Lord William de Dover

 79958680. Lord William de Dover

~1110, William born in England, s/o §§Fulbert de Dover & Adelaide ?.

Bef. 1130, William’s father died, his mother surviving.

12/22/1135, Stephen of Blois succeeded Henry I as King of England. [Beginning a civil war.]

9/1139, King Henry I’s daughter Empress Matilda invaded England with forces led by her half brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and took control of western England.

2/3/1141, King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln, in which King Stephen was captured. The attacking forces were led by Randle, earl of Chester, and Robert, earl of Gloucester. [William likely in this battle.]

1142, William took possession of the village of Cricklade. William then built a ‘castle’ from which he hired archers and ‘renegades’ to ravage the upper valley of the Thames. (S) Hist. of Norman Kings, 1869, Cobbe, P336.

1142, William a skillful soldier and active partisan of the Earl of Gloucester. William had built a strong castle surrounded by waters and marshes. He made excursions into Oxford, particularly the town of Malesbury, where he captured Walter de Pinkeny, the commander of the royal troops in the area. [William ‘pillaged and devastated with fire and sword’ at Oxford.]

1142-46, William a sheriff of Kent. ‘Willelmo de Dovra conestabulario’ witnessed a charter of ‘M. imperatrix, Henrici regis filia et Anglorum domina et Henricus filius comitis Andegavie.’ (S) FMG. [A charter of Empress Matilda, d/o King Henry I, and her son Henry, count of Anjou (future Henry II).]

1144, William delivered Walter de Pinkeny to Q. Matilda at Wallingford. (S) Hist. of Norman Kings, 1869, Cobbe, P339.

1146, William, seeking pardon for his sins, left on crusade from Whitsuntide, never returning. [English crusaders gathered and left from France. Other crusaders were gathering in Germany.]

6/1147, Louis VII on crusade, joined by the forces of Conrad III, Holy Roman Emperor [of Germany] at Worms.

12/25/1147, On Christmas day on the coast of modern-day Turkey, encamped by a river, a tremendous storm washed away much of the supplies of the French. They decided to take a route over the mountains to Antioch.

1/4/1148, The crusaders fought in a battle at Laodicea against the Turks.

1/20/1148, After additional battles, the crusaders reached Atalya.

3/19/1148, The crusaders reached Antioch.

1148, At Damascus, due to heat, lack of water, and disagreements on plans, the seige failed after 4 days. Louis, sending most of the forces back.

5/1149, The remaining crusaders left for their lands.

By 1149, William died.

[––Post Mortem––]

1151-53, ‘Hugo de Chileham filius Fulberti de Dofora’ donated the church of Chilham to the abbey of Saint-Bertin, for the souls of ‘patris mei Fulberti et matris mee Adelit … et Matildis uxoris mee’, signed by ‘… Helya de Chilleham, Mathilde uxore mea, Radulfo filio Willelmi, Willelmo et Johanne (39979340) fratribus eius, nepotibus meis … Arnaldo de Bolonia.’ (S) FMG. [Hugh is William’s brother. Radulfo s/o William, William and John his brothers, are his nephews.]

(S) Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, 1853, PP408-12.

Family notes:

·         Fulbert [de Dover], married to Adelaide, held Chilham, Eastling and Luddenham in Felborough Hundred of the bishop of Bayeux in Kent. (S) FMG.

·         Bef. 1130, §§Fulbert de Dover died leaving sons Hugh (d.~1168) and William. [Hugh married Matilda d/o Robert de Peverell (no children).] (S) FMG.

·         1130, ‘Wills fil Ric’ returning in Devonshire for ‘uxore Fulbti de Doura cum dote et maritagio suo’. (S) FMG. [Wife of Fulbert with dowery and marriage.]

Children of William and ?:

i. Ralph de Dover, born ? in England.

ii. William de Dover, born ? in England.

1156, In Kent: William de Dover £13 6s 8d by writ of the king to make him a knight. (S) Kent Pipe Roll, 2 Hen. II.

iii. John de Dover (39979340), born ~1140 in England.