Yes, you are the decedent of William the Conqueror, the First
Norman King of England. Before you think too much of
yourself, realize that genealogist estimate that at least 25% of the entire
English population is some type of decedent of William. That also goes for Americans of English
decent as well!
William was born in 1028 in Normandy, France. Normandy was named for the Norsemen Vikings
who had ruled the territory in the northern part of France for centuries. William was the bastard son of Robert I Duke
of Normandy. As with any royal family, the competition for
power and wealth lead to the death of many would be heirs. It was not different for William. After his father‘s death in 1035, William was
left unprotected. He was in constant
danger. For his safety, his guardians
would move him to different locations in the middle of the night. On one occasion, he witnessed the murder of
his body guard in a botched kidnap attempt.
As William grew into manhood, he became a very good military
captain. After establishing himself as
Duke of Normandy, he paid the ransom of an English Earl, Harold of Wessex, who
had been captured by competitors. After
receiving his freedom, Harold is reported to have sworn allegiance to William and
promised that William would be crowned king of England after the death of the
then King Edward. It is not known for certain
if Harold made this oath. 
The Norman Conquest started in 1066 upon the death of King
Edward as Harold was crowned King of England.
William, feeling betrayed started at that moment to plan the
conquest. The first battle fought
between William and Harold ended with the death of King Harold. It was followed by a winding path of battled across
southern and central England until William had completed surrounded London. The leaders there begged him to take the
English crown.
The story of this conquest is retold on the woven Bayeux
Tapestry. It is 19 inches high and 229
feet long and weights almost 400 pounds.
It is displayed in the Bayeux Seminary Bayeux, France.
William died in 1087 from an infection set in from a
ruptured intestine he received during a battle when his horse reared and he was
thrust back in his saddle. The story is
that his body became so bloated that those preparing him for his burial could
not easily fit him into the casket. Hence,
they put a lot of pressure on his stomach.
This caused his skin to burst. It
was apparently very smelly.
After William’s death, his kingdom was divided. William’s son Robert ruled Normandy and son
William II ruled England. Upon the death
of William II, his son Henry I united the kingdoms again. This uniting, division, and uniting cycle
would be the cause of many wars throughout the next millennium.
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