The Companions of William Duke of Normandy, 1066.
                                                                                     Index:
The Known List
The Battle Abbey Roll
The Falaise Roll

 
Norman The Known List

The following persons are known to have been at the Battle of Hastings2:

Those referred to by William of Potiers:
   * Robert de Beaumont, later first Earl of Leicester.
   * Eustace, Count of Boulogne.
   * William, later third Count of Evreux.
   * Geoffrey of Mortagne, later Count of Perche.
   * William Fitz Osbern, later first Earl of Hereford.
   * Aimeri, Vicomte of Thouars.
   * Hugh de Montfort, seigneur [lord] of Montfort-sur-Risle.
   *.Walter Giffard, seigneur of Longueville.
   * Ralph de Toeni, seigneur of Conches.
   * Hugh de Grandmesil, seigneur de Grandmesil.
   * William de Varenne, later first Earl of Surrey and Warrene.
   * William Malet, seigneur of Graville.
   * Eudes, Bishop of Bayeux, later Earl of Kent.[in the Bayeaux tapestry battle scene]
   * Turstin Fitz Rou. [mentioned by Orderic]
   * Engenulf de Laigle, seigneur of Laigle.

The following are recorded as being in William's army and probably at Hastings:

   * Geoffrey de Mowbray, Bishop of Coutances. [recorded by William of Potiers]
   * Robert, Count of Mortain, later first Earl of Cornwall. [in the Bayeaux tapestry battle scene]
   * Wadard, believed follower of Bishop of Bayeux [in the Bayeaux tapestry battle scene]
   * Vital, possibly a follower of Bishop of Bayeaux. [in the Bayeaux tapestry battle scene]
   * Goubert d'Auffay, seigneur of Auffay. [mentioned by Orderic]

Image of Bayeaux Tapestry
The Battle Abbey Roll
"A scroll tablet bearing the names of the counts, viscounts, barons and knights who
fought at Hastings hung in the Abbey for generations..... was seen by early
antiquaries, until it was removed to Cowdrey with the Conqueror's sword and other
priceless relics...... destroyed in the fire which gutted Cowdrey in 1793.
This roll of Battle Abbey has been denounced by dogmatic men like Lord Raglan,
who held all but his own opinions in contempt. There is no doubt that monks were
bribed much later to insert names of men not at Hastings but of lower origin whose
families had become wealthy and powerful. But such insertions were discovered
and do not number more than twenty".
"On September 1066, some 5000 [more likely 8-9,000] men and their horses arrived by boat from Normandy. William, later to become known as 'the Conqueror', landed his men on the English coast at Pevensey. Hearing this, King Harold assembled a massive army to march to Hastings. However, his soldiers were exhausted, just having defeated the Norwegians in northern England. Before the English had regained their strength, the Normans attacked them seven miles northwest of Hastings."
Battle Abbey, Kent "The Abbey of Battle was built by the Conqueror on the site where by legend King Harold Godwinson leader of the English fell and was a splendid building which the Conqueror. Battle Abbey was enriched by William's successors. It contained the greatest treasures of the Conquest, the sword of Conquero, the pallium sent by  the Pope and other relics of Hastings and was partly destroyed by  Henry VIII and given to his Master of Horse, whose son built a house there, but the great gateway remains and is an impressive structure."

For a Battle Abbey Roll see Battle Abbey Roll Timekeeper



The Falaise Roll
The names of Les Compagnons de Guillaume ler Duc de Normandie a Hastings 1066.Plaque containing the names of 315 men who left Calais for Hastings.
"There are about eight versions of the roll in addition to the version accepted by the
French Government in 1931 which lists 315 men who were accepted and engraved on the bronze tablet erected in the Chapel of the Chateau [Castle] of William the Duke of Normandy at Falaise, Normandy.
The Falase Roll is now housed in the Falaise Town Hall, downhill from the castle. The chief archaeologist at the castle is sceptical about the completeness of the Falaise Roll and suggests the wall mural over the main entrance to Dives Sur Mer Church may be more correct.8
There is also an alleged listing of William The Conqueror's retainers somewhere at Westminster.8

Diex Aie
                                      1903 commemoration to King Harold le Saxon


King Harold's fall
                  Where King Harold and England fell.  If you've ever seen the film 'Blowup' look for the hand.                                                This place evokes a spiritual calmess but the winds of the immortal are howling around it.
The site of the high altar to the original abbey at Battle
                                                     Tranquil now but not then
Close up of King Harold's death site
                                               The traditional site of King Harold's death


Model aerial view of Senlac
                          A model of the field of Senlac 		Field of Senlac
                         Senlac below the hill summit and Abbey
The Normans counter attack
 References:
1. The Complete Peerage, vol. XII, "Companions of the                   Conqueror," pp. 47-48.
2. List according to The Society of Medieval Genealogy.
3. Duchesne Andre, Historiae Normannorum, The Battle Abbey       Roll, 1619.
4. Cleveland Duchess of, The Battle Abbey Roll; with some               Account of the Norman Lineage, pp
    299-303, 1889.
5. The Origin of some Anglo-Norman Families by Lewis C.                Lloyd, Harleian Society p. 47, vol. 103,1951.
6. William de Peche I
7. Planché J.R., The Conqueror and His Companions, Somerset       Herald. London: Tinsley Brothers,1874.
8. Email contact from Stephen Pinkerton
      
                                                 A recreation of the battle - video                     

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 Links:
William The Conqueror, Duke of Normandy - video

©  Tim Midgley 2001, revised 3rd January 2010.