Back to the Mainly The Normans calendar
The problem with ruling Normandy and
England was that there was a large stretch of water, the English Channel as we now call it, between the two. The Kings had to keep going back and forth as did
their families. In 1120 Henry I’s only legitimate son, William, was returning to England with his father and other members of the family. Henry went early on one
boat but William and others stayed a while having a few drinks as they were sailing on a much faster ship called La Blanche Nef, which in English means the
White Ship.
William, it appears, shared some drinks with the crew and when they left Barfleur for England, at around midnight, it was dark. Almost immediately
they hit a rock, some say the crew were all drunk by then, and the boat capsized. William and some of his friends launched a life raft but William went back to
rescue his illegitimate sister, another Matilda. However when she and others jumped aboard the life raft, it too capsized and all were drowned. Only 2 people
survived the disaster out of about 250 on board.
William’s wife was on another ship and, after her husband’s death, went off to be a nun. Henry I was left with no son and heir and a problem. He
tried marrying a new wife but they had no children. By the way, in these times, a legitimate child was one born to a man and woman who were married. Henry had
2 of these. An illegitimate child was one born to a woman who was not married to the father. Henry may have had about 20 of these.
Forward to 1126AD
