In the summer of 1069 the Danish fleet appeared off the coast of Kent. It moved up the coast towards the north, raiding as it went. William and his army were in the south guarding against any incursions. Finally the fleet joined the English rebels on the banks of the River Humber. The remaining English earls all deserted William and joined the combined English-Danish forces. They moved against the Norman garrison at York and killed all but a few women and children. William Malet, a Norman who had lived in England before 1066 was also spared.
William's northern army was wiped out and York was in ruins. At the same time smaller rebellions were breaking out in Wales and southwest England. William knew he was in trouble. He began by calling in all his commanders and troops to combine his forces. The king knew that with a smaller army he had to deal with one group of rebels at a time. He sent William FitzOsbern and Brian of Brittany to deal with Exeter. William himself fought an army moving in from the east. In both cases the Norman armies were victorious. He now moved on the northern armies that had destroyed York. But he was unable to get any farther north than Pontefract. After trying for several weeks William bribed the Danish Fleet to withdraw from York for the winter. They agreed and returned to the mouth of the Humber to winter there. William was now able to move up to York. He rebuilt the castles there. He then had his forces spread out and destroy everything useful for the English and Danish army to feed itself. The result was widespread famine and the people of the area either left or starved to death. This was William's infamous harrying of the North. The result of all this was the surrender of his English Earls and most of the rebels in England. The few remaining groups were quickly crushed by William's army. But one group proved more stubborn. This was at Chester and after a forced march during Winter, William surprised them before they were ready. After their surrender he built two more castles there then returned to Winchester.
William never again had to lay waste to a county as he did to Yorkshire. He had dealt with the main threats to his rule but some had only been solved in part. The Danish fleet came back in 1070 this time led by King Swen. They joined a small group of rebels on the Isle of Ely led by Hereward the Wake. Again William bribed the Danes to leave and then dealt with the rebels. Hereward was never heard from again.
William now had to rule both England and Normandy. He found he had to be present to keep things under control. When he was in Normandy trouble often broke out in England. When in England, though, Normandy was being ruled by his wife Matilda. But Fulk Rechin, the new count of Anjou, had taken Maine from William's control. William had to take it back in 1073.
In 1082 William arrested his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent. The reasons are uncertain but Odo was trying to raise an army to march on Rome. His plan was to become the next Pope. William put him on trial on the Isle of Wight. In addition to other crimes was that of trying to raise an army among William's soldiers. As William pointed out, they were needed for the defense of England. Odo protested that not even a king could judge him. As a bishop only the Pope could. William replied that he wasn't seizing a bishop, he was seizing his earl who he left in charge during his absence. Odo was imprisoned in Normandy for the rest of his life.
In 1083 Queen Matilda died and was buried in Caen. The two had been very close and only disagreed over their son Robert Curthose. Robert had repeatedly rebelled against his father yet kept in contact with his mother. This caused a rift between them. Philip I of France had found it difficult for his vassal to become a king like himself and so resented William. Not strong enough to fight William himself, when Robert Curthose rebelled against his father, King Philip helped him.
In the summer of 1085 William learned that Canute IV of Denmark was getting a fleet ready to sail against England. William came back to England in the Autumn with many soldiers. He had to pay them and feed them, at great cost. It may have been at this time he realized he had no records of what was owed him as king. He didn't know if he was collecting all the taxes that were due.
At his Christmas court at Gloucester in 1085 William asked that a great survey be taken in every part of England. The king wanted to know how many people lived in his realm. He wanted to know the size of every property, what each was worth, and how much income it brought in. No such survey had ever been made in England before. It was unique in its details and its contribution to English history. The Domesday Book was the first public record in England.
The text of the book fit into two volumes. The first covered thirty-one counties. It was called 'Great Domesday' because of its size. The second covered the counties of Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk and was called 'Little Domesday'. The facts were recorded by several panels made up of bishops and earls. Each panel collected information on several counties. William was presented with a large collection of written records on 1 August 1086. This became the Domesday Book, though it wouldn't be bound into books for almost another century.
William died when he was in Rouen, France from injuries he had received from falling off a horse he owned.
William and his wife Matilda of Flanders had at least nine children.
Matilda of Flanders
Matilda of Flanders (c. 1031 - November 2, 1083) was the wife of William I of England. She was Duchess of Normandy and Queen of England.
Matilda was the daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders and Adela of France, who was the daughter of king Robert II of France. Historians think she was born about 1031. Care was given to her education so she would become known for her learning as much as for her great beauty. Matilda, like other princesses of her day, was very skilled at fine needlework. Matilda was well respected because she was a part of a large Royal family. She was related to many kings in Europe including Charlemagne. Matilda was a very small woman in size, some reports said she was only four feet two inches high (129.5 Centimeters).
Matilda was married to William probably between 1051 and 1052 while she was still a teenager. Ever since he became duke of Normandy as a boy, William had to fight to keep Normandy. When William was born his mother and father were not married so he had the stigma of being a bastard. By marrying Matilda, who was the niece of the king of France, William gained respect in Europe.
When William was getting ready to attack England, Matilda had a ship built for him called the "Mora". While William was in England and after he became King of England in 1066, Matilda stayed behind to rule Normandy while William was away.
A year later, in 1067, Matilda was able to join her husband in England and she was crowned Queen of England. It helped William that Matilda was related to an earlier English king, Alfred the Great. This was important to the English people to think Matilda was herself part English. Matilda died on 3 Nov 1083 when she was about 52 years old.
Together they had ten children, including:
Robert II of France
Robert II of France (March 27, 972 - July 20, 1031) was born in Orleans, France. He was the son of Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine. He was married to Constance of Arles.
Robert was succeeded by his son Henry I of France. Robert is buried in the Saint Denis Basilica.
Adelaide of Aquitaine
Adelaide of Aquitaine (c.945-1004) was the Queen of Hugh Capet and the daughter of William III of Aquitaine. She was the sister of William IV of Aquitaine.
William III of Aquitaine
William III of Aquitaine (c. 915 – April 3, 963) became the Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers in 935. He was the son of Ebalus of Aquitaine.
William's nickname was "Towhead".