General Notes

Stephen de Blois, King of England was born circa 1096 at Blois, Berri, France.
He was the son of Stephen II Henry, Comte de Blois and Adela de Normandie.
He married Matilda, Comtesse de Boulogne, daughter of Eustace III, Comte de Boulogne and Mary of Scots, before 1125 at Westminster, London, England.
He died on 25 October 1154 at Dover Castle, Dover, Kent, England, from a heart attack.
He was buried at Faversham Abbey, Faversham, Kent, England.

He gained the title of Count of Mortain before 1115.4 He succeeded to the title of 11th Duc de Normandie in 1135.
He succeeded to the title of King Stephen of England on 1 December 1135.
He was crowned King of England on 26 December 1135 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England, and styled 'Rex Aglorum Dux Normannorum.

He was deposed as King of England on 10 April 1141.
He succeeded to the title of King Stephen of England on 1 November 1141.
He was crowned King of England on 25 December 1141 at Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England.

The rightful heiress to the crown of England was Henry I's daughter Matilda but at the time of Henry's death she was with her husband in Anjou and Stephen was the first to reach London and successfully claim the throne.
Matilda or Maud, as she was also known, disputed Stephen's claim.
Matilda's illegitimate half brother the 1st Earl of Gloucester rebelled, and civil war broke out in 1139 when Matilda invaded.
In April 1141 hostile troops seized Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln but in November exchanged him for Gloucester who had been imprisoned by Stephen's supporters.
Stephen then regained much lost power and in 1148 Matilda left England.
Upon Maud's death, her son Henry Fitz-Empress continued the challenge.
While the dispute continued, Henry married the divorced wife of the French King.
This gave him great power as his wife was, in her own right, a reigning Princess.
Stephen had married Matilda of Boulogne and hoped that their son Eustace would succeed him, however Eustace died and in 1153 at Winchester, Stephen reluctantly declared Henry Fitz-Empress as his heir.

Children of Stephen de Blois, King of England:
1.William (?)1
2.Sybilla (?)1 d. c 1141

Children of Stephen de Blois, King of England and Dameta de Normandie:
1.Almaric (?)1
2.Ralph (?)1
3.Gervaise of Westminster2 b. bt 1115 - 1120, d. 1160

Children of Stephen de Blois, King of England and Matilda, Comtesse de Boulogne:
1. Baldwin de Boulogne b. c 1126, d. b 2 Dec 1135
2.Eustace IV, Comte de Boulogne b. bt 1127 - 1135, d. 16 Aug 1153
3.William of Boulogne de Blois, 4th Earl of Surrey b. bt 1132 - 1137, d. 11 Oct 1159
4.Matilda de Blois3 b. c 1133, d. bt 1137 - 1141
5.Marie de Boulogne, Comtesse de Boulogne+ b. c 1136, d. 1182