William II and Henry I
The sons of William the Conqueror carried on the work of Norman-izing England.
Home > History > Medieval > William II Henry I

Britain Express
spacer
British Heritage
History of England
  Prehistoric Britain
  Roman Britain
  Anglo-Saxon Era
  The Middle Ages
  The Tudor Era
  Stuart Britain
  Georgian Britain
  The Victorian Age
  English Monarchs
History of Wales
London History

FEATURES
Medieval Life
British Battles
British Biography
English Architecture
Royal Family
English Culture

Historic Churches in Britain
Castles
England
Scotland
Wales

Stately Homes
England
Scotland
Wales

Monasteries
England
Scotland
Wales

Prehistoric Sites
England
Scotland
Wales
Accommodation
 Hotels
 Bed & Breakfast
 Self catering
Tourist Info Centres
 England
 Scotland
 Wales
Travel Directory
 England
 Wales
 Scotland
 B&B
 Hotels
 Tour Operators
 Car Rental
 Walking Holidays
 Waterways  Holidays
 more....
Fun
 Photo of the Day
 RSS Feeds
 Historic Attraction Quiz
 British History Quiz
 Monarch Mayhem
 This Day in British History
Blog
 Heritage Traveller
About
 Contact
 About us

  
English History

 

William II and Henry I

William II. Before he died William the Conqueror divided his property amongst his three sons. William II (1087-1100) got England, Robert got Normandy, and Henry got money. William II was unpopular, greedy, self-centred, and a poor administrator.

When Archbishop Lanfranc died in 1089, William delayed appointing a replacement for four years, keeping the revenues of the see of Canterbury for himself. When Anselm became Archbishop in 1093 he fought with William over the powers of church and lay courts.

Seal of Anselm
Seal of Anselm
 

William II's Death. In one of those little incidents that will forever remain a historical mystery, William was killed while hunting in the New Forest, stepping in front of an arrow shot by one William Tyrrell. Evidently Tyrrell wasn't sure his claim that it was an accident would be believed, for he fled and went into hiding. Technically, William's death left the throne to Robert, who was in Normandy. Henry, however, was on the scene and acted quickly to seize the royal treasury at Westminster and proclaim himself king of England. He later defeated Robert at Tinchebray (1106) and added Normandy to his cap as well. Poor Robert spent the rest of his life in prison.

Henry I, called Beauclerc, seems to have made a much better king than his elder brother William.

Officers of the Exchequer
Officials of the Exchequer weighing money
 

During his reign (1100-1135) the royal administration was expanded and the rule of law solidified. The Court of the Exchequer was formed to handle financial matters. It took its name from the checkered cloth or table on which the accounts were handled.

Charters. One of the ways Henry raised money was by selling charters to towns. Charters were a special grant that enabled towns to build walls, raise local taxes and elect their own local administrators.

Monasteries. During Henry's reign a new wave of monastic settlements began, beginning in 1128 when the Cistercians arrived from France. Many of the great monasteries, now ruined, are from this time period. One of the easiest ways of identifying buildings from this early Norman period is by the shape of their window, door, and arch openings, which are smoothly rounded.

Language. The language of the court, schools, the law, and the aristocracy was Norman French. It was not until the loss of Normandy in 1204 that the Normans began to learn English and a melding of the two languages began.

MORE Medieval Britain:
Back: William the Conqueror
Next: Stephen and Maud

History
Prehistory - Roman Britain - Dark Ages - Medieval Britain - The Tudor Era - The Stuarts - Georgian Britain - The Victorian Age



Contents © David Ross and Britain Express

  

HISTORY CORNER

Name the Historic attraction

Name the mystery historic attraction
See larger image



British Heritage Awards

Celebrate the best of British Heritage in our annual
British Heritage awards.

View this year's winners.

British History Quiz

This decisive battle in 1265 effectively ended the 2nd Baron's War



 Clue

This Day in British History

08 February, 1516

Birth of Mary I

The future queen's birth was a major disappontment to Henry VIII, who was hoping for a male heir

Monarch Mayhem

This monarch was killed by a stray arrow



 Clue





History Times