King Henry, I

Other Events:

• House: Norman Dynasty
• Reference Number: 5811
• Reign: Between 2 Aug 1100 and 1 Dec 1135, England; King of England
• Coronation: 5 Aug 1100, England; King of England
• Tenure: Between 1106 and 1 Dec 1135, Normandy, France; Duke of Normandy

Notes:

William II was followed on the throne by his younger brother, Henry. He was crowned three days after his brother's death, against the possibility that his eldest brother Robert might claim the English throne.

After the decisive battle of Tinchebrai in 1106 in France, Henry completed his conquest of Normandy from Robert, who then (unusually even for that time) spent the last 28 years of his life as his brother's prisoner.

An energetic, decisive and occasionally cruel ruler, Henry centralised the administration of England and Normandy in the royal court, using 'viceroys' in Normandy and a group of advisers in England to act on his behalf when he was absent across the Channel.

Henry successfully sought to increase royal revenues, as shown by the official records of his exchequer (the Pipe Roll of 1130, the first exchequer account to survive). He established peaceful relations with Scotland, through his marriage to Mathilda of Scotland.

Henry's name 'Beauclerc' denoted his good education (as the youngest son, his parents possibly expected that he would become a bishop); Henry was probably the first Norman king to be fluent in English.

In 1120, his legitimate sons William and Richard drowned in the White Ship which sank in the English Channel. This posed a succession problem, as Henry never allowed any of his illegitimate children to expect succession to either England or Normandy.

Henry had a legitimate daughter Matilda (widow of Emperor Henry V, subsequently married to the Count of Anjou). However, it was his nephew Stephen (reigned 1135-54), son of William the Conqueror's daughter Adela, who succeeded Henry after his death, allegedly caused by eating too many lampreys (fish) in 1135, as the barons mostly opposed the idea of a female ruler.

Buried:
Age: 68

Died:
Age: 67

King married Sibyl Corbet. Sibyl was born 1075, Warwickshire, England; died 1157, Blaen-y-cwm, Breconshire, Wales. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: 1st Earl of Glouchester
• Reference Number: 5809

Notes:

Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester (before 1100 - 31 October 1147[1]) (alias Robert Rufus, Robert de Caen, Robert Consul[2][3]) was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was the half-brother of the Empress Matilda, and her chief military supporter during the civil war known as The Anarchy, in which she vied with Stephen of Blois for the throne of England.
Robert was probably the eldest of Henry's many illegitimate children.[1] He was born before his father's accession to the English throne, either during the reign of his grandfather William the Conqueror or his uncle William Rufus.[4] He is sometimes and erroneously designated as a son of Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, last king of Deheubarth, although his mother has been identified as a member of "the Gay or Gayt family of north Oxfordshire",[5] possibly a daughter of Rainald Gay (fl. 1086) of Hampton Gay and Northbrook Gay in Oxfordshire. Rainald had known issue Robert Gaay of Hampton (died c. 1138) and Stephen Gay of Northbrook (died after 1154). A number of Oxfordshire women feature as the mothers of Robert's siblings.[5][6]

He may have been a native of Caen[1][7] or he may have been only Constable and Governor of that city, jure uxoris.[2]

His father had contracted him in marriage to Mabel FitzHamon, daughter and heir of Robert Fitzhamon, but the marriage was not solemnized until June 1119 at Lisieux.[1][8] His wife brought him the substantial honours of Gloucester in England and Glamorgan in Wales, and the honours of Sainte-Scholasse-sur-Sarthe and Évrecy in Normandy, as well as Creully. After the White Ship disaster late in 1120, and probably because of this marriage,[9] in 1121 or 1122 his father created him Earl of Gloucester.[10]

Robert married Mabel Fitzhammon 1115, Gloucestershire, England. Mabel was born 1094, Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France; died 29 Sep 1157, Somerset, England. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Also Known As: Maud of Glouchester
• Reference Number: 5808

Maud married Ranulph Chester De Meschines 1141, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. Ranulph was born 1100, Gernon Castle, Normandy, France; died 16 Dec 1153, Northamptonshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: 3rd Earl of Chester
• Reference Number: 5805

Hugh married Bertrade De Montfort 1169, Montfort, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France. Bertrade was born 1155, Cheshire, England; died 12 Jul 1189, Évreux, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France. [Group Sheet]