Henry I: King of England and Duke of Normandy

by Judith A. Green

• ISBN13: 9780521744522
• ISBN10: 0521744520
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-25
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This first comprehensive biography of Henry I, the youngest son of William the Conqueror and an elusive figure for historians, offers a rich and compelling account of his tumultuous life and reign. Judith Green argues that although Henry's primary concern was defence of his inheritance this did not preclude expansion where circumstances were propitious, notably into Welsh territory. His skilful dealings with the Scots permitted consolidation of Norman rule in the northern counties of England, while in Normandy every sinew was strained to defend frontiers through political alliances and stone castles. Green argues that although Henry's own outlook was essentially traditional, the legacy of this fascinating and ruthless personality included some fundamentally important developments in governance. She also sheds light on Henry's court, suggesting that it made an important contribution to the flowering of court culture throughout twelfth-century Europe.

Author Biography

Judith A. Green is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of The Government of England under Henry I (1986) and The Aristocracy of Norman England (1997) and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
List of abbreviations	p. ix
Introduction: A surfeit of lampreys	p. 1
'Born in the purple'	p. 20
'By the grace of God, king of the English'	p. 42
Testing times, 1101-1103	p. 60
The conquest of Normandy, 1104-1107	p. 78
Reform and reconstruction, 1107-1108	p. 96
Defence of his dominions, 1108-1115	p. 118
Triumph and disaster, 1116-1120	p. 138
Surviving the wreck, 1120-1124	p. 168
Matilda and the succession, 1125-1128	p. 190
Rescuing the marriage, 1129-1135	p. 206
The ruler	p. 224
'Guardian of the church'	p. 254
Court and court culture	p. 284
Conclusion: 'Once the peace and glory of the world'	p. 307
Inheritances and family trees	p. 322
The family of Henry I	p. 322
The illegitimate children of Henry I	p. 323
The family of Queen Matilda	p. 324
Claimants to the honour of Breteuil	p. 325
The counts of Evreux	p. 326
Claims to the county of Flanders in 1128	p. 327
The Capetian kings	p. 328
The dynasty of Powys	p. 329
Robert de Belleme and his family	p. 330
Maps	p. 331
Normandy in the early twelfth century	p. 331
Western Normandy	p. 332
The southern marches of Normandy	p. 333
Evreux and the valley of the river Eure	p. 334
The Vexin	p. 335
Barfleur	p. 336
The midlands and southern England	p. 337
Northern England and southern Scotland	p. 338
Wales in the early twelfth century	p. 339
Bibliography	p. 340
Index	p. 372
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