The death of William Rufus
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On 2nd August 1100, King William Rufus went hunting with his brother Henry at Brockenhurst in the New Forest. Gilbert de Clare, his younger brother Roger of Clare and Walter Tiral (the son in law of Richard de Clare) were all hunting with them.
During the hunt, Walter Tirel fired an arrow at a stag which missed its prey and hit William Rufus in the chest. Within a few minutes the king was dead. Tirel jumped on his horse and made off at great speed. He escaped to France and never returned again to England.
On receiving the wound the king uttered not a word; but breaking off the shaft of the arrow where it projected from his body... This accelerated his death. Walter immediately ran up, but as he found him senseless, he leapt upon his horse, and escaped with the utmost speed. Indeed there were none to pursue him: some helped his flight; others felt sorry for him
William of Malmesbury: Chronicle of the Kings of the English (c1128)
The king's body was placed on a cart and conveyed to the cathedral at Winchester. He was buried within the tower. The next year, the tower fell down.
William Rufus died in 1100 aged forty years. He was a man much pitied by the clergy as he had a soul which they could not save. He was loved by his soldiers but hated by the people because he caused them to be plundered.
Robert Curthose was expected to be king but Henry acted quickly to gain the throne. He hurried to Winchester where the government's money was kept, took control of the treasury and declared himself as the new king. Supported by Gilbert de Clare and Roger of Clare, Henry was crowned king on 5th August 1100.
Henry I bribed Robert Curthose an annual payment of £2,000 to keep the throne. He later imprisoned Robert in the Tower of London in 1106, transferred him to a castle in Devizes in 1128 and then to Cardiff where Robert eventually died in 1134. He is now buried in Gloucester Cathedral.
Henry I rewarded the Clare family generously for their loyalty and it was suspected that Henry and the Clare family had planned the murder of William Rufus. Others accepted that William Rufus' death was an accident. What do you think?
During the hunt, Walter Tirel fired an arrow at a stag which missed its prey and hit William Rufus in the chest. Within a few minutes the king was dead. Tirel jumped on his horse and made off at great speed. He escaped to France and never returned again to England.
On receiving the wound the king uttered not a word; but breaking off the shaft of the arrow where it projected from his body... This accelerated his death. Walter immediately ran up, but as he found him senseless, he leapt upon his horse, and escaped with the utmost speed. Indeed there were none to pursue him: some helped his flight; others felt sorry for him
William of Malmesbury: Chronicle of the Kings of the English (c1128)
The king's body was placed on a cart and conveyed to the cathedral at Winchester. He was buried within the tower. The next year, the tower fell down.
William Rufus died in 1100 aged forty years. He was a man much pitied by the clergy as he had a soul which they could not save. He was loved by his soldiers but hated by the people because he caused them to be plundered.
Robert Curthose was expected to be king but Henry acted quickly to gain the throne. He hurried to Winchester where the government's money was kept, took control of the treasury and declared himself as the new king. Supported by Gilbert de Clare and Roger of Clare, Henry was crowned king on 5th August 1100.
Henry I bribed Robert Curthose an annual payment of £2,000 to keep the throne. He later imprisoned Robert in the Tower of London in 1106, transferred him to a castle in Devizes in 1128 and then to Cardiff where Robert eventually died in 1134. He is now buried in Gloucester Cathedral.
Henry I rewarded the Clare family generously for their loyalty and it was suspected that Henry and the Clare family had planned the murder of William Rufus. Others accepted that William Rufus' death was an accident. What do you think?