[107] He left England in the hands of his supporters, including Richard fitzGilbert and William de Warenne,[108] as well as Lanfranc. His illegitimate status and his youth caused some difficulties for him after he succeeded his father, as did the anarchy which plagued the first years of his rule. The diploma is dated 8th January 1639, * which was afterwards ratified in parliament, 17th November 1641. changed to DeGray and then to Gray. [7][c], William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, most likely towards the end of 1028. [129], The medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury says that the king also seized and depopulated many miles of land (36 parishes), turning it into the royal New Forest region to support his enthusiastic enjoyment of hunting. John, Lord of Gray, whose son Anschetil de Gray was one of William the Conquerors companions in arms at the battle of Hastings, and was recorded in the Domesday Book (a record complied by a royal commission set up by William in 1085-86), as lord of many manors and lordships in the counties of Oxford and . His lands were divided after his death: Normandy went to Robert, and England went to his second surviving son, William Rufus. [94] But the families of Harold and his brothers lost their lands, as did some others who had fought against William at Hastings. [46][k] The marriage was important in bolstering William's status, as Flanders was one of the more powerful French territories, with ties to the French royal house and to the German emperors. Next, he led his forces around the south and west of London, burning along the way. He was not known as a patron of authors, and there is little evidence that he sponsored scholarships or other intellectual activities. Edgar was proclaimed king by his supporters. William I, the first Norman King of England, ascended to the throne in 1066 shortly after the death of his second cousin, Edward the Confessor. [73][m] King Harald Hardrada of Norway also had a claim to the throne as the uncle and heir of King Magnus I, who had made a pact with Harthacnut in about 1040 that if either Magnus or Harthacnut died without heirs, the other would succeed. [34] However, in 1052 the king and Geoffrey Martel made common cause against William at the same time as some Norman nobles began to contest William's increasing power. Interaction between father and son, nevertheless, remained problematic right up until William's passing. Learn about the history of this surname and heraldry from our database and online image library. Although Alexander did give papal approval to the conquest after it succeeded, no other source claims papal support prior to the invasion. de Gray, who was in high favor with King Richard I and King John. Birth, marriage and death called Gray. 10711087)", "Robert, duke of Normandy (b. in or after 1050, d. 1134)", "Les femmes dans l'histoire du duch de Normandie (Women in the history of ducal Normandy)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_the_Conqueror&oldid=1152709080, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 21:01. no trace to follow. Although Simon was a supporter of William, the Vexin was actually under the overlordship of King Philip, which is why Philip secured control of the county when Simon became a monk. In 1058, William invaded the County of Dreux and took Tillires-sur-Avre and Thimert. The listing for each county gives the holdings of each landholder, grouped by owners. Local nobles resisted the claim, but William invaded and by 1064 had secured control of the area. Although Odo remained in confinement for the rest of William's reign, his lands were not confiscated. He took part in church councils and made several appointments to the Norman episcopate, including the appointment of Maurilius as Archbishop of Rouen. [1] The brothers had been at odds over the succession, and Richard's death was sudden. It resulted in a work now known as the Domesday Book. During the 17th and 18th centuries, some historians and lawyers saw William's reign as imposing a "Norman yoke" on the native Anglo-Saxons, an argument that continued during the 19th century with further elaborations along nationalistic lines. Modern historians have come to the conclusion that the New Forest depopulation was greatly exaggerated. all apparently descended from one parent stock and one origin. His reign in England was marked by the construction of castles, settling a new Norman nobility on the land, and change in the composition of the English clergy. Sarah, baptized January 12, 1616, married Thomas Harding May 30, 1642. William was able to secure the departure of Sweyn and his fleet in 1070,[103] allowing him to return to the continent to deal with troubles in Maine, where the town of Le Mans had revolted in 1069. at Salem, Boston, Plymouth and Yarmouth and in the provinces of Connecticut William The Conqueror Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life Conan's death in 1066 further secured William's borders in Normandy. Hubert was besieged in his castle at Sainte-Suzanne by William's forces for at least two years, but he eventually made his peace with the king and was restored to favour. [142], The impact on England of William's conquest was profound; changes in the Church, aristocracy, culture, and language of the country have persisted into modern times. Genealogy - William the Conqueror [77] The Norman fleet finally set sail two days later, landing in England at Pevensey Bay on 28 September. After three weeks, the besieged forces sallied from the castle and managed to take the besiegers by surprise. Edgar the theling also appears to have been given lands. Brief History of the Royal Family CGP Grey William then moved to Hastings, a few miles to the east, where he built a castle as a base of operations. [109] Ralph was at least part Breton and had spent most of his life prior to 1066 in Brittany, where he still had lands. The list below shows descent from William the Conqueror (see Descendants of William I of England for another list). Joan, buried merchant in Plymouth. Sometimes deputies were appointed to deal with specific issues. [50] He was strong enough to draw bows that others were unable to pull and had great stamina. Edgar, having lost much of his support, fled to Scotland,[98] where King Malcolm III was married to Edgar's sister Margaret. Also, it says, "Gray, day. remained in the hands of the Grey family until the Marcher Lords were abolished [118], Word of William's defeat at Gerberoi stirred up difficulties in northern England. So I'm related to William the Conqueror - and David Cameron Two further Norman retreats were feigned, to once again draw the English into pursuit and expose them to repeated attacks by the Norman cavalry. Lady Jane Grey (r. 10-19 July 1553) | The Royal Family [56] Another important appointment was that of William's half-brother, Odo, as Bishop of Bayeux in either 1049 or 1050. Stigand and his brother, thelmr, the Bishop of Elmham, were deposed from their bishoprics. Known as 'William the Bastard' to his contemporaries, his illegitimacy shaped his career when he was young. Sam Towns were listed separately. He registered for military service in 1066. He died in September 1087 while leading a campaign in northern France, and was buried in Caen. [109] William's ability to leave England for an entire year was a sign that he felt that his control of the kingdom was secure. They included the duke's uncle Robert, the archbishop of Rouen, who had originally opposed the duke; Osbern, a nephew of Gunnor the wife of Richard I; and Gilbert of Brionne, a grandson of Richard I. Although some of the newly rich Normans in England came from William's close family or from the upper Norman nobility, others were from relatively humble backgrounds. He celebrated Christmas at Winchester and dealt with the aftermath of the rebellion. The first being that about 5 million people are descended from William the Conqueror so establishing myself as the true heir to the British throne could be tricky. His holdings included nine thirtieths of the of Pennsylvania and the early settlers of Virginia and other southern states. [2] William then marched to Southwark, across the Thames from London, which he reached in late November. One story implicates Earl Godwin of Wessex in Alfred's subsequent death, but others blame Harold. in the reign of Edward IV., from whom are descended and branched the Barons Edward was ailing, and he died on 5 January 1066. Return to Newport County RIGenWeb Home Page. [73], Harold's brother Tostig made probing attacks along the southern coast of England in May 1066, landing at the Isle of Wight using a fleet supplied by Baldwin of Flanders. See also the described as Scotch-Irish, are doubtless the descendants of that branch a Welch leader, was having a dispute with another Reginald de Grey, and [35] William was engaged in military actions against his own nobles throughout 1053,[36] as well as with the new Archbishop of Rouen, Mauger. The historian Frank Barlow points out that William had suffered from his uncle Mauger's ambitions while young and thus would not have countenanced creating another such situation. William was the son of the Norman Duke Robert the Magnificent and the unnamed daughter of a tanner. William the Conqueror and his son Robert, 1865 (Credit: John Cassell). [37], In February 1054 the king and the Norman rebels launched a double invasion of the duchy. A papal embassy arrived in England during this period, asking that William do fealty for England to the papacy, a request that he rejected. The crowning of William the Conqueror was "celebrated" by setting buildings on fire. Columbia river in Washington state. It may have been Norman propaganda designed to discredit Harold, who had emerged as the main contender to succeed King Edward. [86] The English soldiers formed up as a shield wall along the ridge and were at first so effective that William's army was thrown back with heavy casualties. Sir Edward de Gray married daughter He also retained control of much of the lands of Harold and his family, which made the king the largest secular landowner in England by a wide margin. Earl Edwin was betrayed by his own men and killed, while William built a causeway to subdue the Isle of Ely, where Hereward the Wake and Morcar were hiding. Parish Registers of Stapleford Tawney, Essex Co., England, as printed at William the Conqueror Details individual; ruler; French; British; Male. The legates ceremonially crowned William during the Easter court. The trouble in 1077 or 1078 resulted in Robert leaving Normandy accompanied by a band of young men, many of them the sons of William's supporters. Dorset branch of the Gray family. [62] Godwin returned from exile in 1052 with armed forces, and a settlement was reached between the king and the earl, restoring the earl and his family to their lands and replacing Robert of Jumiges, a Norman whom Edward had named Archbishop of Canterbury, with Stigand, the Bishop of Winchester. By far the most disturbing fact . Alfred returned to England in 1036 to visit his mother and perhaps to challenge Harold as king. [54] To oversee his expanded domain, William was forced to travel even more than he had as duke. [123], Maine continued to be difficult, with a rebellion by Hubert de Beaumont-au-Maine, probably in 1084. coin. Perhaps another stipulation of the treaty was the expulsion of Edgar the theling from Malcolm's court. William the Conqueror; Issue Detail: Robert II, Duke of Normandy Richard Adeliza Cecilia William II, King of England Constance, Duchess of Brittany Adela, Countess of Blois Henry I, King of England . Harold, perhaps to secure the support of Edwin and Morcar in his bid for the throne, supported the rebels and persuaded King Edward to replace Tostig with Morcar. land company which eventually formed Tiverton and Little Compton, RI. Fulbert was also William the Conqueror's Great Chamberlain. [45] Papal sanction of the marriage appears to have required the founding of two monasteries in Caen one by William and one by Matilda. The listings describe the holding, who owned the land before the Conquest, its value, what the tax assessment was, and usually the number of peasants, ploughs, and any other resources the holding had. [133][u] Government was still centred on William's household; when he was in one part of his realms, decisions would be made for other parts of his domains and transmitted through a communication system that made use of letters and other documents. The soldier William then laid siege to Gerberoi in January 1079. Original: Mar 26, 2013. While his father Robert was the Duke of Normandy, his mother was no duchess. Her execution, 1554, was soon Walcher was killed on 14 May 1080, and the king dispatched his half-brother Odo to deal with the rebellion. Some of William's Breton troops panicked and fled, and some of the English troops appear to have pursued the fleeing Bretons until they themselves were attacked and destroyed by Norman cavalry. Thomas, baptized July 16, 1620 (no further mention). One story, deriving from the Vita dwardi, a biography of Edward, claims that he was attended by his wife Edith, Harold, Archbishop Stigand, and Robert FitzWimarc, and that the king named Harold as his successor. Born around 1028, William was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I of Normandy, and Herleve (also known as Arlette), daughter of a tanner in Falaise. Surprising Facts: 1066, William The Conqueror And The - HistoryExtra In England several families from this . [2] The legates and the king then proceeded to hold a series of ecclesiastical councils dedicated to reforming and reorganising the English church. Gray Family History - Brigham Young University Although a mere two or three days' ride away at Abbeville, Robert did not attend William's deathbed or funeral. of that parish for some years. Although Orderic Vitalis describes it as starting with a quarrel between Robert and his two younger brothers, William and Henry, including a story that the quarrel was started when William and Henry threw water at Robert, it is much more likely that Robert was feeling powerless. William I ruled England from 1066 until his death in 1087. Although this was William's first defeat in battle, it did little to change things. It was a fairly simple administrative system, built around the ducal household,[53] which consisted of a group of officers including stewards, butlers, and marshals. [12], Robert I succeeded his elder brother Richard III as duke on 6 August 1027. There are those like Captain By 12 April 1080, William and Robert had reached an accommodation, with William once more affirming that Robert would receive Normandy when he died. Gray Family decended from Viki - Genealogy.com This band of young men went to the castle at Remalard, where they proceeded to raid into Normandy. The Gray family history is a long and distinguished one. [33] Geoffrey attempted to expand his authority into the county of Maine, especially after the death of Hugh IV of Maine in 1051. Lady Jane Grey (r. 10-19 July 1553) The accession of Lady Jane Grey as Queen was engineered by the powerful Duke of Northumberland, President of the King's Council, in the interests of promoting his own dynastic line. Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by Harold, later claimed that his body had been secretly buried there. of the family. Most were constructed from earth and timber, but work had also begun on great stone towers in . [n][79] Events after the invasion, which included the penance William performed and statements by later popes, do lend circumstantial support to the claim of papal approval. In 1047, William was able to quash a rebellion and begin to establish his authority over the duchy, a process that was not complete until about 1060. A sheriff was responsible for royal justice and collecting royal revenue. Gray was one of William the Conquerors companions in arms at the battle There were probably other reasons for William's delay, including intelligence reports from England revealing that Harold's forces were deployed along the coast. Waltheof, the earl of Northumbria, although one of William's favourites, was also involved, and there were some Breton lords who were ready to rebel in support of Ralph and Roger. Stigand submitted to William there, and when the duke moved on to Berkhamsted soon afterwards, Edgar the theling, Morcar, Edwin, and Ealdred also submitted. Descendants Her rule was contested by Robert, Baldwin's brother. [24] Although many of the Norman nobles engaged in their own private wars and feuds during William's minority, the viscounts still acknowledged the ducal government, and the ecclesiastical hierarchy was supportive of William. manor of Turoc in Essex. Andrew Morton Carr Descendant of the right-hand general Ker of William the Conqueror. According to the historian David Bates, this probably means that little of note happened, and that because William was on the continent, there was nothing for the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to record. (Former King of England (1066 - 1087)) William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy, who later became the King of England. Book, was ordered, decreed, and written under the reign of one King William I, who was known throughout the ages as "William the Conqueror." King William I of England ruled from the year 1066 to the . The union of the Grays with the royal line of Tudor was by the marriage It is unclear whether William would have been supplanted in the ducal succession if Robert had had a legitimate son. For example, England continued the use of writs, which were not known on the continent. England was divided into shires or counties, which were further divided into either hundreds or wapentakes. Another Tiverton Gray, Pardon Gray was active during the war also. William would have preferred to delay the invasion until he could make an unopposed landing. Are there any direct descendants of William the Conqueror? [48] The birth order of the sons is clear, but no source gives the relative order of birth of the daughters. As King Edward's heir, he controlled all of the former royal lands. Sam helped precipitate the Massacre itself. in and about London. [38] William met the invasion by dividing his forces into two groups. The Grays were not restored to their rights and court favor until the [84], The battle began at about 9am on 14 October and lasted all day, but while a broad outline is known, the exact events are obscured by contradictory accounts in the sources. Northumberland persuaded the sickly Edward VI to name Lady Jane Grey as his heir just before his death on 6 July 1553. Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895-1972), US Senator. William the Conqueror after Hastings, image extracted from Poems for Christmas, Easter, and New Year's, 1885, on Wikimedia Commons. Life dates 1025-1087. Robert raided into Lothian and forced Malcolm to agree to terms, building a fortification (the 'new castle') at Newcastle upon Tyne while returning to England. Scotland and Ireland. of Sir Thomas of Berwick and Chillingham. [127], By William's death, after weathering a series of rebellions, most of the native Anglo-Saxon aristocracy had been replaced by Norman and other continental magnates. All the English counties south of the River Tees and River Ribble are included, and the whole work seems to have been mostly completed by 1 August 1086, when the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that William received the results and that all the chief magnates swore the Salisbury Oath, a renewal of their oaths of allegiance. [82] Although Harold attempted to surprise the Normans, William's scouts reported the English arrival to the duke. Another consequence of William's invasion was the sundering of the formerly close ties between England and Scandinavia. 6. According to Nesbits Heraldry: "In an old manuscript of Arms repeated in mixed company." Henry attempted to dislodge William, but the siege of Thimert dragged on for two years until Henry's death. This daughter later married William, lord of, Walter had two daughters. The king marched through Edwin's lands and built Warwick Castle. [144] In the years since the Conquest, politicians and other leaders have used William and the events of his reign to illustrate political events throughout English history. followed by that of her father, the Duke of Suffolk, and his brothers, According to the Norman writer William of Jumiges, William had meanwhile sent an embassy to King Harold Godwinson to remind Harold of his oath to support William's claim, although whether this embassy actually occurred is unclear. He overthrew the last Anglo-Saxon king, Harold II, to seize the throne, earning the title William the Conqueror. Harold stopped in London, and was there for about a week before marching to Hastings, so it is likely that he spent about a week on his march south, averaging about 27 miles (43 kilometres) per day,[81] for the distance of approximately 200 miles (320 kilometres). William was the son of Robert I, duke of Normandy (reigned 1027-1035), and a woman of lower social status named Herleva. Harold assembled an army and a fleet to repel William's anticipated invasion force, deploying troops and ships along the English Channel for most of the summer. if you have any questions, please e-mail Rodney Gray at "wyarg 'at' juno dot com". Edgar remained at William's court until 1086 when he went to the. [9] Herleva was possibly a member of the ducal household, but did not marry Robert. [85] Although the numbers on each side were about equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few, if any, archers. [40] Henry and Geoffrey led another invasion of Normandy in 1057 but were defeated by William at the Battle of Varaville. On his father's death in 1035, William was recognised by his family as the heir - an . He was the second William I 'The Conqueror' (r. 1066-1087) | The Royal Family The English dead, who included some of Harold's brothers and his housecarls, were left on the battlefield. up to that time in Plymouth. If John Tebbel is correct in his book "Turning The World Upside Down", By the time of his marriage, William was able to arrange the appointment of his supporters as bishops and abbots in the Norman church. [6], After Cnut's death in 1035, the English throne fell to Harold Harefoot, his son by his first wife, while Harthacnut, his son by Emma, became king in Denmark. taken to England where he was imprisioned. [71], Harold was crowned on 6 January 1066 in Edward's new Norman-style Westminster Abbey, although some controversy surrounds who performed the ceremony. was too old to go to war, but he used his extensive farm and fortune to [29] Although the Battle of Val-s-Dunes marked a turning point in William's control of the duchy, it was not the end of his struggle to gain the upper hand over the nobility. Others have viewed him as an enemy of the English constitution, or alternatively as its creator. John, baptized 1612. Orderic Vitalis later recorded that Odo had aspirations to become pope. English resistance had also begun, with Eadric the Wild attacking Hereford and revolts at Exeter, where Harold's mother Gytha was a focus of resistance. [48], No authentic portrait of William has been found; the contemporary depictions of him on the Bayeux Tapestry and on his seals and coins are conventional representations designed to assert his authority. By 1031 Robert had gathered considerable support from noblemen, many of whom would become prominent during William's life. The Norman conquest changed all that. The youngest son, Henry, received money. [31] To address the growing power of the Count of Anjou, Geoffrey Martel,[32] William joined with King Henry in a campaign against him, the last known cooperation between the two.
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