Stephen
King of the English; Duke of the Normans (more...)
Reign	22 December 1135 – April 1141 November 1141 – 25 October 1154
Coronation	26 December 1135
Predecessor	Henry I Empress Matilda
Successor	Empress Matilda Henry II
Consort	Matilda I of Boulogne
Issue
Eustace IV of Boulogne William of Blois Marie of Boulogne
Detail Titles and styles
King of England & Duke of Normandy Count of Boulogne (jure uxoris) Count of Mortain
Royal house	Norman dynasty
Father	Stephen II, Count of Blois
Mother	Adela of Normandy
Born	c. The precise style of British Sovereigns has varied over the years Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Events in November All Saints' Day (formerly All Hallows Day a Christian holy day is celebrated on November 1, the day after Halloween Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England Matilda I or Maud (1105? &ndash 3 May, 1152) was Suo jure Countess of Boulogne. Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife A royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation or Family name of sorts used by Royalty. Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty Stephen II Henry (c 1045 &ndash 19 May 1102) (in French, Étienne Henri) Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, also Adelaide of Normandy sister of William I of England. Adela of Normandy also known as Adela of Blois and Adela of 1096 Blois, France
Died	25 October 1154 Dover, Kent
Burial	Faversham Abbey, Kent

Stephen, often referred to in history as Stephen of Blois, (c. Blois is a city and commune in France, the Préfecture (capital of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Faversham (fævɜʃəm is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury Faversham Abbey was a Cluny style Monastery immediately to the north-east of the town of Faversham, England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format 1096 – 25 October 1154), was the last Norman King of England. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during He reigned from 1135 to 1154 and was succeeded by his rival's son Henry II, the first of the Angevin or Plantagenet kings. Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied The House of Plantagenet (planˈtadʒɪnɪt also called the House of Anjou, or the First Angevin dynasty, was originally a noble Stephen was also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris. The county of Boulogne (Dutch Bonen) was a historical region in the Low Countries. Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife

Early life

Stephen was born at Blois in France, the son of Stephen, Count of Blois, and Adela of England, (daughter of William the Conqueror). Blois is a city and commune in France, the Préfecture (capital of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stephen II Henry (c 1045 &ndash 19 May 1102) (in French, Étienne Henri) Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, The County of Blois was originally centred on Blois, south of Paris, France. also Adelaide of Normandy sister of William I of England. Adela of Normandy also known as Adela of Blois and Adela of William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages His brothers were Count Theobald II of Champagne and Henry of Blois, bishop of Winchester. Theobald the Great (1090&ndash1151 was Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV from 1102 and was Count of Champagne and of Brie Henry of Blois, often known as Henry of Winchester; (1101 &ndash 1171 was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 See also List of bishops of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England

Stephen was sent to be reared at the English court of his uncle, King Henry I, in 1106. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman He became Count of Mortain in about 1115, and married Matilda, daughter of the Count of Boulogne, in about 1125, who shortly after became Countess of Boulogne. The County of Mortain was a medieval county in France centered on the town of Mortain. Matilda I or Maud (1105? &ndash 3 May, 1152) was Suo jure Countess of Boulogne. The county of Boulogne (Dutch Bonen) was a historical region in the Low Countries. Their marriage was a happy one and his wife was his chief supporter during the struggle for the English crown. Stephen became joint ruler of Boulogne in 1128.

Reign

King of England

There were three principal contenders for the succession of Henry I and one 'fancied outsider'. The least popular of these being Empress Matilda, not only because she was a woman, but also because her husband Geoffrey Count of Anjou was an enemy of the Normans. Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England The other contenders were two men of royal birth, Robert, Earl of Gloucester and Stephen himself. Robert 1st Earl of Gloucester (c 1090 &ndash October 31, 1147) was an Illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, and one The 'outsider' was the elder brother of Stephen, Theobald, Count of Blois. Theobald the Great (1090&ndash1151 was Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV from 1102 and was Count of Champagne and of Brie However, Theobald did not want the kingdom, at least not badly enough to contend for it. ^[1] Before the death of King Henry I of England in 1135, the majority of the barons of England swore to support Henry's daughter Empress Matilda, (granddaughter of William the Conqueror), and her claim to the throne. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages However, upon the king's death, Stephen—also a grandchild of The Conqueror—laid claim to the throne, stating that Henry had changed his mind on his deathbed and named Stephen as his heir. Once crowned, Stephen gained the support of the majority of the barons as well as Pope Innocent II and the first few years of his reign were peaceful.

The Anarchy: War with Matilda

Main article: The Anarchy

By 1139 Stephen had lost much support and the country sank into a civil war, commonly called The Anarchy. The Anarchy or The Nineteen Year Winter refers to a period of English history during the reign ( 1135 &ndash 1154) of the Norman King A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state The Anarchy or The Nineteen Year Winter refers to a period of English history during the reign ( 1135 &ndash 1154) of the Norman King Stephen faced the forces of Empress Matilda at several locations throughout the Kingdom including the Battle of Beverston Castle and the Battle of Lincoln. Beverston Castle, also known as Beverstone Castle, was originally constructed as a Medieval stone Fortress and is situated in the village of Beverston Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. Bad omens haunted him before the Battle of Lincoln where Stephen was facing the powerful Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (the Empress' illegitimate half-brother) and Ranulph, the Earl of Chester. Ranulf IV, also known as Sir Ranulph de Meschines or Ranulph de Gernon inherited his palatine earldom in 1128 aged 28 upon the death of his father who According to chroniclers Stephen fought bravely in the battle but was captured by a knight named William de Cahaignes (a relative of Ranulph, ancestor of the Keynes family). The Keynes (pronounced - kānz / kAnze) family is a prominent English family that has included notable economists writers and actors Stephen was defeated and he was brought before his cousin, the Empress Matilda. He was imprisoned at Bristol. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London

Stephen's wife rallied support amongst the people from London and the barons. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Empress Matilda was, in turn, forced out of London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. With the capture of her most able lieutenant, the Earl of Gloucester, she was eventually obliged to release Stephen from captivity, and he was restored to the throne in November of the same year.

In December 1142, the Empress was besieged at Oxford, but she managed to escape, dressed in white, across the snow to Wallingford Castle, held by her supporter Brien FitzCount. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, The remains of Wallingford Castle, once an important royal castle and defensive stronghold are situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire Brien FitzCount (also known as Brian de Insula, Brian des Illes, Brientius de Insulata and Brian of Wallingford) was the Lord of Wallingford

In 1147, Empress Matilda's adolescent son, Henry (the eventual King Henry II), decided to assist in the war effort by raising a small army of mercenaries and invading England. Rumours of this army's size terrified Stephen's retainers, although in truth the force was very small. Having been defeated twice in battle, and with no money to pay his mercenaries, the young Henry appealed to his uncle Robert for aid but was turned away. Robert 1st Earl of Gloucester (c 1090 &ndash October 31, 1147) was an Illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, and one Desperately, and in secret, the boy then asked Stephen for help. According to the Gesta Stephani, "On receiving the message, the king. Deeds of King Stephen or Acts of Stephen or Gesta Stephani is a 12th century English history by an anonymous . . hearkened to the young man. . . " and bestowed upon him money and other support.

Reconciliation and death

Stephen maintained his precarious hold on the throne for the remainder of his lifetime. However, after a military standoff at Wallingford with Henry, and following the death of his son and heir, Eustace, in 1153, he was persuaded to reach a compromise with Empress Matilda (known as the Treaty of Wallingford or Winchester), whereby her son would succeed Stephen to the English throne as King Henry II. Wallingford is a small Market town and Civil parish in the upper Thames Valley in Oxfordshire, England. The Treaty of Wallingford of 1153, aka Treaty of Winchester or as the Treaty of Westminster, was an agreement that effectively ended The Anarchy

Stephen died in Dover, at Dover Priory, and was buried in Faversham Abbey, which he had founded with Countess Matilda in 1147. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. The Priory of St Mary the Virgin and St Martin of the New Work or Newark, commonly called Dover Priory, was a Priory at Dover, Faversham Abbey was a Cluny style Monastery immediately to the north-east of the town of Faversham, England.

Besides Eustace, Stephen and Queen Matilda had two other sons, Baldwin (d. before 1135), and William of Blois (Count of Mortain and Boulogne, and Earl of Surrey or Warenne). Mortain is a small town and commune in the Manche département, France. The Earldom of Surrey was first created in 1088 for William de Warenne. They also had two daughters, Matilda and Marie of Boulogne. In addition to these children, Stephen fathered at least three illegitimate children, one of whom, Gervase, became Abbot of Westminster. In Common law, legitimacy is the status of a Child that is born to parents who are legally married to one another or that is born shortly after the

An unfavourable thumbnail sketch of Stephen is given by Walter Map (who wrote during the reign of Matilda's son Henry II): "A man of a certain age, remarkably hard-working but otherwise a nonentity [idiota] or perhaps rather inclined to evil. Walter Map (born 1140 died c 1208&ndash1210 was a medieval writer using Latin "^[2]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (the Peterborough Chronicle, second continuation) provides a more favourable picture of Stephen, but depicts a turbulent reign:-

"In the days of this King there was nothing but strife, evil, and robbery, for quickly the great men who were traitors rose against him. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The Peterborough Chronicle (also called the Laud Manuscript) one of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles ' contains unique information about the When the traitors saw that Stephen was a good-humoured, kindly, and easy-going man who inflicted no punishment, then they committed all manner of horrible crimes . . . And so it lasted for nineteen years while Stephen was King, till the land was all undone and darkened with such deeds, and men said openly that Christ and his angels slept".

The monastic author said, of The Anarchy, "this and more we suffered nineteen winters for our sins. "

Ancestors

Fictional portrayals

Stephen has rarely been portrayed on screen. Stephen II Henry (c 1045 &ndash 19 May 1102) (in French, Étienne Henri) Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, Theobald III of Blois (French Thibaut) (1012 &ndash 1089 was count of Blois, Meaux and Troyes. Odo II (Eudes le Champenois 983 &ndash 15 November 1037) Count of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, Provins, Rheims also Adelaide of Normandy sister of William I of England. Adela of Normandy also known as Adela of Blois and Adela of William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Robert the Magnificent ( June 22, 1000 – 3 July 1035) also called Robert the Devil or Robert I, was the Duke of Herleva (c 1003 - c 1050 also known as Arlette, Arletta, and Herlève, was the mother of William I of England. Matilda of Flanders (c 1031 – 2 November 1083 was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. Baldwin V of Flanders (died 1 September 1067 was Count of Flanders from 1036 until his death Adela Capet, Adèle of France or Adela of Flanders, known also as Adela the Holy or Adela of Messines; (1009 – 8 January, 1079 He was played by Frederick Treves in the BBC TV series The Devil's Crown (1978) and by Michael Grandage in One Corpse Too Many, the first episode of the television adaptation of the Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters (1994). Frederick William Treves is an English Character actor with an extensive repertoire The Devil's Crown was a BBC Television series which dramatised the reigns of three Medieval Kings of England: Henry II Michael Grandage (b May 2[[ 962]] is an English Theatre director and producer and current Artistic Director at Donmar Warehouse, Cadfael (ˈkædvaɪl approximately "CAD-vile" is the fictional detective in a series of murder mysteries by the late Edith Pargeter writing Edith Mary Pargeter, BEM ( September 28, 1913 in Horsehay, Shropshire, England &ndash October 14, 1995

He was also portrayed in Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. Ken Follett (born June 5, 1949) is a British Author of thrillers and historical novels The Pillars of the Earth is a Historical novel by Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a Cathedral in Kingsbridge

English Royal descendents

Through his granddaughter Maud of Boulogne, who married Henry I of Brabant, Stephen is the ancestor of some English royals. Henry I of Brabant (French Henri I de Brabant, Dutch Hendrik I van Brabant) named "The Courageous" was (probably born in 1165 in Leuven and Through a marriage of Louis d'Évreux, a descendent of the Brabant line, to the Queen of Navarre, Stephen is an ancestor of some monarchs of France and Navarre, including Marguerite of France, second wife of King Edward I of England; however, Edward's heir was already born to a previous wife. Louis of France Count d'Évreux (May 3 1276 &ndash May 19, 1319, Paris) was the third son of King Philip III the Bold with his second wife This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For other people with the same name see Marguerite of France. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost For the play see Edward II (play. For the film see Edward II (film. Edward and Marguerite's descendents include Joan of Kent, first Princess of Wales and mother of King Richard II of England; Richard was also descended from Stephen through his parternal grandmother, Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III. Joan Countess of Kent ( September 29, 1328 &ndash August 7, 1385) known to history as The Fair Maid of Kent, was the first Princess of Wales is a Courtesy title held by the wife of the Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283 Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 Philippa of Hainault ( June 24 1311 &ndash August 15 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England. Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Since all later English monarchs are direct descendents of Edward III and Philippa, all kings and queens of England^[3] since 1377 could claim King Stephen as an ancestor.

This is the descent of the English royal line from Stephen:

1. Stephen
2. Marie of Boulogne
3. Maud of Boulogne
4. Matilde of Brabant
5. Adelaide of Holland
6. John II, Count of Holland
7. William I, Count of Hainault
8. Philippa of Hainault, married King Edward III of England

The monarchs of Navarre also became Kings of France when Henri III of Navarre became King Henry IV of France, so all Bourbon Kings of France and subsequent pretenders to the defunct throne from 1589 are descended from Stephen too. Adelaide of Holland or Aleide (Aleidis van Holland (ca 1230 – buried April 9 1284, Valenciennes) was a daughter of Floris IV Count John II of Avesnes (1247 &ndash August 22 1304) was the oldest son of John I of Avesnes and Adelaide of Holland. William I Count of Hainaut (1286 &ndash June 7 1337) was Count William III of Avesnes Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland Philippa of Hainault ( June 24 1311 &ndash August 15 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England. Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty.

Notes

Sources

• Gesta Stephani
• Walter Map, De nugis curialium
• Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
• Stephen of England at Genealogics

Bibliography

• Crouch, David. Deeds of King Stephen or Acts of Stephen or Gesta Stephani is a 12th century English history by an anonymous Walter Map (born 1140 died c 1208&ndash1210 was a medieval writer using Latin The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The Reign of King Stephen, 2000
• Davis, R H C. King Stephen, 1135-1154, 1967