Even though incomplete, Battle Abbey is consecrated.

A large earthquake hit England in this year.

Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls was exeuted for his part in the failed Rebellion of the Three Earls. The execution took place near Winchester on the order of William the Conqueror.

Gundulf, the Norman monk responsible for the design and construction of the Tower of London, was given the see of Rochester. He started the construction of a tower at Rochester that formed part of the church and is its oldest above-ground part,

Work began on St. Albans Cathedral. (More Information to follow)

Gundulf became Bishop of Rochester, remaining there for thirty years and where he is buried.

A devastating took hold in London and much of the city was reduced to ashes.

The Bayeux Tapestry is first shown at the dedication of Odo's cathedral.

Gundulf began work on the White Tower, the Tower of London. ¹

The two bishoprics of East Anglia and Dunwich (Suffolk) were merged into one and moved to Thetford which was an important town at the time and was in a central location.

Osmond was a Norman who came to England with William the Conqueror. He exchanged his noble title for that of a religious one and became Bishop at Old Sarum after Herbert. Osmond continued the construction work of a new cathedral at Old Sarum.

During the winter of 1078/9 William the Conqueror laid siege to Gerberoy Castle which was the stronghold of his son Robert who had rebelled against him. ¹

Construction work began on the crypt and transepts of Winchester Cathedral. This continued until 1093. ¹

The first of two castles located in London taking the name Baynard's Castle was built shortly after the Norman Conquest by Ralph Baynard, a Norman who was granted large amounts of land by William the Conqueror. The castle was demolished by King John in 1213.

In a battle outside Gerberoy Castle William the Conqueror was unseated from his horse. The person responsible was his son Robert. When Robert discovered he had unhorsed and injured his father he assisted William to remount and leave the battlefield. This was a humiliating defeat for William who had been seen to be invincible. ¹

Ripon monastery destroyed by Normans. ¹

Robert de Losinga, a Norman Bishop started work on a new Cathedral at Hereford. ¹

To defend the estuaries of Essex against attacks from the Danes William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a new castle at Colchester.

Work on a castle at Lewes began in 1080 and progressed possibly until 1100. ¹

Possibly with the the help of Matilda, his mother, the rebellious Robert was reconciled with his father William.

The civil wars following the battle of Manzikert led to Alexius Comnenus becoming the Eastern Emperor. ¹

William the Conqueror visited South Wales and St. David's. He met Rhys ap Tewdwr, the ruler of the area and allowed him to remain in control of the region for a yearly sum of money.

William the Conqueror may have ordered the creation of a castle at Cardiff during his tour of Southern Wales. The first castle on the site would have been a motte and bailey type and it was built on the site of existing Roman fortifications. ¹

Richard was killed while hunting in the New Forest.

Work began on Ely Cathedral

William imprisoned his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux.

Adela, the daughter of William the Conqueror married Stephen, Count of Blois who could have been twenty years older than herself.This marriage could have occurred as early as 1080 but that would have made Adela only thirteen years old.

Building work starts on Worcester Cathedral. Orchestrated by Bishop Wulfstan. (More Information to follow)

Toledo was recaptured from the Moors. ¹

Word reached King William that Canute IV of Denmark was gathering a very large invasion fleet and preparing to invade England. Internal disputes delayed the fleet setting sail. In response William employed many mercenaries from Normandy as he was unable to trust the support of the local Anglo-Saxons. He also ordrered the land on the east coast to be laid waste so it did not provide resources for the invaders. ¹

At the Christmas Council William the Conqueror ordered the creation of survey of property with their values and populations county by county covering most of England. Commissioners were sent all over England, apart from the far north, to make a record of the population, value, state and ownership of the land. The book known as the Domesday Book consisted of two volumes and was completed by 1088.

The Spanish are defeated at Zallaca. ¹

Violent storms killed many people while cattle died from disease.

A peasant revolt ended Canute IV of Denmark's plans to gather a large fleet of ships to invade England. Canute took refuge with his men inside a church but was found and murdered. ¹

The abbot of Monte Cassinio was reluctantly elected Pope.

The abbot of Monte Cassino, a man called Desiderius, was elected Pope a year after the death of the previous pope Gregory VII. His reign was not to last long as he retired to his abbey at Monte Cassino with ill health and died in September of 1087. ¹

William the Conqueror called a meeting at Old Sarum where he invited his most important vassals and tenants-in-chief in England to swear allegiance to him. The oath is now known as the Oath of Salisbury.

Work on rebuilding St. Paul's Cathedral started after the Old St. Paul's burnt down and a good deal of London as well. The person in charge of the rebuilding work was Mauritius, chaplain to William the Conqueror and Bishop of London. The new Cathedral was reportedly extremely large.

William Rufus gave the Manor of Tewkesbury to his cousin, Robert FitzHamon. Together with the patronage of the Priory of Tewkesbury.

The Priory was founded by William de Warrene a Norman follower of William the Conqueror.

William the Conqueror of England died at the abbey of St Gervais, near Rouen. ¹

William Rufus was crowned at Westminster Abbey by Archbishop Lanfranc after the death of his father William the Conqueror.

Bath Abbey was refounded by John de Villula and populated by Benedictine monks.

The earldom of Warwick was created by William II and given to Henry de Beaumont. Henry de Beaumont changed his name to Newburgh.

Hugh of Avranches, Earl of Chester, constructed the motte and bailey castle on the island of Anglesey.

Many Norman barons held land both in England and Normandy. With two opposing lords, William in England and Robert in Normandy, the barons were finding it difficult to know who to support. A revolt led by Odo sprung up in England with the aim of removing William from the throne. Odo's revolt in Kent and Sussex was supported by barons across the country. Roger Bigod from Norwich and Geoffrey of Coutances and Robert Mowbray from Bristol supported Odo. In Worcestershire Roger de Lacy captured Hereford and attacked Worcester. In the south-east Roger Montgomery at Arundel Robert of Mortain at Pevensey and Gilbert de Clare at Tonbridge also prepared to fight the King. Robert of Belleme, a Norman baron, who was able to bring support from Normandy. Robert also controlled castles in the Welsh Marches where the revolt also took place.

Urban II was elected Pope in 1088. His real name was Odo of Lagery and chose the name Urban when he became Pope. He had at first been a monk at the abbey at Cluny from 1070 and had become a prior there.

The Worcestershire rebellion led by Robert of Lacy was dealt with quickly by Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester, who called on those knights and local landowners still loyal to the King to defend Worcester. Many of the rebels were captured or killed. ¹

William Rufus had insufficient men at his disposal to deal with the rebellion in the south-east as there were too many ports to guard. The King called the representatives of the fyrd (the ordinary people of the country organised into an army) to a meeting in London where, with the support Lanfranc, he promised the people better laws and the removal of unfair taxes if they supported him against the rebels. The people agreed and together with the King they captured the castle at Tonbridge after a two day siege. ¹

William Rufus lay siege to Pevensey Castle where Odo had taken shelter with Robert of Mortain. The siege lasted for six weeks. Robert, the Duke of Normandy, sent a force to support the rebels at Pevensey but they were unable to land because the King had made sure the ports were well guarded. Robert admitted defeat and withdrew his support for the rebels. Odo had little choice, other than that to starve, and surrendered to the King. Odo agreed to go to Rochester where he would convince the rebels to accept William Rufus as the rightful King of England.

Odo was accompanied to Rochester Castle by an escort but When they reached the castle the rebels captured the escort and refused to accept William Rufus as their King. Again William called for the people of England to support him against the rebels and together they lay siege to the castle. Odo surrendered when it was agreed that those in the castle would have their lives spared if the they came out. Odo and the rebels were allowed to leave but their lands in England were taken from them. Odo went into exiled in Normandy.

Some seventeen years after taking his position at Gloucester, Serlo built the crypt.

After the death of Archbishop Lanfranc William Rufus held open the post of Archbishop of Canterbury for four years taking the revenues for his own purposes.

An earthquake was felt across England. ¹

Construction of keep at Lancaster Castle by Roger of Poitou. ¹

A motte and bailey castle was built at Pembroke by Arnulf of Montgomery.

The first castle to be built at Caernarfon was constructed by Hugh of Avranches, Earl of Chester, in about 1090. He built a wooden motte and bailey castle.

William Rufus gathered the nobles and bishops at Hastings Castle to do him homage after he became king, showing how important this castle was during the early Norman years. ¹

Constance died childless.

Once the threat from invasion had reduced, the castle was passed into the control of Eudo de Rie, who held the position of high steward.

London was hit by a terrible storm, possibly a tornado. Damage was done to the Tower of London, the old wooden London Bridge and many churches and buildings.

King William II took an army into Normandy and attacked the army of his elder brother Robert Curthose, the Duke. William claimed some of Robert's lands after the brothers agreed to peace. One term of the agreement was that Edgar the Atheling should be expelled from Normandy as his potential claim to the English throne was a threat to William.

The fourth major invasion into the north of England by Malcolm III started when the Scots began a siege of Durham. ¹

The Normans, led by William Rufus, went north to deal with the Scots but a conflict was averted and a renewal of the treaty of Abernethy was agreed.

William Rufus renewed the arrangement that his father had with Malcolm III, King of the Scots. This may have included letting Malcolm have some areas of northern England. Even so this did not prevent further attacks on England in the north by the Scots. The negotiation of the peace between England and Scotland was assisted by Edgar the Atheling.  ¹

Robert FitzHamon, the cousin of William Rufus, together with Abbot Giraldus, founded the present Abbey at Tewkesbury.

A collegiate church was founded at this time at Carlisle and a Norman church was built.

Secular canons founded a collegiate church at Carlisle.

Work began on the nave and the southern transept. ¹

The cathedral at Old Sarum was completed and dedicated to Blessed Virgin. The cathedral was damaged by a storm only five days after the dedication service and the roof destroyed. The location of the cathedral meant it exposed to the wind and the sermons were sometimes drowned out by the sound.

A year after the tornado that struck London, a great fire took hold in the city and did a large amount of damage.

Durham Cathedral was the first building in Western Europe with ribbed vaulting in the ceiling. ¹

Anselm became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093 succeeding Lanfranc. The post of Archbishop of Canterbury had been held open by William Rufus so that he could collect for himself the church's income, but when William became ill and thought he was going to die he nominated Anselm as archbishop. Anselm died in 1109.

Chester was a strategic site after the Norman Conquest and the Saxon church there was taken over in 1093 by Benedictine monks.

The Norman baron, Roger de Montgomery, had a motte and bailey castle constructed at Cardigan as he attempted to control the Welsh.

William Rufus ordered the construction of a castle at Carlisle because of the thrreat that the Scottish King Malcolm III posed.

William fell ill early in this year and the illness was so serious that reports went out saying that he had died. William granted land to many religious houses in preparation for his death but when he recovered he claimed the land back. ¹

A meeting was arranged between Malcolm III of Scotland and William II of England at Gloucester. It was here that William demanded that the failing peace between the two nations should be judged by the barons. Malcolm refused, returning to Scotland and raising an army.

Malcolm III, the king of Scotland, and his son Edward were both killed at the battle of Alnwick in Northumberland. Malcolm had invaded England after William II had made moves to take more control over Cumbria and had fortified Carlisle. The bodies of the Scottish king and his son where buried at Tynemouth Priory.

After Malcolm III and his eldest son Edward by his second marriage were killed near Alnwick Donald, Malcolm's brother, became the king of Scotland. Malcolm's family were forced into exiled in England. Malcolm had another son, Duncan, by his first wife. But Duncan was being held hostage at the court of William Rufus.

Margaret of Scotland died only days after her son and husband had been killed at Alnwick.

Building work at Battle Abbey was completed and the abbey reconsecrated by William Rufus.

Herbert de Losinga purchased the see (seat of the bishop) for the area around Norwich. The bishops seat was at Thetford but Herbert moved it to Norwich itself before starting the construction of a new cathedral. ¹

The castle of Abr Lleiniog was attacked and burned by Gruffudd ap Cynan.

Pedro, was the eldest son of Sancho and became ruler of Aragon after his father's death. Pedro ruled until 1104.

Assisted by Norman knights and his half-brother Edmund, Duncan invaded Scotland to unseat his uncle Donald from the Scottish throne. The invasion succeeded and he became king in May. His reign only lasted until November when he was killed in battle and Donald retook the Scottish throne. Edmund sided with Donald at this time and was named as heir to the throne as the King had no children. It is possible that Edmund shared the rule of Scotland with Donald from 1094.

Donald III was restored to the Scottish throne after the death of Duncan II. He shared the Scottish rule with his nephew Edmund.

Wulfstan was bishop of Worcester. The location of his grave is not known.

After attacking four merchant ships Robert Mowbray was called for by William Rufus to explain his actions. Instead Mowbray rose up in rebellion against the king along with other powerful Norman Barons. Mowbray chose the castle at Tynemouth as his base and converted the large enclosure into a strong fortification. The castle fell to William Rufus after a siege of two months. Mowbray managed to escape to Tynemouth church but was captured and made prisoner.

Hugh 'Lupus' d'Avaranches, the first Earl of Chester, founded a monastery at Chester. Later to become Chester Cathedral. ¹

A comet was seen for several weeks with its tail pointing east.

At the Council of Piacenza a delegation visited Pope Urban II led by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus to raise the problems he was having fighting the Muslims in the East. Pope Urban removed the excommunication that had been placed on the Emperor by Pope Gregory and promised to help.

In the depths of a royal forest Rockingham Castle was chosen as the location for a council to discuss the major differences between King William and Archbishop Anselm.

On the last day of the Council or Clemont Pope Urban II preached about the oppression being inflicted on the Christians in the Middle East by the Muslim Seljuks. Christian churches were being destroyed and Christians attacked. The Pope called for the Christians in the West to help.

Work starts on Norwich Cathedral.

Building work on Alnwick Castle began.

Canterbury Cathedral choir, east transepts and crypt building work. The works were undertaken by Ernulf, prior of the cathedral. Ernulf would later become Abbot of Peterborough. ¹

Robert of Normandy became under pressure from William Rufus who laid claim to Normandy. William was gaining support from some Norman barons and Robert took the opportunity to leave Normandy to answer Pope Urban II's call for a Crusade. Robert agreed that William could lease Normandy for three years for a sum of 10,000 marks. This money would help him fund the expedition.

Following Pope Urban's speech at Clermont Peter the Hermit, a simple man with a powerful ability to move people by his words, started preaching for Christians to help their fellow Christians in the East. He started to gain a large number of followers eager to go to Jerusalem with promises of absolution and freedom from a life of hunger and depravation. His followers were poor, not prepared for the journey and not armed.

On Holy Saturday, the 12th of April, Peter the Hermit arrived in Cologne and preached to the Germans for a Crusade. He was eager for some nobility to join his ranks as so far he had only attracted peasants including women and children. The French part of his army was led by Walter Sans Avoir. Walter was not wiliing to wait in Cologne and with a number of crusaders left to travel on to Hungary.

Peter the Hermit's army of ordinary people was large and it needed feeding. One of the more noble members of the army was Walter Sans Avoir, also known as Walter the Penniless. When the army reached Cologne in April Peter decided to halt the army to take advantage of the good supply of food. Walter was impatient and with a small section of the army continued on. They passed through Hungary but at the town of Semlin a dispute broke out when some of his men stole food. When his men were refused food at Belgrade because the harvest had not yet been gathered Walter's army began pillaging the surrounding area. Finally Alexius Comnenus sent supplies and an escort to guard the Crusaders as they marched to Constantinople. The guard ensured that the Crusaders didn't cause any more trouble. ¹

As the army of crusaders moved east they entered many Jewish communities. Many of the Westerners were unable to distinguish the Jews from Muslims and tensions arose. At first the Jews were able to move the army on with bribes but finally violence erupted. First at Speyer, and then in the city of Mainz the crusaders massacred indiscriminately. At Mainz the attackers were led by Count Emich of Leiningen, a German.

At Constantinople the Emperor Alexius welcomed Peter's army but there were too many people and no provision had been made for them. There was a general lack of discipline that resulted in repeated attacks and thefts from surrounding villages. Alexius warned Peter to wait for better trained troops to arrive before moving on but the pressure of the army was so great on Constantinople that they were forced to move before help could arrive.

The People's Crusaders were shipped across the Bosporus to a disused army base at Civetot. From there they attacked the surrounding areas but they had little affect.

While the People's Crusade led by Peter the Hermit was being crushed in the Holy Land, preparations for the First Crusade carried on in Europe. Those leaders involved were Raymond of Toulouse, Hughes Count of Vermandois, Robert Count of Flanders, Robert Duke of Normandy and Etienne Count of Blois. The leaders arranged to meet at Constantinople and set off taking different routes. Some followed the path across Europe taken by Peter the Hermit, while others took a more southerly routes via the Alps and the Adriatic.

Hugh of Vermandios was the first of the barons to reach Constantinople. His army had travelled via Italy and Greece using ships rather than across land like the other barons. ¹

The Turks attacked the People's Crusades in their base at Civetot and ended their Crusade.

Edgar, the son of Malcolm III of Scotland, and his second wife Margaret of Wessex became the king of Scotland after taking the Scottish throne from Donald Bane. Edgar was assisted by an English army supplied by William Rufus in return for swaring fealty to the Englsih King. The army was led by Edgar the Atheling, Edgar's uncle.

William Rufus arranged the construction of a new hall outside of London near Westminster Abbey. Westminster Hall was the largest hall in England and designed, no doubt, to impress and somewhere to hold banquets, ceremonies and a place to celebrate the coronations that took place in the Abbey near by. The hall is the earliest surviving building on the site.

When the crusaders arrived at Constantinople they were greeted by Emperor Alexius. The Emperor was happy for the crusaders to capture areas of the Holy Land but he wanted the land to be under his control. Alexius persuaded the Leaders of the crusaders to swear an oath of allegiance to him and to hand over the land they captured. They could however be allowed to live on and rule that land but not own it.

Kilij Arslan, the Seldjuk Sultan, after easily defeating the army of the People's Crusade underestimated the strength of the Crusaders who were in Constantinople. Arslan had trouble on his eastern borders and had taken his army away from Nicaea which he thought was protected well enough. When word reached him of the advance by the Crusaders on the city his army was too far away to prevent the start of the siege.

In late 1096, Stephen of Blois, his brother-in-law Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, along with his cousin Robert, count of Flanders set out for the Holy Land. They reached Constantinople in May of 1097 and were warmly welcomed by Emporer Alexis. They then joined the main party of Crusaders and helped capture the city of Nicea.

The Crusaders began their campaign with a siege of the city of Nicaea. The walls of the city were several miles long and as it lay on the eastern shore of a large lake a section of the walls rose out of the water. The Crusaders surrounded the city but were unable to gain entry. Attempts at undermining the walls were unsuccessful. Towards the end of May the Turks attacked the Crusaders and inflicted heavy losses but were beaten back. When it was discovered the the city was getting supplies from across the lake the Emporer Alexius sent a number of boats to prevent any further shipments getting through. This was the final straw for the defenders inside the city and on June 19th moments before the Crusaders launched an attack they surrendered. But they did not surrender to the Crusaders but to the Emperor instead. This infuriated the Crusaders who were expecting a large haul of treasure from the city. Alexius treated the captured Turks well and allowed many to buy their own freedom. But the city was important for the Crusaders as control of it ensured they could not be attacked as they moved further east. ¹

The Crusaders defeated an army led by Kilij Arslan, the Seljuk Sultan of Rum, who wanted revenge for the capture of Nicaea. In the battle many of the Crusaders were killed but the Turks were forced to flee and abandon their tents and treasure after being surprised by the arrival of a second Crusader army. After a couple of days rest the army continued south east but were short of water. At Heraclea a Turkish army was defeated and the Crusaders would the supplies they needed. ¹

In October of 1097 the Crusaders had reached Antioch. The march had been long and difficult and many had died or deserted due to starvation, diseases and the very wet weather. At once they laid siege to the city. The Turks in the city were prepared and waited to be rescued. ¹

A star with a long tail was seen in the south-west. ¹

Conflicts between Archbishop Anselm and William Rufus resulted in the Archbishop leaving England and heading for Rome. William confiscated Anselm's land.

A treaty was signed between Edgar, King of Scotland, and King Magnus III of Norway agreeing that the northern territories of Scotland including the Hebrides belonged to Norway.

The abbey of Citeaux in Burgundy was founded by Robert of Mosleme. The abbey did not prosper until around 1113 when Stephen Harding became abbot and a couple of years later St. Bernard became the abbot of Clairvaux its daughter house. The abbey of Citeaux was the start of the massively important Cistercian Order. ¹

London Bridge was washed away by a flood in this year. ¹

At the end of May, after a hard winter where the Crusaders has made no real gains, Stephen of Blois decided to abandon the Crusade and return home. He assumed that the Crusaders would not succeed and his excuse was that he was ill. But the Crusaders did succeed and in June, the city of Antioch fell. By the tiime he had returned to France, news of his desertion had already arrived.

The siege of Antioch was ended not by force but by betrayal. A hand full of Crusaders climbed a ladder into the city and simply opened the gates from the inside. The hoard of the Christian army surged into the city killing anyone or anything in their way. The destruction was brutal and no mercy was shown. As soon as the Crusaders were in the city the situation changed. Outside a Moslem army arrived and in turn besieged the city. Some Crusaders managed to escape over the walls and flee but the majority were trapped without food in the city. ¹

Spurred on by the find of the Spear of Longinus, the spear that was supposed to have pierced Jesus on the cross, the Crusaders emerged from the city of Antioch to face the Moslems. The Moslems were defeated, many being killed and many fleeing. After the batlle the ownership of the city was disputed. Bohemund and Raymond of Toulouse argued over its possession and after several months of debate Raymond accepted Bohemund's right to it. In truth, the city should have been handed over to Emporer Alexius. ¹

Construction of the nave at Durham Cathedral began in 1099 and lasted until 1128. ¹

Ranulf Flambard is made the Bishop of Durham by William Rufus.

The sea rose in many places around England and Scotland and an area of land of Kent that belonged to Earl Godwin was covered in sand. The name being corrupted to Goodwin Sands.

After a delay of many months the crusaders under the leadership of Raymond of Toulouse left Antioch and headed south towards Jerusalem. ¹

The Crusader army reached Masyaf, where a treaty was agreed. The Crusaders agreed to continue their march rather than capture or destroy the town. ¹

The Crusaders entered the deserted town of Rafaniye that provided them with much needed supplies. They stayed their for a few days before moving on into the Buqaia valley. On the site of the future Krak de Chevaliers castle, was an old, run-down fort. The locals had moved all of their livestock into the ruins and when the Crusaders approached let them out to create a diversion. In the confusion the locals escaped before the Crusaders took the fort. ¹

Count Raymond sent a small part of his army to attack the port of Tortosa, now called Tartus, on the Syrian coast. The Criusaders lit many fires around the port to make believe their number was greater than it was. Fooled by the deception, the governor of the port, and his garrison, fled by sea leaving the port open for the Crusaders to capture. The port was strategically important and a boost to the Crusaders' success. ¹

A year after their victory at Antioch the remaining Crusaders finally reached Jerusalem, their goal. They camp outside of the city and begin a siege. ¹

The Crusaders capture Jerusalem. When they ended the siege and entered the city they murdered non-Christians including Muslims and Jews and forced many to leave. ¹

A week after Jeruslam was captured by the Crusaders Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen as its first ruler.

The driving force behind the capture of Jerusalem, Pope Urban II, died just weeks after the city had fallen.

The last battle of the First Crusade was fought between the Christians and Muslims at Ascalon. Led by Godfrey of Bouillon, the king of Jerusalem, the heavily out-numbered Christian army used their heavy armour to good affect. The Muslim army consisted mainly of Egyptians intent of driving the Christians out of Jerusalem. ¹

Paschal was elected as Pope following the death of Urban II. He may have been a monk at the Abbey of Cluny before becoming a cardinal.

Henry I granted the ownership of Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight to Richard de Redvers a Norman nobleman.

Gerard of Windsor built a motte and bailey castle on the Daugleddau creek in south Wales around this time. The land on which the castle was built was given to Gerard when he married Princess Nest. The castle is called Carew Castle. ¹

In around 1100 a castle was built at Restormel by the Norman Baldwin Fitz Turstin.

The abbey church at Gloucester built by Abbot Serlo was dedicated by Samson the Bishop of Worcester, Gundulph the Bishop of Rochester and Harvey Bishop of Bangor.

Godfrey of Bouillon died just a year after the crusaders had captured Jerusalem. Agreeing who should succeed Godfrey as ruler of Jerusalem was not easy. The head of the Church in Jerusalem, Dagobert of Pisa, claimed that the Church itself should rule and as he was its representative he should have the job. Godfrey's brother, Baldwin of Edessa, had other ideas and travelled to Jerusalem with an army to claim the throne. ¹

William Rufus was buried under the tower of Winchester Cathedral. The tower fell down either in 1101 or 1107. The cause was blamed on the wickedness of the King's bones but was probably due to poor construction or uncertain foundations.

Henry I had no quarrels with Anselm, the exiled archbishop, and invited him to return from exile and take back his position at Canterbury.

William Rufus was killed while hunting in the New Forest. He was succeeded by Prince Henry, his younger brother, who became King Henry I. ¹

King Henry I was crowned king at Westminster Abbey. ¹

King Henry I of England married Matilda of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III and sister of Edgar, the King of the Scots. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey. ¹

Supported by an army of over a thousand men, Baldwin claimed the throne of Jerusalem. Baldwin of Edessa was Godfrey's brother and he claimed the throne as his heritage. Baldwin was crowned on Christmas Day at Bethlehem.