enry I, b. 1069, one of the greatest kings of England, ascended the throne on Aug. 5, 1100, and ruled until his death on Dec. 1, 1135. The third son of William I, he succeeded his oldest brother, William II, who died under suspicious circumstances while hunting with Henry. Henry’s older brother Robert I (c.1054-1134), duke of Normandy, invaded (1101) England but was forced to recognize Henry as king. Subsequently, Henry seized (1106) Normandy as well. In his coronation charter (1100) Henry promised to remedy the alleged misrule of William II; this document was the first English royal charter of liberties, the ancestor of Magna Carta (1215). The king exploited his resources as feudal suzerain; yet in his reign occurred the beginning of the transformation of feudalism by the commutation of personal to financial service. The creation of the office of justiciar and of the royal exchequer also constituted the first appearance of specialization in English government. Royal justice was brought to the local level by itinerant judges, and royal control over the kingdom was strengthened. Although many barons objected to the severity of his rule, Henry gave peace, security, and stability to his country. He quarreled with the church over the lay investiture of clergy, forcing the archbishop of Canterbury, Saint Anselm, into exile for a time. This issue was settled (1107), however, by a compromise that served as the pattern for later resolution of the investiture controversy in Europe. During Henry’s reign England participated increasingly in Continental intellectual life. His was also the first post-Conquest reign noted for patronage of learning and of secular officials. James W. Alexander Bibliography: Barlow, Frank, The Feudal Kingdom of England, 1042-1216, 4th ed., (1988); Poole, A. L., From Domesday Book to Magna Carta, 1087-1216, 2d ed. (1955); Southern, R. W., Medieval Humanism and Other Studies (1970). [Grolier's On-Line Encyclopedia]

Henry I (1068-1135) King of England from 1100. Youngest son of William the Conqueror, he succeeded his brother William II. He won the support of the Saxons by granting them a charter and marrying a Saxon princess. An able administrator, he established a professional bureaucracy and a system of travelling judges. He was succeeded by Stephen. © Copyright Helicon Publishing Ltd 1996 [The Hutchinson Encyclopedia]

Notes on Henry I, King of England ruled 1100 - 1135
Henry was born in 1068 in Selby. Because his father, who died in 1087, left him no land, Henry made several unsuccessful attempts to gain territories on the Continent. On the death of his brother William Rufus in 1100, Henry took advantage of the absence of another brother, Robert (circa 1054-1134), who had a prior claim to the throne, to seize the royal treasury and have himself crowned King at Westminster. Henry subsequently secured his position with the nobles and with the church by issuing a charter of liberties that acknowledged the feudal rights of the nobles and the rights of the church. In 1101, Robert, Duke of Normandy, invaded England, but Henry persuaded him to withdraw by promising him a pension and military aid on the Continent. In 1102 Henry put down a revolt of nobles, who subsequently took refuge in Normandy, where they were aided by Robert. By defeating Robert at Tinchebray, France, in 1106, Henry won Normandy. During the rest of his reign, however, he constantly had to put down uprisings that threatened his rule in Normandy. The conflict between Henry and Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, over the question of the appointment of church officials by the King), was settled in 1107 by a compromise that left the King with substantial control in the matter. Henry sired at least twenty children by a troop of mistresses, thus earning a place in the Guiness Book of Records for royal fecundity. Yet because he had no surviving male heir, Henry was forced to designate his daughter Matilda as his heiress. After his death on 1 Dec 1135, Henry's nephew, Stephen of Blois, usurped the throne, plunging the country into a protracted civil war that ended only with the accession of Matilda’s son, Henry II in 1154. {Burke’s Peerage and Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary} Henry I (of England) (1068-1135), third Norman king of England (ruled 1100 to 1135), was the fourth son of William the Conqueror. [GADD.GED]

Reported to have been very Cruel. Hunting was his main passion and is said to have hunted "other game" than stag or boar. Ordered the "fencing in" of all "Royal Hunting Grounds" and the death penalty for those who killed or injured "his" stags. An exhausted stag that had beaten the hunt was protected by the harbourer until it returned to the forest. [THELMA.GED]

Henry I (of England) (1068-1135), third Norman king of England (1100-1135), fourth son of William the Conqueror. Henry was born in Selby. Because his father, who died in 1087, left him no land, Henry made several unsuccessful attempts to gain territories on the Continent. On the death of his brother William II in 1100, Henry took advantage of the absence of another brother—Robert, who had a prior claim to the throne—to seize the royal treasury and have himself crowned king at Westminster. Henry subsequently secured his position with the nobles and with the church by issuing a charter of liberties that acknowledged the feudal rights of the nobles and the rights of the church. In 1101 Robert, who was duke of Normandy, invaded England, but Henry persuaded him to withdraw by promising him a pension and military aid on the Continent. In 1102 Henry put down a revolt of nobles, who subsequently took refuge in Normandy, where they were aided by Robert. By defeating Robert at Tinchebray, France, in 1106, Henry won Normandy. During the rest of his reign, however, he constantly had to put down uprisings that threatened his rule in Normandy. The conflict between Henry and Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, over the question of lay investiture (the appointment of church officials by the king), was settled in 1107 by a compromise that left the king with substantial control in the matter.

Because he had no surviving male heir, Henry was forced to designate his daughter Matilda as his heiress. After his death on December 1, 1135, at Lyons-la-Fôret, Normandy, however, Henry's nephew, Stephen of Blois, usurped the throne, plunging the country into a protracted civil war that ended only with the accession of Matilda's son, Henry II, in 1154. [Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia]

Additional information: Britannia.com

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