White Ship

The White Ship, a 12th century vessel, sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on November 25, 1120. Those drowned included William Adelin, the only unquestionably legitimate son of King Henry I of England. Only one sailor survived.

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William of Malmesbury wrote: "Here also perished with William, Richard, another of the King's sons, whom a women of no rank had borne him, before his accession, a brave youth, and dear to his father from his obedience; Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester, and his brother Otheur; Geoffrey Ridel; Walter of Everci; Geoffrey, archdeacon of Hereford; the Countess of Perche, the king's daughter; the Countess of Chester; the king's niece ; and many others..."

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The cause of the shipwreck remains unclear. Various stories surrounding its loss feature a drinking binge by the crew and passengers and mention that priests were not allowed on board to bless the ship in the customary manner. However, the Channel has often proven a notoriously treacherous stretch of water.

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Stephen of Blois, King Henry's nephew, had allegedly disembarked just before the ship sailed. If so, his action appears ironic, since, as a direct result of William's death, Stephen would later usurp the English throne, resulting in the period known as the Anarchy.

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12th century: As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages....

English Channel: The English Channel, also for some time known as the British Sea (French: La Manche, "the sleeve") is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 563 km (350 mi) long and at its widest is 2...

Normandy: Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. Upper Normandy (Haute-Normandie) consists of the French d?partements of Seine-Maritime and Eure, and Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie) of the d?partements of Orne, Calvados, and Manche....

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