Alexander was wed to the illegitimate daughter of Henry I, King ofEngland, son of William the Conqueror. Alexander was described as adevout and scholarly man, humble and polite before the monks whosecompany he enjoyed. To the rest of his subjects, according to AbbotAilred of Rievaulx, he was 'beyond measure terrible, a man of greatheart, applying himself in all things beyond his strength'. When the menof Moray and the Mearns, pulling one of Lulach's descendents fromobscurity, rebelled against this unwelcome Normanization, King Alexandersuppressed them so violently that thereafter they called him Alexanderthe Fierce. More peacefully, and following the example of his mother, hebrought the Church closer to Rome, but he was also stubborn in thedefence of the Scottish Church and resisted English attempts to place itunder the authority of the archbishops of York. He reigned in Scotlandfrom 1107 to 1124, although he shared the kingdom with his youngerbrother David.