[12] Henry then found himself in conflict with Louis VI of France, who took the opportunity to declare Robert's son, William Clito, the Duke of Normandy. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen, an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr of the Christian Church. The story of Saint Stephen's ordination as a deacon is found in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which also recounts the plot against Stephen and the beginning of the trial that resulted in his martyrdom; the seventh chapter [26], With William Adelin dead, Henry had only one other legitimate child, the future Empress Matilda, but as a woman she was at a substantial political disadvantage. [4] His eldest brother was William, who under normal circumstances would have ruled Blois and Chartres. A. One of the first seven deacons of the Christian Church, Saint Stephen is also the first Christian to be martyred for the Faith (hence the title, often applied to him, of protomartyr that is, "first martyr"). Matilda and Geoffrey suspected that they lacked genuine support in England, and proposed to Henry in 1135 that the King should hand over the royal castles in Normandy to Matilda whilst he was still alive and insist on the Norman nobility swearing immediate allegiance to her, thereby giving the couple a much more powerful position after Henry's death. This threat was backed up by the arrest of the bishops, with the exception of Nigel who had taken refuge in Devizes Castle; the bishop only surrendered after Stephen besieged the castle and threatened to execute Roger le Poer. [173], After 1143 the war ground on, but progressing slightly better for Stephen. Stephen Hawking, in full Stephen William Hawking, (born January 8, 1942, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Englanddied March 14, 2018, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire), English theoretical physicist whose theory of exploding black holes drew upon both relativity theory and quantum mechanics. WebStephen or Steven is a common English first name. [88] There were significant underlying problems, nonetheless. [42] The King then appointed him Bishop of Winchester, one of the richest bishoprics, allowing him to retain Glastonbury as well. WebStephen Sharer - Jump In! [139] Finally, he was overwhelmed by Robert's men and taken away from the field in custody. Following their 127-118 victory on the road against the Washington Wizards on Monday afternoon, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr compared Stephen Curry to Michael Jordan. Their discussions were interrupted by the sudden news from England that Stephen's coronation was to occur the next day. 5455. Stephen became increasingly concerned with ensuring that his son Eustace would inherit his throne. (1992) "Financing Stephen's War,", Helmerichs, Robert. Schmieder & O'Doherty (2015), pp. ), king of England from 1135 to 1154. WebThe name Stephen is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "garland, crown". [211] The fall of Wallingford appeared imminent and Henry marched south in an attempt to relieve the siege, arriving with a small army and placing Stephen's besieging forces under siege themselves. [87], Stephen's first few years as king can be interpreted in different ways. [7] [17] [18] Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the [222] Stephen's middle son, Baldwin, and second daughter, Matilda, had died before 1147 and were buried at Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate. The royal charter of 1136 had promised to review the ownership of all the lands that had been taken by the crown from the church since 1087, but these estates were now typically owned by nobles. The marriage made Henry the future ruler of a huge swathe of territory across France. Westminster Abbey and its people, c.1050-c.1216. Gibney previously appeared in the Bill Hodges trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch),The Outsider, and If It Bleeds. [210], Over the summer, Stephen intensified the long-running siege of Wallingford Castle in a final attempt to take this major Angevin stronghold. Modern historians have extensively debated the extent to which his personality, external events, or the weaknesses in the Norman state contributed to this prolonged period of civil war. Stephen was born in the County of Blois in central France as the fourth son of Stephen-Henry, Count of Blois, and Adela, daughter of William the Conqueror. [82] Stephen formed an army to retake it, but the frictions between his Flemish mercenary forces led by William of Ypres and the local Norman barons resulted in a battle between the two halves of his army. Huscroft, pp. (2001) "'Ad tutandos partriae fines': The Defense of Normandy, 1135," in Abels, Richard Philip and Bernard S. Bachrach. [66] An agreement was made under which David would return most of the territory he had taken, with the exception of Carlisle. [240] Stubbs' analysis, focusing on the disorder of the period, influenced his student John Round to coin the term "the Anarchy" to describe the period, a label that, whilst sometimes critiqued, continues to be used today. [25] Many of these barons had taken an oath to stay in Normandy until the late King was properly buried, which prevented them from returning to England. Stephen and his supporters appear in Ellis Peters' historical detective series The Cadfael Chronicles, set between 1137 and 1145. As he stepped into a congressional elevator, Santos told reporters he would not resign unless 142 people told him to quit. [223], Certainly many problems remained to be resolved, including re-establishing royal authority over the provinces and resolving the complex issue of which barons should control the contested lands and estates after the long civil war. 65, 6971; Carpenter, p. 124. [108], Stephen took steps to remove a group of bishops he regarded as a threat to his rule. [220], Stephen's decision to recognise Henry as his heir was, at the time, not necessarily a final solution to the civil war. He was also "full of Gods grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). When Henry died in 1135, Stephen quickly crossed the English Channel and with the help of his brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury, took the throne, arguing that the preservation of order across the kingdom took priority over his earlier oaths to support the claim of Henry I's daughter, the Empress Matilda. [43] The Norman kings had traditionally exercised a great deal of power and autonomy over the church within their territories. Medieval financial figures are notoriously hard to convert into modern currency; for comparison, 2,000 marks equated to around 1,333 in a period in which a major castle rebuilding project might cost around 1,115. Le Patourel, John (1973) "What did not happen in Stephen's reign?". The impact of these arrests on the efficacy of the subsequent royal administration and the loyalty of the wider English church has been much discussed. Stephen was one of the seven men chosen to be responsible over the distribution of food to widows in the early church after a dispute arose and the apostles recognized they needed help. [13] Adela and Theobald allied themselves with Henry, and Stephen's mother decided to place him in Henry's court. [166], In late 1143, Stephen faced a new threat in the east, when Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, rose up in rebellion against him in East Anglia. He's very intelligent and focused, but can also be considered oblivious to something begging to be noticed. The King gave Eustace the County of Boulogne in 1147, but it remained unclear whether Eustace would inherit England. [57] Theobald then agreed to the Normans' proposal that he be made king, only to find that his former support immediately ebbed away: the barons were not prepared to support the division of England and Normandy by opposing Stephen, who subsequently financially compensated Theobald, who in return remained in Blois and supported his brother's succession. Historian Keith Stringer argues that Theobald was also probably thinking about an eventual peace treaty in England involving Henry FitzEmpress, and that he may have seen the coronation of Eustace only as a guarantee of further civil war after Stephen's death. [249] In contrast, he is depicted unsympathetically in both Ken Follett's historical novel The Pillars of the Earth and the TV mini-series adapted from it. [29] At the same time, tensions continued to grow as a result of Henry's domestic policies, in particular the high level of revenue he was raising to pay for his various wars. Later in the year Stephen and Henry agreed to the Treaty of Winchester, in which Stephen recognised Henry as his heir in exchange for peace, passing over William, Stephen's second son. [119] He also faced a military dilemma at Arundelthe castle was considered almost impregnable, and he may have been worried that he was tying down his army in the south whilst Robert roamed freely in the west. WebStephen Announces New Book on Podcast. Some historians, including David Crouch and Helmerichs, argue that Theobald and Stephen had probably already made a private deal to seize the throne when Henry died. [207], Henry FitzEmpress returned to England again at the start of 1153 with a small army, supported in the north and east of England by Ranulf of Chester and Hugh Bigod. [248] Peters' depiction of Stephen's reign is an essentially local narrative, focused on the town of Shrewsbury and its environs. [18] Stephen was also given lands in Alenon in southern Normandy by Henry, but the local Normans rebelled, seeking assistance from Fulk IV, Count of Anjou. King (2010), pp. It is possible, however, that Stephen had already begun to consider passing over Eustace's claim; historian Edmund King observes that Eustace's claim to the throne was not mentioned in the discussions at Wallingford, for example, and this may have added to his anger. Stephen D. Moore III, 33, of Williamsport, was called home by our Heavenly Father on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023 at his home. [66], Returning south, Stephen held his first royal court at Easter 1136. [65] Stephen responded by sending Richard's brother Baldwin and the Marcher Lord Robert Fitz Harold of Ewyas into Wales to pacify the region. [235] Those writing for the church after the events of Stephen's later reign, such as John of Salisbury for example, paint the King as a tyrant due to his argument with the Archbishop of Canterbury; by contrast, clerics in Durham regarded Stephen as a saviour, due to his contribution to the defeat of the Scots at the battle of the Standard. [222] Historian Graham White describes the treaty of Winchester as a "precarious peace", in line with the judgement of most modern historians that the situation in late 1153 was still uncertain and unpredictable. Opinions vary considerably among historians as to the date of Stephen's birth. The garrison surrendered shortly afterwards, but Stephen had lost an opportunity to capture his principal opponent. [237] A number of charters were issued during Stephen's reign, often giving details of current events or daily routine, and these have become widely used as sources by modern historians. An argument then broke out between a group of reformers based in York and backed by Bernard of Clairvaux, the head of the Cistercian order, who preferred William of Rievaulx as the new archbishop, and Stephen and his brother Henry, who preferred various Blois family relatives. The spelling as [213], In the aftermath of Wallingford, Stephen and Henry spoke together privately about a potential end to the war; Stephen's son Eustace, however, was furious about the peaceful outcome at Wallingford. Stephen Stephen is an innocent and honest person, yet full of unexpected surprises. Placed into the court of his uncle Henry I of England, Stephen rose in prominence and was granted extensive lands. [129] Robert of Gloucester's men retook some of the territory that Stephen had taken in his 1139 campaign. In other parts of Europe, including Normandy and England, the tradition was for lands to be divided up, with the eldest son taking patrimonial landsusually considered to be the most valuableand younger sons being given smaller, or more recently acquired, partitions or estates. [219] Stephen and Henry sealed the treaty with a kiss of peace in the cathedral. [134] The King commanded the centre of his army, with Alan of Brittany on his right and William of Aumale on his left. He stabilised the northern border with Scotland, contained Geoffrey's attacks on Normandy, was at peace with Louis VI, enjoyed good relations with the church and had the broad support of his barons. From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek (Stphanos), from (stphanos, crown, wreath), from (stph, to put round, to surround) . The King tried to convince the Church to agree to crown Eustace to reinforce his claim; Pope Eugene III refused, and Stephen found himself in a sequence of increasingly bitter arguments with his senior clergy. Both Stephen's wife, Queen Matilda, and his older brother Theobald died in 1152. [4] The brothers formed a close-knit family group, and Adela encouraged Stephen to take up the role of a feudal knight, whilst steering Henry towards a career in the church, possibly so that their personal career interests would not overlap. [73] Pope Innocent II confirmed Stephen as king by letter later that year, and Stephen's advisers circulated copies widely around England to demonstrate his legitimacy. [111] The remaining castles were then surrendered to the King. [226], After Stephen's death, Henry II succeeded to the throne of England. 1 SEASON. [113] Stephen sent Aubrey de Vere II as his spokesman to the council, who argued that Roger of Salisbury had been arrested not as a bishop, but rather in his role as a baron who had been preparing to change his support to the Empress Matilda. [23][nb 4] The ship foundered en route, and all but two of the passengers died, including William Adelin. Crouch (2008a), p. 29; King (2010), pp. Helmerichs, p. 137; Carpenter, pp. Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. [113] As the papal legate, he summoned the King to appear before an ecclesiastical council to answer for the arrests and seizure of property. WebStephen Hawking. Watch Now. Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. [221] Although Stephen's son William was unprepared to challenge Henry for the throne in 1153, the situation could well have shifted in subsequent yearsthere were widespread rumours during 1154 that William planned to assassinate Henry, for example. [31], Henry attempted to build up a base of political support for Matilda in both England and Normandy, demanding that his court take oaths first in 1127, and then again in 1128 and 1131, to recognise Matilda as his immediate successor and recognise her descendants as the rightful rulers after her. He gained the throne by usurpation but failed to consolidate his power during the ensuing civil strife. The story of Saint Stephen's ordination as a deacon is found in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which also recounts the plot against Stephen and the beginning of the trial that resulted in his martyrdom; the seventh chapter He married Matilda of Boulogne, inheriting additional estates in Kent and Boulogne that made the couple one of the wealthiest in England. [243] Modern historians vary in their assessments of Stephen as a king. [168] Geoffrey gave in, but once free he headed north-east into the Fens to the Isle of Ely, from where he began a military campaign against Cambridge, with the intention of progressing south towards London. [120] Another theory is that Stephen released Matilda out of a sense of chivalry; he was certainly known for having a generous, courteous personality and women were not normally expected to be targeted in Anglo-Norman warfare. [209] He unsuccessfully attempted to force Henry's smaller army to fight a decisive battle along the river Avon. Stephen (1092 or 1096 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154.
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