Again, more notes from Tyerman, C, Who’s Who in Early Medieval England, (Shepheard-Walwyn, 1996), pp. 47-54 as this has helped me make the context jump to further on.
- Brief reign
- One of the most feared and respected rulers of his time
- 1088 – fought off Curthouse who was not happy about his succession.
- 1090-1096 – consolidate his kingdom and reunite the Anglo-Norman dominions – regularly invaded Normandy
- 1096 – had reunited his father’s possessions with much of the Conqueror’s skill, determination and opportunism.
- Main concern was the protection of his frontiers
- Death – 2nd August 1100 – killed by a stray arrow while hunting deer in the New Forest – political sensation.
- Died without being able to confess – was bad in medieval times.
- Henry took full advantage of the situation his brother’s death had given him.
- Constant war in William’s reign and there was the financial implications for this on the country – taxes
- No tyrant – consulted his advisors on tax and other campaigns.
- English chroniclers – bad-mouthed, homosexual, unflattering portrait of the King – almost demonic.
- Blunt
- Homosexual accusations – explained by an odd cultural barrier between France and England – just different fashions
- Did not marry – exceptional – no legitimate heir
- Builder of Westminster Hall in 1097 – deemed it to be too small.
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Although not part of the text book I've been following, it is obviously important to fill in the gaps, hence this and the following posts on Henry I. Henry II is important because Thomas Becket is studied so therefore it must be right that this gap is filled.
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