Rise of a Dynasty: Unveiling the Plantagenets (Part 1) - The White Ship
No one could have imagined how, on a chilly November day over 900 years ago, an overindulgence of wine, together with the courageous actions of a loving brother, would lead to a tragedy that would completely alter the course of history. When the White Ship sank off the coast of Barfleur on the 25th November, 1120, this single event that would go down in history as the greatest maritime disaster of the Middle Ages, and would herald in a royal dynasty that would forever reshape the landscape of Medieval England.
In the coming weeks, we will discover the riveting saga of the Plantagenet Dynasty, a line of rulers that would totally transform England, laying the foundation for monarchy, democracy and society as we know it today.
To set the scene…King Henry I and his nobles, jubilant after a hard but successful campaign to quell rebellion against some of the more quarrelsome Norman barons, and secure peace with Louis VI of France. A peace had been agreed with Louis and there was much celebration and anticipation of the upcoming Christmas festivities upon their return to England. King Henry had many children, but only two legitimate offspring, and only one of them a son, William. At the time he was only 17 years old, but his exploits on the battlefield had shown the king and his barons that he would be a worthy heir to the throne.
The White Ship itself was a newly refitted vessel that was captained by Thomas Fitzstephen. Thomas came from a family of shipwrights, as his father Stephen FitzAirard had been the captain of the ship Mora, that carried Henry’s father, William the Conqueror across the channel in his victorious bid for the English throne in 1066. She was certainly a beautiful ship, sleek, pale and supposedly faster than any other ship of the time. Extremely proud of this vessel, Thomas was excited to offer it to the King for his return trip home to England. Henry declined as he had made other arrangements, but it was decided that the White Ship would instead transport William and a youthful entourage, including William’s half-brother Richard of Lincoln and half-sister Mathilde, Countess of Perche, back across the channel to England. Accompanying the young Æthling were numerous young aristocratic Norman nobles, exultant and still riding the high of their victorious campaign in Normandy.
As King Henry set off on his ship, some of his nobles, including Stephen of Blois, chose to travel with him rather than join the exuberant youths. In all honesty, after such a hard few months, Henry was probably quite happy to leave the loud and raucous celebrations to the younger generation. The young passengers travelling on the White Ship began celebrating in earnest in Barfleur, they were not in a hurry, after all this was a fast ship and they had plenty of time. It is very easy for us to imagine the atmosphere onboard, which would have been extremely lively and jovial, including the intake of a lot of wine. Feeling ten foot tall and bulletproof, as teenagers and young adults often are, they would have been totally oblivious to the potential consequences of their merrymaking, it was after all just a huge party.
The crew of the White Ship, proud of their splendid vessel and delighted with their royal assignment, were happy to brag about the capabilities of their ship. Fueled by plenty of wine, and the atmosphere of youthful vigor, a suggestion was made that they could easily overtake the King’s ship, which had departed several hours earlier. These young nobles, eager to stay in the good graces of their future king, couldn’t resist the challenge, especially when William himself agreed wholeheartedly. The excitement for the race was most likely spiced up with plenty of wagers on the outcome. An interesting note, in those superstitious times, was that priests who offered blessings for the ship’s maiden voyage were insulted and mocked, leaving the ship unblessed. All of these facts combined really was a recipe for disaster.
As evening fell, William and his entourage were finally ready to give up the delights of Barfleur and set sail for the journey home to England. The vessel carried approximately 300 people, including 150 oarsmen, who were encouraged by both captain and passengers to row vigorously in order to outpace the King’s ship. They were less than a mile out when tragedy struck!
The coast around Barfleur is notorious for its treacherous currents and rocks and sadly the White Ship was travelling way too fast when she hit the submerged rock named Quillebœf and capsized. She began sinking, and passengers were tossed into the freezing black water, their cries swiftly stilled by the darkness.
The crew scrambled to find William, drunk as they were, they would have been in no doubt at all of the danger to their own lives if the heir to the throne drowned. With no lifeboats, only a single skiff remained afloat, and when William was sighted, the crew promptly hoisted him aboard, and began rowing away from the carnage.
It was at this point that William's heroism shone through, to the detriment of not only himself, but to the future of England. Within the haunting silence of the night, he heard the desperate cries of his sister Mathilde echoing from the sinking remains of the ship. Without hesitation he ordered the skiff to be turned around to save her, unfortunately as they edged closer to the ship, between the waves caused by the sinking ship and the deluge of survivors trying to cling to the boat for safety, the little boat was overwhelmed and swept away under the waves, taking William with it.
It is said that only three castaways were left clinging to pieces of the ships wreckage, one a butcher from Rouen, a noble, and the ship’s captain. When informed of William’s fate, the captain exclaimed “then it is terrible for me to live” and, letting go of the debris that kept him afloat, sank down into the darkness. Before dawn the young noble could endure no longer the freezing temperature of the water, and he too disappeared. Berold the butcher was found only just alive by fisherman the following morning, it seems that his survival in the freezing temperature of the water, could only be put down to a bedraggled poor man’s sheepskin that he wore.
And so, out of nearly 300 souls aboard the White Ship that fateful evening of November 25, there was only one survivor. All treasure on board was salvaged, and a few bodies washed ashore, but none was that of William the Æthling. King Henry’s heir and the light of his life was never seen again.
In closing, this poem titled “He Never Smiled Again”, by Felicia Hemans, is a true reflection of the sombre aftermath of this tragedy.
The bark that held a prince went down, the sweeping waves rolled on;
And what was England’s glorious crown, to him that wept a son?
He lived - for life may long be borne, ere sorrow break its chain;
Why comes not death to those who mourn?
He never smiled again!
There stood proud forms around his throne, the stately and the brave,
But which could fill the place of one, that one beneath the wave?
Before him passed the young and fair, in pleasure’s reckless train,
But seas dashed o’er his son’s bright hair,
He never smiled again!
He sat where festal bowls went round, he heard the minstrel sing,
He saw the Tourney’s victor crowned, amidst the knightly ring:
A murmur of the restless deep, was bent with every strain,
A voice of winds that would not sleep,
He never smiled again!
Hearts, in that time, closed o’er the trace, of vows once fondly poured,
And strangers took the kinsman’s place, at many a joyous board;
Graves, which true love had bathed with tears, were left to Heaven’s bright rain,
Fresh hopes were born for other years,
He never smiled again!
Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans, 1793-1835
If you found this account intriguing, stay tuned for Part 2 of my ‘Rise of a Dynasty - Unveiling the Plantagenets’ series, where we explore the profound repercussions of this catastrophic event. Subscribe on our Contact Us page to receive notifications of future blog posts.
Max
Barfleur Harbour Photo - Dreamstime Photos © Atlantismedia, Illuminations Creative Commons/Public Domain
