William "The Conqueror"

1027 - 1087  (59 years)

• Name	William "The Conqueror"
  Birth	14 Oct 1027	Failaise, , FRA   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Nickname	The Conqueror
  Death	9 Sep 1087	Hermenbraville, Rouen, FRA
  Burial	Abt 10 Sep 1087	St. Stephen's Abbey, Cain, Normandy   [2]
  Person ID	I12829	Ancestrees
  Last Modified	29 Sep 2024

  
  

  Father	Robert I "The Devil" DUKE OF NORMANDY,   b. Abt 1008, , Normandy, FRA d. 22 Jun 1035, Nicaea, Bithynia, Turkey (Age 27 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Harlette (Herleva) DE FALAISE,   b. Abt 1012, Of Falaise, , FRA d. Abt 1050 (Age 38 years)
  Relationship	natural
  _MARRIED	N
  Family ID	F1055	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Matilda (Or Maud) D.Of BALDWIN V, V,   b. 1031, Flanders, , FRA d. 1083, Caen, , Basse-Normandie, France (Age 52 years)
  Marriage	1053
  Children	1. William KING OF ENGLAND, II,   b. 1056   d. 1100 (Age 44 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Henry KING OF ENGLAND, I,   b. 1068, Selby, , ENG d. 1 Dec 1135, Angers, Maine-At-Loire, , FRA (Age 67 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Robert III Robert, Duke Of Normandy,   b. 1051   d. 1134, Cardiff Castle (Age 83 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Adela D.Of,   b. 1062   d. 1137 (Age 75 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Matilda (Gundred)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F3881	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	29 Sep 2024

  
  

• Notes

  The mother of William the Conqueror is in discrepancy. It is either Herleve de Falaise, also spelled Harlette and Arlette. However, Usherwood states that she was Duke Robert's mistress, a tanner's daughter. His mother married a Norman nn after Robert's death. She helped her son's dukedom be saved by this marriage. William's birth date is also in question, listed as 1024 or 1027. What is not in question is the greatness of William the Conqueror. He had a bold spirit, orderly mind and tireless energy. He had European fame by the age of 38. He was Duke of Normandy and had inherited Normandy from his father at about age 8. Edward I, King of England, died without heirs and had told William that he would be his successor. On his deathbed in 1066, Edward named Harold his successor. This is when William decided to attack resulting in the famous Battle of Hastings and William's being crowned King of England on Christmas Day of 1066. (C-330) He married his cousin, Matilda, daughter of the Count of Flanders, to whom he was devoted. He died after a full life in Roen after months of internal bleeding from being thrown from his horse. The horse reared when burnt by embers in Mantes, a town he had just captured. (Usherwood, Reign by Reign)

  
  

• Sources

  [S254] World Book Encyclopedia (World Book, c1988). [S2431] John Steele Gordon to Gen-Medieval@rootsweb.com E-mail letter dated Dec. 2, 1997 at kaboodle@worldnet.att.net (C-1372).