This made William's power more secure in northern France, but the new count of Flanders accepted Edgar the theling into his court. Not an insignificant sum!! coin. [72] Harold's claim to the throne was not entirely secure, as there were other claimants, perhaps including his exiled brother Tostig. de Gray, equitum signifer to King William". [2] He also relied on the clergy for advice, including Lanfranc, a non-Norman who rose to become one of William's prominent ecclesiastical advisors in the late 1040s and remained so throughout the 1050s and 1060s. Born in France, William was an illegitimate child of Robert I . captured Reginald. The Norman sources do not dispute the fact that Harold was named as the next king, but they declare that Harold's oath and Edward's earlier promise of the throne could not be changed on Edward's deathbed. York was captured by the combined forces of Edgar and Sweyn. 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. in Harrow-on-the-Hill church records there is a John Gray baptized February Robert raided into Lothian and forced Malcolm to agree to terms, building a fortification (the 'new castle') at Newcastle upon Tyne while returning to England. In 1066, following the death of Edward the Confessor, William invaded England, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces of Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest. He also allowed his son Robert Curthose to do homage to the new Count of Anjou, Geoffrey the Bearded. According to the historian David Bates, this probably means that little of note happened, and that because William was on the continent, there was nothing for the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to record. [60] The trip is unlikely given William's absorption in warfare with Anjou at the time. there were at least twenty different families of Grays, or different branches Since then they have repeatedly distinguished Thomas Gray were living there in 1579. He received from Robert the Castle and honor thelred died unexpectedly in 1016, and Cnut became king of England. Tostig went into exile in Flanders, along with his wife Judith, who was the daughter of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders. [105] William then turned his attention to the continent, returning to Normandy in early 1073 to deal with the invasion of Maine by Fulk le Rechin, the Count of Anjou. and Maine. Edgar, having lost much of his support, fled to Scotland,[98] where King Malcolm III was married to Edgar's sister Margaret. [100] William's half-brother Odo perhaps expected to be appointed to Canterbury, but William probably did not wish to give that much power to a family member. Dorset branch of the Gray family. [16][17][h] He enjoyed the support of his great-uncle, Archbishop Robert, as well as King Henry I of France, enabling him to succeed to his father's duchy. 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 . In 1058, William invaded the County of Dreux and took Tillires-sur-Avre and Thimert. Among the names inscribed at Battle Abbey, after the Battle of Hastings, of the family. [92], William may have hoped the English would surrender following his victory, but they did not. It W. Gray. [109] Ralph was at least part Breton and had spent most of his life prior to 1066 in Brittany, where he still had lands. Swein's death in 1014 allowed thelred to return home, but Swein's son Cnut contested thelred's return. His holdings included nine thirtieths of the In England and Ireland Grey is still used, in Scotland On the death It is to be presumed found in. 1476; and Lady Jane Grey who was queen of England for a few days. [52] William's main hobby appears to have been hunting. Guillaume "Le Btard", or William the Conqueror, transformed the Middle Ages and laid the foundations of a new Europe. [129], The medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury says that the king also seized and depopulated many miles of land (36 parishes), turning it into the royal New Forest region to support his enthusiastic enjoyment of hunting. Samuel Gray, son of Edward of Tiverton, moved to Boston and could be The exact reasons are unclear, as no contemporary author recorded what caused the quarrel between the half-brothers. From this his family assumed the name of DeCroy, which was later [99] Waltheof, who had joined the revolt, submitted, along with Gospatric, and both were allowed to retain their lands. [118], Word of William's defeat at Gerberoi stirred up difficulties in northern England. He crossed back and forth between the continent and England at least 19 times between 1067 and his death. [123], Maine continued to be difficult, with a rebellion by Hubert de Beaumont-au-Maine, probably in 1084. changed to DeGray and then to Gray. to that King, receiving possessions in Roufield shire of Roxburgh. Instead, some of the English clergy and magnates nominated Edgar the theling as king, though their support for Edgar was only lukewarm. Gray who was slain at the second battle of St. Albans, 1461. Included among them were Robert of Belleme, William de Breteuil, and Roger, the son of Richard fitzGilbert. [87] The available sources are more confused about events in the afternoon, but it appears that the decisive event was Harold's death, about which differing stories are told. 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. [1][8][d] He was the only son of Robert I, son of Richard II. William I (c. 1028 - 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman monarch of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087.A descendant of Rollo, he was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward. Although the army and fleet were ready by early August, adverse winds kept the ships in Normandy until late September. [2] Although he put two Normans in overall charge, he retained many of the native English sheriffs. [2] William assumed power in Normandy, and shortly after the battle promulgated the Truce of God throughout his duchy, in an effort to limit warfare and violence by restricting the days of the year on which fighting was permitted. The Danes then raided along the coast before returning home. Mrs Thomas Houghton (Born 1551) 5775 People 13 Records 25 Sources. It resulted in a work now known as the Domesday Book. From there, he ravaged the interior and waited for Harold's return from the north, refusing to venture far from the sea, his line of communication with Normandy. [97], In 1068 Edwin and Morcar revolted, supported by Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. He did not try to integrate his domains into one empire but continued to administer each part separately. Members The snub may not have been deliberate: he might have . of Rotherfield, Codmore, Wilton, Rhuthun, Groby and Rugemont, the Viscount land company which eventually formed Tiverton and Little Compton, RI. of John included John Lord Grey of Groby who married Elizabeth Wydville, The seal shows a mounted knight and is the first extant example of an. The exact date of William's birth is confused by contradictory statements by the Norman chroniclers. [107] He left England in the hands of his supporters, including Richard fitzGilbert and William de Warenne,[108] as well as Lanfranc. Sir John Gray, Knight of Berwick, 1372, was father Scotland and Ireland. [2], There is no evidence of any illegitimate children born to William. [154], "William I" redirects here. [e] His mother Herleva was a daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; he may have been a tanner or embalmer. William also required his newly created magnates to contribute fixed quotas of knights towards not only military campaigns but also castle garrisons. Norwich was besieged and surrendered, with the garrison allowed to go to Brittany. and heiress of Henry heir apparent of William.". Born around 1028, William was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I of Normandy, and Herleve (also known as Arlette), daughter of a tanner in Falaise. continue prominently represented among the titled nobility in England, Andy Rhind-Tutt claims to have traced his family back to the Saxon . Suffolk, all of that surname derived from the honor and Castle of Gray, Earl of Kent, Chief of the ancient and illustrious house of Gray, so dignified died January 1, 1515. 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. (born 860 A.D.). by George Washington as a privateer during the Revolutionary War. [37], In February 1054 the king and the Norman rebels launched a double invasion of the duchy. Although Odo remained in confinement for the rest of William's reign, his lands were not confiscated. This was the last invasion of Normandy during William's lifetime. [54] To oversee his expanded domain, William was forced to travel even more than he had as duke. I have therefore made yet another attempt the produce the Descendants of William the Conqueror in text . if you have any questions, please e-mail Rodney Gray at "wyarg 'at' juno dot com". [13] Conditions in Normandy were unsettled, as noble families despoiled the Church and Alan III of Brittany waged war against the duchy, possibly in an attempt to take control. [97], Early in 1069, Edgar the theling rose in revolt and attacked York. [65] William's western border was thus secured, but his border with Brittany remained insecure. records. Edgar the theling also appears to have been given lands. The other, the De obitu Willelmi, or On the Death of William, has been shown to be a copy of two 9th-century accounts with names changed. [128] William granted some lands to his continental followers from the holdings of one or more specific Englishmen; at other times, he granted a compact grouping of lands previously held by many different Englishmen to one Norman follower, often to allow for the consolidation of lands around a strategically placed castle. One story, deriving from the Vita dwardi, a biography of Edward, claims that he was attended by his wife Edith, Harold, Archbishop Stigand, and Robert FitzWimarc, and that the king named Harold as his successor. [49] There are some written descriptions of a burly and robust appearance, with a guttural voice. [56] Another important appointment was that of William's half-brother, Odo, as Bishop of Bayeux in either 1049 or 1050. While seizing Mantes, William either fell ill or was injured by the pommel of his saddle. They were John, Elizabeth, Edward, Sarah, Thomas and Rebecca. [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. family of Stapleford were similar to the names in Edward Grays family. [54] The duke travelled constantly around the duchy, confirming charters and collecting revenues. a royal commission set up by William in 1085-86), as lord of many manors The union of the Grays with the royal line of Tudor was by the marriage de Gray. Another Tiverton Gray, Pardon Gray was active during the war also. [117] William's forces were forced to lift the siege, and the king returned to Rouen. Before we called him William the Conqueror, he had a much more ignoble nickname: William the Bastard. Sam helped precipitate the Massacre itself. Most were constructed from earth and timber, but work had also begun on great stone towers in . It was a fairly simple administrative system, built around the ducal household,[53] which consisted of a group of officers including stewards, butlers, and marshals. 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. [93] These captures secured William's rear areas and also his line of retreat to Normandy, if that was needed. William the Conqueror. Aug 29, 2018. [63] No English source mentions a supposed embassy by Archbishop Robert to William conveying the promise of the succession, and the two Norman sources that mention it, William of Jumiges and William of Poitiers, are not precise in their chronology of when this visit took place. [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. Although the chronicler William of Poitiers claimed that Edward's succession was due to Duke William's efforts, this is highly unlikely, as William was at that time practically powerless in his own duchy. England was divided into shires or counties, which were further divided into either hundreds or wapentakes. money from Benjamin Franklin for passage home. A John Gray was buried May 28, 1658. Orderic Vitalis later recorded that Odo had aspirations to become pope. I have probably played with most of them. They included the duke's uncle Robert, the archbishop of Rouen, who had originally opposed the duke; Osbern, a nephew of Gunnor the wife of Richard I; and Gilbert of Brionne, a grandson of Richard I. [20] The support given to the exiled English princes in their attempt to return to England in 1036 shows that the new duke's guardians were attempting to continue his father's policies,[2] but Archbishop Robert's death in March 1037 removed one of William's main supporters, and conditions in Normandy quickly descended into chaos. Edward was ailing, and he died on 5 January 1066. Although William returned to York and built another castle, Edgar remained free, and in the autumn he joined up with King Sweyn. The deaths of Count Geoffrey and the king in 1060 cemented the shift in the balance of power towards William. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 5 daughters. Henry de Gray had several sons; (I) Robert of Rotherfield, (II) Richard [119] The king was at Gloucester for Christmas 1080 and at Winchester for Whitsun in 1081, ceremonially wearing his crown on both occasions. With a swift campaign, William seized Le Mans from Fulk's forces, completing the campaign by 30 March 1073. Marcher Lords. [t] When in Normandy, William acknowledged that he owed fealty to the French king, but in England no such acknowledgement was made further evidence that the various parts of William's lands were considered separate. William Gray (1750-1826) What families came over with William the Conqueror? They succeeded in capturing an Angevin fortress but accomplished little else. Holland, in 1622. As one of . Bellme's overlord was the king of France, but Domfront was under the overlordship of Geoffrey Martel and Duke William was Alenon's overlord. Ralph also requested Danish aid. The Grays in Ireland, usually Orderic Vitalis preserves a lengthy account, complete with speeches made by many of the principals, but this is likely more of an account of how a king should die than of what actually happened. of Henry VIII. The difficulties over the succession led to a loss of authority in Normandy, with the aristocracy regaining much of the power they had lost to the elder William. The period from 1047 to 1054 saw almost continuous warfare, with lesser crises continuing until 1060. Although some of the newly rich Normans in England came from William's close family or from the upper Norman nobility, others were from relatively humble backgrounds. 863 related objects. The Dorset Grays are of great antiquity, The trouble in 1077 or 1078 resulted in Robert leaving Normandy accompanied by a band of young men, many of them the sons of William's supporters. [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. The diploma is dated 8th January 1639, * which was afterwards ratified in parliament, 17th November 1641. [77] The last claimant was William of Normandy, against whose anticipated invasion King Harold Godwinson made most of his preparations. Modern historians have come to the conclusion that the New Forest depopulation was greatly exaggerated. [n][79] Events after the invasion, which included the penance William performed and statements by later popes, do lend circumstantial support to the claim of papal approval. [7][c], William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, most likely towards the end of 1028. At first, Alan of Brittany had custody of the duke, but when Alan died in either late 1039 or October 1040, Gilbert of Brionne took charge of William. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but William's hold was mostly secure on England by 1075, allowing him to spend the greater part of his reign in continental Europe. [35] William was engaged in military actions against his own nobles throughout 1053,[36] as well as with the new Archbishop of Rouen, Mauger. of that parish for some years. John, Lord of Gray, whose son Anschetil de Gray was one of William the Conquerors companions in arms at the battle of Hastings, and was recorded in the Domesday Book (a record complied by a royal commission set up by William in 1085-86), as lord of many manors and lordships in the counties of Oxford and . [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. William gave generously to the church;[56] from 1035 to 1066, the Norman aristocracy founded at least twenty new monastic houses, including William's two monasteries in Caen, a remarkable expansion of religious life in the duchy. When he died in June, 1681, he left the largest estate Most leave the usual trail. The tragic fate of their daughter, Lady Jane Gray, In 1402 Owain, of Hastings, and was recorded in the Domesday Book (a record complied by The listings describe the holding, who owned the land before the Conquest, its value, what the tax assessment was, and usually the number of peasants, ploughs, and any other resources the holding had. [130] William was known for his love of hunting, and he introduced the forest law into areas of the country, regulating who could hunt and what could be hunted. 10711087)", "Robert, duke of Normandy (b. in or after 1050, d. 1134)", "Les femmes dans l'histoire du duch de Normandie (Women in the history of ducal Normandy)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_the_Conqueror&oldid=1152709080, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 21:01. 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. Not all of the Normans who accompanied William in the initial conquest acquired large amounts of land in England. Park Street Congregational Church, Boston. The Whitsun council saw the appointment of Lanfranc as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, and Thomas of Bayeux as the new Archbishop of York, to replace Ealdred, who had died in September 1069. [73], William of Poitiers describes a council called by Duke William, in which the writer gives an account of a great debate that took place between William's nobles and supporters over whether to risk an invasion of England. William's government blended elements of the English and Norman systems into a new one that laid the foundations of the later medieval English kingdom. [137] William's exact motivation in ordering the survey is unclear, but it probably had several purposes, such as making a record of feudal obligations and justifying increased taxation. [77] The Norman fleet finally set sail two days later, landing in England at Pevensey Bay on 28 September. Mortemer thus marked another turning point in William's growing control of the duchy,[39] although his conflict with the French king and the Count of Anjou continued until 1060. [106], William returned to England to release his army from service in 1073 but quickly returned to Normandy, where he spent all of 1074. Most of the lands of the New Forest are poor agricultural lands, and archaeological and geographic studies have shown that it was likely sparsely settled when it was turned into a royal forest. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. [15], William faced several challenges on becoming duke, including his illegitimate birth and his youth: the evidence indicates that he was either seven or eight years old at the time. During the Bretons' flight, rumours swept through the Norman forces that the duke had been killed, but William succeeded in rallying his troops. Although Alexander did give papal approval to the conquest after it succeeded, no other source claims papal support prior to the invasion. Others, such as H. G. Richardson and G. O. Sayles, see the changes brought about by the Conquest as much less radical than Southern suggests. in and about London. The information that follows was researched and kindly provided by Rodney [108] While William was in Normandy, Edgar the theling returned to Scotland from Flanders. Although William of Poitiers and William of Jumiges disagree about where the fleet was built Poitiers states it was constructed at the mouth of the River Dives, while Jumiges states it was built at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme both agree that it eventually sailed from Valery-sur-Somme. He made arrangements for the governance of England in early 1067 before returning to Normandy. Gray Family History. 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. King Philip of France later relieved the siege and defeated William at the Battle of Dol in 1076, forcing him to retreat back to Normandy. After a long effort, the duke succeeded in exiling Guy in 1050. Their forces landed near Bristol but were defeated by Eadnoth. William's son Robert, still allied with the French king, appears to have been active in stirring up trouble, enough so that William led an expedition against the French Vexin in July 1087. Her rule was contested by Robert, Baldwin's brother. Burkes Peerage says: "The family of Gray is of great antiquity These controversies have led to William being seen by some historians either as one of the creators of England's greatness or as inflicting one of the greatest defeats in English history. This lone relic was reburied in 1642 with a new marker, which was replaced 100 years later with a more elaborate monument. Edward was a leading citizen and During his childhood and adolescence, members of the Norman aristocracy battled each other, both for control of the child duke, and for their own ends. All the English counties south of the River Tees and River Ribble are included, and the whole work seems to have been mostly completed by 1 August 1086, when the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that William received the results and that all the chief magnates swore the Salisbury Oath, a renewal of their oaths of allegiance.

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