Victims of the White Ship disaster
The victims of the "White Ship" disaster on 25 November 1120 (called 7 kalends of December by Farrer) have been unevenly identified by various sources. The impact of the disaster on the throne of England is well-documented, and this article presents the details of what is known (and/or believed) about the crew and passengers of the ill-fated voyage as well as those who chose not to travel on her. Passengers who died. Approximately 250, including servants and marines. Of these, 140 were knights or noblemen and 18 were noblewomen. Nobles of England . A number of other nobility of England were on board, although very little is known about them. Commentary. As is true of all such tales, the stories about the "White Ship" abound with inconsistencies. Whether these amount to a conspiracy as some have claimed (e.g., Chandler, Follett "The Pillars of the Earth"), there will likely never be resolution. Even by 12th-century standards, an act of mass murder of such a scale to gain political power stretches the imagination. Nevertheless, among the inconsistencies is, first and foremost, why an experienced captain such as FitzStephen would allow his crew to get  drunk, especially when ferrying such an august group of nobles. While the Royal Navy was below par following the Norman conquest, it defies imagination that a captain would allow such behavior. Nor was the ship filled with immature persons, as there were many senior nobles and experienced Crusaders aboard. The king chose not to travel in the "White Ship" (although, as the king, he could certainly travel however he liked), but then neither did William Adelin's wife. Perhaps the best answer was that she was merely 14 years old at the time, and so must have been under the  care of a custodian. It is also suspect that William, rescued in the only available skiff, would hear his half-sister's cries among the chaos and have the boat turn around. William's half-brother Richard was betrothed to Amice, daughter of Raoul II de Gael, and yet she was not traveling to England with her fiancé; however, most nobility married for political reasons, and there can be no assumption of affection between the two. Given the victory of Henry over the French, it would be assumed that perhaps the resultant marriage would take place in London. Although there  is speculation that the king's agents must have known about the drunkenness and overcrowding of the ship and that many of the nobles (including the future king of England) chose not to board. However, contemporary accounts state that the "White Ship", which had a reputation of speed, left long after the others, and that its crew and captain expected to be able to catch the ship carrying the king. Perhaps King Henry would have conducted a full investigation of the incident, given that three of his children, including his only legitimate male heir, died. But such investigations are a  modern practice, not necessarily a medieval one. No results of any such investigations seem to have been recorded.