Henry I of England

Henry I of England (c.1068 – 1 December 1135), called Henry Beauclerc because of his scholarly interests, was the fourth son of William the Conqueror. He reigned as King of England from 1100 to 1135, succeeding his brother, William II Rufus. Henry also was known by the nickname "Lion of Justice", due to the refinements which he brought about in the rudimentary administrative and legislative machinery of the time.

Early life

Henry was born between May 1068 and May 1069, probably in Selby, Yorkshire in England. His mother, Queen Matilda of Flanders, named him after her uncle, King Henry I of France. As the youngest son of the family, he was most likely expected to become a bishop and was given extensive schooling for a young nobleman of that time period. William of Malmesbury asserts that Henry once remarked that an illiterate king was a crowned ass. He was probably the first Norman ruler to be fluent in the English language.

Related Topics:
1068 - 1069 - Selby - Yorkshire - England - Matilda of Flanders - Henry I of France - William of Malmesbury - Norman - English language

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His father William, upon his death in 1087, bequeathed his dominions to his three remaining sons (third son Richard having died previously) in the following manner:

Related Topics:
William - 1087 - Richard

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• Robert received the Duchy of Normandy
• William received the Kingdom of England
• Henry received 5,000 pounds of silver

Orderic Vitalis reports that King William declared to Henry: "You in your own time will have all the dominions I have acquired and be greater than both your brothers in wealth and power."

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Henry played his brothers off against each other. Eventually, wary of his devious manouevering, they acted together and signed an accession treaty which effectively barred Henry from both thrones, stipulating that if either died without an heir, the two dominions of their father would be reunited under the surviving brother.

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