John Yowan                                                                                                                 Hour 1

Ms. Keeley                                                                                                                  Type 3

Freshman English                                                                                                                         

04 December 2002

Student Choice Theme II         

           

 

William The Conqueror was born in 1027 at Falaise castle, Normandy. At about the age of eight his father died during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem making William the new Duke of Normandy. His Father's barons plotted to do away with him because they did not want him as the Duke of Normandy. Because of this he had to move from place to place all of the time.

            At around the age of fifteen he was knighted. At the age of nineteen he went to war against his cousin Guy of Burgmndy to defend his inheritance. Then in 1051 he went to England to visit Edward the Confessor, the king of England. In 1053 William married Matilda of Flanders. Over the next sixteen years they had nine children.

            In a ten year time period between 1053 and 1063 William The Conqueror suppressed a revolt led by William of Arques.After repulsing two French invasions William eventually captured Maine. The people of Maine would not listen to William,

so he sent his army to destroy the land until they listened. After a while they finally submitted to William.

            In 1064 William got Count Guy to release Harold of Wessex. Harold and William

went to Rouen after Harold's release. They then went into battle against Cohan of Brittany. William knighted Harold for his help and Harold promised to help make William King of England.

            In 1066 Edward the Confessor King of England became ill and died. Harold claimed that on his deathbed Edward had promised him the throne. The next day the Barons decided to make Harold King of England.

            William became upset that Harold had broken his promise to him and began to prepare for war. Tostig one of Harold's brothers backed Williams claim to the throne of England. Tostig attacked England many times, while William prepared for war. On September 24^th in 1066 Harold defeated and killed his brother Tostig.

            During that period of time William had continued to make his preparations for the invasion of England which to him all summer. He raised a very big army and with ships to carry his army on he set sail for England.

            On September 28^th, 1066 William landed in England and fought the Battle of Hastings. William had about five thousand infantry, three thousand knights and over six thousand members of the Fyrd. William won the war and in the process Harold was killed. On December 25^th, 1066 Aldred the Archbishop of York crowned William King of England

            In conclusion, William accomplished many things in his lifetime. These ranged from being King of England and Duke of Normandy to the writing of the "Doomsday Book" a record of the peoples of England and taxed paid. He the politics of the Church function much better and without him England would have been much different than it is today.