Stephen I of Blois King of England [7553] ²⁴

  General Notes:

Acceded: 26 DEC 1135, Westminster Abbey, London, England

Reigned 1135-1154. He siezed the throne from Matilda who invaded England in
1139. The civil war that followed proved him a brave soldier but revealed his
lack of political sense. In 1152, after much of the country had been ravaged
in factional fighting and the royal administration had broken down, Stephen
recognized Matilda's son Henry as heir to the throne.
Duke of Normandy 1135-1144, deposed. Duke of Blois, Count of Mortain, Count of
Boulogne.

http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/cgi-bin/gedlkup.php/n=royal?royal01397

http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/PLANTAGENET.htm#STEPHEN%20I%20of%20Blois%20(King%20of%20England)

Stephen, the son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Adela <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORblois.htm>, daughter of William I <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDwilliam1.htm> (27th Great-Grandfather of Glenn Cook)was born in about 1097. His father went on the First Crusade and was killed at Ramlah in 1102. Adela ruled Blois and Chartes until 1107 when she handed over power to her son Theobald.

In 1125 Stephen married Matilda of Boulogne and two years later swore an oath recognizing his cousin, Matilda <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDmatilda.htm>, the daughter of Henry I <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDhenry1.htm>, as heir to the English throne. However, when Henry died in December 1135, Stephen broke his promise and quickly had himself crowned king of England.

At the time of her father's death, Matilda <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDmatilda.htm> was with her husband, Geoffrey of Anjou in Normandy <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDnormandy.htm>. It was not until 1139 that Matilda landed in England with her army. Stephen was eventually captured at the battle of Lincoln (February, 1141). When Matilda went to be crowned the first queen of England, the people of London <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ITlondon.htm> rebelled and she was forced to flee from the area.

Stephen's army captured Matilda's half-brother, Robert of Gloucester. An exchange of prisoners was agreed, and Stephen obtained his freedom.

The civil war continued until the signing of the Treaty of Winchester in November, 1153. This treaty recognised Matilda's eldest son, Henry <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDhenryII.htm>, as the next king of England. In return, Matilda agreed that Stephen's son, William, would be allowed to keep his family lands in Normandy <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDnormandy.htm>.

Stephen, the last of the Norman kings, died in October 1154.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Acceded, Abt 26 Dec 1135, Westminster Abbey, London, England.

Stephen married Matilda of Boulogne Countess of Boulogne [7554] [MRIN: 2974], daughter of Eustace III of Boulogne Count of Boulogne [7555] and Mary of Scotland [2615] [9Z8D-GNS], in 1125 in Westminster, London, England. (Matilda of Boulogne Countess of Boulogne [7554] was born about May 1103 in Boulogne Cathedral, France, died on 3 May 1152 in Hedingham Castle, Essex, England and was buried in Faversham Abbey, Kent, England.)

Stephen next married Dameta of Normandy [17612] [MRIN: 8399].