52nd Generation (Continued)
Family of Adela\Alex Capet Princess of France (433) & Baldwin V the Pious Count of Flanders

443. Matilda of Flanders, 29G Grandmother, F. Born abt 1031 in Flanders, France. Matilda of died in Caen, Normandy on 3 Nov 1083, she was 52. Born in 1032. Buried in Holy Trinity Abbey, Caen.

In 1053 when Matilda of was 22, she married William I the Conqueror King of England (236) , 29G Grandfather, M, son of Robert II the Devil Duke of Normandy (208), M (0999-22 Jun 1035) & Herleve\Arlette de Falaise, F (1003-abt 1050), in Cathedral of Nortre Dame d'Eu, Normandy. Born abt 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, France. William I the Conqueror King of died in Near Rouen, France on 9 Sep 1087, he was 59. Buried in St. Stephen Abbey, Caen, Normandy.

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. Known as 'William the Bastard' to his contemporaries, his illegitima cy shaped his career when he was young. On his father's death in 1035, Willia m was recognised by his family as the heir - an exception to the general rule that illegitimacy barred succession. His great uncle looked after the Duchy during William's minority, and his overlord King Henry I of France, knighted him at the age of 15. From 1047 onwards, William successfully dealt with rebel lion inside Normandy involving his kinsmen and threats from neighbouring nobl es, including attempted invasions by his former ally King Henry I of France in 1054 (the French forces were defeated at the Battle of Mortemer) and 1057 . William's military successes and reputation helped him to negotiate his mar riage to Mathilda, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders. At the time of hi s invasion of England, William was a very experienced and ruthless military c ommander, ruler and administrator who had unified Normandy and inspired fear and respect outside his duchy. William's claim to the English throne was based on his assertion that, in 1051, Eward the Confessor had promised him the thr one (he was a distant cousin) and that Harold II - having sworn in 1064 to up hold William's right to succeed to that throne - was therefore a usurper. Fur thermore, William had the support of Emperor Henry IV and papal approval. Wil liam took seven months to prepare his invasion force, using some 600 transpor t ships to carry around 7,000 men (including 2,000-3,000 cavalry) across th e Channel. On 28 September 1066, with a favourable wind, William landed unopp osed at Pevensey and, within a few days, raised fortifications at Hastings. H aving defeated an earlier invasion by the King of Norway at the Battle of Sta mford Bridge near York in late September, Harold undertook a forced march sou th covering 250 miles in some nine days to meet the new threat, gathering ine xperienced reinforcements to replenish his exhausted veterans as he marched. At the Battle of Senlac (near Hastings) on 14 October, Harold's weary and un der-strength army faced William's cavalry (part of the forces brought across the Channel) supported by archers. Despite their exhaustion, Harold's troops were equal in number (they included the best infantry in Europe equipped with their terrible two-handled battle axes) and they had the battlefield advanta ge of being based on a ridge above the Norman positions. The first uphill as saults by the Normans failed and a rumour spread that William had been killed ; William rode among the ranks raising his helmet to show he was still alive. The battle was close-fought: a chronicler described the Norman counter-attac ks and the Saxon defence as 'one side attacking with all mobility, the other withstanding as though rooted to the soil'. Three of William's horses were ki lled under him. William skilfully co-ordinated his archers and cavalry, both o f which the English forces lacked. During a Norman assault, Harold was killed - hit by an arrow and then mowed down by the sword of a mounted knight. Two of his brothers were also killed. The demoralised English forces fled. (In 1070, as penance, William had an abbey built on the site of the battle, with the high altar occupying the spot where Harold fell. The ruins of Battle Abbe y, and the town of Battle, which grew up around it, remain.) William was crown ed on Christmas Day 1066 in Westminster Abbey. Three months later, he was con fident enough to return to Normandy leaving two joint regents (one of whom wa s his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who was later to commission the Bay eux Tapestry) behind to administer the kingdom. However, it took William six years to consolidate his conquest, and even the


They had the following children:
i. Robert II Curthose Duke of, 29G Uncle, M. Born in 1054 in Normandy, France. Robert II Curthose Duke of died in Cardiff Castle on 10 Feb 1133/34, he was 79.

In 1100 when Robert II Curthose Duke of was 46, he married Sybilla of Conversano, F, in Apulia, Italy. Sybilla of died in Feb 1102/03 in Rouen, France.

REFN32357
ii. William II Rufus King of, 29G Uncle, M. Born Bet. 1056 - 1060.

Strong, outspoken and ruddy (hence his nickname 'Rufus'), William I I (reigned 1087-1100) extended his father's policies, taking royal power to the far north of England. Ruthless in his relations with his brother Robert, William extended his grip on the duchy of Normandy under an agreement betwee n the brothers in 1091. (Robert went on crusade in 1096.) William's relations with the Church were not easy; he took over Archbishop Lanfranc's revenues a fter the latter's death in 1089, kept other bishoprics vacant to make use of their revenues, and had numerous arguments with Lanfranc's popular successor Anselm. William died on 2 August 1100, after being shot by an arrow whilst hu nting in the New Forest.
iii. Adela\Alice, 29G Aunt, F. Born in 1062 in Normandy, France. Adela\Alice died in Marcigny-sur-Loire, France on 8 Mar 1136/37, she was 74. Buried in Abbey of Holy Trinity, Caen, Normandy.

Became a Nun at Cluniac Priory in widowhood.

abt 1081 when Adela\Alice was 19, she married Stephen-Henri "le Sage" Count de Blois (237) , 28G Grandfather, M, son of Theobald III de Champagne Count of Blois (209), M (1015-1089) & Garsende von Maine, F (1019-), in Chartres Cathedral, France. Born in 1045 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France. Stephen-Henri "le Sage" Count died in Rames on 13 Jul 1102, he was 57. Born abt 1015. Stephen-Henri "le Sage" Count died in 1047, he was 2. Stephen-Henri "le Sage" Count died in Ramula, Holy Land on 19 May 1102, he was 57.

Count of Blois, Champaigne, Chartres and Tourain, a crusader under Godfrey de Bouillon, who fell, gallantly fighting against the Infidels at R ames. (Battle of Ascalon actually). Count of Meaux.

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265 iv. Gundred Countess of, F (~1063-1085)
v. Constance, 29G Aunt, F. Born abt 1066 in Normandy, France. Constance died in Normandy, France on 13 Aug 1090, she was 24.

In 1086 when Constance was 20, she married Alan IV Fergant Duke of Brittany (269) , 29G Grandfather, M, son of Hoel of Cornouaille Duke of Brittany, M (-13 Apr 1084) & Hawisa de Brittany (239), F (-1072), in Caen, Normandy. Born Bet. 1059 - 1067 in Bretagne, France. Alan IV Fergant Duke of died on 13 Oct 1119, he was 60.

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266 vi. Henry I Beauclerc King of, M (~1068-1135)

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