Details for William the Conqueror AD 1066 - AD 1087 - A guide to the coins of the Medieval period

William the Conqueror

Date of reign: AD 1066 - AD 1087

Styled as: Willelmus Rex Anglorum

Alias: William the Bastard

Born: AD 1027 Died: AD 1087

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to William the Conqueror.

Wikipedia derived information

William I (circa 1028 – 9 September 1087), also known as William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquérant), was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death.

He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II. Before his conquest of England, he was known as William the Bastard because of the illegitimacy of his birth. To press his claim to the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, and Frenchmen (from Paris and Île-de-France) to victory over the English forces of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.

William of Malmesbury, the foremost historian of the day, reported of William: "He was of just stature, extraordinary corpulence, fierce contenance; his forhead bare of hair; of such strength of arm that it was often a matter of surprise that no one was able to draw his bow, which he himself could bend when his horse was on full gallup; he was majestic whether sitting or standing, although the protuberance of his belly deformed his royal person: of excellent health so that he was never confined with any dangerous disorder except at the last. " His heavy taxes, together with the extractions of the greedy Norman landlords he put in power, submerged the great mass of Anglo-Saxon freemen into serfdom. By 1086, the Domesday Book showed that England comprised 12% freeholders; 35% serfs or villeins: 30% cotters and borders; and 9% slaves.

William was one of the foremost soldiers of the medieval era, conquering a large kingdom from a smaller base. Most important, William created a feudal state that brought order, peace, law to England, promoted commerce, and created a strong central government that long endured. His reign, which imposed Norman culture and leadership on England, reshaped England in the Middle Ages.

The details of that impact and the extent of the changes have been debated by scholars for centuries. In addition to the obvious change of ruler, his reign also saw a programme of building and fortification, changes to the English language, a shift in the upper levels of society and the church, and adoption of some aspects of continental church reform..

Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror
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