How the west was won: the Norman dukes and the Cotentin, c.987–1087
This paper addresses a neglected aspect of the political and geographical development of the duchy of Normandy between c.987 and 1087: the expansion of the dukes' authority into the Cotentin peninsula. As narratives conceal more than they reveal about this process, ducal acta are the principal means of understanding it. In particular, the article examines the composition and use of the ducal demesne (and includes an appendix listing the lands that appear as demesne before 1087 and describing their subsequent descent). In addition, the essay looks at the men the duke recruited as supporters, the role of ducal women as ‘deputies’ in the Cotentin, and the motives of the leading rebels who fought against Duke William at the battle of Val-ès-Dunes in 1047, which have not previously been subject to close scrutiny. Comparisons are made with other parts of northern France or England, where appropriate, and the conclusions reached are relevant not just to William the Conqueror's rule in England, but also to wider arguments about how theoretical power was turned into reality.
KING HENRY I AND NORTHERN ENGLAND
Abstract England north of the Humber and the Mersey in the early twelfth century has in the past tended to be discussed in the context of the development of the monarchy. The Normans moved into the northern counties later and in fewer numbers than the south, and in the wake of the Norman settlement the north came to be more fully integrated into the southern kingdom. A fresh perspective on the period is gained by comparing Henry I's rule over the north with that in other regions of England, Wales and Normandy. Its keys were old-style dynastic politics and patronage, and his achievement that of bringing peace to the region.
The Reign of Stephen: Kingship, Warfare and Government in Twelfth-Century England
Chronology of Main Events Map 1.The Setting 2.War and the Passage of Supremacy 3.Royal Government in England 4.King Stephen and the English Church 5.King Stephen and the Magnates 6.The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign? Further Reading