy, went to the Crusade, was twice defeated in his claim on the crown of England, and at length, being made prisoner by his brother Henry, died at Cardiff Castle, Feb. 10, 1135, after a captivity of 28 years. The tale of his having been blinded by his brother Henry's order, does not rest on satisfactory authority. He outlived his two sons, who both met violent deaths; William, count of Flanders, being killed at Alost in 1128, and Henry, in May, 1100, whilst hunting in the New Forest. 2. Richard, known as duke of Bernay', was killed by i See page 195. "On the day after the Nativity of St. Mary," says the Saxon Chronicle, i.e., on the 9th of September. The spot is now marked by a grey marble slab in the pavement before the high altar. 1 A place in the bailliage of Alençon, in Normandy. a stag in the New Forest, or perhaps died from a fever contracted there, before the death of his father. 3. WILLIAM, and 4, HENRY, became kings of England. 5. Cecilia became a nun at Fecamp, at Easter, 1075, and afterwards abbess of Holy Trinity, Caen, where she died, in July 1126. 6. Adeliza died young. 7. Matilda, betrothed to Alphonso of Castile, died on her journey to Spain, about 1079. 8. Constance, married to Alan, duke of Bretagne, died in 1090. 9. Adela, married to Stephen of Blois. She governed his dominions during his absence on the Crusade, and, at length taking the veil, died in 1137. Gundred, who became the wife of William Warrenne, and died in 1085, is often stated to have been a daughter of William I., but the fact is not to be regarded as fully ascertained. William Peverel, a natural son of the king, received large estates in Derbyshire and elsewhere. The arms ascribed to William I. are those of his duchy of Normandy: "Gules, two lions passant gardant in pale, or." The Norman writers praise William as a wise and pious king, but the Saxon Chronicler, who, as he himself declares, "had often looked upon him, and lived some time in his court," has drawn a character far less favourable". William, he says, was wise and rich, mild With the main features of this agrees the character given in the Heimskringla, or Chronicle of the Sea-kings of Norway: "Earl William was stouter and stronger than other men, a great horseman and warrior, but stern; and a very wise man, but not considered a man to be trusted." to good men, but beyond all measure severe to those who withstood his will. He affected great state and dignity, and held a splendid court thrice a year, in Westminster, Winchester, and Gloucester, to which all the nobles were obliged to repair. He also made "good peace," so that no man durst slay or rob anothern; yet in his time men had many sorrows. He ruled so absolutely, that he cast down earls and bishops, and abbots and thanes. His rich men moaned, and poor men trembled; but he was so stern, he recked not the hatred of them all, for they must follow his will, if they would have his peace, or lands or possessions, or even life. "Alas!" he concludes, "that any man should thus exalt himself, and boast over all others! May the almighty God shew mercy to his soul, and grant him forgiveness of his sins." A.D. 1066. William is crowned at Westminster, December 25, by Aldred, archbishop of York"; "and he gave him a pledge upon Christ's Book, and also swore, before he would set the crown upon his head, that he would govern this nation as well as any king before him had at the best done, if they would be faithful to him. Nevertheless, he laid a tribute on the people very heavy... and men delivered him hostages, and afterwards bought their land." n His own practice, however, did not conform to this; for we read in the Saxon Chronicle (anno 1086): "according to his custom, he collected a very large sum of money from his people, whenever he could, whether with justice or without." Stigand had been suspended from his office on the charge of irregular ordination. This was probably the Danegelt, the collection of which had A.D. 1067. Godred Cronan, a descendant of Sihtric of Northumberland, who had escaped from the battle of Stanford-bridge, becomes king of the Isle of Man. William goes to Normandy during Lent, taking with him Edgar Atheling, Stigand the archbishop, the earls Edwin, Morcar, and Waltheof," and many other good men of England." 'And bishop Odo and William the earl" remained here behind, and they built castles wide through the land, and poor people oppressed; and ever after it greatly grew in evil." Eustace of Boulogne, invited by the Kentish men, attacks Dover, but without success. Copsi, who had been appointed earl of Northumberland by William, is killed by his own people, March 12. Edric the Forestert makes a league with the Welsh, with whom he attacks Hereford, "where he did the castle-men [the Norman garrison] much evil.” He seizes the lands William returns to England". of many of the English nobles, divides them among his followers, and lays heavy taxes on the people. Edgar Atheling, in the summer, flees to Scotland with been suspended by Edward the Confessor. It continued to be levied until at least 1175, and varied with the exigencies of the state from two to six shillings annually on each hide of land. ↑ See p. 108. Odo of Bayeux, William's half-brother, and William Fitz-Osbern, earl of Hereford. • See He was the grand-nephew of Edric Streona, and, as appears from the Domesday Book, had large possessions in Hereford and Salop, of which it was attempted to deprive him. "The date is uncertain. Orderic says he returned in the winter, on the day of St. Nicolas (Dec. 6); the Saxon Chronicler also names St. Nicolas' Day, but as he places William's return at the head of the events of the year he favours the supposition that it was on the translation of St. Nicolas (May 9). |