Henri Ier of England

See also: Henri, Henri Ier

Henri Ier Beauclerc (towards 1068, Selby, Yorkshire - February 1st 1135, Lyons-the-Forest), is youngest wire of William the Conqueror. He succeeds his brother Guillaume II the Russet-red on the Trône of England in 1100, and seizes the Duché of Normandy of his brother Robert in 1106.

He is called Lion of Justice for his improvement of the rudimentary wheels of the administration and the legislative apparatus of the country.

Accession with the throne

Henri is born between May 1068 and May 1069, probably with Selby, Yorkshire, England, wire of William the Conqueror and Mathilde de Flandres. Benjamin of the family, it is intended for the priesthood, and receives an important instruction for a noble young person of this period (from where his nickname of Beauclerc ). He is probably the first Norman chief with speaking the English and knowing to read and write.

With died of his/her father, his share of heritage is approximately 2500 kg of money, whereas Robert Courteheuse receives the Duché of Normandy, and Guillaume the Royaume of England. Both elder conclude a treaty stipulating that with died the one of them, the survivor will inherit his territories.

When Guillaume II dies (perhaps assassinated) the August 2nd 1100, its elder Robert is with the First Crusade. Its absence and its bad reputation among the noble Norman ones make it possible Henri to seize the royal treasure of Winchester and the throne the next day. It is accepted as king by principal the barons, and is crowned three days later, the August 5th, with the Abbaye of Westminster.

Reign

At once, it ensures its throne by promulgating the Charte of freedoms, which is regarded as an outline of the Magna Carta. It also restores several laws of fire king Edouard the Confessor.

The November 11th 1100, Henri marries Edith, girl of Malcolm III, king of Scotland. As Edith is also the niece of Edgar Atheling, the marriage links the line Norman with the old line of the Anglo-Saxon kings. The marriage displeases to the Norman barons much. However, concession in their sensitivity, Edith changes her name into Mathilde while becoming queen.

In 1101, Robert Courteheuse tries without success to take again the crown by invading England. By the Treated of Alton, Robert agrees to recognize Henri like the king of England, and to turn over peacefully in Normandy. He receives an annual rent n the other hand, the obliteration of his debts towards late king Guillaume and the transfer of the majority of the grounds Normans of Henri.

In 1105, to eliminate the constant threat from Robert Courteheuse, Henri carries out a task force while crossing the Manche. In 1106, it obtains a decisive victory over the army Norman of its brother to the Bataille of Tinchebray. It captures Robert and joins together the Duché of Normandy to the crown of England. Robert will remain imprisoned with Bristol, and Cardiff, until his death in this place in 1134.

He is at the origin of the construction of many traditional square keep-palates. One finds of them examples with the Château of Cliff (Normandy), with Norwich and Castle-Rising (Norfolk), etc

A difficult succession

Before the death of his first Mathilde wife of Scotland in 1118, Henri has four children: Guillaume Adelin (1102 - 1120), Mathilde (1103 - 1167), Richard de Lincoln († 1120) and Robert, these two last being illegitimate.

His/her only son legitimates Guillaume Adelin does not survive to him, it perishes in the shipwreck of the White-Nave , the November 25th 1120, close to the coasts of Normandy.

The January 29th 1121, it marries Adélaïde, girl of the duke Godefroid I {{er}} of Leuwen, but no newborn is born from this marriage. However, Henri holds the record of the greatest number of bastard recognized born from an English king, with a total the thirty-five one.

Seeing itself without legitimate male heir, on January 1st 1127, Henri makes lend oath by his barons to accept his daughter Mathilde Emperesse, widow of the Germanic Empereur Henri V like his heiress.

Henri dies of a food poisoning, after having eaten damaged Lamproie S in December 1135 with Lyons-the-Forest (Saint-Denis-in-Lyons) in Normandy. He is buried with the abbey of Reading.

Although the barons of Henri swore allegiance with his daughter, recognizing it like future queen, her alleged sexual escapades and its remarriage with Angevin, Geoffroy Beautiful the, Count d' Anjou, an enemy of Norman, allow a nephew of Henri, Etienne of Blois, to come in England and to claim with the throne with their support.

The fight between Mathilde and Etienne causes a long civil war known as L ''' Anarchie ''. The argument is finally regulated in 1153 with the Traité of Wallingford: Etienne designates the son of Emperesse and the count d' Anjou, the future Henri II like heir.

Families and descent

First weddings

In first weddings, he marries Edith of Scotland (1080 - 1118), girl of Malcolm III, King d' Écosse and of Marguerite, with the Abbaye of Westminster, the November 11th 1100. Edith adopts the Christian first name of Mathilde at the time of her marriage. They had as children  :

  • Adelaide then Mathilde (1102 - 1167), whose throne was usurped by Etienne of Blois. Mother of Henri II  ;

  • Guillaume Adelin (1103 - 1120), which died in the shipwreck of the White-Nave.

A source to be confirmed also quotes:

  • Euphemia (born in 1101), deceased young person.

Before this marriage, Henri has already several illegitimate children (see low) .

Second weddings

The January 29th 1121, it marries Adélaïde of Leuwen (1103 - 1151), with the royal vault of the castle of Windsor. It is the girl of Godefroid I {{er}}, Duc of Low-Lotharingie. No newborn will be born from this marriage. With died from her husband, it obtains the castle and the honors of Arundel. She marries Guillaume d' Aubigny, which will become Count d' Arundel.

Illegitimate mistresses and children

Henri Ier remained famous because it is that which, among the kings of England, recognized the greatest number of illegitimate children, between 20 and 25 according to the sources. It had so much mistresses who it is difficult to say which was the mother of each child. Those whose mother is not known are the following:

  1. Robert de Gloucester († 1147), Ier Count de Gloucester. His/her mother was probably the girl of a middle-class man of Caen. It is doubtless the first wire that Henri had  ;

  2. Maud FitzRoy, wife towards 1112 Conan III, Duke of Brittany  ;
  3. Alix or Aline FitzRoy (before 1141), first wife of Mathieu I {{er}};
  4. FitzRoy Constancy, wife of Roscelin, Viscount of Beaumont  ;
  5. Mathilde or Maud FitzRoy, abbess of Montvilliers  ;
  6. Guillaume de Tracy, dead little time after his/her father  ;
  7. Gilbert FitzRoy († after 1142). His/her mother was perhaps a sister of Walter of Ghent  ;
  8. Emma of England (born about 1138), wife of Guy IV, lord of Laval  ;
  9. a not named girl (Mabel?) (born about 1084), wife of Guillaume III Goët, lord of Montmirail.

Others whose filiation is not proven:

  1. Amabilis, wife of Gauthier de Ridelisford  ;
  2. Elisabeth, wife of Fergus, lord of Galloway.

With Edith

  1. Mathilde of the Pole († 1120), wife towards 1103 Rotrou III, Count of the Pole. She perishes in the shipwreck of the White-Nave.

With Ansfriede

Ansfride was born about 1070. She marries to sir Anskill, knight of the abbey of Abingdon.

  1. Richard de Lincoln (before 1101 - 1120), perishes in the shipwreck of the White-Nave  ;

  2. Juliane de Fontevrault, which marries Eustace de Pacy. When her husband rebels against the king in 1119, it besieges it in its castle of Breteuil  ;
  3. Foulques, probably monk with the abbey of Abingdon.

With Sibyl Corbet

Ram Sybille Corbet d' Alcester (1077 - 1157), Warwickshire. She marries Herbert FitzHerbert.

  1. Sybille of England (about 1092 - 1122), which marries Alexandre I {{er}}, king of Scotland;

  2. Guillaume (before 1105 - after 1187), perhaps constable of Scotland until 1122. Married a certain Alice  ;
  3. Réginald de Dunstanville (about 1110 - 1175), first Count de Cornouailles  ;
  4. Rohaise (1114 - 1176), Henri wife, lord of Pomeray, Devon.

Filiation with Henri de Gundred is very discussed  :

  1. Gundred of England, named like sister of Réginald. Perhaps confused with Rohaise.

With Edith FitzForne

Edith FitzForne de Greystoke, marries Robert de Oilly, constable castle of Oxford.

  1. Robert FitzEdith or FitzRoy (1093 - 1172), lord of Okehampton, owner in Devon in 1130. He marries Maud d' Avranches in 1142. He was a partisan of his half-sister in the civil war which she carried out.

With the Nest princess

Nest (born about 1073), girl of Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince de Galles of the South. She is the wife of Gerald de Windsor then of Owain, had several illegitimate connections and children.

  1. Henri FitzRoy († 1157). It was killed during the invasion of Anglesey per Henri II.

With Isabelle de Beaumont

Isabelle (after 1102 - after 1172), is the girl of Robert de Beaumont, Count de Meulan and of Leicester, and Elisabeth de Vermandois. She is the sister of the twins Galéran and Robert, high at the court of the king and become her close relations advisers. She marries Gilbert de Clare, first Count de Pembroke in 1130.

  1. Isabelle (born about 1120), lived with her mother.

References

External sources

  • British

    BBC

  • Royalty
  • Brittania
  • the family tree of the descendants
  • Genealogy of Henri Ier of England
  • Genealogy of kings d' Angleterre (1006-1603)

Simple: Henry I off England

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