WILLIAM I, surnamed the CONQUEROR, king of England and Duke of Normandy: h. Falaise, Normandy, 1027 or 1028; d. Rouen, 9 Sept. 1087. He was the natural son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, by Arletta, the daughter of a tanner of Falaise, and his father, having no legitimate son, when about to set out on a pil grimage to Jerusalem, nominated him as his heir. Robert died in 1035, while returning from Palestine; and Normandy fell for a time into a condition of anarchy. When William succeeded to the dukedom his sigor and ability soon re stored order, and his power increased co much as to excite the jealousy not only of the sur rounding nobles, but of his suzerain the king of France. Two combinations were formed against him, and twice his territory was in vaded; but he repelled these aggressions, and reduced the French king to the necessity of peace. The opportunity of gaining a wider do minion presented itself on the death of his sec ond cousin, Edward the king of England. When this event took place lie laid claim to the English Crown, alleging that Ed ward had bequeathed it to him. To enforce his claim he invaded England, and the victory of Senlac or Hastings, in which his risal Harold was killed, ensured his success (10(161. On the following Christmas Day, William was crowned, after tumultuary election on the part of the English nobles, and took the customary corona tion oath. His first measures were mild: he sought to ingratiate himself with his new sub jects, preserved his army in strict discipline, con firmed the liberties of London and other cities, and administered justice impartially. On his return to Normandy, however, the English, being treated by the Norman leaders like a con quered people, revolted, and a conspiracy was planned for the massacre of all the Normans in the country. On this intelligence \1 illiam returned, and began with a show of justice by repressing the encroachment of his followers; but on reviving the Danegelt, which had been abolished by Edward the Confessor, the discon tents were renewed. These he repressed with his usual vigor, and a temporary calm succeeded. The resistance of two powerful Saxon nobles, Edwin and Morcar, who had formed an alli ance with the kings of Scotland and Denmark, and with the prince of North Wales, soon after drew William to the north, where he obliged Malcolm, king of Scotland to do homage for Cumberland. From this time he treated the English like a conquered people, multiplied con fiscationsin every quarter, and forced the na tive nobility to desert the country in great num bers. In 1069 another formidable insurrection broke out in the north, and at the same time the English resumed arms in the eastern and south ern counties. William first opposed the storm in the north, and executed such merciless ven geance in his progress that the whole country between York and Durham was turned into a desert; and above 100,000 of both sexes and all ages are said to have perished. There being
now scarcely a landed proprietor who had not incurred the forfeiture of rebellion, he put into execution his plan of introducing a total alter ation of the state of English law and property, by dividing all the lands into baronies and adopting the feudal system in regard to land tenure and services. He also reduced the eccle siastical property to a similar system, and, to prevent resistance from the clergy, expelled most of the English church dignitaries, and placed Normans or other foreigners in their stead, Lanfranc being made archbishop. Still further to humble the English, he caused French to be used in the courts of justice and in law proceedings, and ordered it to form a leading part of instruction in all the schools throughout the realm. In 1076 he received a demand from Pope Gregory VII, requiring him to do homage for his kingdom, and to pay the accustomed tribute from England to the Holy See. William denied the homage; nor would he allow the English prelates to attend a general council summoned by Gregory, but consented to the levy of Peter's pence. Toward the end of his reign he instituted that general survey of the landed property of the kingdom, the record of which still exists under the title of 'Domesday Book.' The manner in which he laid waste a large district in Hampshire, where he demolished villages, churches and convents, and expelled the inhabitants for 30 miles round, merely to form the New Forest for hunting, exhibits his indifference to the suffering of his subjects, as well as his love of the chase, which he further protected by a most severe code of laws. In 1087 he went to war with France, whose king had encouraged a rebellion of Norman nobles, entered the French terri tory, and committed great ravages, but, by the starting of his horse at Nantes, received an in jury which caused his death, at the Abbey of Saint Gervais, near Rouen (1(I87). He left three sons — Robert, to whom he bequeathed Normandy; William, who inherited England; Henry, who received only his mother's property, and five daughters. William the Conqueror was the most powerful sovereign of his time. He possessed superior talents, both political and martial, and employed them with remarkable vigor and industry. His passions were, owever, strong; his ambition severe and merciless; and his love of sway often led him to dis regard all restraints of justice and Consult Laypenberg, 'England under the Anglo Norman kings,' translated by Thorpe (1857); Palgrave, 'Normandy and England,' Vol_ III (1864); Freeman, 'History of the Norman Conquest of England' (1867-71); Stubbs, 'Con stitutional History of England' (1874) ; Green, 'Conquest of England' (1884) ; Freeman, 'Wil liam the Conqueror' (1:::) ; Round, 'Feudal England' (1895).