William I "Longsword", Duke of Normandy

Abt 900 - 943  (43 years)

• Name	William I
  Relationship	with Robert Alan Roy
  Birth	Abt 900	Normandy, France   [1]
  History	He was also known as Guillaume Longue-espee, in French. In 927, he succeeded as the Duke of Normandy, upon the death of his father. Most of William's career was spent in relative obscurity, but in the late 930s he suddenly emerged onto the stage of Frankish royal politics, first because of his war with Arnulf of Flanders, and then because of his support for King Louis IV (d'Outremer) at a time when Louis' star seemed to be fading. In December 942, at the peak of his good relations with Louis, Arnulf called for a peace conference with William. At the conference, William was murdered (traditionally, Arnulf is said to have arranged the murder). [see picture below] A Planctus (mourning poem) was composed probably shortly after William's death. Jules Lair suggests plausibly if not definitively that it was in 943. This poem, although it survives only in corrupt and incomplete versions and is largely hagiographic in content, nevertheless is a critical source for early Norman history. It is by far the earliest work written about the Normans from a Norman point of view, and some historical nuggets can be gleaned from it. [see picture below]  [2, 3, 4]
  Death	17 Dec 943	France   [1, 2, 3]
  Burial	Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, Normandy, France
  		Tomb effigy of William Longsword in the cathedral of Rouen, dating to the 14th century
  Siblings	4 Siblings
  + 1. William I "Longsword", Duke of Normandy,   b. Abt 900, Normandy, France d. 17 Dec 943, France  (Age 43 years) ▻ Sporte de Bretagne,  m. Abt 932 ;   Luitgarde de Vermandois,  m. 940   2. Robert, Count of Corbeil   3. Crespina   4. Kathlin + 5. Gerloc of Normandy,   b. Abt 920   d. 14 Oct 962  (Age 42 years) ▻ William I "Tete d'Etoupe", Count of Poitou,  m. 935
  Person ID	I3052	| Roy Line, Boudreau Line
  Last Modified	5 Sep 2019

  
  

  Father	Rolf Ragnvaldsson, Duke of Normandy,   b. Abt 870, Mære, Norway d. 927 - 932, Normandy, France (Age 62 years)
  Mother	Poppa de Bayeux,   b. Abt 872, Bayeux, Calvados, Normandy, France
  Marriage	0891
  Age at Marriage	He : ~ 21 years - She : ~ 19 years.
  Family ID	F2457	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Sporte de Bretagne  [1, 2, 3]
  Marriage	Abt 932  [2]
  	The were married under pagan rites.
  Age at Marriage	He : ~ 32 years - She : ??.
  Children	+ 1. Richard I "the Fearless", Duke of Normandy,   b. 933, Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France d. 20 Nov 996, Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France (Age 63 years)   2. Raoul D'Ivry
  Family ID	F2454	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	6 Sep 2019

  
  

  Family 2	Luitgarde de Vermandois,   b. Between 915 and 920   d. 943 (Age 28 years)  [1, 3, 5]
  Marriage	940  [1]
  Age at Marriage	He : ~ 40 years - She : ~ 25 years.
  Notes	Sewell gives their marriage year as 935. [3]
  Family ID	F2456	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Dec 2019

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - Abt 900 - Normandy, France Child - Richard I "the Fearless", Duke of Normandy - 933 - Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France Death - 17 Dec 943 - France Burial - - Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, Normandy, France  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show

  
  

• Sources

  [S60] Stuart, Roderick W. Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa Fourth Edition, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002). [S1460] Norr, Vernon M. Some Early English Pedigrees , (Washington DC: by author, 1968). [S65] Sewell, Robert James. Sewell: A History of the Sewell Family from the Earliest Times, (unknown: manuscript, March 2008). [S1500] Planctus for William Longsword, (Online http://www.ukans.edu/carrie/Planctus/Planctus/index.html). [S59] Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 Fifth Editionif, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982).