William I, King of England, commonly called William the Conqueror, was the illegitimate son of Robert, surnamed Le Diable, Duke of Normandy. He was born in 1027, and succeeded to the Dukedom on the death of his father in 1035. Previous to his father's death, he had been intrusted to the care of Henry I of France, but it was owing rather to the quarrels and jealousies of his own subjects than to the protection of Henry, that he was able to preserve his dominion intact until he arrived at manhood. Ih 1047, he gained a victory at Val de Dunes, over a powerful competitor, Guido, of Macon; and in 1054 he defeated another rival, Guillamme, Count of Arques, being aided in both conquests by the French. His ambition now began to extend to England, where Edward the Confessor reigned at this time. On visiting England, William found his hopes of succeeding Edward much strengthened by the dominance of Norman influence in the councils of that monarch. On Edward's death, however, the Witenagemote chose Harold to fill the English throne; ignoring according to the monkish chroniclers of Norman bias, in so doing, an alleged bequest of Edward in favor of William. The Norman asserted his pretended rights by a powerful invasion, and the result was his acquisition of the Crown by the famous battle of Hastings, October 14th, 1066. Harold having been killed in the fight, the Saxons chose Edgar Atheling as his successor. Edgar was however, soon obliged to yield, and William was crowned King of England, December 25th, 1066; from which day his reign is dated.
Before long William began to rule like a true conqueror. Everywhere the Saxons were reduced almost to a state of slavery. The higher classes were deprived of every office of Church and state, while the people were ground down by new and oppressive taxes. Fortresses were erected over the country, and garrisoned to overawe the Saxon inhabitants. In 1072, the Saxons were so far reduced to submission, that William found time to lead an army across the border into Scotland, in order to punish the King of that country, Malcom Canmore, for having received and protected Edgar Atheling. The Conqueror marched as far north as the Tay, and received a nominal submission from Malcore. In 1085, an attempt was made to overturn the power of the English King, by Canute, King of Denmark. A great naval armament was got together for the purpose of invasion, but the enterprise was abandoned, the abandonment being caused partly by ill luck, and partly, it is supposed, by a skillful application of William's treasure. Most of the latter part of William's life was spent in Normandy, the government of England being intrusted mainly to his half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. William was of a corpulent habit of body, at which fact it seems that his brother monarch, Philip I of France, had pointed some sarcasm. William in a fit of wrath, raised an army, and invaded France. He took the City of Mantes, and set it on fire; but while in full enjoyment of the blaze, his horse, stumbling on some hot embers, threw him, and the injuries he received proved fatal. He died September 9th 1087.
Stern and ruthless as William undoubtedly was, he yet knew how to govern a nation and protect it from foreign aggressions. For more than two centuries England had been frequently harrassed by the frequent descents of piratical hordes. He put an end to these. Never after William's time, did a Norse rover venture to show face on the English coast. In the common administration of justice, he was royally impartial. Many of his severities are referable in part to his thorough hatred of anarchy, while his attitude toward the church is admirable. He clearly defined the limits of ecclesiastical judicature, and when the formidable Hildebrand desired that the Conqueror should do homage to him for the Kingdom of England, the latter refused.