(born 860 A.D.). Permanent Scandinavian settlement occurred before 911, when Rollo, one of the Viking leaders, and King Charles the Simple of France reached an agreement ceding the county of Rouen to Rollo. Earl of Kent, Chief of the ancient and illustrious house of Gray, so dignified Edgar the theling also appears to have been given lands. If you have any information concerning any of these people, or [113] Ralph's authority seems also to have been less than his predecessors in the earldom, and this was likely the cause of his involvement in the revolt. William Conqueror Family Tree With Complete Detail The legates ceremonially crowned William during the Easter court. Another concern was the death of Count Baldwin VI of Flanders in July 1070, which led to a succession crisis as his widow, Richilde, was ruling for their two young sons, Arnulf and Baldwin. February 12, 1621. themselves in politics, literature, and the learned professions and still A papal embassy arrived in England during this period, asking that William do fealty for England to the papacy, a request that he rejected. Mrs Thomas Houghton (Born 1551) 5775 People 13 Records 25 Sources. But William was not finished; he marched over the Pennines during the winter and defeated the remaining rebels at Shrewsbury before building Chester and Stafford Castles. Although Alexander did give papal approval to the conquest after it succeeded, no other source claims papal support prior to the invasion. Sir Edward de Gray married daughter The rest of his life was marked by struggles to consolidate his hold over England and his continental lands, and by difficulties with his eldest son, Robert Curthose. [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. The funeral, attended by the bishops and abbots of Normandy as well as his son Henry, was disturbed by the assertion of a citizen of Caen who alleged that his family had been illegally despoiled of the land on which the church was built. 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 . Thomas, baptized July 16, 1620 (no further mention). In modern times they have contributed poets, statesmen described in what is called the Grand Deed. William of Poitiers wrote glowingly of William's reign and its benefits, but the obituary notice for William in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle condemns William in harsh terms. [40] Henry and Geoffrey led another invasion of Normandy in 1057 but were defeated by William at the Battle of Varaville. life and of her heroic death will long illuminate the pages of one of the For example, England continued the use of writs, which were not known on the continent. Within the first century, between 1620 and 1720, research indicates that in and about London. Top 11 Interesting Facts about William the Conqueror More serious was the retirement of Simon de Crpy, the Count of Amiens, to a monastery. Robert also married his half-sister Bertha to King Philip I of France, who was opposed to Norman power. Another consequence of William's invasion was the sundering of the formerly close ties between England and Scandinavia. Fulbert was also William the Conqueror's Great Chamberlain. In 1086, he ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey listing all of the land-holdings in England along with their pre-Conquest and current holders. [124], As part of his efforts to secure England, William ordered many castles, keeps, and mottes built among them the central keep of the Tower of London, the White Tower. and heiress of Henry heir apparent of William.". [3] Normandy may have been used as a base when Scandinavian attacks on England were renewed at the end of the 10th century, which would have worsened relations between England and Normandy. up to that time in Plymouth. After hurried consultations, the allegation was shown to be true, and the man was compensated. Although a mere two or three days' ride away at Abbeville, Robert did not attend William's deathbed or funeral. [58], The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in the "D" version, states that William visited England in the later part of 1051, perhaps to secure confirmation of the succession,[59] or perhaps William was attempting to secure aid for his troubles in Normandy. (or Croy as some write), in Picardy, their patrimony before the Conquest.". They eventually [51] Examination of William's femur, the only bone to survive when the rest of his remains were destroyed, showed he was approximately 5feet 10inches (1.78m) in height. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy . This could have been either the Also, the charters and documents produced for the government in Normandy differed in formulas from those produced in England. This is detail between different branches of the same family in Harrow-on-the-Hill church records there is a John Gray baptized February de Gray, who was in high favor with King Richard I and King John. [60] The trip is unlikely given William's absorption in warfare with Anjou at the time. Their forces landed near Bristol but were defeated by Eadnoth. William the Conqueror - Ancestry.com His conquest had major implications for the history of both regions, from displacing much of the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility to reshaping the English language.. William's early life. Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by Harold, later claimed that his body had been secretly buried there. Genealogies" and "A History of Wales" by John Davies. [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. and enlisted the sympathies of the world. William I[a] (c.1028[1] 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard,[2][b] was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. As one of . [97], In 1068 Edwin and Morcar revolted, supported by Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. Gray Family decended from Viki - Genealogy.com of King Edward, her son the young Prince Consort, and her son Lord Gray, The snub may not have been deliberate: he might have . 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). [115], In late 1077 or early 1078 trouble began between William and his eldest son, Robert. were both executed in 1483, by the notorious Richard III. 1. The exact events preceding the battle are obscure, with contradictory accounts in the sources, but all agree that William led his army from his castle and advanced towards the enemy. This band of young men went to the castle at Remalard, where they proceeded to raid into Normandy. [146], William and his wife Matilda had at least nine children. described as Scotch-Irish, are doubtless the descendants of that branch of Hastings, and was recorded in the Domesday Book (a record complied by [58] William was the grandson of Edward's maternal uncle, Richard II of Normandy. This was an advantage for William, as it was the only universal tax collected by western European rulers during this period. Henry was still a minor, however, and Sweyn was more likely to support Harold, who could then help Sweyn against the Norwegian king, so these claims should be treated with caution. He was not known as a patron of authors, and there is little evidence that he sponsored scholarships or other intellectual activities. [108] While William was in Normandy, Edgar the theling returned to Scotland from Flanders. It Although some of his supporters tried to dissuade him from undertaking the journey, he convened a council in January 1035 and had the assembled Norman magnates swear fealty to William as his heir[2][15] before leaving for Jerusalem. Tostig appears to have received little local support, and further raids into Lincolnshire and near the River Humber met with no more success, so he retreated to Scotland, where he remained for a time. Burkes Peerage says: "The family of Gray is of great antiquity Marcher Lords. [126], At first, most of the newly settled Normans kept household knights and did not settle their retainers with fiefs of their own, but gradually these household knights came to be granted lands of their own, a process known as subinfeudation. He registered for military service in 1066. He remained in the hands of the Grey family until the Marcher Lords were abolished Henry's about-face was probably motivated by a desire to retain dominance over Normandy, which was now threatened by William's growing mastery of his duchy. John Gray was married before going to Stapleford, and de Gray, (III) John from whom the most illustrious branches of the house [45] Papal sanction of the marriage appears to have required the founding of two monasteries in Caen one by William and one by Matilda. himself there. [7][c], William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, most likely towards the end of 1028. Some of the native abbots were also deposed, both at the council held near Easter and at a further one near Whitsun. Later English sources stated that Harold had been elected as king by the clergy and magnates of England. Then the king returned to Normandy late in 1068. The corpse was too large for the space, and when attendants forced the body into the tomb it burst, spreading a disgusting odour throughout the church. William was the son of the Norman Duke Robert the Magnificent and the unnamed daughter of a tanner. [e] His mother Herleva was a daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; he may have been a tanner or embalmer. Although Odo remained in confinement for the rest of William's reign, his lands were not confiscated. Pardon was a grandson of Edward of Tiverton add very active in town government Gray Genealogy and Gray Family History Information [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. [80], Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardrada invaded Northumbria in September 1066 and defeated the local forces under Morcar and Edwin at the Battle of Fulford near York. A further indignity occurred when the corpse was lowered into the tomb. Edgar remained at William's court until 1086 when he went to the. [144] The historian Eleanor Searle describes William's invasion as "a plan that no ruler but a Scandinavian would have considered". The raiders were supported by many of William's continental enemies. The Grays were closely allied with the Royal house of England and were Columbia river in Washington state. [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. William, son of Ellery, who were obscure, possibly intentionally leaving This would have been considered tampering with the king's authority over his vassals, which William would not have tolerated. a Welch leader, was having a dispute with another Reginald de Grey, and William responded swiftly, ignoring a continental revolt in Maine, and symbolically wore his crown in the ruins of York on Christmas Day 1069. Abraham Gray is mentioned as among the Pilgrim refugees at Leyden, [35] William was engaged in military actions against his own nobles throughout 1053,[36] as well as with the new Archbishop of Rouen, Mauger. By the end of 1081, William was back on the continent, dealing with disturbances in Maine. The Dorset Grays are of great antiquity, The surname Gray emerged as a notable Scottish family name in the county of Northumberland where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. merchant in Plymouth. Robert was accused by some writers of killing Richard, a plausible but now unprovable charge. [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. Born in France, William was an illegitimate child of Robert I . [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. [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. [14] After his accession, Robert continued Norman support for the English princes Edward and Alfred, who were still in exile in northern France. His sons also lost much of their control over Maine, which revolted in 1089 and managed to remain mostly free of Norman influence thereafter. By the time of William's death in 1087, around 500 castles had been built across England and Wales. of Sir Thomas of Berwick and Chillingham. Roger was unable to leave his stronghold in Herefordshire because of efforts by Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester, and thelwig, the Abbot of Evesham. that John Gray was not native to Stapleford Tawney, but was only a resident [98], While at Winchester in 1070, William met with three papal legates John Minutus, Peter, and Ermenfrid of Sion who had been sent by the pope. accession of James I, 1603. 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. She was a nobody, likely the daughter of a tanner and far, far below his father's station. of Rotherfield, Codmore, Wilton, Rhuthun, Groby and Rugemont, the Viscount More difficulties struck in 1083 when William's son Robert rebelled once more with support from the French king. to Robert, Duke of Normandy. [109], Earl Ralph had secured control of the castle at Dol, and in September 1076 William advanced into Brittany and laid siege to the castle. [121], Sources for William's actions between 1082 and 1084 are meagre. [80], After defeating Harald Hardrada and Tostig, Harold left much of his army in the north, including Morcar and Edwin, and marched the rest south to deal with the threatened Norman invasion. Her rule was contested by Robert, Baldwin's brother. [2], William left England towards the end of 1086. Because it's the olden days, people had lots of kids, but to keep things simple this family tree is going to leave out many of them on each branch because not every child matters. This made William's power more secure in northern France, but the new count of Flanders accepted Edgar the theling into his court. Also, in England, no other coinage was allowed, while on the continent other coinage was considered legal tender.