1066

 5^th of January is like another day, however, if we add a year to the date, 1066, that might have a different look on the date.

So, the 5^th of January was the first chain of events that year. 

Edward the Confessor

Ruling from 1042, Edward the Confessor, his reign was marked by peace and prosperity, however, there was tension and intrigue.  Edward married Edith of Wessex.  Edward was faced challenges and ambitions from the Godwin family, king Magnus of Norway and his cousin duke William of Normandy.

Edward was known for his religious piety and devotion.  He was to have built at Westminster a magnificent abbey, dedicated to St. Peter, it was here that it was thought that Edward performed miracles and such as touching the sick.  Following his death, Edward was to be canonized as a Saint by the Catholic Church nearly a century after his death, 1161.

Edward died on the 5^th of January, and without naming a clear successor, as both he and Edith didn’t have any children.

It is thought that Edward had intended that William duke of Normandy was to be his heir. The family connections were that William’s grandfather, Richard, whom was the second Duke of Normandy was the brother of Emma of Normandy, Edward’s mother.

Harold Godwinson

Following his death, Edward was buried on the 6^th the first burial at Westminster Abbey, and on that day, Harold Godwinson, the brother of his wife was crowned, the first king to be crowned at Westminster

However, things weren’t as simple as that.  Two year earlier, 1064, Harold had apparently been shipwrecked at Ponthieu, but there is speculation behind his story.

The Norman chronicles, however, like to give a different version of story to Harold’s journey.  The first being that Harold was seeking release of some his family members in Normandy, who had been held as hostage since Godwin’s exile of 1051.  The second version is that Harold and been travelling along the English Channel whilst of on a hunting and fishing expedition, and that he had been driven across the Channel by an unexpected storm, where he was captured by Guy I of Ponthieu.  After William had arrived, that Guy was ordered to hand Harold over to him.  It is whilst he was Normandy that Harold made an oath to William.

Following the news of Harold’s coronation, William made plans to invade England.  70 ships were built.  Harold assembled his troops at the Isle of Wight, it would have been these troops that would be ready for the invasion.  With provisions running out Harold disbanded his army on the 8^th of September.

On that same day, an invasion force of Hardrada king of Norway and Tostig, landed at the mouth of River Tyne.

Hardrada and Tostig defeated the English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbia at the battle of Fulford, on 20^th September.  Harold led his army north to York, where four days later they caught Hardrada by surprise.  On the 25^th of September both Hardrada and Tostig were defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

Whilst Harold was up North, William set sail from Normandy on the 12^th of September, the fleet had to take shelter at Saint Valery-sur-Somme due to storms, the fleet waited for the wings to change. On the 27^th, it set sail to England, arriving the following day at Pevensey, East Sussex.

Battle of Hastings

Harold’s army had marched the 240 miles to intercept William’s army.  Harold established his army in hastily built earthworks near Hastings. 

On the 14^th of October, both armies clashed at Senlac Hill in the Battle of Hastings.

The battle lasted 9 hours.  Harold’s forces were deployed at a top of a sloop. It as during the afternoon, that William who feigned his death, and that English had thought that the battle had been won.  It was during this time that Harold was killed.

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts that Harold was famously killed with an arrow in his eye.

William I

William the Conqueror was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1066, William I