WILLIAM I., TIIE CONQUEROR (c.10•27-S7). King of England from 1066 to 10S7. Ile was an illegitimate son of Robert H., Duke of Nor mandy, by Herleva, or Arlette, a tanner's daugh ter, and in early life was known as William the Bastard. When Duke Robert set out on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1033 he caused William to he chosen by the nobles as his sue cesAor, and on Robert's death in 1035 William became Duke of Normandy. Rebellions broke out almost immediately, and attempts were made to seize the person of the young Duke. These re bellions continued during the whole time of his minority, the most serious taking place in 1047. In that year, in alliance with the French King, Henry 1. (q.v.), William won a brilliant victory over the rebels at Val-es-dunes. In 1051 Wil liam visited Edward the Confessor (q.v.) in England, and probably was promised the Eng lish crown after Edward's death. During the succeeding years until 1000, William was en gaged in very frequent warfare with the King of France, the Count of Anjou, and some of his (11.111 subjects, but he succeeded in establishing his authority firmly, and in 1063 gained posses sion of Maine. In 1061 he had established the curfew (q.v.) in Normandy, whence later it was carried over into England.
About 1064 Harold. Earl of Wessex, ap pears to have spent sane time in Normandy, perhaps after a shipwreck which placed him as a prisoner in the hands of the Normans. Accord ing to the Norman chroniclers, whose story is discredited by Freeman, 11:u•old took an (nth to aid William in securing the English crown on the death of Edward the Confessor. On Edward's death Harold was chosen King of was crowned by the Archbishop of York (1066), William had determined that the crown of England should be his, and at once pro c•eeded to claim it, although he had no valid claim Ile ln•etended to be the right ful heir by Edward's bequest and tlu•ough the failure of Harold to abide by his sworn engage ments. Through the agency of Hildebrand, later Gregory VH., he obtained the sanction of the Pope for the conquest of England, on the ground that llarold was guilty of perjury. Be collected an army made up in part of volunteers from France and Flanders, and landed in England on September 28, 1066. The size of his army is
not known, the most reliable estimates varying from 25,000 to 60,000. At the same time the English had to face an onslaught by the Nor wegians. On October 14th William won the bat tle of Hastings (q.v.), or Senln•, in which llar old was slain. After• wasting the whole eountry about London, he finally secured his admission into the city, and on December 25th was crowned King at Westminster, after having been duly elected by the Witan. Five more years of ravag ing and lighting completed the conquest of Eng land, the revolt under Bereward (q.v.) being put down only in 1071. In 1070, in order• to make all further resistance impossible. he laid waste the whole Vale of York. Many thousand people were killed or perished from starvation. In 1072 he invaded Scotland and received the homage of Malcolm Canmore. See MA4cor,m.
During the next ten years William divided his time between Normandy and England. He was compelled to carry on war against the Count of Anjou, the French King, and his own son Robert. In 1075 a serious revolt occurred in England, where the two most powerful earls had plotted treason. After subduing them, William put to death Waltheof, the last earl of purely English stock. About 1076 William created the New Forest in the southwest of Hampshire. In 1082 he imprisoned his brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, whom he had made Earl of Kent and had left as his regent in England during his absences. He retained him in captivity almost until the time of his own death. In 1085 he pre vented an invasion by Canute the Saint (q.v.), and in the same year ordered a survey of Eng land. (See DOMESDAY Boor..) In 10S6 he re quired all vassals of 'nestle lords, as well as di rect vassals, to do fealty to him, thus introduc ing into England the Norman custom by which the Duke had direct authority over all his sub jects. This was the most important feudal in novation that William made in England. In 1087, while waging war against Philip I. of France. Ile received an internal injury. and died September 9th.