and five-year truce, 252
assumes command of Third Crusade, 230
ban on tournaments overturned by, 247
and battle for Normandy, see Normandy: battle for
Berengaria marries, 227
Berry raids of, 190
betrothal of, to Alice of France, 89, 188
birth of, 76
brutality shown by, 138, 266
capture of, during Crusade, 229
and release, 231
capture of, in Vienna, 232–3
and release, 236
and Châlus siege, 252–3
Basilius’s bolt wounds, 253
confirmed as father’s successor, 203
continued absence of, from England, 213
coronation of, 210–12
as count of Poitou and duke of Aquitaine, 113
cross taken by, 189–90
crown-wearing ceremony of, 239
Crusade successes of, 230–1
death of, 253–4
description of, 135–6
and division of Acre, 232
and duchy of Aquataine, 89
equivocates over succession, 225
Excalibur carried by, 43
expected to oversee Aquitaine and Brittany, 98
and family feud over Aquitaine, 152–3
and La Ferté-Bernard abortive peace conference, 196
Richard–Philip offensive follows, 196–7
formidable reputation garnered by, 135
‘great cruelty’ of, 138
Henry II favours, in Aquitaine feud, 153
and Henry II’s death, 205
Henry II’s final conference with Philip II and, 202–3
John falsely declares death of, 234
John’s indiscretions pardoned by, 241
Latin scholar, 46
‘Lionheart’ sobriquet of, 135
negotiations for release of, 235
and Nottingham siege, 239–40
open resistance to authority of, in Aquataine, 139
papal legate’s irksome visit to, 248
Philip II now adversary of, 207
and Philip II’s Berry incursion, 188–9
prepares for war over Aquitaine, 152
ransomed, 231, 235
renewed amity between Philip II and, 193–4
required to pay homage to Young King, 149–50
return of, from Crusade, 232
seen as brutish tyrant of Aquitaine, 138
sibling rivals of, 186–7
switches sides, 189
territory granted to John by, 215
Third Crusade joined by, 212–14, 216
Touraine fortresses defended by, 190–1
Tours falls to, 201
in Venice shipwreck, 232
wetnurse rewarded by, 24
William des Barres’s encounter with, 213
WM befriends, xv
WM forgiven by, 206
WM kills horse of, 201
WM spares life of, 201
WM’s intimate bond with, 247
WM’s lance faced by, 50
WM’s letter of complaint to, re Longchamp, 223
WM’s single combat with, 200–1
Young King’s declaration of war against, 150
and Young King’s overlordship of Aquitaine, 150
and Young King’s rebellion, 100, 102, 106
Richard II of England, 379
Richard of Clare (Strongbow), 195, 208, 260, 292
Richard of Perche, 7
Robert, earl of Gloucester, 9, 12
capture of, 15
FitzHubert handed over to, 18
Matilda supported by, 13
Winchester besieged by, 15
young William II under tutelage of, 33
Robert of Leicester, 282–3
Robert of Pont-de-l’Arche, 162
Robert of Roppesley, 337
at Lincoln battle, 358–9
Robert of Souville, 198
Robert of Toringi, 131–2
Robert of Tresgoz, 97, 113–14, 133, 147, 160, 181, 199
Rocamadour, 80, 94, 156
Rochester Castle, 334
Roger, archbishop of York, 90
Roger d’Aubenon, 220
Roger of Howden, 101–2, 157n , 200, 226, 254
Roger of Jouy, 124–5
Roger of Lacy, 278, 279
Roger of Wendover, 312
Roland, 42, 80
Roland the Farter, 178
Roman de Brut (Wace), 42
Romania, xvii
Rotrou, archbishop of Rouen, 96, 112
Rouen, 52, 65, 107, 111, 240, 246
Young King interred at, 159
Runnymede, 329
Saer of Quincy, earl of Winchester, 329, 335
at Lincoln battle, 352, 356
captured, 360
St Briavels Castle, 299
St John, William of, 92, 96
St Julien’s Cathedral, 193
St Martial’s Abbey, 139
Young King loots, 154
St Omer, 149, 221, 228, 248
Sainte Jamme, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69
Saladin, Sultan, 137, 162, 165, 166–7, 170, 189, 224–5, 230
Jerusalem left in hands of, 231
see also Crusades
Saladin Tithe, 216
Sancho of Navarre, 244
Sandwich, 336, 362
Savile Collection, xiii
Scotland:
lands returned by, 366
lost territory clawed back by, 365
Scott, Walter, 62n
Scudamore, Walter, 249
scutage, 262
Shakespeare, William, 5, 382
shields, 51
Sibylla of Jerusalem, 163, 170
Simon of Neauphle, 120–1
Somerset, 215
Sorel, 120, 125
Sotheby’s, xiii–xiv, 383
squires, 43n
Stephen of Blois, see Stephen, king of England
Stephen, king of England:
‘anarchy’ of reign of, xvii, 4
authority reasserted by, after civil war, 31
crowned king, 11–12
deal ensures release of, 15
death of, 31
and Exeter Castle siege, 13
female-line ancestry of, 10–11
‘inclined to evil’, 12
John Marshal comes into direct conflict with, 25–6
lays siege to John Marshal, 26
as leading member of Anglo-Norman aristocracy, 11
marriage of, 11
Matilda’s claim to throne supplanted by, 10
Mortain county granted to, 11
‘of notable skill in arms, but in other things almost an idiot’, 12
orders boy Marshal’s execution, 3
sent to court of Henry I, 11
struggle of, to resist Matilda’s attempt to seize power, 4
taken captive, 15
and White Ship incident, 7
WM as hostage of, 26–9
WM ordered to be executed by, 27–8
Stephen of Évreux, 297, 302, 304, 371
land granted to, 311
Leinster defended by, 306–7
Stoke d’Aubernon, 210, 220
Striguil (modern Chepstow), 208, 287, 376
castle of, 217–18
WM begins life as lord of, 216
in WM’s will, 370
Suffolk, 216
swords, 49
Sybil of Salisbury (mother):
death of, 74n
John Marshal marries, 19
and Stephen’s threat to WM, 28
WM’s emotional bond with, 24
and WM’s Normandy departure, 34
on WM’s return, after Newbury, 29
Talbot, Gerard, 97, 133, 147, 160, 181, 199
Tancarville Castle, 35–6, 38
typical manners and etiquette in, 44–5
Templars, see Knights Templar
Temple Mount, 165
Theobald of Blois, 122, 123, 180
death of, 225
Thomas of Coulonces, 133n, 140, 141, 147
Thomas of Perche, 352, 356, 359–60
Tintern Abbey, 217, 296
Toulouse, count of, 99, 100
Touraine, 190, 275
tournaments, 62–73, 115–29
ban on, in England, 73
banners displayed during, 67
chivalry shown at, 71–2
coats of arms displayed during, 67
entertainments after, 145
etymology of, 64
at Eu, 123
eve of, 66
fairs at, 65
‘grand and excellent’ Norman–French border encounter, 120–1
great mêlée at, 68
at Lagny, 132–4
mechanics of, 65–8
papal pronouncements against, 64
at Pleurs, 121–2
Richard overturns ban on, 247
treated almost like a business, 125
WM and Young King’s last together, 146
see also knighthood
Tours, 189, 195, 201, 235, 240
peace settlement at, 111
Richard welcomed by, 244
Tower of David, 169
Transjordan, 162
True Cross, 165, 170
Ulster, 293, 314
Urban II, Pope, 40–1
Urric (engineer), 239
Valennes, 64, 65
Vaudreuil, 235, 254, 278
Vendôme, 244–5
Verneuil, 106, 235, 244, 279
siege at, 235, 240–2
Vexin, 78, 88, 187, 188, 228, 229, 233, 240, 246, 250–2, 270
Vézelay, crusader armies gather in, 216
Vikings, incursions of, into England, 5
Wace, 42
Waleran, William, 184, 247, 297
in Striguil household, 219
Wales, 182, 195, 208, 290–2, 376
insurrection of, 319, 366
John bolsters WM’s position in, 321
lost territory clawed back by, 365
map of, 289
WM turns attention to, 287–8
WM’s losses of land in, 334
see also individual places
Wallingford Castle, 29, 234, 235
Walter of Coutances, archbishop of Rouen, 191, 223, 226, 234, 235
Walter of Fontaines, 145
Walter, Hubert, 194, 207, 252, 255, 286
appointed archbishop of Canterbury, 235
appointed justiciar, 239
death of, 318
and John’s coronation, 261
and John’s succession, 259, 260
Walter of Lacy, 300, 312, 313, 314
Warren, Lewis, 94
Waterford, 292, 296
weapons:
crossbow, 51, 379
lance, 49–50
shield, 51
sword, 49
Westminster, royal palace at, 176–7, 382
Westminster Abbey, 88, 90, 210, 261, 343, 375
Wexford, 292, 296, 301, 302
White Ship, 7–8, 9, 10
Wicklow, 302
Wigain (kitchen clerk), 125
William I of England (‘Conqueror’):
assumes English crown, 4–5
bastard-born, 9
death of, 6
at Hastings, 4, 182
land distribution by, 5
William II of England (‘Rufus’), 6
death of, 47
William IX, Duke, 79
William Ætheling, 7–8, 9
William des Barres, 122, 126, 133, 213, 235, 278, 381
captured, 362
William of Briouze, 264, 274, 276–7, 311–14
William of Earley, 184
William of Malmesbury, 7, 8, 12
William of Mandeville, earl of Essex, 184, 194, 200, 211, 216
William of Monceaux, 250
William of Newburgh, 42, 243
William of Préaux, 231
William, archbishop of Rheims, 132
William des Roches, 200, 207, 231, 268–9, 274, 275, 317n, 325, 381
William, of Salisbury (‘Longsword’), 260, 273, 277–8, 322, 324, 326, 336
captured, 325
defection of, 336
and return, 351
at Lincoln battle, 352, 358, 359
and Magna Carta, 330
William, king of Scotland, 64, 103
capture of, 110
William of Tancarville:
appointed Eleanor’s military commander, 87n
colours of, 67
as ‘father of knights’, 38
at Neufchâtel-en-Bray border skirmish, 54–6
standing of, 36
and tournaments, 62–3
WM dubbed a knight by, 53
WM falls out of favour with, 57–8
WM sent to, 34
Young King’s rebellion supported by, 106
William, archbishop of Tyre, 169
William of Warenne, 330
Winchester, 15, 29, 31, 96, 239, 336
Windsor Castle, 234–5, 314, 336, 348
PHOTO SECTION
On Wednesday, 6 February 1861, a young French scholar named Paul Meyer (shown, in later life, bottom right; portrait © by L. Sabattier in George Bonnamour, Le Procès Zola – Impressions d’audience/Wikicommons) attended an auction of rare medieval manuscripts at Sotheby’s in London (the cover of the original auction catalogue is shown bottom left). On that fateful day, Meyer stumbled upon the unknown thirteenth-century text that he would later dub the History of William Marshal (top), though it would be twenty years before he saw the manuscript again.
Born around 1147 in southern England, William Marshal passed some of his childhood years on the family estate at Hamstead Marshall, where the remains of a number of motte and bailey castles can still be seen (top, one of the possible sites of the ‘Newbury’ siege of 1152, when young William’s life was threatened by King Stephen). William was also related, through his mother, to the powerful Salisbury dynasty, who held a formidable fortified town in Wiltshire (Old Sarum, middle; photograph © by Jason Hawkes/Corbis). In around 1160, William was sent to train as a knight at Tancarville in Normandy (bottom, the remains of the château above the Seine, with the medieval tower visible on the far left).
The equipment used by knights in the mid-twelfth century was not so dissimilar from that employed by warriors at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (shown top, in the detail from the Bayeux Tapestry; photograph © by Myrabella/Wikicommons). The three essential elements were a destrier (or warhorse), a one-handed, double-edged sword (the example shown in the middle probably dates from the thirteenth century; photograph © by kind permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection) and a mail hauberk (or coat of armour) fashioned from linked metal rings (bottom; photograph © by Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis).
Once elevated to the status of a fully fledged knight, William gained some experience of warfare and the tournament circuit, before entering the military retinue of his uncle, Earl Patrick of Salisbury, and journeying to the southern French province of Aquitaine. There, he would have seen this masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture, the west facade of Notre-Dame La Grande in Poitiers.
In 1168, William Marshal entered the service of medieval Europe’s most powerful dynasty – the Angevins – headed by King Henry II of England. At first, William was inducted into the knightly retinue of Henry’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (top; Eleanor of Aquitaine, Codex Manesse, photograph © by Andreas Praefcke/Wikicommons). By 1170 William had earned sufficient favour to be appointed as tutor-in-arms to Henry’s and Eleanor’s eldest son and heir, Young Henry (shown bottom at his coronation in 1170 and supposedly being served by his father at the subsequent banquet; Young Henry’s coronation, The Becket Leaves, photograph © by Wormsley Library).
The mid-thirteenth century Morgan Picture Bible (photograph © by Pierpont Morgan Library/Art Resource/Scala, Florence) sought to depict the chaotic
brutality of war, though in reality much of the combat between knights during William Marshal’s lifetime was neither as bloody, nor as lethal, as this image would suggest, because warriors were usually well protected by their armour.
Styles of armour, shields and helmets were all refined in this period. Note the use of mail covering the arms, hands and legs, and the mail coif with tied ventail (covering the lower face), seen in the kneeling knight (photograph © by The British Library). This figure, bearing the symbol of the cross on his surcoat and banner, kneels in supplication before departure on crusade – a reminder that knights were encouraged to offer service to the Church and to adhere to codes of conduct.
By the second half of the twelfth century the ideals of chivalry and courtesy were gaining currency, while new forms of so-called ‘Romance’ literature explored the lives of noble knights, often in the setting of Arthurian myth-history. These ideas and stories were also expressed in art, as seen in these two ‘Romance’ caskets, fashioned from ivory and carved bone, and probably used to hold aristocratic ladies’ jewellery. The late-twelfth-century example (top; photograph © by The British Museum) depicted scenes from the tale of Tristan (an idealised knight) and his lover Isolde, while the artistically more sophisticated casket from the fourteenth century (bottom; photograph © by The Walters Art Museum) shows the ‘Siege of the Castle of Love’, with mounted warriors jousting and battle waged with flowers.
In the later twelfth century it became customary for leading nobles and knights to sport distinctive colour schemes and devices, emblazoned on banners and clothing, during tournaments, and the growing popularity of these ‘coats of arms’ gave rise to the notion of heraldry. By the late 1170s, William Marshal had adopted his own ‘coat of arms’ – a red lion rampant, against a halved green and gold background (third row, second from the right) – depicted here in this mid-thirteenth-century Roll of Arms (photograph © by The British Library).
William Marshal served at the right hand of five English kings in the course of his long career: Henry the Young King (shown above, between his father and brother, as ‘Henr.Iunior’, in the mid-thirteenth century illustration by Matthew Paris); Henry II; Richard the Lionheart; John and Henry III (depiction of five English kings, photograph © by The British Library). As such, Marshal was both a witness to, and leading participant in, many of the events that shaped English and European history in this formative period.
After marrying the heiress Isabel of Clare in 1189, William Marshal took possession of the stone fortress of Striguil (Chepstow), perched above the Wye River, on the Welsh March (left; photograph © by Skyscan). He set about improving this stronghold (which initially consisted of a single-storey stone keep and a timber palisade), constructing a double-towered stone gatehouse (left photo, foreground right) – which can be dated to 1189–90 through the age of its original ironclad, oak gate (right) – and later adding an inner wall (between the keep and gatehouse), with a pair of the three-storey towers.
The Greatest Knight Page 49
