A Marcher Lordship passed from an Owain to son-in-law John Charleton. Born circa 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, France, William the Conqueror was an illegitimate child of Robert I, duke of Normandy, who died in 1035 while returning from a pilgrimage to . in 1536. [138], Disorder followed William's death; everyone who had been at his deathbed left the body at Rouen and hurried off to attend to their own affairs. Although Alexander did give papal approval to the conquest after it succeeded, no other source claims papal support prior to the invasion. Before this, William had returned to the continent, where Ralph had continued the rebellion from Brittany. William the Conqueror, conquered in the 'Norman Conquest' -- Norman here being code for French. The Gray family in America is numerous, widespread and consists of many Edgar remained at William's court until 1086 when he went to the. all apparently descended from one parent stock and one origin. This made Emma of Normandy his great-aunt and Edward the Confessor his cousin. Return to Newport County RIGenWeb Home Page. Edward had no heir, but requested William to be his heir apparent to the throne. He registered for military service in 1066. [p] The Danish king had brought a large fleet to England and attacked not only York but Exeter and Shrewsbury. [106], William returned to England to release his army from service in 1073 but quickly returned to Normandy, where he spent all of 1074. [122] In 1082 William ordered the arrest of his half-brother Odo. [2] She later married Herluin de Conteville, with whom she had two sons Odo of Bayeux and Count Robert of Mortain and a daughter whose name is unknown. Sam helped precipitate the Massacre itself. Ralph also requested Danish aid. Marcher Lords. Also, the charters and documents produced for the government in Normandy differed in formulas from those produced in England. Although some sort of formal assembly probably was held, it is unlikely that any debate took place, as the duke had by then established control over his nobles, and most of those assembled would have been anxious to secure their share of the rewards from the conquest of England. William also benefited from his campaign in Brittany by securing the support of some Breton nobles who went on to support the invasion of England in 1066. [133][u] Government was still centred on William's household; when he was in one part of his realms, decisions would be made for other parts of his domains and transmitted through a communication system that made use of letters and other documents. as being worthy to be remembered for valiant services rendered, was J. We trace his journey from 1027 when he. accession of James I, 1603. Ralph was bottled up in Norwich Castle by the combined efforts of Odo of Bayeux, Geoffrey de Montbray, Richard fitzGilbert, and William de Warenne. [140][w], The immediate consequence of William's death was a war between his sons Robert and William over control of England and Normandy. English sources claim that Ealdred, the Archbishop of York, performed the ceremony, while Norman sources state that the coronation was performed by Stigand, who was considered a non-canonical archbishop by the papacy. Edgar the theling also appears to have been given lands. William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, King of England, 1. William was crowned King of England on December 25, 1066. [2] In 1034 the duke decided to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. William, son of Ellery, who were obscure, possibly intentionally leaving "Gray Lord Gray in Scotland, same arms as My Lord Gray of Wark and Another Tiverton Gray, Pardon Gray was active during the war also. Book, was ordered, decreed, and written under the reign of one King William I, who was known throughout the ages as "William the Conqueror." King William I of England ruled from the year 1066 to the . His marriage to Matilda appears to have been quite affectionate, and there are no signs that he was unfaithful to her unusual in a medieval monarch. thelred died unexpectedly in 1016, and Cnut became king of England. Gray who was slain at the second battle of St. Albans, 1461. as town clerk and in other capacities. Harold stopped in London, and was there for about a week before marching to Hastings, so it is likely that he spent about a week on his march south, averaging about 27 miles (43 kilometres) per day,[81] for the distance of approximately 200 miles (320 kilometres). [107][r] Philip, although thwarted in this attempt, turned his attentions to Brittany, leading to a revolt in 1075. In the Department of Haute-Saone, there is now a town It was during this exile that Edward offered the throne to William. Mortemer thus marked another turning point in William's growing control of the duchy,[39] although his conflict with the French king and the Count of Anjou continued until 1060. Richilde proposed marriage to William fitzOsbern, who was in Normandy, and fitzOsbern accepted. [45] Contemporary writers considered the marriage, which produced four sons and five or six daughters, to be a success. [116] William immediately attacked the rebels and drove them from Remalard, but King Philip gave them the castle at Gerberoi, where they were joined by new supporters. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Archbishop Matthew Parker saw the Conquest as having corrupted a purer English Church, which Parker attempted to restore. Although Simon was a supporter of William, the Vexin was actually under the overlordship of King Philip, which is why Philip secured control of the county when Simon became a monk. The intact body was restored to the tomb at that time, but in 1562, during the French Wars of Religion, the grave was reopened and the bones scattered and lost, with the exception of one thigh bone. [101] Norman clergy were appointed to replace the deposed bishops and abbots, and at the end of the process, only two native English bishops remained in office, along with several continental prelates appointed by Edward the Confessor. William Gray (1750-1826) What families came over with William the Conqueror? The union was arranged in 1049, but Pope Leo IX forbade the marriage at the Council of Rheims in October 1049. [33] Geoffrey attempted to expand his authority into the county of Maine, especially after the death of Hugh IV of Maine in 1051. de Gray, equitum signifer to King William". Anschetil de Gray [9] Herleva was possibly a member of the ducal household, but did not marry Robert. He hinted obliquely that William and Matilda were, The exact date of the marriage is unknown, but it was probably in 1051 or 1052, and certainly before the end of 1053, as Matilda is named as William's wife in a. theling means "prince of the royal house" and usually denoted a son or brother of a ruling king. William the Conqueror. [100] The historian David Bates sees this coronation as the ceremonial papal "seal of approval" for William's conquest. [15], William faced several challenges on becoming duke, including his illegitimate birth and his youth: the evidence indicates that he was either seven or eight years old at the time. [52] William's main hobby appears to have been hunting. from tree Kittredge Family Tree (Private) Birth. in the United States. life and of her heroic death will long illuminate the pages of one of the He also retained control of much of the lands of Harold and his family, which made the king the largest secular landowner in England by a wide margin. In modern times they have contributed poets, statesmen [1] The brothers had been at odds over the succession, and Richard's death was sudden. [109] William returned to England later in 1075 to deal with the Danish threat, leaving his wife Matilda in charge of Normandy. Meanwhile, the Danish king's brother, Cnut, had finally arrived in England with a fleet of 200 ships, but he was too late as Norwich had already surrendered. There is no record of the reason from the Council, and the main evidence is from Orderic Vitalis. [72] Harold's claim to the throne was not entirely secure, as there were other claimants, perhaps including his exiled brother Tostig. manor of Turoc in Essex. It was a fairly simple administrative system, built around the ducal household,[53] which consisted of a group of officers including stewards, butlers, and marshals. By the end of 1081, William was back on the continent, dealing with disturbances in Maine. William and Malcolm agreed to peace by signing the Treaty of Abernethy, and Malcolm probably gave up his son Duncan as a hostage for the peace. King Philip of France later relieved the siege and defeated William at the Battle of Dol in 1076, forcing him to retreat back to Normandy. children: Richard, baptized August 1608, buried October 9, 1613. During the 17th and 18th centuries, some historians and lawyers saw William's reign as imposing a "Norman yoke" on the native Anglo-Saxons, an argument that continued during the 19th century with further elaborations along nationalistic lines. This was the last invasion of Normandy during William's lifetime. Earl of Kent, Chief of the ancient and illustrious house of Gray, so dignified February 12, 1621. himself there. in Northumberland. at Salem, Boston, Plymouth and Yarmouth and in the provinces of Connecticut [56] Another important appointment was that of William's half-brother, Odo, as Bishop of Bayeux in either 1049 or 1050. This income was collected by the chamber, one of the household departments. father or the son. The ceremony took place in Westminster. He then proceeded to buy off the Danes. Mary was the widow of King Louis XII of France, who had Although some of the newly rich Normans in England came from William's close family or from the upper Norman nobility, others were from relatively humble backgrounds. [2] Even after the younger William's death in 1100 and the succession of his youngest brother Henry as king, Normandy and England remained contested between the brothers until Robert's capture by Henry at the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106. [49], There are records of two tutors for William during the late 1030s and early 1040s, but the extent of his literary education is unclear. Although Orderic Vitalis describes it as starting with a quarrel between Robert and his two younger brothers, William and Henry, including a story that the quarrel was started when William and Henry threw water at Robert, it is much more likely that Robert was feeling powerless. I have therefore made yet another attempt the produce the Descendants of William the Conqueror in text . [73], Harold's brother Tostig made probing attacks along the southern coast of England in May 1066, landing at the Isle of Wight using a fleet supplied by Baldwin of Flanders. Museum number . repeated in mixed company." Henry's about-face was probably motivated by a desire to retain dominance over Normandy, which was now threatened by William's growing mastery of his duchy. William the Conqueror and his son Robert, 1865 (Credit: John Cassell). The Church, under the influence of the, The reasons for the prohibition are not clear. Sir John Gray, Knight of Berwick, 1372, was father money from Benjamin Franklin for passage home. a Welch leader, was having a dispute with another Reginald de Grey, and [40] Henry and Geoffrey led another invasion of Normandy in 1057 but were defeated by William at the Battle of Varaville. Columbia river in Washington state. William then sent forces into London to construct a castle; he was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. Nor is there evidence that many English pennies were circulating in Normandy, which shows little attempt to integrate the monetary systems of England and Normandy. This WWW page was copied from By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. Modern historians have come to the conclusion that the New Forest depopulation was greatly exaggerated. [78] William of Poitiers also relates that the duke obtained the consent of Pope Alexander II for the invasion, along with a papal banner. in the Reign of William the Conqueror, are the Amoreal bearings of Paganus William gave generously to the church;[56] from 1035 to 1066, the Norman aristocracy founded at least twenty new monastic houses, including William's two monasteries in Caen, a remarkable expansion of religious life in the duchy. Tostig appears to have received little local support, and further raids into Lincolnshire and near the River Humber met with no more success, so he retreated to Scotland, where he remained for a time. taken to England where he was imprisioned. land company which eventually formed Tiverton and Little Compton, RI. After entrusting England to his second son, the elder William sent the younger William back to England on 7 or 8 September, bearing a letter to Lanfranc ordering the archbishop to aid the new king. [84], The battle began at about 9am on 14 October and lasted all day, but while a broad outline is known, the exact events are obscured by contradictory accounts in the sources. Swein's death in 1014 allowed thelred to return home, but Swein's son Cnut contested thelred's return. [115], In late 1077 or early 1078 trouble began between William and his eldest son, Robert. Medieval writers criticised William for his greed and cruelty, but his personal piety was universally praised by contemporaries. [i] The marriage nevertheless went ahead some time in the early 1050s,[43][j] possibly unsanctioned by the pope. [96] Once in Normandy the new English king went to Rouen and the Abbey of Fecamp,[94] and then attended the consecration of new churches at two Norman monasteries. According to the Norman writer William of Jumiges, William had meanwhile sent an embassy to King Harold Godwinson to remind Harold of his oath to support William's claim, although whether this embassy actually occurred is unclear. came to the rope makers shop where Sam worked and asked for a job. [94] Waltheof was married to William's niece Judith, daughter of his half-sister Adelaide,[95] and a marriage between Edwin and one of William's daughters was proposed. to Robert, Duke of Normandy. He did not try to integrate his domains into one empire but continued to administer each part separately. told him what kind of work he could do "in language that can't be it is Gray. Andy Rhind-Tutt claims to have traced his family back to the Saxon . [46][k] The marriage was important in bolstering William's status, as Flanders was one of the more powerful French territories, with ties to the French royal house and to the German emperors. by George Washington as a privateer during the Revolutionary War. The Dorset Grays are of great antiquity, Census records every ten years and an occasional mention in a He married Matilda of Flanders in 1051, in Normandy, France. Included among them were Robert of Belleme, William de Breteuil, and Roger, the son of Richard fitzGilbert. [37], In February 1054 the king and the Norman rebels launched a double invasion of the duchy. It is unclear what exactly happened at Edward's deathbed. [108] While William was in Normandy, Edgar the theling returned to Scotland from Flanders. Chillingham, England, Motto, Anchor Fast Anchor. de Gray, (III) John from whom the most illustrious branches of the house From this his family assumed the name of DeCroy, which was later Edward was ailing, and he died on 5 January 1066. Perhaps another stipulation of the treaty was the expulsion of Edgar the theling from Malcolm's court. Although William returned to York and built another castle, Edgar remained free, and in the autumn he joined up with King Sweyn. The elder John de Gray had a son, Henry Not an insignificant sum!! William would have preferred to delay the invasion until he could make an unopposed landing. The Gray family history is a long and distinguished one. town report or directory are about all there is. John, Lord of Gray, whose son Anschetil de William I (c. 1028 - 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman monarch of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087.A descendant of Rollo, he was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward. I have probably played with most of them. From there, he ravaged the interior and waited for Harold's return from the north, refusing to venture far from the sea, his line of communication with Normandy. [97], In 1068 Edwin and Morcar revolted, supported by Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. Orderic also related that Odo had attempted to persuade some of William's vassals to join Odo in an invasion of southern Italy. [69][l], In 1065 Northumbria revolted against Tostig, and the rebels chose Morcar, the younger brother of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, as earl in place of Tostig. [54] The duke travelled constantly around the duchy, confirming charters and collecting revenues. [49] Geoffrey Martel described him as without equal as a fighter and as a horseman. [2], Throughout the summer, William assembled an army and an invasion fleet in Normandy. Roger was unable to leave his stronghold in Herefordshire because of efforts by Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester, and thelwig, the Abbot of Evesham. [77] The last claimant was William of Normandy, against whose anticipated invasion King Harold Godwinson made most of his preparations. In that year he gave Rhuthun to Reginald de Grey. of Sir Thomas of Berwick and Chillingham. [54] To oversee his expanded domain, William was forced to travel even more than he had as duke. if you have any questions, please e-mail Rodney Gray at "wyarg 'at' juno dot com". There are a few like The Tiverton Grays are descended from a long line of Grays which are claimed to go back to Rollo, Viking invader and conqueror of Normandy, France. Regarding the Grays of Scotland being of the same family, Nesbits says, Gray, had become proprietors of the island of Nantasket in Boston Harbor Alfred returned to England in 1036 to visit his mother and perhaps to challenge Harold as king. [25], King Henry continued to support the young duke,[26] but in late 1046 opponents of William came together in a rebellion centred in lower Normandy, led by Guy of Burgundy with support from Nigel, Viscount of the Cotentin, and Ranulf, Viscount of the Bessin. [128] William granted some lands to his continental followers from the holdings of one or more specific Englishmen; at other times, he granted a compact grouping of lands previously held by many different Englishmen to one Norman follower, often to allow for the consolidation of lands around a strategically placed castle. Robert was accused by some writers of killing Richard, a plausible but now unprovable charge. [38] William met the invasion by dividing his forces into two groups. The town held out for 18 days, and after it fell to William he built a castle to secure his control. [113] Ralph's authority seems also to have been less than his predecessors in the earldom, and this was likely the cause of his involvement in the revolt. Biography Norman King; known as William the Bastard; Duke of Normandy as William II (1035-1087); King of England as William I (1066-1087). [2], There are indications that Robert may have been briefly betrothed to a daughter of King Cnut, but no marriage took place. Henry was still a minor, however, and Sweyn was more likely to support Harold, who could then help Sweyn against the Norwegian king, so these claims should be treated with caution. In England and Ireland Grey is still used, in Scotland [80], Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardrada invaded Northumbria in September 1066 and defeated the local forces under Morcar and Edwin at the Battle of Fulford near York. Orderic Vitalis preserves a lengthy account, complete with speeches made by many of the principals, but this is likely more of an account of how a king should die than of what actually happened. Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895-1972), US Senator. At an early period there were also Grays [50] He was strong enough to draw bows that others were unable to pull and had great stamina. He was thus able to assert his overlordship over the Bellme family and compel them to act consistently with Norman interests. According to a late source not generally considered to be reliable, papal sanction was not secured until 1059, but as papal-Norman relations in the 1050s were generally good, and Norman clergy were able to visit Rome in 1050 without incident, it was probably secured earlier. By far the most disturbing fact . John, baptized 1612. described in what is called the Grand Deed. His marriage in the 1050s to Matilda of Flanders provided him with a powerful ally in the neighbouring county of Flanders. Parish Registers of Stapleford Tawney, Essex Co., England, as printed at [f] One of Herleva's brothers, Walter, became a supporter and protector of William during his minority. Stigand submitted to William there, and when the duke moved on to Berkhamsted soon afterwards, Edgar the theling, Morcar, Edwin, and Ealdred also submitted. of Tiverton had a son William whose son Robert was the discoverer of the The Grays in Ireland, usually . Earl Edwin was betrayed by his own men and killed, while William built a causeway to subdue the Isle of Ely, where Hereward the Wake and Morcar were hiding. [1][8][d] He was the only son of Robert I, son of Richard II. One became a nun, and the other, Matilda, married, How illegitimacy was viewed by the church and lay society was undergoing a change during this period. Rebecca, baptized 1615, married Thomas Perry May 28, 1650. [54], William cultivated close relations with the church in his duchy. Most years saw the rate of two shillings per hide, but in crises, it could be increased to as much as six shillings per hide. [73][m] King Harald Hardrada of Norway also had a claim to the throne as the uncle and heir of King Magnus I, who had made a pact with Harthacnut in about 1040 that if either Magnus or Harthacnut died without heirs, the other would succeed. Gray Coat of Arms and Gray Family Crest. The king marched through Edwin's lands and built Warwick Castle. While his father Robert was the Duke of Normandy, his mother was no duchess. (Former King of England (1066 - 1087)) William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy, who later became the King of England. By 12 April 1080, William and Robert had reached an accommodation, with William once more affirming that Robert would receive Normandy when he died. The exact reasons are unclear, as no contemporary author recorded what caused the quarrel between the half-brothers. This Edward was a farmer and active in civic affairs. The administrative machinery of Normandy, England, and Maine continued to exist separate from the other lands, with each one retaining its own forms. followed by that of her father, the Duke of Suffolk, and his brothers, A further blow was the death of Queen Matilda on 2 November 1083. (or Croy as some write), in Picardy, their patrimony before the Conquest.". [58] William was the grandson of Edward's maternal uncle, Richard II of Normandy. and military commanders in the British realm. It is unclear whether William would have been supplanted in the ducal succession if Robert had had a legitimate son. [62] Godwin returned from exile in 1052 with armed forces, and a settlement was reached between the king and the earl, restoring the earl and his family to their lands and replacing Robert of Jumiges, a Norman whom Edward had named Archbishop of Canterbury, with Stigand, the Bishop of Winchester. [e] His mother Herleva was a daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; he may have been a tanner or embalmer. From the Charleton family it passed by marriage in 1421 to John Grey. considered the first casualty of the Revolutionary War. called Gray. diverse branches. Henry de Gray had several sons; (I) Robert of Rotherfield, (II) Richard The family of Gray or Grey, says Burke in his peerages, claims descent Park Street Congregational Church, Boston. Whatever Edward's wishes, it was likely that any claim by William would be opposed by Godwin, Earl of Wessex, a member of the most powerful family in England. The first, which he led, faced Henry. was a son of Gray in Chillingham, Northumberland, England, who came to [2] Although he put two Normans in overall charge, he retained many of the native English sheriffs. Arguing that Edward had previously promised the throne to him and that Harold had sworn to support his claim, William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066. 1. [92], William may have hoped the English would surrender following his victory, but they did not. William was the son of the unmarried Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. His lands were divided after his death: Normandy went to Robert, and England went to his second surviving son, William Rufus. homes in the New World. William was the son of Robert I, duke of Normandy (reigned 1027-1035), and a woman of lower social status named Herleva. [134], William continued the collection of Danegeld, a land tax. Among the names inscribed at Battle Abbey, after the Battle of Hastings, from Rollo (born 860 A.D.). died January 1, 1515. The youngest son, Henry, received money. Stigand and his brother, thelmr, the Bishop of Elmham, were deposed from their bishoprics. By the time of William's death in 1087, around 500 castles had been built across England and Wales. The chronicler also claimed that the duke secured the support of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and King Sweyn II of Denmark. Her execution, 1554, was soon The Norman conquest changed all that. and Maine. of the same family, which had emigrated to this country and made their family of Stapleford were similar to the names in Edward Grays family. changed to DeGray and then to Gray. but found "himself bruished and bloody on the ground." I know there are loads of wonderful programs to assist in the tabulation, formation and display of the largest family tree. William I (c. 1028 - 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087.A descendant of Rollo, he was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward. In addition to ending both invasions, the battle allowed the duke's ecclesiastical supporters to depose Archbishop Mauger. [120] William also visited Wales in 1081, although the English and the Welsh sources differ on the exact purpose of the visit. [98], While at Winchester in 1070, William met with three papal legates John Minutus, Peter, and Ermenfrid of Sion who had been sent by the pope. in Bergundy, France. Walcher was killed on 14 May 1080, and the king dispatched his half-brother Odo to deal with the rebellion. Most of the lands of the New Forest are poor agricultural lands, and archaeological and geographic studies have shown that it was likely sparsely settled when it was turned into a royal forest. William I the Conqueror King of England was born about 1028, in Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France as the son of Robert Ier ' le Magnifique ' Duc de Normandie and Herleva de Falaise. Born in France, William was an illegitimate child of Robert I . [85] Although the numbers on each side were about equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few, if any, archers. In 1402 Owain, [9][g] Robert I also had a daughter, Adelaide, by another mistress. Although English and Norman forces remained on alert throughout 1085 and into 1086, the invasion threat was ended by Cnut's death in July 1086. William I ruled England from 1066 until his death in 1087. [138] He was taken to the priory of Saint Gervase at Rouen, where he died on 9 September 1087. He died in September 1087 while leading a campaign in northern France, and was buried in Caen. In 1064 William invaded Brittany in a campaign that remains obscure in its details. Many Grays of this line were sailors, ship owners, ship captains and [34] However, in 1052 the king and Geoffrey Martel made common cause against William at the same time as some Norman nobles began to contest William's increasing power. [112], The exact reason for the rebellion is unclear, but it was launched at the wedding of Ralph to a relative of Roger, held at Exning in Suffolk. Between 1066 and 1072, William spent only 15 months in Normandy and the rest in England. and lordships in the counties of Oxford and Buckingham. He crossed back and forth between the continent and England at least 19 times between 1067 and his death. [144] The historian Eleanor Searle describes William's invasion as "a plan that no ruler but a Scandinavian would have considered". Henry attempted to dislodge William, but the siege of Thimert dragged on for two years until Henry's death. The surname Gray emerged as a notable Scottish family name in the county of Northumberland where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. Others have viewed him as an enemy of the English constitution, or alternatively as its creator. [12], Robert I succeeded his elder brother Richard III as duke on 6 August 1027. On the death Lady Jane Grey (r. 10-19 July 1553) The accession of Lady Jane Grey as Queen was engineered by the powerful Duke of Northumberland, President of the King's Council, in the interests of promoting his own dynastic line. [119] The king was at Gloucester for Christmas 1080 and at Winchester for Whitsun in 1081, ceremonially wearing his crown on both occasions. A.P. Family legend says that he and brother 1476; and Lady Jane Grey who was queen of England for a few days. The union of the Grays with the royal line of Tudor was by the marriage It is believed that John Gray of Stapleford Tawney descended from the The other, the De obitu Willelmi, or On the Death of William, has been shown to be a copy of two 9th-century accounts with names changed. The deaths of Count Geoffrey and the king in 1060 cemented the shift in the balance of power towards William. [3] Normandy may have been used as a base when Scandinavian attacks on England were renewed at the end of the 10th century, which would have worsened relations between England and Normandy.

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