William I "The Conqueror" , King

Duke of Normandy The Conqueror King of England, 1066-87. The illegitimate son of Robert I of Normandy, he was unwillingly accepted as Robert's heir, succeeding to the dukedom of Normandy in 1035. Supported initially by Henry I, king of France, he consolidated his position in Normandy against hostile neighbors throughout the 1050s and expanded his territory in 1060. Having apparently been designated Edward the Confessor's successor as king of England, William secured the agreement of Harold, Earl of Wessex to his accession. Harold's assumption of kingship was the direct cause of William's invasion of Engalnd and the ensuing Battle of Hastings (1066) . Ruthlessly crushing internal resistance and defeating the invading Danes, he completed his conquest by 1070. He established stable government through astute land distribution and by instituting feudalism in England. One of the greatest achievements of his reign was the compilation of the Domesday Book (1986). Note: His grandmother was Gunnor/Gonnor (b. Abt 950), who was dau. of Herbastus, Sire of Crepon (b. abt 911), and sister of Herfast (male), Sainfria, Weiwa, and Awelina (females). I wasn't sure from camfield@olympus.net's posting which side this was on. He also mentioned having a succession of Danish Kings from Frode VII (d. 548) through Harald II (d. 981), purported to be father of Gunnor (but he discounts that one).