General Notes

REFN: 1851AN
REFN: P1851
Henry I, Beauclerc
(1100-1135 AD)
Born: 1068
Died: 1135
Parent s: William the Conqueror and Mathilda of Flanders
Significant Siblings: Robert , William Rufus
Spouse: (1st) Eadgyth, daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland; (2 nd)
AdelaiDe of Louvain
Significant Offspring: William, Matilda, Robert De M ellent (Earl of
Gloucester), Sibylla
Contemporaries: Louis VI ("Louis the Fa t", King of France, 1108-1137), Ro
ger of Salisbury, Anselm (Archbishop of Can terbury), Pope Pascal II Hen
ry I, the most resilient of the Norman kings (his reign lasted thirty-fi
ve years), was nicknamed "Beauclerc" (fine scholar) for his above avera
ge education. During his reign, the differences between Eng lish and Norm
an society began to slowly evaporate. Reforms in the royal treas ury syst
em became the foundation upon which later kings built. The stability Hen
ry afforded the throne was offset by problems in succession: his only su
rv iving son, William, was lost in the wreck of the White Ship in Novemb
er 1120. The first years of Henry's reign were concerned with subduing Nor
mandy. William the Conqueror divided his kingdoms between Henry's older br
others, leaving England to William Rufus and Normandy to Robert. Henry inh
erited no land but received £5000 in silver. He played each brother o
ff of the other during their quarrels; both distrusted Henry and subsequen
tly signed a mutual accessi on treaty barring Henry from the crown. Henry
's hope arose when Robert depart ed for the Holy Land on the First Crusad
e; should William die, Henry was the obvious heir. Henry was in the woo
ds hunting on the morning of August 2, 1100 when William Rufus was kill
ed by an arrow. His quick movement in securing the crown on August 5 led m
any to believe he was responsible for his brother's death. In his coronati
on charter, Henry denounced William's oppressive policies and promising go
od government in an effort to appease his barons. Robert returned to Norma
ndy a few weeks later but escaped final defeat until the Battle of Tincheb
rai in 1106; Robert was captured and lived the remaining twenty-eight yea
rs of his life as Henry's prisoner. Henry was drawn into controvers y wi
th a rapidly expanding Church. Lay investiture, the king's selling of c
le rgy appointments, was heavily opposed by Gregorian reformers in the Chu
rch bu t was a cornerstone of
Norman government. Henry recalled Anselm of Bec to the archbishopric of Ca
nterbury to gain baronial support, but the stubborn Ansel m refus
ed to do homage to Henry for his lands. The situation remained unresol v
ed until Pope Paschal II threatened Henry with excommunication in 110
5. He reached a compromise with the papacy: Henry rescinded the king's div
ine authority in conferring sacred offices but appointees continu
ed to do homage for
their fiefs. In practice, it changed little - the king maintained the deci
ding voice in appointing ecclesiastical offices - but it a marked a poi
nt where kingship became purely secular and subservient in the eyes of t
he Church. By 1106, both the quarrels with the church and the conque
st of Normandy were settled and Henry concentrated on expanding royal powe
r. He mixed generosity wi th violence in motivating allegiance to the cro
wn and appointing loyal and gifted men to administrative positions. By rai
sing men out of obscurity for such appointments, Henry began to rely le
ss on landed barons as ministers and created a loyal bureaucracy. He was d
eeply involved in continental affairs and therefore spent almost half of h
is time in Normandy, prompting him to create the position of justiciar - t
he most trusted of all the king's officials, the justiciar literally rul
ed in the king's stead. Roger of Salisbury, the first justiciar, was instr
umental in organizing an efficient department for collection of royal reve
nues, the Exchequer. The Exchequer held sessions twice a year for sherif
fs an