William I "The Conqueror, The Bastard" 1066-1087 The second cousin of Edward the Confessor and upon Edward's bequest, the most justified claimant to the English crown upon Edward's death. Although Harold II had fallen at Hastings Saxon-English hopes of retaining the throne had not and these hopes were placed upon the shoulders of Edgar Aetheling. William was in no mood to tolerate any further delay from what he saw as his rightful crown and in a systematic, devastating, act of attrition he ordered his troops to burn and kill in the shires of south and south eastern England. The Saxon generals had no moral option but to surrender to such an onslaught. William was duly crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066 in Westminster Abbey. William was the illegitimate son of Robert the Devil, Duke of Normandy, and the daughter of a commoner. Protocol forbade a marriage between the two and branded thus William a bastard. He was not alone in being the son of his mother, Herleva, and indeed his two half-brothers, Odo and Robert supported him in single combat at the Battle of Hastings. William's claim to the throne of England and his subsequent invasion were fully supported by noblemen of not only Normandy but also Brittany and Flanders. These allies were as equally well rewarded upon his victory by gifts of land and titles. These and all other lands within the English realm were recorded in the famous Domesday Book in 1085. William was not loved by the Saxons and it is not surprising when one considers the freedoms and basic human rights they lost under the Norman rule. There were many rebellions but they were generally poorly co-ordinated and were easily stamped out by William. Invasions by the Welsh and the Danish were just as smartly defeated and for the 21 years of his reign there was only one master of England, William the Conqueror. William was married to Matilda of Flanders and had no less than 10 children; Robert, Richard, Cecily, William, Adeliza, Constance, Adela, Agatha, Matilda and Henry. In a death fit for a warrior king, William died whilst in combat against the French near the town of Rouen. His body lies in the Normandy town of Caen.