General Notes

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King Henry I of England, surnamed Beauclerc. He was buried in the Abbey
of Read ing, which he had founded. He was given an excellent education,
including the E nglish law and language. As a younger son he was
notexpected to inherit the cro wn. Of his elder brothers, William
received England and Robert became Duke of N ormandy. When William died,
in 1100, Robert was on a Crusade and Henry seized t he crown. He issued a
charter by which he promised to restore the "laws of Edwa rd," exchange
customary fees for the unlimited demands of his father and brothe r on
the barons, stop the plundering of the church, and force the barons to do
justice to their tenants. By marrying a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon
Kings he completed his policy of allying himself with the native English.
In both Englan d and Normandy he was more popular with the non-feudal
classes than with the ba rons. English levies helped him repel an
invasion of Robert and his victory at Tinchebrai was regarded as an
English victory in revenge for Hastings. Several times he was successful
in putting down rebellions and conspiracies in Normandy . The chief
institution created during his reign was that of the exchequer. Sou rce:
Royal Gen. In 1106 he captured Robert and held him until he died. Thus he
was also Duke of Normandy from 1106 to 1135. Henry proved to be a hard
but just ruler. He apparently died from overeating lampreys!
He was crowned 6 Aug 11 00, at Westminster by Maurice, Bishop of London.
He was the last male heir of t he Norman line. He was called "Beauclerc"
(or " Good Scholar"). He died at age 67, of ptomaine poisoning from a
meal of lampreys.
Pedigrees of some Emperor Charlemagne's Descendants - Langston-Buck The
Plantagenet Chronicles, ed. by D r. Elizabeth Hallam, p. 60. The Oxford
Illustrated History of the British Monar chy by Cannon and Griffith.
BIRTH: Also given as 1070.