General Notes

[jcrunk.FTW]

[160010.GED]

Interred: Reading Abbey, Berkshire
Notes:
Reigned 1100-1135. Duke of Normandy 1106-1135.
His reign is notable for important legal and administrative reforms, and for
the final resolution of the investiture controversy. Abroad, he waged several
campaigns in order to consolidate and expand his continental possessions.
Was so hated by his brothers that they vowed to disinherit him. In 1106 he
captured Robert and held him til he died. He proved to be a hard but just
ruler. He aparently died from over eating Lampreys![lamouje.FTW]

Henry Beauclerk, aka Henry 1st of England, Same person as #4442.  See
notes. Due to confusion within this computer program it was necessary
divide King Henry I and his wives and mistresses into two seperate
Henry Beauclerk file contains his "natural" progeny.[btphelps.FTW]

BIOGRAPHY: As able as his brother, Rufus, but with a keen sense of justice. The royal adminis trative corps really came into its own in his reign. The first seven years of Henry's rule wa s spent in protecting England and then conquering Normandy from his eldest brother, Duke Robe rt. He ruled with an iron fist like his father and looked secure both in England and on the C ontinent until 1120 when his only legitimate son and heir was killed in a naval tragedy.

Henry I was the fourth and most capable son of William the Conqueror and Matilda, born 1068 , and nicknamed "Beauclerc" (fine scholar) for his above average education. He married Eadgyt h (who later took the name Matilda), daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland, who bore him two so ns and a daughter. One son died very early, and the other, William, died in the wreck of th e White Ship in November 1120, leaving the daughter, Matilda, as the sole heir.

Eadgyth died in 1118, and Henry married Adelaide of Louvain, but the union produced no offspr ing. Henry also had two fairly significant illegitimate children - Robert de Mellent, Earl o f Gloucester, and Sibylla, wife of the Scottish King Alexander I.

Henry's was the longest reign of the Norman line, lasting thirty-five years. The first year s of Henry's reign were concerned with subduing Normandy. His father divided his kingdoms bet ween Henry's older brothers, leaving England to William and Normandy to Robert. Henry inherit ed no land, but received £5000 in silver. He played both sides in his brothers' quarrel, lead ing both to distrust Henry, and sign a mutual accession treaty barring their brother from th e crown.

Henry's hope arose when Robert went on the First Crusade; should William die, Henry would b e the obvious choice. Henry was in the woods hunting on the morning of William's death, Augus t 2, 1100. He moved quickly and was crowned king on August 5, his coronation charter denounci ng William's oppressive policies and promising good government. Robert returned to Normand y a few weeks later, but escaped final defeat until 1106, at the Battle of Tinchebrai. Rober t was captured and lived the remaining twenty-eight years of his life as Henry's prisoner. He nry was drawn into controversy with the Church over the lay investiture issue - the practic e of selling clergy appoints by the king to gain revenue, heavily opposed by Gregorian reform ers in the Church. He ignored the situation until he was threatened with excommunication by P ope Paschal II in 1105, reaching a compromise with the papacy: he would officially denounce l ay investiture, but prelates were to continue to do homage for their fiefs. In practice, it c hanged little - the king still had the deciding voice in appointing ecclesiastical office s - but it a marked a point when kingship was viewed as purely secular, and subservient to th e Church.

A solution to the lay investiture controversy and conquest of Normandy were accomplished i n 1106, allowing Henry to expand his power. Henry mixed generosity with violence in motivatin g allegiance to the crown, appointing loyal and gifted men to administrative positions. Roge r of Salisbury, the most famous of Henry's servants, was instrumental in organizing a departm ent for collection of royal revenues, the Exchequer. The Exchequer quickly gained notoriety f or sending out court officials to judge local financial disputes, weakening the feudal court s controlled by local lords, and won the title "Lion of Justice". The final years of his reig n were concentrated on war with France and succession concerns upon the death of his son Will iam in 1120. The marriage to Adelaide was fruitless, leaving Matilda his only surviving legit imate heir. In summer 1135, Henry refused to give custody of certain key Norman castles to Ge offrey, as a show of good will, and the pair entered into war. Henry's life ended in this sor ry state of affairs - war with his son-in-law - in December 1135. He apparently died from ove r eating lamprey eels.

He settled the Welsh rebellion of his brother's reign and fortified Wales with many castles . The end of his reign was dominated by a succession crisis where Henry forced his barons t o support his daughter, Matilda, as heir.

www.timeref.com:
Henry was the fourth son of William the Conqueror 220 . When the news of his brother William's (II, Rufus) death in a hunting accident reached him, Henry hurried to Winchester 636 to demand the keys to the royal crown and other treasures. William De Bretevil the treasurer refused, reminding Henry of the treaty between his elder brothers Robert II of Normandy and William (Rufus) signed in Caen. regarding the heir to the throne. Under threat of death, the treasurer handed over the keys. Henry gives many of the clergy and barons whose support he needs money and jewelry. Henry married Matilda of Scotland on the 11/12 November 1100. Matilda was the daughter of Malcolm III, king of the Scots. Henry's plans for a united realm of England and Normandy, by marrying his son William Audelin to the daughter of Count Fulk of Anjou, came to grief in 1120. Whilst attempting what should have been an easy crossing of the channel, William's ship, the White Ship ran aground and the prince was drowned. Henry was a widower and although he remarried after the death of William, he had no more children. Henry only had one other ligitimate child, Matilda 162 . Matilda had been married at the age of eight to Henry V, the German Emperor, but he died in 1126, and Matilda returned to her father's side. Henry then married Matilda to the heir of Anjou, Geoffrey 163 .
www.britannia.com:
"Reigned 1100-1135. Duke of Normandy 1106-1135. His reign is notable for important legal and administrative reforms, and for the final resolution of the investiture controversy. Abroad, he waged several campaigns in order to consolidate and expand his continantal possissions. Was so hated by his brothers that they vowed to disinherit him. In 1106 he captured Robert and held him until he died. He proved to be a hard but just ruler. He apparently died from over eating Lampreys!"
Paternal Ancestors of Homer Beers James:
In addition to these legitimate births (William and Matilda/Maud), Henry is reported to have had nineteen or twenty illegitimate children, the highest number of spurious offspring for a King of England to have acknowledged. The best known of them all is Robert the Consul, Earl of Gloucester, father of Maud, wife of Ranulph de Meschines, 2nd Earl of Chester. Another was Reginald, a natural son from a relationship between Henry I. of England and his mistress, Elizabeth Beaumont, daughter of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulent and Earl of Leicester, (son of Roger de Beaumont and his wife, Adelina, Countess of Meulent) and his wife Elizabeth Vermandois, younger daughter of Hugh Magnus, the Great, of France, Count of Vermandois. Reginald, married Beatrix, daughter of William Fitz Richard, a potent lord in Cornwall. They had a daughter, Matilda, who married Robert, Count of Meulent, son of Waleran II., Count of Meulent, who married Agnes de Montfort. Waleran II. was a son of the aforementioned Robert Beaumont, and his wife, Elizabeth Vermandois. Robert and Matilda had two children: Waleran III. and Mabel de Beaumont, who married William de Vernon, Earl of Devon, who had three children: Baldwin, Mary Vernon and Joan. Their descendants are not identified.