Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
William the
Conqueror
Top 10 Events in
William's Life
1 Born in Falaise (1027)
2 Receives the Duchy of
Normandy on his
father's death (1035)
3 Helped by King Henri I
of France, crushes rebel
barons in Normandy
(1047)
4 Edward the Confessor,
his cousin, purportedly
promises him the
English throne (1051)
5 Harold Godwinson -
rival heir to the English
throne - swears
allegiance to William,
perhaps through trickery
or under duress (1064)
6 Harold succeeds Edward
as king of England
(1066)
7 William invades England,
defeats Harold, and is
crowned at Westminster
Abbey on Christmas
Day (1066)
8 Ruthlessly crushes all
rebellions until England
is conquered and united
(1072)
9 Commissions the
Domesday Book, an
invaluable survey of land
ownership (1086)
0 Dies in Rouen from a
battle wound (1087)
A warrior through and through, William, Duke of
Normandy and King of England, lived and died by
the sword. Yet despite his appetite for battle (the
Bayeux Tapestry illustrates some of his forays in
Normandy), he had a statesmanlike ability to create
order out of chaos. Having won the crown, he made
radical changes and improvements to English society
by fusing continental practices with native customs -
in particular, instituting a type of feudalism that
strengthened the monarchy, restrained the power of
the church, and supported the educational system of
the day. With his wife Matilda, he founded some 30
abbeys, including the two at Caen
(see p24).
William the Conqueror
Domesday Book
The Domesday Book,
a huge and detailed
record of English land
ownership at the close
of the 11th century,
set the seal on
Norman land reforms
- and the occupation.
It is now regarded as
one of the most
important documents
in English history.
For Conqueror connections at Caen and Falaise
See pp24-5, 88
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