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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] William Rufus Biography WILLIAM II RUFUS (1056-1100). King of England from 1087 to 1100. He was the third son of William the Conqueror, and was educated by Lanfranc (q.v.), Archbishop of Canterbury. William was the favorite son of his father, who, after having recommended him to the barons and prelates as successor to the crown, sent him to England the day before he himself died. Landing at Dover, William presented himself to Lanfranc, who brought him before the nobles and prelates as their King. No opposition was offered, and William was crowned on Sept. 26, 1087. But in less than three months his uncle, Odo headed a rebellion in favor of the King's brother, Robert (q.v.), Duke of Normandy, who was considered less stern. William put down the rebellion by the aid of his English subjects, and in revenge he invaded Normandy in 1090. Peace was made in 1091 and Robert and William then turned their united arms against their brother Henry, later Henry I (q.v.), who had purchased from Robert the district of Cotentin. The fortune of war went against Henry, who was driven into exile. Returning to England, William's next enterprise was an invasion of Scotland, whose King did homage to him. In 1094 he again invaded Normandy, but accomplished little. William was recalled to England by disturbances in Wales and in the North. In the year 1096 Robert, who had resolved to go to Palestine, pledged his Duchy of Normandy to William for 10,000 marks. In 1098 William attempted to conquer Maine, but was only partially successful. He was shot while hunting in the New Forest, Aug. 2, 1100. It is not known by whom the arrow was shot, or whether it was done accidentally. William was a stern ruler and was feared by his subjects. His justiciar was the notorious Ranulf Flambard (q.v.). His private life was extremely immoral. After Lanfranc's death in 1089 he oppressed the Church. In February, 1093, he was ill, and, fearing death, became repentant. Then he consented to the appointment of Anselm (q.v.) to the see of Canterbury, left vacant by Lanfrane's death, but, soon recovering, he fell back into his evil ways. From this time he was in constant strife with Anselm, and in 1099 was threatened by the Pope with excommunication. When he was buried at Winchester no religious services were held. The English chronicle says "he was loathsome to well-nigh all his people, and abominable to God." Consult: E. A. Freeman, History of the Norman Conquest, vol. v (Oxford, 1876); id., William Rufus (2 vols., ib., 1882); J. H. Round, Feudal England (London, 1895). The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XXIII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 575. |