Généalogie Wylie » Henry I "Beauclerc" King of (Henry I "Beauclerc" King of) England [8&9ggchCh-Wikibio] (1068-1135)

Données personnelles Henry I "Beauclerc" King of (Henry I "Beauclerc" King of) England [8&9ggchCh-Wikibio] 

Les sources 1, 2, 3

Famille de Henry I "Beauclerc" King of (Henry I "Beauclerc" King of) England [8&9ggchCh-Wikibio]

(1) Il est marié avec Matilda (Edith) "Atheling" Princess Scotland.

Ils se sont mariés le 11 novembre 1100 à Westminster Abbey, London, Middlesex, England, il avait 32 ans.Les sources 1, 7


Enfant(s):



(2) Il est marié avec Sibyl Corbet.

Ils se sont mariés mistress, no marriage à mistress, no marriage.


Enfant(s):

  1. Sibylla FitzHenry  ± 1104-1122
  2. Reynold de Dunstanville  ± 1110-1175 


(3) Il est marié avec Several Mistresses.

Ils se sont mariés mistresses, no marriage.


Enfant(s):

  1. Mabel (Eustacia) FitzRoy  ± 1088-????
  3. William de Tracy  > 1090-> 1135 
  4. Elizabeth of England  1095-???? 
  5. Alice of England  ± 1114-1141


(4) Il est marié avec Edith Fitzforne.

Ils se sont mariés mistress, no marriage à No Marriage.Source 8


Enfant(s):

  1. Robert FitzEdith  ± 1098-1172


(5) Il est marié avec Edith.

Ils se sont mariés mistress, no marriage à No marriage.


Enfant(s):

  1. Matilda of England  1086-1120 


(6) Il est marié avec Nest verch Rhys.

Ils se sont mariés environ 1098 mistress, no marriage à No Marriage.Les sources 9, 10


Enfant(s):

  1. Maud of England  ± 1099-???? 
  2. Henry FitzHenry  ± 1105-1158


(7) Il est marié avec Adeliza (Adela) of Louvain.

Ils se sont mariés le 29 janvier 1120/1121 à Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, il avait 52 ans.Les sources 2, 4


(8) Il est marié avec Isabel (Elizabeth) de Harcourt de Beaumont.

Ils se sont mariés mistress, no marriage à mistress, not married.


Enfant(s):

  1. Mabel (Eustacia) FitzRoy  ± 1088-????
  2. Robert "The King's",de Caen  ± 1090-1147 
  3. William de Tracy  > 1090-> 1135 


Notes par Henry I "Beauclerc" King of (Henry I "Beauclerc" King of) England [8&9ggchCh-Wikibio]

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Early life, 1068–1099
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Henry I

Miniature from Matthew Paris's Historia Anglorum, c. 1253. The portrait is generic and depicts Henry holding the Church of Reading Abbey, where he was buried.
King of England (more ...)
Reign5 August 1100 – 1 December 1135
Coronation5 August 1100
PredecessorWilliam II
SuccessorStephen
Duke of Normandy
Reign1106 – 1 December 1135
PredecessorRobert Curthose
SuccessorStephen
Bornc. 1068
possibly Selby, Yorkshire, England
Died1 December 1135 (aged 66–67)
Saint-Denis-en-Lyons, Normandy, France
BurialReading Abbey
Spouses
Matilda of Scotland
​
​(m. 1100; died 1118)​
Adeliza of Louvain ​(m. 1121)​
Issue
more ...
Matilda, Holy Roman Empress
William Adelin, Duke of Normandy
Illegitimate :
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
Aline, Lady of Montmorency
Juliane de Fontevrault
Matilda, Countess of Perche
Richard of Lincoln
Sybilla, Queen of Scots
Reginald, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Matilda, Duchess of Brittany
Robert, Lord of Okehampton
Matilda, Abbess of Montvilliers
Henry FitzRoy
Fulk FitzRoy
Gilbert FitzRoy
HouseNormandy
FatherWilliam the Conqueror
MotherMatilda of Flanders
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henry's elder brothers Robert Curthose and William Rufus inherited Normandy and England, respectively, but Henry was left landless. He purchased the County of Cotentin in western Normandy from Robert, but his brothers deposed him in 1091. He gradually rebuilt his power base in the Cotentin and allied himself with William Rufus against Robert.

Present at the place where his brother William died in a hunting accident in 1100, Henry seized the English throne, promising at his coronation to correct many of William's less popular policies. He married Matilda of Scotland and they had two surviving children, Empress Matilda and William Adelin; he also had many illegitimate children by his numerous mistresses. Robert, who invaded from Normandy in 1101, disputed Henry's control of England; this military campaign ended in a negotiated settlement that confirmed Henry as king. The peace was short-lived, and Henry invaded the Duchy of Normandy in 1105 and 1106, finally defeating Robert at the Battle of Tinchebray. Henry kept Robert imprisoned for the rest of his life. Henry's control of Normandy was challenged by Louis VI of France, Baldwin VII of Flanders and Fulk V of Anjou, who promoted the rival claims of Robert's son, William Clito, and supported a major rebellion in the Duchy between 1116 and 1119. Following Henry's victory at the Battle of Brémule, a favourable peace settlement was agreed with Louis in 1120.

Considered by contemporaries to be a harsh but effective ruler, Henry skillfully manipulated the barons in England and Normandy. In England, he drew on the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxation, but also strengthened it with more institutions, including the royal exchequer and itinerant justices. Normandy was also governed through a growing system of justices and an exchequer. Many of the officials who ran Henry's system were "new men" of obscure backgrounds, rather than from families of high status, who rose through the ranks as administrators. Henry encouraged ecclesiastical reform, but became embroiled in a serious dispute in 1101 with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, which was resolved through a compromise solution in 1105. He supported the Cluniac order and played a major role in the selection of the senior clergy in England and Normandy.

Henry's son William drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120, throwing the royal succession into doubt. Henry took a second wife, Adeliza of Louvain, in the hope of having another son, but their marriage was childless. In response to this, he declared his daughter Matilda his heir and married her to Geoffrey of Anjou. The relationship between Henry and the couple became strained, and fighting broke out along the border with Anjou. Henry died on 1 December 1135 after a week of illness. Despite his plans for Matilda, the King was succeeded by his nephew Stephen of Blois, resulting in a period of civil war known as the Anarchy.

Early life, 1068–1099
Childhood and appearance, 1068–1086
Henry was probably born in England in 1068, in either the summer or the last weeks of the year, possibly in the town of Selby in Yorkshire.[1][nb 1] His father was William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy who had invaded England in 1066 to become the king of England, establishing lands stretching into Wales. The invasion had created an Anglo-Norman ruling class, many with estates on both sides of the English Channel.[2] These Anglo-Norman barons typically had close links to the Kingdom of France, which was then a loose collection of counties and smaller polities, only nominally under control of the king.[3] Henry's mother, Matilda of Flanders, was the granddaughter of Robert II of France, and she probably named Henry after her uncle, King Henry I of France.[4]

Henry was the youngest of William and Matilda's four sons. Physically he resembled his older brothers Robert Curthose, Richard and William Rufus, being, as historian David Carpenter describes, "short, stocky and barrel-chested," with black hair.[5] As a result of their age differences and Richard's early death, Henry would have probably seen relatively little of his older brothers.[6] He probably knew his sister Adela well, as the two were close in age.[7] There is little documentary evidence for his early years; historians Warren Hollister and Kathleen Thompson suggest he was brought up predominantly in England, while Judith Green argues he was initially brought up in the Duchy.[8][nb 2] He was probably educated by the Church, possibly by Bishop Osmund, the King's chancellor, at Salisbury Cathedral; it is uncertain if this indicated an intent by his parents for Henry to become a member of the clergy.[10][nb 3] It is also uncertain how far Henry's education extended, but he was probably able to read Latin and had some background in the liberal arts.[11] He was given military training by an instructor called Robert Achard, and Henry was knighted by his father on 24 May 1086.[12]

Inheritance, 1087–1088
13th century picture
13th-century depiction of Henry
In 1087, William was fatally injured during a campaign in the Vexin.[13] Henry joined his dying father near Rouen in September, where the King partitioned his possessions among his sons.[14] The rules of succession in western Europe at the time were uncertain; in some parts of France, primogeniture, in which the eldest son would inherit a title, was growing in popularity.[15] In other parts of Europe, including Normandy and England, the tradition was for lands to be divided, with the eldest son taking patrimonial lands – usually considered to be the most valuable – and younger sons given smaller, or more recently acquired, partitions or estates.[15]

In dividing his lands, William appears to have followed the Norman tradition, distinguishing between Normandy, which he had inherited, and England, which he had acquired through war.[16] William's second son, Richard, had died in a hunting accident, leaving Henry and his two brothers to inherit William's estate. Robert, the eldest, despite being in armed rebellion against his father at the time of his death, received Normandy.[17] England was given to William Rufus, who was in favour with the dying king.[17] Henry was given a large sum of money, usually reported as £5,000, with the expectation that he would also be given his mother's modest set of lands in Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire.[18][nb 4] William's funeral at Caen was marred by angry complaints from a local man, and Henry may have been responsible for resolving the dispute by buying off the protester with silver.[20]

Robert returned to Normandy, expecting to have been given both the Duchy and England, to find that William Rufus had crossed the Channel and been crowned king.[21] The two brothers disagreed fundamentally over the inheritance, and Robert soon began to plan an invasion of England to seize the kingdom, helped by a rebellion by some of the leading nobles against William Rufus.[22] Henry remained in Normandy and took up a role within Robert's court, possibly either because he was unwilling to side openly with William Rufus, or because Robert might have taken the opportunity to confiscate Henry's inherited money if he had tried to leave.[21][nb 5] William Rufus sequestered Henry's new estates in England, leaving Henry landless.[24]

In 1088, Robert's plans for the invasion of England began to falter, and he turned to Henry, proposing that his brother lend him some of his inheritance, which Henry refused.[25] Henry and Robert then came to an alternative arrangement, in which Robert would make Henry the count of western Normandy, in exchange for £3,000.[25][nb 6] Henry's lands were a new countship created by a delegation of the ducal authority in the Cotentin, but it extended across the Avranchin, with control over the bishoprics of both.[27] This also gave Henry influence over two major Norman leaders, Hugh d'Avranches and Richard de Redvers, and the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, whose lands spread out further across the Duchy.[28] Robert's invasion force failed to leave Normandy, leaving William Rufus secure in England.[29]

Count of the Cotentin, 1088–90

Depiction of Bishop Odo (wielding club at centre) who imprisoned Henry from 1088–1089. From the Bayeux Tapestry.
Henry quickly established himself as count, building up a network of followers from western Normandy and eastern Brittany, whom the historian John Le Patourel has characterised as "Henry's gang".[30] His early supporters included Roger of Mandeville, Richard of Redvers, Richard d'Avranches and Robert Fitzhamon, along with the churchman Roger of Salisbury.[31] Robert attempted to go back on his deal with Henry and re-appropriate the county, but Henry's grip was already sufficiently firm to prevent this.[32] Robert's rule of the duchy was chaotic, and parts of Henry's lands became almost independent of central control from Rouen.[33]

During this period, neither William nor Robert seems to have trusted Henry.[34] Waiting until the rebellion against William Rufus was safely over, Henry returned to England in July 1088.[35] He met with the King but was unable to persuade him to grant him their mother's estates, and travelled back to Normandy in the autumn.[36] While he had been away, however, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who regarded Henry as a potential competitor, had convinced Robert that Henry was conspiring against the duke with William Rufus.[37] On landing, Odo seized Henry and imprisoned him in Neuilly-la-Forêt, and Robert took back the county of the Cotentin.[38] Henry was held there over the winter, but in the spring of 1089 the senior elements of the Normandy nobility prevailed upon Robert to release him.[39]

Although no longer formally the Count of Cotentin, Henry continued to control the west of Normandy.[40] The struggle between his brothers continued. William Rufus continued to put down resistance to his rule in England, but began to build a series of alliances against Robert with barons in Normandy and neighbouring Ponthieu.[41] Robert allied himself with Philip I of France.[42] In late 1090 William Rufus encouraged Conan Pilatus, a powerful burgher in Rouen, to rebel against Robert; Conan was supported by most of Rouen and made appeals to the neighbouring ducal garrisons to switch allegiance as well.[43]

Robert issued an appeal for help to his barons, and Henry was the first to arrive in Rouen in November.[44] Violence broke out, leading to savage, confused street fighting as both sides attempted to take control of the city.[44] Robert and Henry left the castle to join the battle, but Robert then retreated, leaving Henry to continue the fighting.[45] The battle turned in favour of the ducal forces and Henry took Conan prisoner.[45] Henry was angry that Conan had turned against his feudal lord. He had him taken to the top of Rouen Castle and then, despite Conan's offers to pay a huge ransom, threw him off the top of the castle to his death.[46] Contemporaries considered Henry to have acted appropriately in making an example of Conan, and Henry became famous for his exploits in the battle.[47]

Fall and rise, 1091–1099
Photograph of Mont St Michel
Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, site of the 1091 siege
In the aftermath, Robert forced Henry to leave Rouen, probably because Henry's role in the fighting had been more prominent than his own, and possibly because Henry had asked to be formally reinstated as the count of the Cotentin.[48] In early 1091, William Rufus invaded Normandy with a sufficiently large army to bring Robert to the negotiating table.[49] The two brothers signed a treaty at Rouen, granting William Rufus a range of lands and castles in Normandy. In return, William Rufus promised to support Robert's attempts to regain control of the neighbouring county of Maine, once under Norman control, and help in regaining control over the duchy, including Henry's lands.[49] They nominated each other as heirs to England and Normandy, excluding Henry from any succession while either one of them lived.[50]

War now broke out between Henry and his brothers.[51] Henry mobilised a mercenary army in the west of Normandy, but as William Rufus and Robert's forces advanced, his network of baronial support melted away.[52] Henry focused his remaining forces at Mont Saint-Michel, where he was besieged, probably in March 1091.[53] The site was easy to defend, but lacked fresh water.[54] The chronicler William of Malmesbury suggested that when Henry's water ran short, Robert allowed his brother fresh supplies, leading to remonstrations between Robert and William Rufus.[55] The events of the final days of the siege are unclear: the besiegers had begun to argue about the future strategy for the campaign, but Henry then abandoned Mont Saint-Michel, probably as part of a negotiated surrender.[56][nb 7] He left for Brittany and crossed over into France.[57]

Henry's next steps are not well documented; one chronicler, Orderic Vitalis, suggests that he travelled in the French Vexin, along the Normandy border, for over a year with a small band of followers.[58] By the end of the year, Robert and William Rufus had fallen out once again, and the Treaty of Rouen had been abandoned.[59] In 1092, Henry and his followers seized the Normandy town of Domfront.[60] Domfront had previously been controlled by Robert of Bellême, but the inhabitants disliked his rule and invited Henry to take over the town, which he did in a bloodless coup.[61] Over the next two years, Henry re-established his network of supporters across western Normandy, forming what Judith Green terms a "court in waiting".[62] By 1094, he was allocating lands and castles to his followers as if he were the Duke of Normandy.[63] William Rufus began to support Henry with money, encouraging his campaign against Robert, and Henry used some of this to construct a substantial castle at Domfront.[64]

William Rufus crossed into Normandy to take the war to Robert in 1094, and when progress stalled, called upon Henry for assistance.[65] Henry responded, but travelled to London instead of joining the main campaign further east in Normandy, possibly at the request of the King, who in any event abandoned the campaign and returned to England.[66][nb 8] Over the next few years, Henry appears to have strengthened his power base in western Normandy, visiting England occasionally to attend at William Rufus's court.[68] In 1095 Pope Urban II called the First Crusade, encouraging knights from across Europe to join.[67] Robert joined the Crusade, borrowing money from William Rufus to do so, and granting the King temporary custody of his part of the Duchy in exchange.[69] The King appeared confident of regaining the remainder of Normandy from Robert, and Henry appeared ever closer to William Rufus. They campaigned together in the Norman Vexin between 1097 and 1098.[70]

Early reign, 1100–1106
Taking the throne, 1100
Claudius Pontificals
A 17th-century manuscript drawing of Henry's coronation.
On the afternoon of 2 August 1100, King William Rufus went hunting in the New Forest, accompanied by a team of huntsmen and Norman nobility, including Henry.[71] An arrow, possibly shot by the baron Walter Tirel, hit and killed William Rufus.[72] Many conspiracy theories have been put forward suggesting that the King was killed deliberately; most modern historians reject these, as hunting was a risky activity and such accidents were common.[73][nb 9] Chaos broke out, and Tirel fled the scene for France, either because he had shot the fatal arrow, or because he had been incorrectly accused and feared that he would be made a scapegoat for the King's death.[72]

Henry rode to Winchester, where an argument ensued as to who now had the best claim to the throne.[75] William of Breteuil championed the rights of Robert, who was still abroad, returning from the Crusade, and to whom Henry and the barons had given homage in previous years.[76] Henry argued that, unlike Robert, he had been born to a reigning king and queen, thereby giving him a claim under the right of porphyrogeniture.[77] Tempers flared, but Henry, supported by Henry de Beaumont and Robert of Meulan, held sway and persuaded the barons to follow him.[78] He occupied Winchester Castle and seized the royal treasury.[79]

Henry was hastily crowned king in Westminster Abbey on 5 August by Maurice, the bishop of London, as Anselm, the archbishop of Canterbury, had been exiled by William Rufus, and Thomas, the archbishop of York, was in the north of England at Ripon.[80] In accordance with English tradition and in a bid to legitimise his rule, Henry issued a coronation charter laying out various commitments.[81] The new king presented himself as having restored order to a trouble-torn country.[82] He announced that he would abandon William Rufus's policies towards the Church, which had been seen as oppressive by the clergy; he promised to prevent royal abuses of the barons' property rights, and assured a return to the gentler customs of Edward the Confessor; he asserted that he would "establish a firm peace" across England and ordered "that this peace shall henceforth be kept".[83]

As well as his existing circle of supporters, many of whom were richly rewarded with new lands, Henry quickly co-opted many of the existing administration into his new royal household.[84] William Giffard, William Rufus's chancellor, was made the bishop of Winchester, and the prominent sheriffs Urse d'Abetot, Haimo Dapifer and Robert Fitzhamon continued to play a senior role in government.[84] By contrast, the unpopular Ranulf Flambard, the bishop of Durham and a key member of the previous regime, was imprisoned in the Tower of London and charged with corruption.[85] The late king had left many Church positions unfilled, and Henry set about nominating candidates to these, in an effort to build further support for his new government.[86] The appointments needed to be consecrated, and Henry wrote to Anselm, apologising for having been crowned while the archbishop was still in France and asking him to return at once.[87]

Marriage to Matilda, 1100
Picture of Matilda
Henry's first wife, Matilda of Scotland
On 11 November 1100 Henry married Matilda, the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland,[88] in Westminster Abbey. Henry was now around 31 years old, but late marriages for noblemen were not unusual in the 11th century.[89] The pair had probably first met earlier the previous decade, possibly being introduced through Bishop Osmund of Salisbury.[90] Historian Warren Hollister argues that Henry and Matilda were emotionally close, but their union was also certainly politically motivated.[91][nb 10] Matilda had originally been named Edith, an Anglo-Saxon name, and was a member of the West Saxon royal family, being the niece of Edgar the Ætheling, the great-granddaughter of Edmund Ironside and a descendant of Alfred the Great.[93] For Henry, marrying Matilda gave his reign increased legitimacy, and for Matilda, an ambitious woman, it was an opportunity for high status and power in England.[94]

Matilda had been educated in a sequence of convents and may well have taken the vows to formally become a nun, which formed an obstacle to the marriage progressing.[95] She did not wish to be a nun and appealed to Anselm for permission to marry Henry, and the Archbishop established a council at Lambeth Palace to judge the issue.[95] Despite some dissenting voices, the council concluded that although Matilda had lived in a convent, she had not actually become a nun and was therefore free to marry, a judgement that Anselm then affirmed, allowing the marriage to proceed.[95][nb 11] Matilda proved an effective queen for Henry, acting as a regent in England on occasion, addressing and presiding over councils, and extensively supporting the arts.[97] The couple soon had two children, Matilda, born in 1102, and William Adelin, born in 1103; it is possible that they also had a second son, Richard, who died young.[98][nb 12] Following the birth of these children, Matilda preferred to remain based in Westminster while Henry travelled across England and Normandy, either for religious reasons or because she enjoyed being involved in the machinery of royal governance.[100]

Henry had a considerable sexual appetite and enjoyed a substantial number of sexual partners, resulting in many illegitimate children, at least nine sons and 13 daughters, many of whom he appears to have recognised and supported.[101] It was normal for unmarried Anglo-Norman noblemen to have sexual relations with prostitutes and local women, and kings were also expected to have mistresses.[102][nb 13] Some of these relationships occurred before Henry was married, but many others took place after his marriage to Matilda.[103] Henry had a wide range of mistresses from a range of backgrounds, and the relationships appear to have been conducted relatively openly.[100] He may have chosen some of his noble mistresses for political purposes, but the evidence to support this theory is limited.[104]

Treaty of Alton, 1101–1102
Drawing of Henry
Early 14th-century depiction of Henry
By early 1101, Henry's new regime was established and functioning, but many of the Anglo-Norman elite still supported his brother Robert, or would be prepared to switch sides if Robert appeared likely to gain power in England.[105] In February, Flambard escaped from the Tower of London and crossed the Channel to Normandy, where he injected fresh direction and energy to Robert's attempts to mobilise an invasion force.[106] By July, Robert had formed an army and a fleet, ready to move against Henry in England.[107] Raising the stakes in the conflict, Henry seized Flambard's lands and, with the support of Anselm, Flambard was removed from his position as bishop.[108] The King held court in April and June, where the nobility renewed their oaths of allegiance to him, but their support still appeared partial and shaky.[109]

With the invasion imminent, Henry mobilised his forces and fleet outside Pevensey, close to Robert's anticipated landing site, training some of them personally in how to counter cavalry charges.[110] Despite English levies and knights owing military service to the Church arriving in considerable numbers, many of his barons did not appear.[111] Anselm intervened with some of the doubters, emphasising the religious importance of their loyalty to Henry.[112] Robert unexpectedly landed further up the coast at Portsmouth on 20 July with a modest force of a few hundred men, but these were quickly joined by many of the barons in England.[113] Instead of marching into nearby Winchester and seizing Henry's treasury, Robert paused, giving Henry time to march west and intercept the invasion force.[114]

The two armies met at Alton, Hampshire, where peace negotiations began, possibly initiated by either Henry or Robert, and probably supported by Flambard.[114] The brothers then agreed to the Treaty of Alton, under which Robert released Henry from his oath of homage and recognised him as king; Henry renounced his claims on western Normandy, except for Domfront, and agreed to pay Robert £2,000 a year for life; if either brother died without a male heir, the other would inherit his lands; the barons whose lands had been seized by either the King or the Duke for supporting his rival would have them returned, and Flambard would be reinstated as bishop; the two brothers would campaign together to defend their territories in Normandy.[115][nb 14] Robert remained in England for a few months more with Henry before returning to Normandy.[117]

Despite the treaty, Henry set about inflicting severe penalties on the barons who had stood against him during the invasion.[118] William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, was accused of fresh crimes, which were not covered by the Alton amnesty, and was banished from England.[119] In 1102 Henry then turned against Robert of Bellême and his brothers, the most powerful of the barons, accusing him of 45 different offences.[120] Robert escaped and took up arms against Henry.[121] Henry besieged Robert's castles at Arundel, Tickhill and Shrewsbury, pushing down into the south-west to attack Bridgnorth.[122] His power base in England broken, Robert accepted Henry's offer of banishment and left the country for Normandy.[123]

Conquest of Normandy, 1103–1106
Photograph of Tinchebray
The village of Tinchebray in Normandy in 2008; the site of the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106
Henry's network of allies in Normandy became stronger during 1103.[124] He arranged the marriages of his illegitimate daughters, Juliane and Matilda, to Eustace of Breteuil and Rotrou III, Count of Perche, respectively, the latter union securing the Norman border.[125] Henry attempted to win over other members of the Norman nobility and gave other English estates and lucrative offers to key Norman lords.[126] Duke Robert continued to fight Robert of Bellême, but the Duke's position worsened, until by 1104, he had to ally himself formally with Bellême to survive.[127] Arguing that the Duke had broken the terms of their treaty, the King crossed over the Channel to Domfront, where he met with senior barons from across Normandy, eager to ally themselves with him.[128] He confronted the Duke and accused him of siding with his enemies, before returning to England.[129]

Normandy continued to disintegrate into chaos.[130] In 1105, Henry sent his friend Robert Fitzhamon and a force of knights into the Duchy, apparently to provoke a confrontation with Duke Robert.[131] Fitzhamon was captured, and Henry used this as an excuse to invade, promising to restore peace and order.[130] Henry had the support of most of the neighbouring counts around Normandy's borders, and King Philip of France was persuaded to remain neutral.[132] Henry occupied western Normandy, and advanced east on Bayeux, where Fitzhamon was held.[133] The city refused to surrender, and Henry besieged it, burning it to the ground.[133] Terrified of meeting the same fate, the town of Caen switched sides and surrendered, allowing Henry to advance on Falaise, Calvados, which he took with some casualties.[134] His campaign stalled, and the King instead began peace discussions with Robert.[135] The negotiations were inconclusive and the fighting dragged on until Christmas, when Henry returned to England.[136]

Henry invaded again in July 1106, hoping to provoke a decisive battle.[137] After some initial tactical successes, he turned south-west towards the castle of Tinchebray.[138] He besieged the castle and Duke Robert, supported by Robert of Bellême, advanced from Falaise to relieve it.[138] After attempts at negotiation failed, the Battle of Tinchebray took place, probably on 28 September.[139][nb 15] The battle lasted around an hour, and began with a charge by Duke Robert's cavalry; the infantry and dismounted knights of both sides then joined the battle.[141] Henry's reserves, led by Elias I, Count of Maine, and Alan IV, Duke of Brittany, attacked the enemy's flanks, routing first Bellême's troops and then the bulk of the ducal forces.[142] Duke Robert was taken prisoner, but Bellême escaped.[142]

Henry mopped up the remaining resistance in Normandy, and Duke Robert ordered his last garrisons to surrender.[143] Reaching Rouen, Henry reaffirmed the laws and customs of Normandy and took homage from the leading barons and citizens.[144] The lesser prisoners taken at Tinchebray were released, but the Duke and several other leading nobles were imprisoned indefinitely.[145] The Duke's son, William Clito, was only three years old and was released to the care of Helias of Saint-Saens, a Norman baron.[146] Henry reconciled himself with Robert of Bellême, who gave up the ducal lands he had seized and rejoined the royal court.[147] Henry had no way of legally removing the Duchy from his brother, and initially Henry avoided using the title "duke" at all, emphasising that, as the king of England, he was only acting as the guardian of the troubled Duchy.[148]

Government, family and household
Government, law and court

Henry's royal seal, showing the King on horseback (l) and seated on his throne (r)
Further information on English government during this period: England in the Middle Ages § High Middle Ages (1066–1272)
Henry inherited the kingdom of England from William Rufus, giving him a claim of suzerainty over Wales and Scotland, and acquired the Duchy of Normandy, a complex entity with troubled borders.[149] The borders between England and Scotland were still uncertain during Henry's reign, with Anglo-Norman influence pushing northwards through Cumbria, but his relationship with King David I of Scotland was generally good, partially due to Henry's marriage to his sister.[150] In Wales, Henry used his power to coerce and charm the indigenous Welsh princes, while Norman Marcher Lords pushed across the valleys of South Wales.[151] Normandy was controlled via interlocking networks of ducal, ecclesiastical and family contacts, backed by a growing string of important ducal castles along the borders.[152] Alliances and relationships with neighbouring counties along the Norman border were particularly important to maintaining the stability of the Duchy.[153]

Henry ruled through the barons and lords in England and Normandy, whom he manipulated skilfully for political effect.[154] Political friendships, termed amicitia in Latin, were important during the 12th century, and Henry maintained a wide range of these, mediating between his friends in factions across his realm when necessary, and rewarding those who were loyal to him.[155] He also had a reputation for punishing those barons who stood against him, and he maintained an effective network of informers and spies who reported to him on events.[156] Henry was a harsh, firm ruler, but not excessively so by the standards of the day.[157] Over time, he increased the degree of his control over the barons, removing his enemies and bolstering his friends until the "reconstructed baronage", as historian Warren Hollister describes it, was predominantly loyal and dependent on the King.[158]

Henry's itinerant royal court comprised several parts.[159] At the heart was his domestic household, called the domus; a wider grouping was termed the familia regis, and formal gatherings of the court were termed curia.[160] The domus was divided into several parts. The chapel, headed by the chancellor, looked after the royal documents, the chamber dealt with financial affairs and the master-marshal was responsible for travel and accommodation.[161] The familia regis included Henry's mounted household troops, up to several hundred strong, who came from a wider range of social backgrounds, and could be deployed across England and Normandy as required.[162] Initially Henry continued his father's practice of regular crown-wearing ceremonies at his curia, but they became less frequent as the years passed.[163] Henry's court was grand and ostentatious, financing the construction of large new buildings and castles with a range of precious gifts on display, including his private menagerie of exotic animals, which he kept at Woodstock Palace.[164] Despite being a lively community, Henry's court was more tightly controlled than those of previous kings.[165] Strict rules controlled personal behaviour and prohibited members of the court from pillaging neighbouring villages, as had been the norm under William Rufus.[165]

Henry was responsible for a substantial expansion of the royal justice system.[166][nb 16] In England, Henry drew on the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxes, but strengthened it with more central governmental institutions.[168] Roger of Salisbury began to develop the royal exchequer after 1110, using it to collect and audit revenues from the King's sheriffs in the shires.[169] Itinerant justices began to emerge under Henry, travelling around the country managing eyre courts, and many more laws were formally recorded.[170] Henry gathered increasing revenue from the expansion of royal justice, both from fines and from fees.[171] The first Pipe Roll that is known to have survived dates from 1130, recording royal expenditures.[172] Henry reformed the coinage in 1107, 1108 and in 1125, inflicting harsh corporal punishments to English coiners who had been found guilty of debasing the currency.[173][nb 17] In Normandy, he restored law and order after 1106, operating through a body of Norman justices and an exchequer system similar to that in England.[175] Norman institutions grew in scale and scope under Henry, although less quickly than in England.[176] Many of the officials that ran Henry's system were termed "new men", relatively low-born individuals who rose through the ranks as administrators, managing justice or the royal revenues.[177][nb 18]

Relations with the Church
Further information on religion in England during this period: Religion in Medieval England
Church and the King
Picture of seal
The seal of Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury
Henry's ability to govern was intimately bound up with the Church, which formed the key to the administration of both England and Normandy, and this relationship changed considerably over the course of his reign.[179] William the Conqueror had reformed the English Church with the support of his Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc, who became a close colleague and advisor to the King.[180][nb 19] Under William Rufus this arrangement had collapsed, the King and Archbishop Anselm had become estranged and Anselm had gone into exile. Henry also believed in Church reform, but on taking power in England he became embroiled in the investiture controversy.[182]

The argument concerned who should invest a new bishop with his staff and ring: traditionally, this had been carried out by the King in a symbolic demonstration of royal power, but Pope Urban II had condemned this practice in 1099, arguing that only the papacy could carry out this task, and declaring that the clergy should not give homage to their local temporal rulers.[183] Anselm returned to England from exile in 1100 having heard Urban's pronouncement, and informed Henry that he would be complying with the Pope's wishes.[184] Henry was in a difficult position. On one hand, the symbolism and homage was important to him; on the other hand, he needed Anselm's support in his struggle with his brother Duke Robert.[185]

Anselm stuck firmly to the letter of the papal decree, despite Henry's attempts to persuade him to give way in return for a vague assurance of a future royal compromise.[186] Matters escalated, with Anselm going back into exile and Henry confiscating the revenues of his estates. Anselm threatened excommunication, and in July 1105 the two men finally negotiated a solution.[187] A distinction was drawn between the secular and ecclesiastical powers of the prelates, under which Henry gave up his right to invest his clergy, but retained the custom of requiring them to come and do homage for the temporalities, the landed properties they held in England.[188] Despite this argument, the pair worked closely together, combining to deal with Duke Robert's invasion of 1101, for example, and holding major reforming councils in 1102 and 1108.[189]

A long-running dispute between the Archbishops of Canterbury and York flared up under Anselm's successor, Ralph d'Escures.[190] Canterbury, traditionally the senior of the two establishments, had long argued that the Archbishop of York should formally promise to obey their Archbishop, but York argued that the two episcopates were independent within the English Church and that no such promise was necessary. Henry supported the primacy of Canterbury, to ensure that England remained under a single ecclesiastical administration, but the Pope preferred the case of York.[190] The matter was complicated by Henry's personal friendship with Thurstan, the Archbishop of York, and the King's desire that the case should not end up in a papal court, beyond royal control.[190] Henry needed the support of the Papacy in his struggle with Louis of France, however, and therefore allowed Thurstan to attend the Council of Rheims in 1119, where Thurstan was then consecrated by the Pope with no mention of any duty towards Canterbury.[191] Henry believed that this went against assurances Thurstan had previously made and exiled him from England until the King and Archbishop came to a negotiated solution the following year.[192]

Even after the investiture dispute, Henry continued to play a major role in the selection of new English and Norman bishops and archbishops.[193] He appointed many of his officials to bishoprics and, as historian Martin Brett suggests, "some of his officers could look forward to a mitre with all but absolute confidence".[194] Henry's chancellors, and those of his queens, became bishops of Durham, Hereford, London, Lincoln, Winchester and Salisbury.[195] Henry increasingly drew on a wider range of these bishops as advisors – particularly Roger of Salisbury – breaking with the earlier tradition of relying primarily on the Archbishop of Canterbury.[196] The result was a cohesive body of administrators through which Henry could exercise careful influence, holding general councils to discuss key matters of policy.[197] This stability shifted slightly after 1125, when he began to inject a wider range of candidates into the senior positions of the Church, often with more reformist views, and the impact of this generation would be felt in the years after Henry's death.[198]

Personal beliefs and piety
Photograph of Reading Abbey
The ruined chapter house of Reading Abbey in 2008
Like other rulers of the period, Henry donated to the Church and patronised several religious communities, but contemporary chroniclers did not consider him an unusually pious king.[199] His personal beliefs and piety may have developed during the course of his life; Henry had always taken an interest in religion, but in his later years he may have become much more concerned about spiritual affairs.[200] If so, the major shifts in his thinking would appear to have occurred after 1120, when his son William Adelin died, and 1129, when his daughter's marriage teetered on the verge of collapse.[201][nb 20]

As a proponent of religious reform, Henry gave extensively to reformist groups within the Church.[203] He was a keen supporter of the Cluniac order, probably for intellectual reasons.[204] He donated money to the abbey at Cluny itself, and after 1120 gave generously to Reading Abbey, a Cluniac establishment.[204] Construction on Reading began in 1121, and Henry endowed it with rich lands and extensive privileges, making it a symbol of his dynastic lines.[205] He also focused effort on promoting the conversion of communities of clerks into Augustinian canons, the foundation of leper hospitals, expanding the provision of nunneries, and the charismatic orders of the Savigniacs and Tironensians.[206] He was an avid collector of relics, sending an embassy to Constantinople in 1118 to collect Byzantine items, some of which were donated to Reading Abbey.[207]

Later reign, 1107–1135
Continental and Welsh politics, 1108–1114
Normandy faced an increased threat from France, Anjou and Flanders after 1108.[208] King Louis VI succeeded to the French throne in 1108 and began to reassert central royal power.[208] Louis demanded Henry give homage to him and that two disputed castles along the Normandy border be placed into the control of neutral castellans.[209] Henry refused, and Louis responded by mobilising an army.[210] After some arguments, the two kings negotiated a truce and retreated without fighting, leaving the underlying issues unresolved.[210][nb 21] Fulk V assumed power in Anjou in 1109 and began to rebuild Angevin authority.[212] He inherited the county of Maine, but refused to recognise Henry as his feudal lord and instead allied himself with Louis.[213] Robert II of Flanders also briefly joined the alliance, before his death in 1111.[214]

Photograph of coin
Denier coin of Henry's rival, Louis VI of France
In 1108, Henry betrothed his six-year-old daughter, Matilda, to Henry V, the future Holy Roman Emperor.[215] For King Henry, this was a prestigious match; for Henry V, it was an opportunity to restore his financial situation and fund an expedition to Italy, as he received a dowry of £6,666 from England and Normandy.[216][nb 22] Raising this money proved challenging, and required the implementation of a special "aid", or tax, in England.[218] Matilda was crowned German queen in 1110.[219]

Henry responded to the French and Angevin threat by expanding his own network of supporters beyond the Norman borders.[220] Some Norman barons deemed unreliable were arrested or dispossessed, and Henry used their forfeited estates to bribe his potential allies in the neighbouring territories, in particular Maine.[221] Around 1110, Henry attempted to arrest the young William Clito, but William's mentors moved him to the safety of Flanders before he could be taken.[222] At about this time, Henry probably began to style himself as the duke of Normandy.[223][nb 23] Robert of Bellême turned against Henry once again, and when he appeared at Henry's court in 1112 in a new role as a French ambassador, he was arrested and imprisoned.[225]

Rebellions broke out in France and Anjou between 1111 and 1113, and Henry crossed into Normandy to support his nephew, Count Theobald II, Count of Champagne, who had sided against Louis in the uprising.[226] In a bid to isolate Louis diplomatically, Henry betrothed his young son, William Adelin, to Fulk's daughter Matilda, and married his illegitimate daughter Matilda to Duke Conan III of Brittany, creating alliances with Anjou and Brittany respectively.[227] Louis backed down and in March 1113 met with Henry near Gisors to agree a peace settlement, giving Henry the disputed fortresses and confirming Henry's overlordship of Maine, Bellême and Brittany.[228]

Meanwhile, the situation in Wales was deteriorating. Henry had conducted a campaign in South Wales in 1108, pushing out royal power in the region and colonising the area around Pembroke with Flemings.[229] By 1114, some of the resident Norman lords were under attack, while in Mid-Wales, Owain ap Cadwgan blinded one of the political hostages he was holding, and in North Wales Gruffudd ap Cynan threatened the power of the Earl of Chester.[230] Henry sent three armies into Wales that year, with Gilbert Fitz Richard leading a force from the south, Alexander, King of Scotland, pressing from the north and Henry himself advancing into Mid-Wales.[230] Owain and Gruffudd sued for peace, and Henry accepted a political compromise.[231] He reinforced the Welsh Marches with his own appointees, strengthening the border territories.[232]

Rebellion, 1115–1120
Photograph of coin
Silver pennies of Henry I, struck at the Oxford mint
Concerned about the succession, Henry sought to persuade Louis VI to accept his son, William Adelin, as the legitimate future Duke of Normandy, in exchange for his son's homage.[233] Henry crossed into Normandy in 1115 and assembled the Norman barons to swear loyalty; he also almost successfully negotiated a settlement with Louis, affirming William's right to the Duchy in exchange for a large sum of money. Louis, backed by his ally Baldwin of Flanders, instead declared that he considered William Clito the legitimate heir to the Duchy.[234]

War broke out after Henry returned to Normandy with an army to support Theobald of Blois, who was under attack from Louis.[235] Henry and Louis raided each other's towns along the border, and a wider conflict then broke out, probably in 1116.[235][nb 24] Henry was pushed onto the defensive as French, Flemish and Angevin forces began to pillage the Normandy countryside.[237] Amaury III of Montfort and many other barons rose up against Henry, and there was an assassination plot from within his own household.[237] Henry's wife, Matilda, died in early 1118, but the situation in Normandy was sufficiently pressing that Henry was unable to return to England for her funeral.[238]

Henry responded by mounting campaigns against the rebel barons and deepening his alliance with Theobald.[239] Baldwin of Flanders was wounded in battle and died in September 1118, easing the pressure on Normandy from the north-east.[240] Henry attempted to crush a revolt in the city of Alençon, but was defeated by Fulk and the Angevin army.[241] Forced to retreat from Alençon, Henry's position deteriorated alarmingly, as his resources became overstretched and more barons abandoned his cause.[242] Early in 1119, Eustace of Breteuil and Henry's daughter, Juliana, threatened to join the baronial revolt.[243] Hostages were exchanged in a bid to avoid conflict, but relations broke down and both sides mutilated their captives.[244] Henry attacked and took the town of Breteuil, Eure, despite Juliana's attempt to kill her father with a crossbow.[244][nb 25] In the aftermath, Henry dispossessed the couple of almost all of their lands in Normandy.[246]

Henry's situation improved in May 1119 when he enticed Fulk to switch sides by finally agreeing to marry William Adelin to Fulk's daughter, Matilda, and paying Fulk a large sum of money.[247] Fulk left for the Levant, leaving the County of Maine in Henry's care, and the King was free to focus on crushing his remaining enemies.[248] During the summer Henry advanced into the Norman Vexin, where he encountered Louis's army, resulting in the Battle of Brémule.[249] Henry appears to have deployed scouts and then organised his troops into several carefully formed lines of dismounted knights.[250] Unlike Henry's forces, the French knights remained mounted; they hastily charged the Anglo-Norman positions, breaking through the first rank of the defences but then becoming entangled in Henry's second line of knights.[251] Surrounded, the French army began to collapse.[250] In the melee, Henry was hit by a sword blow, but his armour protected him.[252] Louis and William Clito escaped from the battle, leaving Henry to return to Rouen in triumph.[253]

The war slowly petered out after this battle, and Louis took the dispute over Normandy to Pope Callixtus II's council in Reims that October.[254] Henry faced French complaints concerning his acquisition and subsequent management of Normandy, and despite being defended by Geoffrey, the Archbishop of Rouen, Henry's case was shouted down by the pro-French elements of the council.[255] Callixtus declined to support Louis, and merely advised the two rulers to seek peace.[256] Amaury de Montfort came to terms with Henry, but Henry and William Clito failed to find a mutually satisfactory compromise.[257] In June 1120, Henry and Louis formally made peace on terms advantageous to the King of England: William Adelin gave homage to Louis, and in return Louis confirmed William's rights to the Duchy.[258]

Succession crisis, 1120–1124
Picture of White Ship
Early 14th-century depiction of the sinking of the White Ship at Barfleur on 25 November 1120
Henry's succession plans were thrown into chaos by the sinking of the White Ship on 25 November 1120.[259] Henry had left the port of Barfleur for England in the early evening, leaving William Adelin and many of the younger members of the court to follow on that night in a separate vessel, the White Ship.[260] Both the crew and passengers were drunk and, just outside the harbour, the ship hit a submerged rock.[261][nb 26] The ship sank, killing as many as 300 people, with only one survivor, a butcher from Rouen.[261] Henry's court was initially too scared to report William's death to the King. When he was finally told, he collapsed with grief.[263]

The disaster left Henry with no legitimate son, his nephews now the closest possible male heirs.[264] Henry announced he would take a new wife, Adeliza of Louvain, opening up the prospect of a new royal son, and the two were married at Windsor Castle in January 1121.[265][nb 27] Henry appears to have chosen her because she was attractive and came from a prestigious noble line. Adeliza seems to have been fond of Henry and joined him in his travels, probably to maximise the chances of her conceiving a child.[267] The White Ship disaster initiated fresh conflict in Wales, where the drowning of Richard, Earl of Chester, encouraged a rebellion led by Maredudd ap Bleddyn.[268] Henry intervened in North Wales that summer with an army and, although he was hit by a Welsh arrow, the campaign reaffirmed royal power across the region.[268]

Henry's alliance with Anjou – which had been based on his son William marrying Fulk's daughter Matilda – began to disintegrate.[269] Fulk returned from the Levant and demanded that Henry return Matilda and her dowry, a range of estates and fortifications in Maine.[269] Matilda left for Anjou, but Henry argued that the dowry had in fact originally belonged to him before it came into the possession of Fulk, and so declined to hand the estates back to Anjou.[270] Fulk married his daughter Sibylla to William Clito, and granted them Maine.[271] Once again, conflict broke out, as Amaury de Montfort allied himself with Fulk and led a revolt along the Norman-Anjou border in 1123.[271] Amaury was joined by several other Norman barons, headed by Waleran de Beaumont, one of the sons of Henry's old ally, Robert of Meulan.[272][nb 28]

Henry dispatched Robert of Gloucester and Ranulf le Meschin to Normandy and then intervened himself in late 1123.[274] He began the process of besieging the rebel castles, before wintering in the Duchy.[275] In the spring of 1124, campaigning began again. In the battle of Bourgthéroulde, Odo Borleng, castellan of Bernay, Eure, led the King's army and received intelligence that the rebels were departing from the rebel base in Beaumont-le-Roger allowing him to ambush them as they traversed through the Brotonne forest. Waleran charged the royal forces, but his knights were cut down by Odo's archers and the rebels were quickly overwhelmed.[276] Waleran was captured, but Amaury escaped.[276] Henry mopped up the remainder of the rebellion, blinding some of the rebel leaders – considered, at the time, a more merciful punishment than execution – and recovering the last rebel castles.[277] He paid Pope Callixtus a large amount of money, in exchange for the Papacy annulling the marriage of William Clito and Sibylla on the grounds of consanguinity.[278][nb 29]

Planning the succession, 1125–1134
Henry and Adeliza did not conceive any children, generating prurient speculation as to the possible explanation, and the future of the dynasty appeared at risk.[280][nb 30] Henry may have begun to look among his nephews for a possible heir. He may have considered Stephen of Blois as a possible option and, perhaps in preparation for this, he arranged a beneficial marriage for Stephen to a wealthy heiress, Matilda.[282] Theobald of Blois, his close ally, may have also felt that he was in favour with Henry.[283] William Clito, who was King Louis's preferred choice, remained opposed to Henry and was therefore unsuitable.[284] Henry may have also considered his own illegitimate son, Robert of Gloucester, as a possible candidate, but English tradition and custom would have looked unfavourably on this.[285]

Henry's plans shifted when the Empress Matilda's husband, the Emperor Henry, died in 1125.[286] The King recalled his daughter to England the next year and declared that, should he die without a male heir, she was to be his rightful successor.[287] The Anglo-Norman barons were gathered together at Westminster at Christmas 1126, where they swore to recognise Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have.[287][nb 31] Putting forward a woman as a potential heir in this way was unusual: opposition to Matilda continued to exist within the English court, and Louis was vehemently opposed to her candidacy.[289]

Fresh conflict broke out in 1127, when the childless Charles I, Count of Flanders, was murdered, creating a local succession crisis.[290] Backed by King Louis, William Clito was chosen by the Flemings to become their new ruler.[291] This development potentially threatened Normandy, and Henry began to finance a proxy war in Flanders, promoting the claims of William's Flemish rivals.[292] In an effort to disrupt the French alliance with William, Henry mounted an attack into France in 1128, forcing Louis to cut his aid to William.[293] William died unexpectedly in July, removing the last major challenger to Henry's rule and bringing the war in Flanders to a halt.[294] Without William, the baronial opposition in Normandy lacked a leader. A fresh peace was made with France, and Henry was finally able to release the remaining prisoners from the revolt of 1123, including Waleran of Meulan, who was rehabilitated into the royal court.[295]

Meanwhile, Henry rebuilt his alliance with Fulk of Anjou, this time by marrying Matilda to Fulk's eldest son, Geoffrey.[296] The pair were betrothed in 1127 and married the following year.[297] It is unknown whether Henry intended Geoffrey to have any future claim on England or Normandy, and he was probably keeping his son-in-law's status deliberately uncertain. Similarly, although Matilda was granted several castles in Normandy as part of her dowry, it was not specified when the couple would actually take possession of them.[298] Fulk left Anjou for Jerusalem in 1129, declaring Geoffrey the Count of Anjou and Maine.[299] The marriage proved difficult, as the couple did not particularly like each other and the disputed castles proved a point of contention, resulting in Matilda returning to Normandy later that year.[300] Henry appears to have blamed Geoffrey for the separation, but in 1131 the couple were reconciled.[301] Much to the pleasure and relief of Henry, Matilda then gave birth to a sequence of two sons, Henry and Geoffrey, in 1133 and 1134.[302]

Death and legacy
Death
Picture of Henry
Early 14th-century depiction of Henry mourning the death of his son
Relations among Henry, Matilda, and Geoffrey became increasingly strained during the King's final years. Matilda and Geoffrey suspected that they lacked genuine support in England. In 1135 they urged Henry to hand over the royal castles in Normandy to Matilda while he was still alive, and insisted that the Norman nobility swear immediate allegiance to her, thereby giving the couple a more powerful position after Henry's death.[303] Henry angrily declined to do so, probably out of concern that Geoffrey would try to seize power in Normandy.[304] A fresh rebellion broke out among the barons in southern Normandy, led by William III, Count of Ponthieu, whereupon Geoffrey and Matilda intervened in support of the rebels.[305]

Henry campaigned throughout the autumn, strengthening the southern frontier, and then travelled to Lyons-la-Forêt in November to enjoy some hunting, still apparently healthy.[306] There he fell ill – according to the chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, he ate too many ("a surfeit of") lampreys against his physician's advice – and his condition worsened over the course of a week.[307] Once the condition appeared terminal, Henry gave confession and summoned Archbishop Hugh of Amiens, who was joined by Robert of Gloucester and other members of the court.[308] In accordance with custom, preparations were made to settle Henry's outstanding debts and to revoke outstanding sentences of forfeiture.[309] The King died on 1 December 1135, and his corpse was taken to Rouen accompanied by the barons, where it was embalmed; his entrails were buried locally at the priory of Notre-Dame du Pré, and the preserved body was taken on to England, where it was interred at Reading Abbey.[310]

Despite Henry's efforts, the succession was disputed. When news began to spread of the King's death, Geoffrey and Matilda were in Anjou supporting the rebels in their campaign against the royal army, which included a number of Matilda's supporters such as Robert of Gloucester.[15] Many of these barons had taken an oath to stay in Normandy until the late king was properly buried, which prevented them from returning to England.[311] The Norman nobility discussed declaring Theobald of Blois king.[312] Theobald's younger brother, Stephen of Blois, quickly crossed from Boulogne to England, accompanied by his military household.[313] Hugh Bigod dubiously testified that Henry, on his deathbed, had released the barons from their oath to Matilda,[314] and with the help of his brother, Henry of Blois, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned king on 22 December.[315] Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, appealing at first to the Pope against the decision to allow the coronation of Stephen,[314] and then invading England to start a prolonged civil war, known as the Anarchy, between 1135 and 1153.[316]

Historiography
Photograph of chronicle
Part of the Welsh Brut y Tywysogion, one of the chronicler sources for Henry's reign
Historians have drawn on a range of sources on Henry, including the accounts of chroniclers; other documentary evidence, including early pipe rolls; and surviving buildings and architecture.[317] The three main chroniclers to describe the events of Henry's life were William of Malmesbury, Orderic Vitalis, and Henry of Huntingdon, but each incorporated extensive social and moral commentary into their accounts and borrowed a range of literary devices and stereotypical events from other popular works.[318] Other chroniclers include Eadmer, Hugh the Chanter, Abbot Suger, and the authors of the Welsh Brut.[319] Not all royal documents from the period have survived, but there are several royal acts, charters, writs, and letters, along with some early financial records.[320] Some of these have since been discovered to be forgeries, and others had been subsequently amended or tampered with.[321]

Late medieval historians seized on the accounts of selected chroniclers regarding Henry's education and gave him the title of Henry "Beauclerc", a theme echoed in the analysis of Victorian and Edwardian historians such as Francis Palgrave and Henry Davis.[322] The historian Charles David dismissed this argument in 1929, showing the more extreme claims for Henry's education to be without foundation.[323] Modern histories of Henry commenced with Richard Southern's work in the early 1960s, followed by extensive research during the rest of the 20th century into a wide variety of themes from his reign in England, and a much more limited number of studies of his rule in Normandy.[324] Only two major, modern biographies of Henry have been produced, C. Warren Hollister's posthumous volume in 2001, and Judith Green's 2006 work.[325]

Interpretation of Henry's personality by historians has altered over time. Earlier historians such as Austin Poole and Richard Southern considered Henry as a cruel, draconian ruler.[326] More recent historians, such as Hollister and Green, view his implementation of justice much more sympathetically, particularly when set against the standards of the day, but even Green has noted that Henry was "in many respects highly unpleasant", and Alan Cooper has observed that many contemporary chroniclers were probably too scared of the King to voice much criticism.[327] Historians have also debated the extent to which Henry's administrative reforms genuinely constituted an introduction of what Hollister and John Baldwin have termed systematic, "administrative kingship", or whether his outlook remained fundamentally traditional.[328]

Henry's burial at Reading Abbey is marked by a local cross and a plaque,[329] but Reading Abbey was slowly demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.[330] The exact location is uncertain, but the most likely location of the tomb itself is now in a built-up area of central Reading, on the site of the former abbey choir.[330] A plan to locate his remains was announced in March 2015, with support from English Heritage and Philippa Langley, who aided with the successful discovery and exhumation of Richard III.[331]

Family and children
Legitimate
House of Normandy

William the Conqueror invades England
William I
William II
Henry I
Stephen
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
vte
In addition to Matilda and William,[88] Henry possibly had a short-lived son, Richard, with his first wife, Matilda of Scotland.[99] Henry and his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain, had no children.

Illegitimate
Henry had several illegitimate children by various mistresses.[nb 32]

Sons
Robert FitzRoy, Earl of Gloucester, born in the 1090s.[333]
Richard, born to Ansfride, brought up by Robert Bloet, the Bishop of Lincoln.[334]
Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall, born in the 1110s or early 1120s, possibly to Sibyl Corbet.[335]
Robert FitzEdith, born to Edith Forne.[336]
Gilbert FitzRoy, possibly born to an unnamed sister or daughter of Walter of Gand.[337]
William de Tracy, possibly born in the 1090s.[337]
Henry FitzRoy, possibly born to Nest ferch Rhys.[336][nb 33]
Fulk FitzRoy, possibly born to Ansfride.[336]
William, the full brother of Sybilla of Normandy, probably also of Reginald de Dunstanville.[338]
Daughters
Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche.[339]
Matilda FitzRoy, Duchess of Brittany.[339]
Juliane, wife of Eustace of Breteuil, possibly born to Ansfrida.[340]
Mabel, wife of William Gouet.[341]
Constance, Viscountess of Beaumont-sur-Sarthe.[342]
Aline, wife of Matthew de Montmorency.[343]
Isabel, daughter of Isabel de Beaumont, Countess of Pembroke.[343]
Sybilla de Normandy, Queen of Scotland, probably born before 1100.[343][nb 34]
Matilda Fitzroy, Abbess of Montivilliers.[343]
Gundrada de Dunstanville.[343]
Possibly Rohese, wife of Henry de la Pomerai.[343][nb 35]
Emma, wife of Guy of Laval.[344]
Adeliza, the King's daughter.[344]
Elizabeth Fitzroy, the wife of Fergus of Galloway.[344]
Possibly Sibyl of Falaise.[344][nb 36]
Family tree
vteNorman English and early Plantagenet monarchs and their relationship with rulers of Western Europe[345]
: Red borders indicate English monarchs
: Bold borders indicate legitimate children of English monarchs
See also: Family tree of English monarchs
Baldwin II
King of JerusalemFulk IV
Count of AnjouBertrade of MontfortPhilip I
King of FranceWilliam the Conqueror
King of England
r. 1066–1087Saint Margaret of ScotlandMalcolm III
King of Scotland
Melisende
Queen of JerusalemFulk V
King of JerusalemEremburga of MaineRobert CurthoseWilliam II
King of England
r. 1087–1100Adela of NormandyHenry I
King of England
r. 1100–1135Matilda of ScotlandDuncan II
King of ScotlandEdgar
King of ScotlandAlexander I
King of ScotlandDavid I
King of Scotland
Sibylla of AnjouWilliam ClitoStephen
King of England
r. 1135–1154Geoffrey Plantagenet
Count of AnjouEmpress MatildaWilliam AdelinMatilda of AnjouHenry
of Scotland
Margaret IPhilip of Alsace
Count of FlandersLouis VII
King of FranceEleanor of AquitaineHenry II
King of England
r. 1154–1189Geoffrey
Count of NantesWilliam FitzEmpressMalcolm IV
King of ScotlandWilliam the Lion
King of Scotland
Baldwin I
Latin EmperorIsabella of HainaultPhilip II
King of FranceHenry the Young KingMatilda
Duchess of SaxonyRichard I
King of England
r. 1189–1199Geoffrey II
Duke of BrittanyEleanorAlfonso VIII
King of CastileJoanWilliam II
King of SicilyJohn
King of England
r. 1199–1216
Louis VIII
King of FranceOtto IV
Holy Roman EmperorArthur I
Duke of BrittanyBlanche of Castile
Queen of FranceHenry III
King of England
r. 1216–1272Richard of Cornwall
King of the RomansJoan
Queen of ScotlandAlexander II
King of Scotland
Notes
The dating of Henry's birth depends on comparing chronicler accounts and the travels of his parents William and Matilda; these give only limited periods in which Henry could have been conceived and born. Historian Warren Hollister prefers the summer of 1068, Judith Green the end of the year, although it is just possible that Henry could have been born in early 1069. The possible birthplace of Selby is based upon a local tradition.[1]
The chronicler Orderic Vitalis describes a colourful quarrel that is said to have occurred between Henry and his brothers Robert and William Rufus in the town of l'Aigle; modern historians, including Judith Green and Warren Hollister, are inclined to doubt the veracity of the story.[9]
Historian Warren Hollister doubts that Henry was ever destined for the clergy; Judith Green is less certain.[10]
Chroniclers varied in reporting the sum as either £2,000 or £5,000, although £5,000 is the more commonly cited figure among later historians.[19]
£5,000 would have formed around 1.5 million silver pennies, a difficult sum to move easily out of the Duchy if opposed.[23]
Western Normandy had originally been intended for Henry's late brother Richard, and was suitably remote from the capital in Rouen.[26]
Chroniclers vary in their description of the length of the siege, suggesting either a duration of 15 days and six weeks. Warren Hollister prefers six weeks; Judith Green, 15 days.[56]
Henry's decision not to join the main campaign may have been because Robert's forces were sufficiently strong to prevent him joining William Rufus at Eu.[67]
David Carpenter regards William Rufus's death as "almost certainly an accident"; Warren Hollister considers "by far the likeliest explanation for the killing is simply ... that it was a hunting accident"; Judith Green argues that "on balance it seems most likely that Rufus died because of an accident". Emma Mason is more suspicious, giving credence to the theory that William Rufus was murdered, either by Henry or by agents of the French king. The minority view was also held by Austin Poole, who considered Henry a "usurper"; writing earlier in the 20th century, he argued that the facts "look ugly" – in particular Tirel's departure from the scene, Henry's potential motive and apparent disregard for his brother – and "seem to suggest a plot."[74]
The chroniclers Eadmer, Malmesbury and Orderic describe the couple as close, with Eadmer noting that they were in love.[92]
Anselm was criticised in some quarters for permitting the royal marriage to proceed.[96]
The only chronicler to suggest a second son is Gervase of Canterbury.[99]
Bisexuality was also common among this social group, but there is no evidence to suggest that Henry had male partners.[102]
Most chroniclers reported this sum as 3,000 marks, equivalent to £2,000, but Orderic recorded the agreed amount as £3,000.[116]
Contemporary chroniclers provided several possible dates for the battle, suggesting either 27, 28 or 29 September. Modern historians more commonly use 28 September, although historian Judith Green is less certain.[140]
Geoffrey of Monmouth memorably likened Henry to the "Lion of Justice" in his Historia Regum Britanniae, in a section in which he recounts the prophecies of Merlin. Despite Henry not being named in the document itself, historians are broadly agreed that Geoffrey intended to refer to him, but there are differing interpretations of the simile itself. Judith Green, for example, argues that the description was a positive one; Alan Cooper is far more cautious, noting that, in this period, lions were considered to be strong but also brutal and cruel, and that the surrounding context in the section is certainly not flattering about its subject.[167]
In 1124, Henry received reports from his soldiers that they had been paid in substandard English silver pennies. He instructed Roger of Salisbury to investigate, and ordered that any coiners found guilty were to have their right hands and genitals chopped off. The sentence was carried out at Salisbury by the Bishop. Contemporary chroniclers approved of Henry's firm action.[174]
Historian David Crouch has noted that many of Henry's key advisers and officials later regretted their actions on behalf of the King, observing that "life at King Henry's court tended to put a burden on the consciences of its inmates".[178]
Anselm used the metaphor of the government being a plough pulled by two oxen, the King and the Archbishop, ruling through temporal and religious right respectively.[181]
Assessing Henry's personal attitude towards religion later in his life is challenging. Historian Richard Southern argued in favour of the two shifts being in 1120 and 1129, although Martin Brett dismissed 1120 as a probable date, preferring 1129 as the key date. Judith Green is more cautious, observing that the fashion among chroniclers during the later period was to focus more of their writing on the themes of repenting and confession, and this may have given a false impression of a shift in Henry's thinking. Henry Mayr-Harting also doubts the extent of the evidence for a mid-life change, but draws out more of his earlier piety, suggesting that Henry was always more religiously inclined than was once thought.[202]
The chronicler Abbot Suger suggested that the incident was embarrassing for Henry, since he had refused battle, but it was a sound military decision.[211]
The dowry was 10,000 marks in silver, equivalent to £6,666.[217]
In Latin, the ducal title was dux Normannorum, literally "Duke of the Normans".[224]
The dating of this campaign is uncertain; Judith Green places it firmly in 1116, while Warren Hollister is less certain, opting for it falling between 1116 and 1118.[236]
In February 1119, Eustace and Juliana of Breteuil, formerly allies of Henry, threatened to rebel unless they were given the castle of Ivry-la-Bataille.[243] Henry promised Eustace the fortress and, to show good intent, exchanged hostages, Eustace and Juliana's daughters being exchanged with the son of the castle's constable.[243] According to the chronicler Orderic Vitalis, Eustace then blinded the constable's son, whereupon Henry allowed the daughters – his granddaughters – to be blinded and mutilated.[244] Eustace attempted to mobilise his forces and defend Breteuil against an attack by Henry; despite this, Henry took the city and Juliana, after attempting to kill Henry with a crossbow, fled.[245]
The submerged rock was probably the Quillebœuf Rock.[262]
The speed with which Henry's second marriage took place may indicate that he had been planning to remarry anyway, even before the White Ship disaster.[266]
It is uncertain what led Waleran de Beaumont to rebel against Henry. Waleran may have genuinely believed that William Clito had a rightful claim to the Duchy, and have thought that he was unlikely to benefit under Henry's rule.[273]
Medieval Church law at the time forbade marriage within seven degrees. In practice most of the upper classes were related in this way, but the law could be invoked on occasion to annul marriages.[279]
It is not known precisely what the rumours about Henry's failure to bear children were, and whether the issue lay with one or both partners.[281]
Medieval chroniclers' accounts of this oath vary on the points of detail. William of Malmesbury described that those present recognised Matilda as the legitimate heir on the basis of her paternal and maternal royal descent; John of Worcester described the inheritance of England as being conditional on Matilda having a legitimate male heir; the Anglo-Saxon chronicle suggested that an oath was given concerning the inheritance of both England and Normandy; neither Orderic nor Henry of Huntingdon recorded the event at all. Some chronicler accounts may have been influenced by Stephen's acquisition of the throne in 1135 and the later events of the Anarchy.[288]
Work by historian Geoffrey White in the 1940s produced an extensive list of Henry's illegitimate children, which forms the basis of the most recent academic research, by Kathleen Thompson.[332]
Traditionally Henry's mother has been given as Nest ferch Rhys, although more recent work by Kathleen Thompson casts doubt on this theory.[336]
White argued that Sibyl's mother was Sibyl Corbet, although more recent research by Kathleen Thompson discredits this theory.[343]
Rohese may have been Henry's daughter, but it is more probable that her father was Herbert fitz Herbert.[343]
Sibyl may have been Henry's daughter, but it is more probable that her father was Duke Robert of Normandy.[344]
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Thompson, Kathleen (2003). "Affairs of State: the Illegitimate Children of Henry I". Journal of Medieval History. 29 (2): 129–151. doi:10.1016/S0304-4181(03)00015-0. ISSN 0304-4181. S2CID 144398531.
Thompson, Kathleen (2007). "From the Thames to Tinchebray: the Role of Normandy in the Early Career of Henry I". In Fleming, Donald F.; Pope, Janet M. (eds.). Henry I and the Anglo-Norman World: Studies in Memory of C. Warren Hollister. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. pp. 16–26. ISBN 978-1-8438-3293-5.
Vaughn, Sally N. (2007). "Henry I and the English Church: the Archbishops and the King". In Fleming, Donald F.; Pope, Janet M (eds.). Henry I and the Anglo-Norman World: Studies in Memory of C. Warren Hollister. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. pp. 133–157. ISBN 978-1-8438-3293-5.
Ward, Jennifer (2006). Women in England in the Middle Ages. London, UK: Hambledon Continuum. ISBN 978-0-8264-1985-9.
White, G. W., ed. (1949). The Complete Peerage. Vol. 11. London, UK: St. Catherine Press. OCLC 568761046.
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After discussing with Betty Knoche, the various opinions from differentsources about the mistresses and illegitimate children of Henry I (who probably had more than any other English monarch), I discovered an Appendix D in Volume XI of The Complete Peerage which lists all of the"known" children and connects them, where possible, with the known mistresses. I have scanned the text and included it in the notes below.Please excuse any errors in scanning/translating the text.

HENRY I'S ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN (According to the Complete Peerage)

Henry I and Charles II were the only Kings of England to beget a largebrood of bastards. Charles II’s children have already been catalogued invol. VI, Appendix F; from which it appears that Charles, who had nolegitimate issue, is credited with 8 sons and 6 daughters, but that thepaternity of one of those sons is not certain. This record is easilybeaten by Henry I. Besides his 2, or possibly 3, legitimate children, itseems fairly certain that he was the father of at least 9 sons and 11daughters. Moreover it is possible that one of the 9 sons reallyrepresents brothers of the same name; and finally it remains doubtfulwhether a certain unnamed daughter of the King was identical with one ofthe 11 or was yet another addition to his extensive family.

No complete catalogue of Henry’s bastards is given by any contemporarywriter. However, Robert de Torigny, in his additions to the GestaNormannoram Ducum of William de Jumieges, enumerates 6 sons, mentioningthe marriage of the first, gives the marriages of 6 daughters, of whom henames only three, and refers to another daughter, also unnamed, who wasstill unmarried when he wrote. Particulars of Henry’s other childrenhave to be collected from different sources.

It is impossible to set out the names of the children in the order inwhich they were born, as the date of birth is not known for any of them;nor is it possible to arrange them according to their maternal parentage,for in most instances this is not recorded. Indeed, Robert de Torignydoes not name the mother of any of the 13 children whom he enumeratesexcept the unmarried daughter, although his omissions may occasionally bemade good from other sources.

The sons were as follows, nos. 1 to 6 being those named by Robert deTorigny. He states that no. 1 was the eldest son, and it is certain fromother evidence that no. 2 was the 2nd son ; but it is doubtful how farthe others follow any chronological or other order. It seems likely thatno. 6 was 3rd of the six, because when Robert wrote, probably not earlierthan 1142, nos. 3, and 5 were still young and unmarried (or so he says);but no. 6 had died soon after his father, being then a married man,leaving issue. Where the 3 remaining sons should be inserted is againuncertain; but no. 8 should probably follow no. 2, and no. 9 come afterno. 3, each pair being apparently children of the same mother. On theother hand, it is possible that Henry had two or more mistresses
simultaneously.

(1) ROBERT the King's Son, styled also De Caen (e), the name and identityof whose mother are uncertain (f); b. probably circa 1090; cr. in 1122(June-Sep.) EARL OF GLOUCESTER; m. Maud (named also Mabel and Sibyl) (g),da. and h. of Robert FitzHamon, LORD of GLAMORGAN, by Sibyl, da. of Roger(de Montgomery), 1st EARL of SHREWSBURY; d. 31 Oct. 1147 at Bristol; bur.at the Priory of St. James, Bristol. For fuller particulars of Robertand for his issue, see ante, vol. v, pp. 683-86, sub Gloucester. [Note:According to "Corrections and Additions to CP", another source indicateshis mother is Nest verch Rhys, which is also discounted. Volume V of CP,published in 1926 indicates the mother was "Sibyl, daughter of RobertCorbet a burgess in Caen", but Volume XI, published in 1949, discountsthat in note "f" below. The mother is officially unknown. Many say thatthe mother of Robert was a French woman and that he was born in Caen.]

(e) He attested charters regularly as Robert "filius, Regis"; but he istwice styled Robert de Caen (de Cadomo) by Orderic (ed. Le Prevost), vol.v, pp. 121, 122. The statement in the Dict. Nat. Biog. that Robert wasborn at Caen, citing Orderic, seems to be a deduction from thesepassages. That he was "known ... as Robert 'de Caen' from his birthplace"is also amassed by Round, Family Origins, p. 214.

(f) The statement by Pezet, cited ante, vol. v, p. 683, that she wasSibyl, dau.. of Robert Corbet, a burgess of Caen, seems to arise fromconfusion with Henry I’s mistress Sibyl, dau. of Robert Corbet ofAlcester (see below).

(g) Her name seems to have been Maud (Round, Cal. Docs., no. 799;Orderic, vol. iii, p. 318); but she is called Mabel by William ofMalmesbury, Hist. Nevella (Rolls Ser.), pp. 529, 587, and by Robert ofGloucester (Rolls Ser.), II 8876, 8883, and Sibyl by Robert de Torigny,in his additions to Will. de Jumieges, p. 306. As Earl Robert claimed tobe a banner-bearer (signifer) of the see of Bayeux by hereditary right(Rec. des Hist. de France, vol. xxiii, p. 700), that office was probablyhereditary in his wife’s family, and may have been appurtenant to thelands which she inherited.

(2) RICHARD, whose mother was Ansfride, a lady of unknown parentage,widow of Anskiill, a knight who was a tenant of Abingdon Abbey. He was b.ante 1101 ; served against the French in 1119, and was captured at LosAndelys, but was set free with his comrades by King Louis, because theyhad taken sanctuary in the church of N.D. du Grand Andely; was with hisfather at the siege of Evreux and the battle of Bremule, 20 Aug. 1119;and in Sep. was sent to raise the siege of Breteuil. He was betrothed toAmice, da. of Ralph de Gael, LORD of MONTFORT in Brittany and BRETEUILin Normandy, with whom he was to receive all her father’s Norman lands;but he d. s.p. immediately afterwards, being drowned in the wreck of theWhite Ship, 25 Nov. 1120 (h), and Amice m. Robert, 2nd EARL of LEICESTER.(see ante vol. vii, pp. 529-30, sub Leicester).

(h) His body was washed up many days later, far from the scene of theshipwreck.

(3) RAINALD of DUNSTANVILLE, whose mother was Sibyl, named also Adela andLucy, da. and in her issue coh. of Robert Corbet, of Alcester, co.Warwick, and Longden, Salop; which Sibyl, after her liaison with Henry I,m. Herbert FitzHerbert. Rainald held land in Wiltshire in 1130. He wascr., circa Apr. 1141, EARL OF CORNWALL, by his half-sister the EmpressMaud. He m. Beatrice, da. and h. of William FitzRichard. He d. spms.leg. 1 July 1175 at Chertsey, Surrey, when his Earldom reverted to theCrown, and was bur, at Reading Abbey. For fuller particulars see ante,vol. iii, p. 429, sub Cornwall.

(4) ROBERT the King’s son, whose mother Ede or Edith was apparently da.of Forn, probably identical with Forn Sigulfson, lord of Greystoke(Cumberland) and a tenant-in-chief in co. York; which Edith, after herliaison with Henry I, m. Robert de Oilli, a royal Constable and constableof Oxford Castle. Robert held land in Devonshire in 1130. He supportedhis half-sister, the EMPRESS Maud, in the Civil War. He was a greattenant-in-chief, his servitium debitum being 100 knights. He m. Maud,dame du Sap in Normandy, widow of William de Courcy, and da. and h. ofRobert de Avranches, by whom he had an only daughter. He d. 31 May 1172.

(5) GILBERT, still young and unmarried in (?) 1142. Nothing more is knownof him.

(6) WILLIAM de Tracy or Tracey, whose mother is unknown, and who d. soonafter his father, leaving (by an unknown wife) a daughter and heir (l).

(l) Grace, who m. John de Sudeley, of Sudeley Castle and Toddington, co.Gloucester, 3rd s. of Harold de Ewias, lord of Ewias (co. Hereford) andSudeley, s. and h. of Ralph, Earl of Hereford, s. of Dreu, Count of theFrench Vexin, by Godgifu, sister of Edward the Confessor. The 1st son,Ralph de Sudeley, suc. his father at Sudeley; the 2nd son, William ofToddington, took his mother's name of Tracy or Tracey; hence Ralph deSudeley confirmed a gift of his brother William de Tracy to GloucesterAbbey. The direct line of Tracy of Toddington became extinct on thedeath of Henry (Tracy), 8th Viscount Tracy, in 1797; but cadets of thisvery ancient house may still exist. [Note: According to Ancestral Roots(line 222-27), Grace was not a daughter of William, but of unknownparents; and Grace's son John was b. bef 1114 ("of age by 1135",admittedly from a "bef 1130" marriage, but there is no way Grace fits asdaughter of William "b. c 1190" with a son born that early. Therefore Ihave Grace's father as an unknown Henry de Tracy.]

(7) Henry the King's son, whose mother was Nest, da. of Rhys ap TEWDWR,Prince of South Wales where Henry was born, and wife of Gerald deWindsor. He was slain during Henry II’s invasion of Anglesey in 1157,leaving (by an unknown wife) 2 sons.

(8) FULK the King's son, and Richard the tutor, witnessed a gift toAbingdon Abbey by William, s. of Anskill and Ansfride, the mother ofHenry I’s s. Richard, all abovenamed; the gift being made inconsideration of his mother having been bur, in the abbey. The obviousinference is that Folk was a yr. s. of Henry and Ansfride, and was beingbrought up at the abbey in charge of his tutor. In any event he musthave been a son of Henry I. Fulk probably became a monk at Abingdon or d.young.

(9) WILLIAM, brother of the Queen [Sibyl of Scotland], who was one ofHenry I’s illegitimate daughters (see below), was presumably a son ofSibyl Corbet, and may be supposed to have accompanied his sister toScotland. As “Willelmensus frater reginae“, his name occurs among thoseof the witnesses to the foundation-charter (of doubtful authenticity) ofScone Priory, issued by Alexander I and Queen Sibyl, circa 1120; andagain to a charter of Alexander for Scone in 1124. Sibyl had d. s.p. in1122 and Alexander d. s.p. in 1124, and as there is no more trace ofWilliam in Scotland, it is likely that he returned to England. Probablyhe is William the King’s son who attested a charter of Robert de Toni,1129-33. In 1166 William frater comitis Reginaldi was holding half aknight’s fee in Devonshire under Robert the King’s son, and 4 fees inCornwall, as William frater Comitis, under Earl Rainald of Cornwall. EarlRainald’s brother attested 2 charters of the earl as “Willelmo fratremeo." and issued a charter as "Willelmus de Marisco frater Reginaldicomitis Cornubie," in which he mentions his wife Alice. He was living in1187.

The daughters were as follows, the first 7 being in the same order as inthe list of Robert de Torigny; who gives the marriages of nos. 1 to 6,but omits the Christian names of 4, 5, 6 and 7.

(1) MAUD, whose mother was Edith, of whom nothing is known (b). She m.in 1103, Rotrou, COUNT of Perche, styled the Great, s. and h. ofGeoffrey, Count of Perche, by Beatrice, da. of Hilduin, Count ofMontdidier and (jure uxoris) Count of Roucy. Rotrou had gone on the 1stCrusade in 1096. In 1105 and 1114 he went to Spain, to help his cousinAlfonso I, King of Navarre and Aragon, against the Moors. In 1114 heassisted Henry I at the siege of Belleme, which he had long beforeclaimed as his hereditary right. The King granted him the Belleme fiefs.He was present at the death of his royal father-in-law in 1135. In 1137Stephen gave him Moulins; but in 1141 he made terms with GeoffreyPlantagenet. Maud was drowned in the wreck of the White Ship, 25 Nov.1120, leaving 2 daughters. Rotrou m., 2ndly, before 1127, Hawise, da. ofWalter de Salisbury, and sister of Patrick, 1st EARL OF Salisbury. He d.in 1144 at the siege of the Tower of Rouen (20 Jan. to 23 Apr.) byGeoffrey Plantagenet, and his widow m., as his 2nd wife, Robert, 1stCount of Dreux, 3rd s. of Louis VI (Le Gros), King of France; whichRobert styled himself Count of Perche and lord of Belleme during theminority of his stepson.

(b) As her daughter married in 1103, she cannot be the daughter of Forn.

(2) MAUD, who m. Conan III, Duke of Brittany, s. of Alan Fergant, Duke ofBrittany, by his 2nd wife, Ermengard, da. of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou.Maud had 1 son and 2 daughters.

(3) JULIANE, who m. in 1103, Eustace de Pacy, styled also de Breteuil.Lord of Breteuil and Pacy, illegitimate son of William on Breteuil, 1sts. of William (FitzOsbern), 1st EARL OF HEREFORD (ante, vol. vi, p. 449,note "c", sub Hereford). In 1119 Eustace took part in the rebellionagainst Henry I, who besieged Juliane in Breteuil. She fled to Pacy, andin the autumn of 1119 she and her husband were pardoned by the King. Afew years later she became a nun at Fontevrault. Eustace d. at thebeginning of Lent, 1136. They had issue 2 sons and 2 daughters.

(4) ?Eustacie? (k) who m. William Gouet III, LORD or MONTMIRAIL and otherfiefs in that part of Perche which, at a much later date, became known asPerche-Gouet; who was 2nd but 1st surv. s. and h. of William Gouet II,LORD of Montmirail and Chateau-du-Loir, and (jure matris) of Alluye andBrou, by his wife Eustache, and was b. ante 1080. His elder br. Hughhaving d. v.p. he became the heir, and joined with his father and motherEustache, and his brothers Robert and Matthew, in the foundation of thePriory of St. Gilles des Chateigniers as a cell of Tiron. In 1114, asWilliam Gouet junior (juvenem), he was one of the nobles (optimates) ofTheobald, Count of Chartres, whom the Count called in to advise him. In1116, with his father and mother, he gave judgement in a dispute betweenthe abbey of Marmoutier and Gaston de Brou. He suc. his father, probablyabout 1117. He has been confused with his father, and with his s. and h.,William Gouet IV, with whom the line ended. [Note: "Correction andAdditions to CP" indicates that her name is Mabel.]

(k) R. de Torigny does not name her, and Marx does not try to ascertainher name; nor has it been found in charters. She is called Eustacie byRamsay, presumably through confusion with her mother-in-law.

(5) CONSTANCE, named also MAUD, who m. Roscelin de Beaumont, hereditaryvicomte of Maine, styled Vicomte de Beaumont, Lord of Beaumont-le-Vicomte(alias Beaumont-sur-Sarthe), Fresnay and Ste.-Suzanne, s. of Ralph deBeaumont, by sister of Guy de Laval. Henry I gave South Tawton (Devon),to Roscelin de Beaumont in marriage with his da. Constance. They had 2sons.

(6) ALICE, named also ALINE, who m. Matthew de Montmorenci, 1st s. and h.of Bouchard de Montmorenci, by his 1st wife, Agnes, da. of Yves II, Countof Beaumont-sur-Oise. She d. after having sons by Matthew, who m. 2ndly,Adelaide, widow of Louis VI (Le Gros), King of France, da. of Humbert II,Count of Savoy, by Gisele, da. of William, Count of Burgundy; by whom hehad no issue. Matthew was Constable of France.

(7) ISABEL, whose mother was Isabel (or Elizabeth), da. of Robert (deBeauchamp), Count or Meulan and 1st Earl of Leicester, by Isabel (orElizabeth), da. of Hugh the Great, Count of Vermandois; which last-namedIsabel m., 2ndly, William (de Warenne), 2nd Earl of Surrey (see ante,vol. vii, p. 526, sub Leicester). The youngest of the Isabels was stillunmarried when Robert de Torigny wrote, and so far as is known she nevermarried. Her mother m. Gilbert (FitzGilbert, styled also de Clare), 1stEarl of Pembroke, and she seems to have lived with her mother during thelife and after the death of her stepfather (see ante, vol. x, Appendix H,p. 102).

(8) SIBYL, whose mother was probably Sibyl Corbet. She m. Alexander I,King of Scotland, with whom she is said to have been joint founder ofScone Priory. She gave “Beeth," a valuable property in Fifeshire, to theabbey of Dunfermline. She d. s.p., suddenly, 12 or 13 July 1122, on theisland of Loch Tay. Alexander d. s.p. 23 Apr. 1124 and was bur. atDunfermline Abbey, being suc, by his br. David.

(9) MAUD, abbess of Montivilliers, is called a sister of the Empress Moodby the Valasse Chronicle. Traditionally she was identified with Henry l’sdaughter by Isabel de Beaumont, doubtless because Isabel’s daughter wasthe only one in Robert de Torigny’s list not recorded to be married toanother person. The compilers of Gallia Christiana seem somewhatsceptical of Maud’s royal parentage; but this appears to be unreasonable,as the writer of the Valasse Chronicle was a contemporary.

(10) GUNDRED, The Pipe Roll of 130 mentions Gundred, sister of Rainald deDunstanville. Nothing more is known of her. [Note: "Corrections andAdditions to CP" indicates that the Rainald referred to here is not theillegitimate son of Henry I, but another Rainald de Dunstanville, andtherefore Gundred is not an illegitimate daughter of Henry I either.]

(11) ROHESE, who m., not later than 1146, Henry de la Pomerai, a greatDevonshire baron, s. and h. of Joscelin de la Pomerai. He fought forHenry I in the rebellion of 1123, and in the King’s later years was adeputy or assistant Constable in his Household. In 1136 he was one ofStephen’s commanders in Normandy. He prospered under Henry II. He wasdead in 1167. His wife was probably living in 1175 or 1176. They leftsons, Henry and Joscelin. [Note: Ancestral Roots argues that Rohese wasdaughter of Sybil Corbet, but by her husband Herbert FitzHerbert,pointing out that her daughter married William de Tracy, who would havebeen the daughter's 1st cousin, if she were also descended from Henry I.]

(12) Finally there is the question of the identity of the unnameddaughter whom Henry I had agreed to give to William de Warenne. The Kingasked Anselm what he ought to do, seeing that the parties were related inthe 4th generation on one side and in the sixth on the other. There is noevidence as to whether the girl was one of the 11 daughters alreadyenumerated or another. The archbishop protested against the marriage andit never took place. William de Warenne was probably the 2nd Earl ofSurrey, the only man of that name known to be living at the time, who was4th in descent from the common ancestors: the parents of Gunnor, Duchessof Normandy.

Henry was evidently devoid of racial prejudices in the choice of hismistresses. Of the six whose names are known, the 2 Ediths must have beenEnglish; Ansfride and Sibyl Corbet were presumably Norman. Nest wasWelsh; Isabel de Beaumont was Norman on one side, French on the other.

Henry I has been credited with 2 more daughters, for whom he was notresponsible:

(i) In the Index to Le Prevost's edition of Orderic’s HistoriaEcclesiastica, under "Helie de Saint-Saens," there are the entries:"Epouse Ia fille naturelle de Robert Courte-Heuse Ensuite Ia fillenaturelle de Henri Ire. IV, 232"; and under “Henri Ire": “Une de sesfilles naturelles epouse Helie de Saint—Sums. IV, 232." However, thecompiler has misunderstood the passage cited, which refers to Helie'smarriage with a daughter of Duke Robert. The alleged 2nd marriage and theKing’s alleged daughter are alike fictitious.

(ii) Orderic, in his -account of the war between Henry I of England andLouis VI of France, speaks of William de Chaumont as the King’sson-in-law. This has been misunderstood as referring to the King ofEngland, and William’s wife is included among Henry l’s daughters byRamsay; but charter evidence proves that she was the daughter of the Kingof France.

Henry’s benefactions to the Church caused the monkish historians topalliate his sins and to find excuses for his lust; but they could notavert the fatal consequence. When the White Ship was wrecked on thedeadly rock, a boat was launched and the King’s only legitimate son andheir was being rowed to safety. It was the cries of his illegitimatehalf-sister, the Countess of Perche, which induced him to return to thewreck, where they sank together. [THE COMPLETE PEERAGE, Volume XI,Appendix D, pp. 105-121]

----------------------------------------

Henry I was born in the year 1068---a factor he himself regarded ashighly significant, for he was the only son of the Conqueror born afterthe conquest of England, and to Henry this meant he was heir to thethrone. He was not an attractive proposition: he was dissolute to adegree, producing at least a score of bastards; but far worse he wasprone to sadistic cruelty---on one occasion, for example, personallypunishing a rebellious burgher by throwing him from the walls of his town.

At the death of William the Conqueror, Henry was left no lands, merely5,000 pounds of silver. With these he bought lands from his elder brotherRobert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, only to see them taken back again afew years later by Robert, in unholy alliance with his brother WilliamRufus.

Henry could do little to avenge such treatment, but in England he foundnumerous barons who were tired of the exactions and ambitions of theirking. He formed alliances with some of these, notably with the importantde Clare family. He and some of the de Clares were with William Rufus onhis last hunting expedition, and it is thought that the king's death wasthe result of Henry's plotting.

Certainly he moved fast to take advantage of it; leaving Rufus's bodyunattended in the woods, he swooped down on Winchester to take control ofthe treasury. Two days later he was in Westminster, being crowned by theBishop of London. His speed is understandable when one realises that hiselder brother, Robert [Curthose], was returning from the crusade, andclaimed, with good reason, to be the true heir.

Henry showed great good sense in his first actions as King. He arrestedRanulph Flambard, William's tax-gatherer, and recalled Anselm, the exiledArchbishop. Furthermore, he issued a Charter of Liberties which promisedspeedy redress of grievances, and a return to the good government of theConqueror. Putting aside for the moment his many mistresses, he marriedthe sister of the King of Scots, who was descended from the royal line ofWessex; and lest the Norman barons should think him too pro-English inthis action, he changed her name from Edith to Matilda. No one couldclaim that he did not aim to please.

In 1101 Robert Curthose invaded, but Henry met him at Alton, andpersuaded him to go away again by promising him an annuity of £2,000. Hehad no intention of keeping up the payments, but the problem wastemporarily solved.

He now felt strong enough to move against dissident barons who might givetrouble in the future. Chief amongst these was the vicious Robert ofBellême, Earl of Shrewsbury, whom Henry had known for many years as adangerous troublemaker. He set up a number of charges against him in theking's court, making it plain that if he appeared for trial he would beconvicted and imprisoned. Thus Robert and his colleagues were forced intorebellion at a time not of their own choosing, were easily defeated andsent scuttling back to Normandy.

In Normandy Robert Curthose began to wreak his wrath on all connectedwith his brother, thus giving Henry an excellent chance to retaliate withcharges of misgovernment and invade. He made two expeditions in 1104-5,before the great expedition of 1106 on which Robert was defeated at thehour-long battle of Tinchebrai, on the anniversary of Hastings. No onehad expected such an easy victory, but Henry took advantage of the stateof shock resulting from the battle to annex Normandy. Robert wasimprisoned (in some comfort, it be said); he lived on for 28 more years,ending up in Cardiff castle whiling away the long hours learning Welsh.His son William Clito remained a free agent, to plague Henry for most ofthe rest of his reign.

In England the struggle with Anselm over the homage of bishops ran itscourse until the settlement of 1107. In matters of secular governmentlife was more simple: Henry had found a brilliant administrator, Roger ofSalisbury, to act as Justiciar for him. Roger had an inventive mind, akeen grasp of affairs, and the ability to single out young men ofpromise. He quickly built up a highly efficient team of administrators,and established new routines and forms of organisation within which theycould work. To him we owe the Exchequer and its recording system of thePipe Rolls, the circuits of royal justiciars spreading the king's peace,and the attempts at codification of law. Henry's good relationships withhis barons, and with the burgeoning new towns owed much to skilfuladministration. Certainly he was able to gain a larger and more reliablerevenue this way than by the crude extortion his brother had used.

In 1120 came the tragedy of the White Ship. The court was returning toEngland, and the finest ship in the land was filled with its young men,including Henry's son and heir William. Riotously drunk, they tried to gofaster and faster, when suddenly the ship foundered. All hands except abutcher of Rouen were lost, and England was without an heir.

Henry's only legitimate child was Matilda, but she was married to theEmperor Henry V of Germany, and so could not succeed. But in 1125 herhusband died, and Henry brought her home and forced the barons to swearfealty to her---though they did not like the prospect of a woman ruler.Henry then married her to Geoffrey of Anjou, the Normans' traditionalenemy, and the barons were less happy---especially when the newly-wedshad a terrible row, and Geoffrey ordered her out of his lands. In 1131Henry, absolutely determined, forced the barons to swear fealty oncemore, and the fact that they did so is testimoney of his controllingpower. Matilda and Geoffrey were reunited, and in 1133 she produced a sonwhom she named for his grandfather. If only Henry could live on until hisgrandson was old enough to rule, all would be well.

But in 1135, against doctor's orders, he ate a hearty meal of lampreys,got acute indigestion, which turned into fever, and died. He was buriedat his abbey in Reading---some said in a silver coffin, for which therewas an unsuccessful search at the Dissolution. [Source: Who's Who in theMiddle Ages, John Fines, Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1995]

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Ancêtres (et descendants) de Henry I "Beauclerc" King of England


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Les sources

  1. Magna Charta Sureties 1215, Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Sheppard Jr, 5th Edition, 1999, 161-9
  2. Encyclopedia Britannica, Treatise on, Henry I
  3. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 262-27, 33a-23
  4. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1-23
  5. Wikipedia, via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_..., 20 décembre 2008
    Henry I of England
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to: navigation, search
    Henry I "Beauclerc"
    King of the English (more...)

    Miniature from illuminated Chronicle of Matthew Paris
    King of the English (more...)
    Reign 3 August 1100 – 1 December 1135
    Coronation 5 August 1100
    Predecessor William II "Rufus"
    Successor Stephen "of Blois" (de facto)
    Matilda of England (de jure)
    Duke of the Normans (more...)
    Reign 1106 – 1 December 1135
    Predecessor Robert II "Curthose"
    Successor Stephen "of Blois"

    Consort Matilda of Scotland (1100–1118)
    Adeliza of Louvain (1121–)
    Issue
    Empress Matilda
    William Adelin
    Royal house Norman dynasty
    Father William I "the Conqueror"
    Mother Matilda of Flanders
    Born c. 1068/1069
    Selby, Yorkshire
    Died 1 December 1135 (aged 66-67)
    Saint-Denis-en-Lyons, Normandy
    Burial Reading Abbey, Berkshire
    Henry I (c. 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the rudimentary administrative and legislative machinery of the time.

    Henry's reign is noted for its political opportunism. His succession was confirmed while his brother Robert was away on the First Crusade and the beginning of his reign was occupied by wars with Robert for control of England and Normandy. He successfully reunited the two realms again after their separation on his father's death in 1087. Upon his succession he granted the baronage a Charter of Liberties, which formed a basis for subsequent challenges to rights of kings and presaged Magna Carta, which subjected the King to law.

    The rest of Henry's reign was filled with judicial and financial reforms. He established the biannual Exchequer to reform the treasury. He used itinerant officials to curb abuses of power at the local and regional level, garnering the praise of the people. The differences between the English and Norman populations began to break down during his reign and he himself married a daughter of the old English royal house. He made peace with the church after the disputes of his brother's reign, but he could not smooth out his succession after the disastrous loss of his eldest son William in the wreck of the White Ship. His will stipulated that he was to be succeeded by his daughter, the Empress Matilda, but his stern rule was followed by a period of civil war known as the Anarchy.

    Contents [hide]
    1 Early life of King Henry
    2 Seizing the throne of England
    3 First marriage
    4 Conquest of Normandy
    4.1 Battle of Tinchebray
    5 King of England and Ruler of Normandy
    6 Activities as a King
    7 Legitimate children
    8 Second marriage
    9 Death and legacy
    10 Illegitimate children
    10.1 With Edith
    10.2 With Gieva de Tracy
    10.3 With Ansfride
    10.4 With Sybil Corbet
    10.5 With Edith FitzForne
    10.6 With Princess Nest
    10.7 With Isabel de Beaumont
    11 Ancestors
    12 See also
    13 References
    14 External links



    [edit] Early life of King Henry
    Henry was born between May 1068 and May 1069, probably in Selby, Yorkshire in the north east of England. His mother, Queen Matilda, was descended from Alfred the Great (but not through the main West Saxon Royal line). Queen Matilda named the infant Prince Henry, after her uncle, Henry I of France. As the youngest son of the family, he was almost certainly expected to become a Bishop and was given rather more extensive schooling than was usual for a young nobleman of that time. The Chronicler William of Malmesbury asserts that Henry once remarked that an illiterate King was a crowned ass. He was certainly the first Norman ruler to be fluent in the English language.

    William I's second son Richard was killed in a hunting accident in 1081, so William bequeathed his dominions to his three surviving sons in the following manner:

    Robert received the Duchy of Normandy and became Duke Robert II
    William Rufus received the Kingdom of England and became King William II
    Henry Beauclerc received 5,000 pounds in silver
    The Chronicler Orderic Vitalis reports that the old King had declared to Henry: "You in your own time will have all the dominions I have acquired and be greater than both your brothers in wealth and power."

    Henry tried to play his brothers off against each other but eventually, wary of his devious manoeuvring, they acted together and signed an Accession Treaty. This sought to bar Prince Henry from both Thrones by stipulating that if either King William or Duke Robert died without an heir, the two dominions of their father would be reunited under the surviving brother.


    [edit] Seizing the throne of England
    English Royalty
    House of Normandy

    Henry I
    Matilda
    William Adelin
    Robert, Earl of Gloucester
    When, on 2 August 1100, William II was killed by an arrow in yet another hunting accident in the New Forest, Duke Robert had not yet returned from the First Crusade. His absence, along with his poor reputation among the Norman nobles, allowed Prince Henry to seize the Royal Treasury at Winchester, Hampshire, where he buried his dead brother. Henry was accepted as King by the leading Barons and was crowned three days later on 5 August at Westminster Abbey. He secured his position among the nobles by an act of political appeasement: he issued a Charter of Liberties which is considered a forerunner of the Magna Carta.


    [edit] First marriage
    On 11 November 1100 Henry married Edith, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland. Since Edith was also the niece of Edgar Atheling and the great-granddaughter of Edward the Confessor's paternal half-brother Edmund Ironside, the marriage united the Norman line with the old English line of Kings. The marriage greatly displeased the Norman Barons, however, and as a concession to their sensibilities Edith changed her name to Matilda upon becoming Queen. The other side of this coin, however, was that Henry, by dint of his marriage, became far more acceptable to the Anglo-Saxon populace.

    The chronicler William of Malmesbury described Henry thus: "He was of middle stature, greater than the small, but exceeded by the very tall; his hair was black and set back upon the forehead; his eyes mildly bright; his chest brawny; his body fleshy."


    [edit] Conquest of Normandy
    In the following year, 1101, Robert Curthose, Henry's eldest brother, attempted to seize the crown by invading England. In the Treaty of Alton, Robert agreed to recognise his brother Henry as King of England and return peacefully to Normandy, upon receipt of an annual sum of 2000 silver marks, which Henry proceeded to pay.

    In 1105, to eliminate the continuing threat from Robert and the drain on his fiscal resources from the annual payment, Henry led an expeditionary force across the English Channel.


    [edit] Battle of Tinchebray
    Main article: Battle of Tinchebray
    On the morning of the 28 September 1106, exactly 40 years after William had landed in England, the decisive battle between his two surviving sons, Robert Curthose and Henry Beauclerc, took place in the small village of Tinchebray. This combat was totally unexpected and unprepared. Henry and his army were marching south from Barfleur on their way to Domfront and Robert was marching with his army from Falaise on their way to Mortain. They met at the crossroads at Tinchebray and the running battle which ensued was spread out over several kilometres. The site where most of the fighting took place is the village playing field today. Towards evening Robert tried to retreat but was captured by Henry's men at a place three kilometres (just under two miles) north of Tinchebray where a farm named "Prise" (taken) stands today on the D22 road. The tombstones of three knights are nearby on the same road.


    [edit] King of England and Ruler of Normandy
    After Henry had defeated his brother's Norman army at Tinchebray he imprisoned Robert, initially in the Tower of London, subsequently at Devizes Castle and later at Cardiff. One day whilst out riding Robert attempted to escape from Cardiff but his horse was bogged down in a swamp and he was recaptured. To prevent further escapes Henry had Robert's eyes burnt out. Henry appropriated the Duchy of Normandy as a possession of the Kingdom of England and reunited his father's dominions. Even after taking control of the Duchy of Normandy he didn't take the title of Duke, he chose to control it as the King of England.

    In 1113, Henry attempted to reduce difficulties in Normandy by betrothing his eldest son, William Adelin, to the daughter of Fulk of Jerusalem (also known as Fulk V), Count of Anjou, then a serious enemy. They were married in 1119. Eight years later, after William's untimely death, a much more momentous union was made between Henry's daughter, (the former Empress) Matilda and Fulk's son Geoffrey Plantagenet, which eventually resulted in the union of the two Realms under the Plantagenet Kings.


    [edit] Activities as a King

    Henry I depicted in Cassell's History of England (1902)Henry's need for finance to consolidate his position led to an increase in the activities of centralized government. As King, Henry carried out social and judicial reforms, including:

    issuing the Charter of Liberties
    restoring the laws of Edward the Confessor.
    Between 1103 and 1107 Henry was involved in a dispute with Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Paschal II in the investiture controversy, which was settled in the Concordat of London in 1107. It was a compromise. In England, a distinction was made in the King's chancery between the secular and ecclesiastical powers of the prelates. Employing the distinction, Henry gave up his right to invest his bishops and abbots, but reserved the custom of requiring them to come and do homage for the "temporalities" (the landed properties tied to the episcopate), directly from his hand, after the bishop had sworn homage and feudal vassalage in the ceremony called commendatio, the commendation ceremony, like any secular vassal.

    Henry was also known for some brutal acts. He once threw a traitorous burgher named Conan Pilatus from the tower of Rouen; the tower was known from then on as "Conan's Leap". In another instance that took place in 1119, Henry's son-in-law, Eustace de Pacy, and Ralph Harnec, the constable of Ivry, exchanged their children as hostages. When Eustace blinded Harnec's son, Harnec demanded vengeance. King Henry allowed Harnec to blind and mutilate Eustace's two daughters, who were also Henry's own grandchildren. Eustace and his wife, Juliane, were outraged and threatened to rebel. Henry arranged to meet his daughter at a parley at Breteuil, only for Juliane to draw a crossbow and attempt to assassinate her father. She was captured and confined to the castle, but escaped by leaping from a window into the moat below. Some years later Henry was reconciled with his daughter and son-in-law.


    [edit] Legitimate children
    He had two children by Matilda (Edith), who died on 1 May 1118 at the palace of Westminster. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.

    Matilda. (c. February 1102 – 10 September 1167). She married firstly Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, and secondly, Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, having issue by the second.
    William Adelin, (5 August 1103 – 25 November 1120). He married Matilda (d.1154), daughter of Fulk V, Count of Anjou.

    [edit] Second marriage
    On 29 January 1121 he married Adeliza, daughter of Godfrey I of Leuven, Duke of Lower Lotharingia and Landgrave of Brabant, but there were no children from this marriage. Left without male heirs, Henry took the unprecedented step of making his barons swear to accept his daughter Empress Matilda, widow of Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, as his heir.


    [edit] Death and legacy

    Reading AbbeyHenry visited Normandy in 1135 to see his young grandsons, the children of Matilda and Geoffrey. He took great delight in his grandchildren, but soon quarrelled with his daughter and son-in-law and these disputes led him to tarry in Normandy far longer than he originally planned.

    Henry died on 1 December 1135 of food poisoning from eating "a surfeit of lampreys" (of which he was excessively fond) at Saint-Denis-en-Lyons (now Lyons-la-Forêt) in Normandy. His remains were sewn into the hide of a bull to preserve them on the journey, and then taken back to England and were buried at Reading Abbey, which he had founded fourteen years before. The Abbey was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. No trace of his tomb has survived, the probable site being covered by St James' School. Nearby is a small plaque and a large memorial cross stands in the adjoining Forbury Gardens.


    Plaque indicating burial-place of Henry IAlthough Henry's barons had sworn allegiance to his daughter as their Queen, her gender and her remarriage into the House of Anjou, an enemy of the Normans, allowed Henry's nephew Stephen of Blois, to come to England and claim the throne with popular support.

    The struggle between the former Empress and Stephen resulted in a long civil war known as the Anarchy. The dispute was eventually settled by Stephen's naming of Matilda's son, Henry Plantagenet, as his heir in 1153.


    [edit] Illegitimate children
    King Henry is famed for holding the record for the largest number of acknowledged illegitimate children born to any English king, with the number being around 20 or 25. He had many mistresses, and identifying which mistress is the mother of which child is difficult. His illegitimate offspring for whom there is documentation are:

    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester. Often, said to have been a son of Sybil Corbet.
    Maud FitzRoy, married Conan III, Duke of Brittany
    Constance FitzRoy, married Richard de Beaumont
    Mabel FitzRoy, married William III Gouet
    Aline FitzRoy, married Matthieu I of Montmorency
    Gilbert FitzRoy, died after 1142. His mother may have been a sister of Walter de Gand.
    Emma, born c. 1138; married Gui de Laval, Lord Laval. [Uncertain, born 2 years after Henry died.][1]

    [edit] With Edith
    Matilda, married in 1103 Count Rotrou II of Perche. She perished 25 Nov 1120 in the wreck of the White Ship. She left two daughters; Philippa who married Helie of Anjou (son of Fulk V)and Felice.

    [edit] With Gieva de Tracy
    William de Tracy

    [edit] With Ansfride
    Ansfride was born c. 1070. She was the wife of Anskill of Seacourt, at Wytham in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire).

    Juliane de Fontevrault (born c. 1090); married Eustace de Pacy in 1103. She tried to shoot her father with a crossbow after King Henry allowed her two young daughters to be blinded.
    Fulk FitzRoy (born c. 1092); a monk at Abingdon.
    Richard of Lincoln (c. 1094 – 25 November 1120); perished in the wreck of the White Ship.

    [edit] With Sybil Corbet
    Lady Sybilla Corbet of Alcester was born in 1077 in Alcester in Warwickshire. She married Herbert FitzHerbert, son of Herbert 'the Chamberlain' of Winchester and Emma de Blois. She died after 1157 and was also known as Adela (or Lucia) Corbet. Sybil was definitely mother of Sybil and Rainald, possibly also of William and Rohese. Some sources suggest that there was another daughter by this relationship, Gundred, but it appears that she was thought as such because she was a sister of Reginald de Dunstanville but it appears that that was another person of that name who was not related to this family.

    Sybilla de Normandy, married Alexander I of Scotland.
    William Constable, born before 1105. Married Alice (Constable); died after 1187.
    Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall.
    Gundred of England (1114–46), married 1130 Henry de la Pomeroy, son of Joscelin de la Pomerai.
    Rohese of England, born 1114; married Henry de la Pomeroy.

    [edit] With Edith FitzForne
    Robert FitzEdith, Lord Okehampton, (1093–1172) married Dame Maud d'Avranches du Sap. They had one daughter, Mary, who married Renaud, Sire of Courtenay (son of Miles, Sire of Courtenay and Ermengarde of Nevers).
    Adeliza FitzEdith. Appears in charters with her brother Robert.

    [edit] With Princess Nest
    Nest ferch Rhys was born about 1073 at Dinefwr Castle, Carmarthenshire, the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth and his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhywallon. She married, in 1095, to Gerald de Windsor (aka Geraldus FitzWalter) son of Walter FitzOther, Constable of Windsor Castle and Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire. She had several other liaisons - including one with Stephen of Cardigan, Constable of Cardigan (1136) - and subsequently other illegitimate children. The date of her death is unknown.

    Henry FitzRoy, 1103-1158.

    [edit] With Isabel de Beaumont
    Isabel (Elizabeth) de Beaumont (after 1102 – after 1172), daughter of Robert de Beaumont, sister of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester. She married Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1130. She was also known as Isabella de Meulan.

    Isabel Hedwig of England
    Matilda FitzRoy, abbess of Montvilliers, also known as Montpiller

    [edit] Ancestors
    Ancestors of Henry I of England[show]


    16. Richard I, Duke of Normandy



    8. Richard II, Duke of Normandy



    17. Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy



    4. Robert I, Duke of Normandy



    18. Conan I of Rennes



    9. Judith of Brittany



    19. Ermengarde of Anjou



    2. William I of England







    10. Fulbert of Falaise







    5. Herleva















    1. Henry I of England



    24. Arnulf II, Count of Flanders



    12. Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders



    25. Rozala of Italy



    6. Baldwin V, Count of Flanders



    26. Frederick of Luxembourg



    13. Ogive of Luxembourg







    3. Matilda of Flanders



    28. Hugh Capet



    14. Robert II of France



    29. Adelaide of Aquitaine



    7. Adela of France



    30. William I of Provence



    15. Constance of Arles



    31. Adelaide of Anjou








    [edit] See also
    Complete Peerage
    Pipe Rolls
    Giraldus Cambrensis
    Chronicon Monasterii de Abington
    Gesta Normannorum Ducum
    Robert of Torigny
    Simeon of Durham
    William of Malmesbury
    Quia Emptores
    Charter of Liberties
    Concordat of Worms
    First Council of the Lateran

    [edit] References
    Cross, Arthur Lyon. A History of England and Greater Britain. Macmillan, 1917.
    Hollister, C. Warren. Henry I. Yale University Press, 2001. (Yale Monarchs series) ISBN 0300098294
    Thompson, Kathleen. "Affairs of State: the Illegitimate Children of Henry I." Journal of Medieval History 29 (2003): 129-51.

    [edit] External links
    http://www.tribalpages.com/tribes/royalancestralc
    Henry I of England at Genealogics
    Henry I Chronology
    BBC site on Henry I
    Royal British site on Henry I
    Brittania site on Henry I
    Henry I (c.1068-1135), King of England (1100-1135), Duke of Normandy (1106-1135)
    The Sinking of the White Ship (1120)
    A listing of Henry's descendants
    Henry I of England
    House of Normandy
    Born: 1068/1069 Died: 1 December 1135
    Regnal titles
    Preceded by
    William II King of England
    1100 – 1135 Succeeded by
    Stephen "of Blois" (de facto)
    Matilda of England (de jure)
    French nobility
    Preceded by
    Robert Curthose Duke of Normandy
    1106 – 1135 Succeeded by
    Stephen "of Blois"
    [show]Family information
    Robert II of Normandy
    House of Norman William I
    King of England Henry I of England
    Herleva of Falaise
    Baldwin V of Flanders
    House of Flanders Matilda of Flanders
    Adela of France
    House of Capet Major
    Notes and references
    1. Tompsett, Brian, Directory of Royal Genealogical Data (Hull, UK: University of Hull, 2005).
    2. Ross, Kelley L., The Proceedings of the Friesian School (Los Angeles, US: Los Angeles Valley College, 2007).
    [show]v • d • eEnglish Monarchs

    Monarchs Pre-Conquest Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan the Glorious¶ · Edmund the Magnificent¶ · Eadred¶ · Eadwig the Fair¶ · Edgar the Peaceable¶ · Edward the Martyr · Ethelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Canute the Great¶ · Harold Harefoot · Harthacanute · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Atheling

    Monarchs Post-Conquest William I · William II · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda (disputed) · Henry II with Henry the Young King · Richard I · John† · Henry III† · Edward I† · Edward II† · Edward III† · Richard II† · Henry IV† · Henry V† · Henry VI† · Edward IV† · Edward V† · Richard III† · Henry VII† · Henry VIII† · Edward VI† · Jane† · Mary I† · Elizabeth I† · James I‡ · Charles I‡ · Commonwealth · Charles II‡ · James II‡ · William III‡ with Mary II‡ · William III‡ · Anne‡

    ¶Also Overlord of Britain. †Also Lord/Monarch of Ireland. ‡Also Monarch of Scotland and Ireland.

    [show]v • d • eDukes of Normandy

    Norman Dukes Rollo · William I · Richard I · Richard II · Richard III · Robert I · William II · Robert II · Henry I · William III · Stephen · Geoffrey · Henry II · Richard IV · John

    French Dukes Jean (Dukedom of mainland Normany annexed to the French Crown) · Charles I · Charles II · Louis I (French Revolution)

    English Dukes Henry III · Edward I · Edward II · Edward III · Richard V · Henry IV · Henry V · Henry VI · Edward IV · Edward V · Richard VI · Henry VII · Henry VIII · Edward VI · Jane · Mary I · Elizabeth I · James I · Charles III · Charles IV · James II · William IV and Mary II · William IV

    British Dukes Anne · George I · George II · George III · George IV · William V · Victoria · Edward VII · George V · Edward VIII · George VI · Elizabeth II


    Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England"
    Categories: 1060s births | 1135 deaths | Anglo-Normans | Dukes of Normandy | English monarchs | House of Dunkeld | People from Selby | Burials at Reading Abbey, Berkshire
  6. Wikipedia, via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_..., 20 décembre 2008
    Henry I of England
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to: navigation, search
    Henry I "Beauclerc"
    King of the English (more...)

    Miniature from illuminated Chronicle of Matthew Paris
    King of the English (more...)
    Reign 3 August 1100 – 1 December 1135
    Coronation 5 August 1100
    Predecessor William II "Rufus"
    Successor Stephen "of Blois" (de facto)
    Matilda of England (de jure)
    Duke of the Normans (more...)
    Reign 1106 – 1 December 1135
    Predecessor Robert II "Curthose"
    Successor Stephen "of Blois"

    Consort Matilda of Scotland (1100–1118)
    Adeliza of Louvain (1121–)
    Issue
    Empress Matilda
    William Adelin
    Royal house Norman dynasty
    Father William I "the Conqueror"
    Mother Matilda of Flanders
    Born c. 1068/1069
    Selby, Yorkshire
    Died 1 December 1135 (aged 66-67)
    Saint-Denis-en-Lyons, Normandy
    Burial Reading Abbey, Berkshire
    Henry I (c. 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the rudimentary administrative and legislative machinery of the time.

    Henry's reign is noted for its political opportunism. His succession was confirmed while his brother Robert was away on the First Crusade and the beginning of his reign was occupied by wars with Robert for control of England and Normandy. He successfully reunited the two realms again after their separation on his father's death in 1087. Upon his succession he granted the baronage a Charter of Liberties, which formed a basis for subsequent challenges to rights of kings and presaged Magna Carta, which subjected the King to law.

    The rest of Henry's reign was filled with judicial and financial reforms. He established the biannual Exchequer to reform the treasury. He used itinerant officials to curb abuses of power at the local and regional level, garnering the praise of the people. The differences between the English and Norman populations began to break down during his reign and he himself married a daughter of the old English royal house. He made peace with the church after the disputes of his brother's reign, but he could not smooth out his succession after the disastrous loss of his eldest son William in the wreck of the White Ship. His will stipulated that he was to be succeeded by his daughter, the Empress Matilda, but his stern rule was followed by a period of civil war known as the Anarchy.

    Contents [hide]
    1 Early life of King Henry
    2 Seizing the throne of England
    3 First marriage
    4 Conquest of Normandy
    4.1 Battle of Tinchebray
    5 King of England and Ruler of Normandy
    6 Activities as a King
    7 Legitimate children
    8 Second marriage
    9 Death and legacy
    10 Illegitimate children
    10.1 With Edith
    10.2 With Gieva de Tracy
    10.3 With Ansfride
    10.4 With Sybil Corbet
    10.5 With Edith FitzForne
    10.6 With Princess Nest
    10.7 With Isabel de Beaumont
    11 Ancestors
    12 See also
    13 References
    14 External links



    [edit] Early life of King Henry
    Henry was born between May 1068 and May 1069, probably in Selby, Yorkshire in the north east of England. His mother, Queen Matilda, was descended from Alfred the Great (but not through the main West Saxon Royal line). Queen Matilda named the infant Prince Henry, after her uncle, Henry I of France. As the youngest son of the family, he was almost certainly expected to become a Bishop and was given rather more extensive schooling than was usual for a young nobleman of that time. The Chronicler William of Malmesbury asserts that Henry once remarked that an illiterate King was a crowned ass. He was certainly the first Norman ruler to be fluent in the English language.

    William I's second son Richard was killed in a hunting accident in 1081, so William bequeathed his dominions to his three surviving sons in the following manner:

    Robert received the Duchy of Normandy and became Duke Robert II
    William Rufus received the Kingdom of England and became King William II
    Henry Beauclerc received 5,000 pounds in silver
    The Chronicler Orderic Vitalis reports that the old King had declared to Henry: "You in your own time will have all the dominions I have acquired and be greater than both your brothers in wealth and power."

    Henry tried to play his brothers off against each other but eventually, wary of his devious manoeuvring, they acted together and signed an Accession Treaty. This sought to bar Prince Henry from both Thrones by stipulating that if either King William or Duke Robert died without an heir, the two dominions of their father would be reunited under the surviving brother.


    [edit] Seizing the throne of England
    English Royalty
    House of Normandy

    Henry I
    Matilda
    William Adelin
    Robert, Earl of Gloucester
    When, on 2 August 1100, William II was killed by an arrow in yet another hunting accident in the New Forest, Duke Robert had not yet returned from the First Crusade. His absence, along with his poor reputation among the Norman nobles, allowed Prince Henry to seize the Royal Treasury at Winchester, Hampshire, where he buried his dead brother. Henry was accepted as King by the leading Barons and was crowned three days later on 5 August at Westminster Abbey. He secured his position among the nobles by an act of political appeasement: he issued a Charter of Liberties which is considered a forerunner of the Magna Carta.


    [edit] First marriage
    On 11 November 1100 Henry married Edith, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland. Since Edith was also the niece of Edgar Atheling and the great-granddaughter of Edward the Confessor's paternal half-brother Edmund Ironside, the marriage united the Norman line with the old English line of Kings. The marriage greatly displeased the Norman Barons, however, and as a concession to their sensibilities Edith changed her name to Matilda upon becoming Queen. The other side of this coin, however, was that Henry, by dint of his marriage, became far more acceptable to the Anglo-Saxon populace.

    The chronicler William of Malmesbury described Henry thus: "He was of middle stature, greater than the small, but exceeded by the very tall; his hair was black and set back upon the forehead; his eyes mildly bright; his chest brawny; his body fleshy."


    [edit] Conquest of Normandy
    In the following year, 1101, Robert Curthose, Henry's eldest brother, attempted to seize the crown by invading England. In the Treaty of Alton, Robert agreed to recognise his brother Henry as King of England and return peacefully to Normandy, upon receipt of an annual sum of 2000 silver marks, which Henry proceeded to pay.

    In 1105, to eliminate the continuing threat from Robert and the drain on his fiscal resources from the annual payment, Henry led an expeditionary force across the English Channel.


    [edit] Battle of Tinchebray
    Main article: Battle of Tinchebray
    On the morning of the 28 September 1106, exactly 40 years after William had landed in England, the decisive battle between his two surviving sons, Robert Curthose and Henry Beauclerc, took place in the small village of Tinchebray. This combat was totally unexpected and unprepared. Henry and his army were marching south from Barfleur on their way to Domfront and Robert was marching with his army from Falaise on their way to Mortain. They met at the crossroads at Tinchebray and the running battle which ensued was spread out over several kilometres. The site where most of the fighting took place is the village playing field today. Towards evening Robert tried to retreat but was captured by Henry's men at a place three kilometres (just under two miles) north of Tinchebray where a farm named "Prise" (taken) stands today on the D22 road. The tombstones of three knights are nearby on the same road.


    [edit] King of England and Ruler of Normandy
    After Henry had defeated his brother's Norman army at Tinchebray he imprisoned Robert, initially in the Tower of London, subsequently at Devizes Castle and later at Cardiff. One day whilst out riding Robert attempted to escape from Cardiff but his horse was bogged down in a swamp and he was recaptured. To prevent further escapes Henry had Robert's eyes burnt out. Henry appropriated the Duchy of Normandy as a possession of the Kingdom of England and reunited his father's dominions. Even after taking control of the Duchy of Normandy he didn't take the title of Duke, he chose to control it as the King of England.

    In 1113, Henry attempted to reduce difficulties in Normandy by betrothing his eldest son, William Adelin, to the daughter of Fulk of Jerusalem (also known as Fulk V), Count of Anjou, then a serious enemy. They were married in 1119. Eight years later, after William's untimely death, a much more momentous union was made between Henry's daughter, (the former Empress) Matilda and Fulk's son Geoffrey Plantagenet, which eventually resulted in the union of the two Realms under the Plantagenet Kings.


    [edit] Activities as a King

    Henry I depicted in Cassell's History of England (1902)Henry's need for finance to consolidate his position led to an increase in the activities of centralized government. As King, Henry carried out social and judicial reforms, including:

    issuing the Charter of Liberties
    restoring the laws of Edward the Confessor.
    Between 1103 and 1107 Henry was involved in a dispute with Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Paschal II in the investiture controversy, which was settled in the Concordat of London in 1107. It was a compromise. In England, a distinction was made in the King's chancery between the secular and ecclesiastical powers of the prelates. Employing the distinction, Henry gave up his right to invest his bishops and abbots, but reserved the custom of requiring them to come and do homage for the "temporalities" (the landed properties tied to the episcopate), directly from his hand, after the bishop had sworn homage and feudal vassalage in the ceremony called commendatio, the commendation ceremony, like any secular vassal.

    Henry was also known for some brutal acts. He once threw a traitorous burgher named Conan Pilatus from the tower of Rouen; the tower was known from then on as "Conan's Leap". In another instance that took place in 1119, Henry's son-in-law, Eustace de Pacy, and Ralph Harnec, the constable of Ivry, exchanged their children as hostages. When Eustace blinded Harnec's son, Harnec demanded vengeance. King Henry allowed Harnec to blind and mutilate Eustace's two daughters, who were also Henry's own grandchildren. Eustace and his wife, Juliane, were outraged and threatened to rebel. Henry arranged to meet his daughter at a parley at Breteuil, only for Juliane to draw a crossbow and attempt to assassinate her father. She was captured and confined to the castle, but escaped by leaping from a window into the moat below. Some years later Henry was reconciled with his daughter and son-in-law.


    [edit] Legitimate children
    He had two children by Matilda (Edith), who died on 1 May 1118 at the palace of Westminster. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.

    Matilda. (c. February 1102 – 10 September 1167). She married firstly Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, and secondly, Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, having issue by the second.
    William Adelin, (5 August 1103 – 25 November 1120). He married Matilda (d.1154), daughter of Fulk V, Count of Anjou.

    [edit] Second marriage
    On 29 January 1121 he married Adeliza, daughter of Godfrey I of Leuven, Duke of Lower Lotharingia and Landgrave of Brabant, but there were no children from this marriage. Left without male heirs, Henry took the unprecedented step of making his barons swear to accept his daughter Empress Matilda, widow of Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, as his heir.


    [edit] Death and legacy

    Reading AbbeyHenry visited Normandy in 1135 to see his young grandsons, the children of Matilda and Geoffrey. He took great delight in his grandchildren, but soon quarrelled with his daughter and son-in-law and these disputes led him to tarry in Normandy far longer than he originally planned.

    Henry died on 1 December 1135 of food poisoning from eating "a surfeit of lampreys" (of which he was excessively fond) at Saint-Denis-en-Lyons (now Lyons-la-Forêt) in Normandy. His remains were sewn into the hide of a bull to preserve them on the journey, and then taken back to England and were buried at Reading Abbey, which he had founded fourteen years before. The Abbey was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. No trace of his tomb has survived, the probable site being covered by St James' School. Nearby is a small plaque and a large memorial cross stands in the adjoining Forbury Gardens.


    Plaque indicating burial-place of Henry IAlthough Henry's barons had sworn allegiance to his daughter as their Queen, her gender and her remarriage into the House of Anjou, an enemy of the Normans, allowed Henry's nephew Stephen of Blois, to come to England and claim the throne with popular support.

    The struggle between the former Empress and Stephen resulted in a long civil war known as the Anarchy. The dispute was eventually settled by Stephen's naming of Matilda's son, Henry Plantagenet, as his heir in 1153.


    [edit] Illegitimate children
    King Henry is famed for holding the record for the largest number of acknowledged illegitimate children born to any English king, with the number being around 20 or 25. He had many mistresses, and identifying which mistress is the mother of which child is difficult. His illegitimate offspring for whom there is documentation are:

    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester. Often, said to have been a son of Sybil Corbet.
    Maud FitzRoy, married Conan III, Duke of Brittany
    Constance FitzRoy, married Richard de Beaumont
    Mabel FitzRoy, married William III Gouet
    Aline FitzRoy, married Matthieu I of Montmorency
    Gilbert FitzRoy, died after 1142. His mother may have been a sister of Walter de Gand.
    Emma, born c. 1138; married Gui de Laval, Lord Laval. [Uncertain, born 2 years after Henry died.][1]

    [edit] With Edith
    Matilda, married in 1103 Count Rotrou II of Perche. She perished 25 Nov 1120 in the wreck of the White Ship. She left two daughters; Philippa who married Helie of Anjou (son of Fulk V)and Felice.

    [edit] With Gieva de Tracy
    William de Tracy

    [edit] With Ansfride
    Ansfride was born c. 1070. She was the wife of Anskill of Seacourt, at Wytham in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire).

    Juliane de Fontevrault (born c. 1090); married Eustace de Pacy in 1103. She tried to shoot her father with a crossbow after King Henry allowed her two young daughters to be blinded.
    Fulk FitzRoy (born c. 1092); a monk at Abingdon.
    Richard of Lincoln (c. 1094 – 25 November 1120); perished in the wreck of the White Ship.

    [edit] With Sybil Corbet
    Lady Sybilla Corbet of Alcester was born in 1077 in Alcester in Warwickshire. She married Herbert FitzHerbert, son of Herbert 'the Chamberlain' of Winchester and Emma de Blois. She died after 1157 and was also known as Adela (or Lucia) Corbet. Sybil was definitely mother of Sybil and Rainald, possibly also of William and Rohese. Some sources suggest that there was another daughter by this relationship, Gundred, but it appears that she was thought as such because she was a sister of Reginald de Dunstanville but it appears that that was another person of that name who was not related to this family.

    Sybilla de Normandy, married Alexander I of Scotland.
    William Constable, born before 1105. Married Alice (Constable); died after 1187.
    Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall.
    Gundred of England (1114–46), married 1130 Henry de la Pomeroy, son of Joscelin de la Pomerai.
    Rohese of England, born 1114; married Henry de la Pomeroy.

    [edit] With Edith FitzForne
    Robert FitzEdith, Lord Okehampton, (1093–1172) married Dame Maud d'Avranches du Sap. They had one daughter, Mary, who married Renaud, Sire of Courtenay (son of Miles, Sire of Courtenay and Ermengarde of Nevers).
    Adeliza FitzEdith. Appears in charters with her brother Robert.

    [edit] With Princess Nest
    Nest ferch Rhys was born about 1073 at Dinefwr Castle, Carmarthenshire, the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth and his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhywallon. She married, in 1095, to Gerald de Windsor (aka Geraldus FitzWalter) son of Walter FitzOther, Constable of Windsor Castle and Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire. She had several other liaisons - including one with Stephen of Cardigan, Constable of Cardigan (1136) - and subsequently other illegitimate children. The date of her death is unknown.

    Henry FitzRoy, 1103-1158.

    [edit] With Isabel de Beaumont
    Isabel (Elizabeth) de Beaumont (after 1102 – after 1172), daughter of Robert de Beaumont, sister of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester. She married Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1130. She was also known as Isabella de Meulan.

    Isabel Hedwig of England
    Matilda FitzRoy, abbess of Montvilliers, also known as Montpiller

    [edit] Ancestors
    Ancestors of Henry I of England[show]


    16. Richard I, Duke of Normandy



    8. Richard II, Duke of Normandy



    17. Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy



    4. Robert I, Duke of Normandy



    18. Conan I of Rennes



    9. Judith of Brittany



    19. Ermengarde of Anjou



    2. William I of England







    10. Fulbert of Falaise







    5. Herleva















    1. Henry I of England



    24. Arnulf II, Count of Flanders



    12. Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders



    25. Rozala of Italy



    6. Baldwin V, Count of Flanders



    26. Frederick of Luxembourg



    13. Ogive of Luxembourg







    3. Matilda of Flanders



    28. Hugh Capet



    14. Robert II of France



    29. Adelaide of Aquitaine



    7. Adela of France



    30. William I of Provence



    15. Constance of Arles



    31. Adelaide of Anjou








    [edit] See also
    Complete Peerage
    Pipe Rolls
    Giraldus Cambrensis
    Chronicon Monasterii de Abington
    Gesta Normannorum Ducum
    Robert of Torigny
    Simeon of Durham
    William of Malmesbury
    Quia Emptores
    Charter of Liberties
    Concordat of Worms
    First Council of the Lateran

    [edit] References
    Cross, Arthur Lyon. A History of England and Greater Britain. Macmillan, 1917.
    Hollister, C. Warren. Henry I. Yale University Press, 2001. (Yale Monarchs series) ISBN 0300098294
    Thompson, Kathleen. "Affairs of State: the Illegitimate Children of Henry I." Journal of Medieval History 29 (2003): 129-51.

    [edit] External links
    http://www.tribalpages.com/tribes/royalancestralc
    Henry I of England at Genealogics
    Henry I Chronology
    BBC site on Henry I
    Royal British site on Henry I
    Brittania site on Henry I
    Henry I (c.1068-1135), King of England (1100-1135), Duke of Normandy (1106-1135)
    The Sinking of the White Ship (1120)
    A listing of Henry's descendants
    Henry I of England
    House of Normandy
    Born: 1068/1069 Died: 1 December 1135
    Regnal titles
    Preceded by
    William II King of England
    1100 – 1135 Succeeded by
    Stephen "of Blois" (de facto)
    Matilda of England (de jure)
    French nobility
    Preceded by
    Robert Curthose Duke of Normandy
    1106 – 1135 Succeeded by
    Stephen "of Blois"
    [show]Family information
    Robert II of Normandy
    House of Norman William I
    King of England Henry I of England
    Herleva of Falaise
    Baldwin V of Flanders
    House of Flanders Matilda of Flanders
    Adela of France
    House of Capet Major
    Notes and references
    1. Tompsett, Brian, Directory of Royal Genealogical Data (Hull, UK: University of Hull, 2005).
    2. Ross, Kelley L., The Proceedings of the Friesian School (Los Angeles, US: Los Angeles Valley College, 2007).
    [show]v • d • eEnglish Monarchs

    Monarchs Pre-Conquest Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan the Glorious¶ · Edmund the Magnificent¶ · Eadred¶ · Eadwig the Fair¶ · Edgar the Peaceable¶ · Edward the Martyr · Ethelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Canute the Great¶ · Harold Harefoot · Harthacanute · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Atheling

    Monarchs Post-Conquest William I · William II · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda (disputed) · Henry II with Henry the Young King · Richard I · John† · Henry III† · Edward I† · Edward II† · Edward III† · Richard II† · Henry IV† · Henry V† · Henry VI† · Edward IV† · Edward V† · Richard III† · Henry VII† · Henry VIII† · Edward VI† · Jane† · Mary I† · Elizabeth I† · James I‡ · Charles I‡ · Commonwealth · Charles II‡ · James II‡ · William III‡ with Mary II‡ · William III‡ · Anne‡

    ¶Also Overlord of Britain. †Also Lord/Monarch of Ireland. ‡Also Monarch of Scotland and Ireland.

    [show]v • d • eDukes of Normandy

    Norman Dukes Rollo · William I · Richard I · Richard II · Richard III · Robert I · William II · Robert II · Henry I · William III · Stephen · Geoffrey · Henry II · Richard IV · John

    French Dukes Jean (Dukedom of mainland Normany annexed to the French Crown) · Charles I · Charles II · Louis I (French Revolution)

    English Dukes Henry III · Edward I · Edward II · Edward III · Richard V · Henry IV · Henry V · Henry VI · Edward IV · Edward V · Richard VI · Henry VII · Henry VIII · Edward VI · Jane · Mary I · Elizabeth I · James I · Charles III · Charles IV · James II · William IV and Mary II · William IV

    British Dukes Anne · George I · George II · George III · George IV · William V · Victoria · Edward VII · George V · Edward VIII · George VI · Elizabeth II


    Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England"
    Categories: 1060s births | 1135 deaths | Anglo-Normans | Dukes of Normandy | English monarchs | House of Dunkeld | People from Selby | Burials at Reading Abbey, Berkshire
  7. mary Stewart1.FTW
  8. Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Lt, XI:D:112
  9. Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Lt, X:11 (e)
    parents of Henry FitzHenry
  10. Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th Edition, Charles Mosley Editor-in-Chief, 1999, 1679
    Relationship documented-no dates, locations.

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La publication Généalogie Wylie a été préparée par .contacter l'auteur
Lors de la copie des données de cet arbre généalogique, veuillez inclure une référence à l'origine:
Kin Mapper, "Généalogie Wylie", base de données, Généalogie Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/genealogie-wylie/I364675.php : consultée 9 juin 2024), "Henry I "Beauclerc" King of (Henry I "Beauclerc" King of) England [8&9ggchCh-Wikibio] (1068-1135)".