William the Conqueror (1028-1087) - Find a Grave Memorial William responded swiftly, ignoring a continental revolt in Maine, and symbolically wore his crown in the ruins of York on Christmas Day 1069. Gray was one of William the Conquerors companions in arms at the battle He took part in church councils and made several appointments to the Norman episcopate, including the appointment of Maurilius as Archbishop of Rouen. [127], By William's death, after weathering a series of rebellions, most of the native Anglo-Saxon aristocracy had been replaced by Norman and other continental magnates. [34] However, in 1052 the king and Geoffrey Martel made common cause against William at the same time as some Norman nobles began to contest William's increasing power. Towns were listed separately. Sam helped precipitate the Massacre itself. Born circa 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, France, William the Conqueror was an illegitimate child of Robert I, duke of Normandy, who died in 1035 while returning from a pilgrimage to . [31] To address the growing power of the Count of Anjou, Geoffrey Martel,[32] William joined with King Henry in a campaign against him, the last known cooperation between the two. [80] He probably learned of William's landing while he was travelling south. His holdings included nine thirtieths of the It The family of Gray or Grey, says Burke in his peerages, claims descent Later English sources stated that Harold had been elected as king by the clergy and magnates of England. More difficulties struck in 1083 when William's son Robert rebelled once more with support from the French king. [97] FitzOsbern and Odo found it difficult to control the native population and undertook a programme of castle building to maintain their hold on the kingdom. Gray Family History. father or the son. [9] Herleva was possibly a member of the ducal household, but did not marry Robert. By the time of William's death in 1087, around 500 castles had been built across England and Wales. The lands around Rouen became the core of the later duchy of Normandy. The fleet carried an invasion force that included, in addition to troops from William's own territories of Normandy and Maine, large numbers of mercenaries, allies, and volunteers from Brittany, northeastern France, and Flanders, together with smaller numbers from other parts of Europe. English resistance had also begun, with Eadric the Wild attacking Hereford and revolts at Exeter, where Harold's mother Gytha was a focus of resistance. 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. The Tiverton Grays are descended from a long line of Grays which are claimed to go back to Rollo, Viking invader and conqueror of Normandy, France. William also ordered that all of his prisoners be released, including his half-brother Odo. of Rotherfield, Codmore, Wilton, Rhuthun, Groby and Rugemont, the Viscount Edward IV married Elizabeth Gray, the widow of Sir John [e] His mother Herleva was a daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; he may have been a tanner or embalmer. 1. William's biographer David Bates argues that the former explanation is more likely, explaining that the balance of power had recently shifted in Wales and that William would have wished to take advantage of the changed circumstances to extend Norman power. William of Jumiges claimed that Harold was killed by the duke. Henry's about-face was probably motivated by a desire to retain dominance over Normandy, which was now threatened by William's growing mastery of his duchy. [2], William left England towards the end of 1086. Samuel Gray, son of Edward of Tiverton, moved to Boston and could be William the Conqueror, conquered in the 'Norman Conquest' -- Norman here being code for French. [49] There are some written descriptions of a burly and robust appearance, with a guttural voice. [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. Most years saw the rate of two shillings per hide, but in crises, it could be increased to as much as six shillings per hide. The chronicler also claimed that the duke secured the support of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and King Sweyn II of Denmark. 863 related objects. Others have viewed him as an enemy of the English constitution, or alternatively as its creator. from tree Kittredge Family Tree (Private) Birth. The soldier de Gray. The Norman conquest changed all that. While seizing Mantes, William either fell ill or was injured by the pommel of his saddle. Thomas died in Plymouth June 7, 1654. [85] Although the numbers on each side were about equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few, if any, archers. diverse branches. Lordships. It appears that the Gray family was from Harwich, Essex, as a John and [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. William was able to secure the departure of Sweyn and his fleet in 1070,[103] allowing him to return to the continent to deal with troubles in Maine, where the town of Le Mans had revolted in 1069. [94] But the families of Harold and his brothers lost their lands, as did some others who had fought against William at Hastings. In the 1050s and early 1060s, William became a contender for the throne of England held by the childless Edward the Confessor, his first cousin once removed. Robert was accused by some writers of killing Richard, a plausible but now unprovable charge. Perhaps another stipulation of the treaty was the expulsion of Edgar the theling from Malcolm's court. The French king, seeking a focus for those opposed to William's power, then proposed that Edgar be given the castle of Montreuil-sur-Mer on the Channel, which would have given Edgar a strategic advantage against William. The town held out for 18 days, and after it fell to William he built a castle to secure his control. William the Conqueror. Although Orderic Vitalis describes it as starting with a quarrel between Robert and his two younger brothers, William and Henry, including a story that the quarrel was started when William and Henry threw water at Robert, it is much more likely that Robert was feeling powerless. [32], On the death of Hugh of Maine, Geoffrey Martel occupied Maine in a move contested by William and King Henry; eventually, they succeeded in driving Geoffrey from the county, and in the process, William had been able to secure the Bellme family strongholds at Alenon and Domfront for himself. William The Conqueror Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life if you have any questions, please e-mail Rodney Gray at "wyarg 'at' juno dot com". Gray Genealogy and Gray Family History Information Collections Online | British Museum of Sir Thomas of Berwick and Chillingham. Conan's death in 1066 further secured William's borders in Normandy. Edgar the theling also appears to have been given lands. [145], William's reign has caused historical controversy since before his death. 2 son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy and Harlette de Falaise, was born about 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, France and died on 9 Sep 1087 in Rouen, Normandy, France about age 59.. Other names for William were William of Normandy and William I King of England. Fulbert was also William the Conqueror's Great Chamberlain. Its effect, though, was to destabilise Brittany, forcing the duke, Conan II, to focus on internal problems rather than on expansion. The tomb has been disturbed several times since 1087, the first time in 1522 when the grave was opened on orders from the papacy. David Gray of Tiverton was captured by the British during the war and [100] The historian David Bates sees this coronation as the ceremonial papal "seal of approval" for William's conquest. It is unclear what exactly happened at Edward's deathbed. Robert and Pardon who left a record for all to see. The soldier took offense and went at Sam [154], "William I" redirects here. Norwich was besieged and surrendered, with the garrison allowed to go to Brittany. and heiress of Henry heir apparent of William.". [142], The impact on England of William's conquest was profound; changes in the Church, aristocracy, culture, and language of the country have persisted into modern times. Because it's the olden days, people had lots of kids, but to keep things simple this family tree is going to leave out many of them on each branch because not every child matters. With a swift campaign, William seized Le Mans from Fulk's forces, completing the campaign by 30 March 1073. [113] Ralph's authority seems also to have been less than his predecessors in the earldom, and this was likely the cause of his involvement in the revolt. Next, he led his forces around the south and west of London, burning along the way. William was unhorsed by Robert and was only saved from death by an Englishman, Toki son of Wigod, who was himself killed. [56] Another important appointment was that of William's half-brother, Odo, as Bishop of Bayeux in either 1049 or 1050. was a son of Gray in Chillingham, Northumberland, England, who came to Members of the Gray or de Gray family later ride with William the Conqueror to defeat the Brittish at the Battle of Hastings(1066). Rebecca, baptized 1615, married Thomas Perry May 28, 1650. (born 860 A.D.). [38] William met the invasion by dividing his forces into two groups. His reign in England was marked by the construction of castles, settling a new Norman nobility on the land, and change in the composition of the English clergy. [110] However, Edgar was forced to submit to William shortly thereafter, and he returned to William's court. Alfred returned to England in 1036 to visit his mother and perhaps to challenge Harold as king. [20], The anarchy in the duchy lasted until 1047,[21] and control of the young duke was one of the priorities of those contending for power. [2] Although he put two Normans in overall charge, he retained many of the native English sheriffs. Marcher Lords. It is unclear whether William would have been supplanted in the ducal succession if Robert had had a legitimate son. it is Gray. 6. Harold stopped in London, and was there for about a week before marching to Hastings, so it is likely that he spent about a week on his march south, averaging about 27 miles (43 kilometres) per day,[81] for the distance of approximately 200 miles (320 kilometres). Each shire was administered by a royal official called a sheriff, who roughly had the same status as a Norman viscount. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. in the Reign of William the Conqueror, are the Amoreal bearings of Paganus Orderic also related that Odo had attempted to persuade some of William's vassals to join Odo in an invasion of southern Italy. [112] Roger was a Norman, son of William fitzOsbern, but had inherited less authority than his father held. 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. [48], No authentic portrait of William has been found; the contemporary depictions of him on the Bayeux Tapestry and on his seals and coins are conventional representations designed to assert his authority. The seal shows a mounted knight and is the first extant example of an. died January 1, 1515. [s] William was able to make peace with Philip in 1077 and secured a truce with Count Fulk in late 1077 or early 1078. [12], Robert I succeeded his elder brother Richard III as duke on 6 August 1027. and the brawl that developed ended in a draw. called Gray. Who Was The Real William The Conqueror? - YouTube [62] Godwin returned from exile in 1052 with armed forces, and a settlement was reached between the king and the earl, restoring the earl and his family to their lands and replacing Robert of Jumiges, a Norman whom Edward had named Archbishop of Canterbury, with Stigand, the Bishop of Winchester. The story of her pure and beautiful He registered for military service in 1066. [121], Sources for William's actions between 1082 and 1084 are meagre. described in what is called the Grand Deed. Top 11 Interesting Facts about William the Conqueror Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by Harold, later claimed that his body had been secretly buried there. The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical [49] Geoffrey Martel described him as without equal as a fighter and as a horseman. William I, the first Norman King of England, ascended to the throne in 1066 shortly after the death of his second cousin, Edward the Confessor. Some of the native abbots were also deposed, both at the council held near Easter and at a further one near Whitsun. Gray who was slain at the second battle of St. Albans, 1461. William the Conqueror | The British Library | The British Library Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895-1972), US Senator. [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. William's movements during 1084 and 1085 are unclear he was in Normandy at Easter 1084 but may have been in England before then to collect the danegeld assessed that year for the defence of England against an invasion by King Cnut IV of Denmark. A further blow was the death of Queen Matilda on 2 November 1083. of a series of incidents that brought about the Boston Massacre later that [45] Papal sanction of the marriage appears to have required the founding of two monasteries in Caen one by William and one by Matilda. William was the son of the Norman Duke Robert the Magnificent and the unnamed daughter of a tanner. as Hereward's forces attacked Peterborough Abbey, which they captured and looted. left and came back later with some help, but Sams friends came to his aid by purchase from the Indians. Medieval chroniclers frequently referred to 11th-century events only by the season, making more precise dating impossible. [143] How abrupt and far-reaching the changes were is still a matter of debate among historians, with some such as Richard Southern claiming that the Conquest was the single most radical change in European history between the Fall of Rome and the 20th century. 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. Gilbert was killed within months, and another guardian, Turchetil, was also killed around the time of Gilbert's death. a Welch leader, was having a dispute with another Reginald de Grey, and de Gray, (III) John from whom the most illustrious branches of the house Stigand submitted to William there, and when the duke moved on to Berkhamsted soon afterwards, Edgar the theling, Morcar, Edwin, and Ealdred also submitted. A Marcher Lordship passed from an Owain to son-in-law John Charleton. 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. of Henry VIII. American descendants of William the Conqueror of England [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. Among the names inscribed at Battle Abbey, after the Battle of Hastings, He was thus able to assert his overlordship over the Bellme family and compel them to act consistently with Norman interests. The name has various spellings and includes GRAY and GREY - sometimes different spellings occur in the same generation of a single family.The first Gray to arrive in the United States was John Gray in about 1620.The origins of the name would seem to be multiple. [60], Count Herbert II of Maine died in 1062, and William, who had betrothed his eldest son Robert to Herbert's sister Margaret, claimed the county through his son. Edward was ailing, and he died on 5 January 1066. [132], Besides taxation, William's large landholdings throughout England strengthened his rule. Born in the United States. [54] The duke travelled constantly around the duchy, confirming charters and collecting revenues. He died in September 1087 while leading a campaign in northern France, and was buried in Caen. [2], While William was in Normandy, a former ally, Eustace, the Count of Boulogne, invaded at Dover but was repulsed. [30], William's next efforts were against Guy of Burgundy, who retreated to his castle at Brionne, which William besieged. Not an insignificant sum!! and military commanders in the British realm. These fortifications allowed Normans to retreat into safety when threatened with rebellion and allowed garrisons to be protected while they occupied the countryside. He finally crossed the Thames at Wallingford in early December. coin. Gray Family Crest and History - Arms & Badges A papal embassy arrived in England during this period, asking that William do fealty for England to the papacy, a request that he rejected. England remained unstable. [115], In late 1077 or early 1078 trouble began between William and his eldest son, Robert. He received from Robert the Castle and honor [138], William left Normandy to Robert, and the custody of England was given to William's second surviving son, also called William, on the assumption that he would become king. British Monarch. Some appear to have been reluctant to take up lands in a kingdom that did not always appear pacified. Ralph was bottled up in Norwich Castle by the combined efforts of Odo of Bayeux, Geoffrey de Montbray, Richard fitzGilbert, and William de Warenne. The listing for each county gives the holdings of each landholder, grouped by owners. Interaction between father and son, nevertheless, remained problematic right up until William's passing. 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. Park Street Congregational Church, Boston. [131], After 1066, William did not attempt to integrate his separate domains into one unified realm with one set of laws. Ecclesiastical offices continued to be held by the same bishops as before the invasion, including the uncanonical Stigand. 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. 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. Ralph eventually left Norwich in the control of his wife and left England, finally ending up in Brittany. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poet. [79] Harold kept his forces on alert throughout the summer, but with the arrival of the harvest season he disbanded his army on 8 September. William then sent forces into London to construct a castle; he was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. It was said that Walter, William's maternal uncle, was occasionally forced to hide the young duke in the houses of peasants,[23] although this story may be an embellishment by Orderic Vitalis. Thomas, baptized July 16, 1620 (no further mention). [66], In England, Earl Godwin died in 1053 and his sons were increasing in power: Harold succeeded to his father's earldom, and another son, Tostig, became Earl of Northumbria. Her rule was contested by Robert, Baldwin's brother. of King Edward, her son the young Prince Consort, and her son Lord Gray, In the Department of Haute-Saone, there is now a town Dorset branch of the Gray family. He was crowned the Duke in 1035 and over the years made himself the mightiest noble in France, later seizing the English throne in 1066. Nor is there evidence that many English pennies were circulating in Normandy, which shows little attempt to integrate the monetary systems of England and Normandy. William the Conqueror Details individual; ruler; French; British; Male. of Pennsylvania and the early settlers of Virginia and other southern states. 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. found in. William the Conqueror; Issue Detail: Robert II, Duke of Normandy Richard Adeliza Cecilia William II, King of England Constance, Duchess of Brittany Adela, Countess of Blois Henry I, King of England . [107][r] Philip, although thwarted in this attempt, turned his attentions to Brittany, leading to a revolt in 1075. [82] Although Harold attempted to surprise the Normans, William's scouts reported the English arrival to the duke. Another consequence of William's invasion was the sundering of the formerly close ties between England and Scandinavia. John Gray was married before going to Stapleford, and Although William returned to York and built another castle, Edgar remained free, and in the autumn he joined up with King Sweyn. [132], William took over an English government that was more complex than the Norman system. [144] In the years since the Conquest, politicians and other leaders have used William and the events of his reign to illustrate political events throughout English history. This tomb was again destroyed during the French Revolution but was eventually replaced with the current ledger stone. were both executed in 1483, by the notorious Richard III. [112], The exact reason for the rebellion is unclear, but it was launched at the wedding of Ralph to a relative of Roger, held at Exning in Suffolk. At an early period there were also Grays This second force defeated the invaders at the Battle of Mortemer. Local nobles resisted the claim, but William invaded and by 1064 had secured control of the area. at night, was able to get to the coast and over to France where he got After entrusting England to his second son, the elder William sent the younger William back to England on 7 or 8 September, bearing a letter to Lanfranc ordering the archbishop to aid the new king. [57], In 1051 the childless King Edward of England appears to have chosen William as his successor. [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. Many of the people have more than one path to William, but this is mostly just showing one (ideally the shortest path). It seems that a British soldier [126], At first, most of the newly settled Normans kept household knights and did not settle their retainers with fiefs of their own, but gradually these household knights came to be granted lands of their own, a process known as subinfeudation. 1476; and Lady Jane Grey who was queen of England for a few days. manor of Turoc in Essex. [102], Although Sweyn had promised to leave England, he returned in early 1070, raiding along the Humber and East Anglia toward the Isle of Ely, where he joined up with Hereward the Wake, a local thegn. 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. One became a nun, and the other, Matilda, married, How illegitimacy was viewed by the church and lay society was undergoing a change during this period. William Conqueror Family Tree With Complete Detail [114] Roger and Waltheof were kept in prison, where Waltheof was executed in May 1076. Thomas were sent to America by relatives who were scheming for the property [73], Harold's brother Tostig made probing attacks along the southern coast of England in May 1066, landing at the Isle of Wight using a fleet supplied by Baldwin of Flanders. Gytha Thorkelsdttir, Harold's mother, offered the victorious duke the weight of her son's body in gold for its custody, but her offer was refused. They were among the Pilgrims of New England, the Quakers The youngest son, Henry, received money. [58] William was the grandson of Edward's maternal uncle, Richard II of Normandy. had two sons, both named John. [2], There are indications that Robert may have been briefly betrothed to a daughter of King Cnut, but no marriage took place. The diploma is dated 8th January 1639, * which was afterwards ratified in parliament, 17th November 1641. The administrative machinery of Normandy, England, and Maine continued to exist separate from the other lands, with each one retaining its own forms. came to the rope makers shop where Sam worked and asked for a job. [106], William returned to England to release his army from service in 1073 but quickly returned to Normandy, where he spent all of 1074. and enlisted the sympathies of the world. William also benefited from his campaign in Brittany by securing the support of some Breton nobles who went on to support the invasion of England in 1066. Known as 'William the Bastard' to his contemporaries, his illegitimacy shaped his career when he was young. in time of war and helped build it in peacetime. In 1047, William was able to quash a rebellion and begin to establish his authority over the duchy, a process that was not complete until about 1060. Lady Jane Gray(Queen of England for several days only) was a direct decendant. Arguing that Edward had previously promised the throne to him and that Harold had sworn to support his claim, William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066. [61] By 1050, however, relations between the king and the earl had soured, culminating in a crisis in 1051 that led to the exile of Godwin and his family from England. [60] The trip is unlikely given William's absorption in warfare with Anjou at the time. Gray Family of Tiverton, RI - RootsWeb King Robert Bruce when he ascended the throne. Family legend says that he and brother Census records every ten years and an occasional mention in a [93], William remained in England after his coronation and tried to reconcile the native magnates. [88], Harold's body was identified the day after the battle, either through his armour or marks on his body. changed to DeGray and then to Gray. thelred and Emma's two sons, Edward and Alfred, went into exile in Normandy while their mother, Emma, became Cnut's second wife. 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. [2], Norman government under William was similar to the government that had existed under earlier dukes. [f] One of Herleva's brothers, Walter, became a supporter and protector of William during his minority. 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. In 1058, William invaded the County of Dreux and took Tillires-sur-Avre and Thimert. A further indignity occurred when the corpse was lowered into the tomb. Hampton Manor Senior Living, Articles W
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