The White Ship

The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
By Charles Spencer
Published in September 2020
352 Pages
Thibault’s Score: 4/5

William the Conqueror was a military genius, but struggled to build a stable government in England. He had some flashes of brilliance with institutions like the Domesday Book, but was neither outstandingly good or bad. His successors - William Rufus in England and Robert Curthose in Normandy - were particularly incompetent. They destroyed everything that William the Conqueror had built up during their short reigns.

Luckily, William the Conqueror’s third son - Henry (later Henry 1) - turned out to be an absolute genius.

Henry 1 had a hard start in life. Immediately, he was seen as a third party in between the conflict between his two brothers over the estate of his father. He spent his early years at war, in prison, in servile roles, and briefly even as a beggar. Thanks to a series of unexpected reversals, he ultimately was able to claw his way back to power and seize the crown of England.

Militarily, Henry 1 was able to defeat his loser siblings, as well as put down various rebellions. He re-unified the realm of his father, reigning over both Normandy and England at the same time. In his entire reign, he only lost a single battle.

Economically, Henry’s reign was also marked by brilliance. He created the institution of the exchequer - a centralized treasury that controlled the kingdom’s finances, managed taxation, and rooted out corruption. The name exchequer comes from a literal chequerboard. Accountants would lay out a chequerboard with the outlines of different coins. Sheriffs and other officials would be required to place coins on the chequerboard, and the accountants could quickly visually count the coins.

Henry’s economic reforms came with three incredible benefits, which resulted in rapid economic growth. First, it reduced corruption. Stealing money became much more difficult. Second, the increased revenues allowed him to lower taxes. Finally, this system of accounting allowed for longer term planning rather than ad hoc planning.

Henry also passed many important legal reforms. Previously, trials by jury had existed customarily, especially in areas that came under Viking influence. However, Henry formalized the institution, planting the seeds that would result in our modern Anglo-American common law system of jury trials. He also created something called the Charter of Liberties which enshrined property rights, also forming the basis of common law property rights.

Henry’s incredible reign was marked by a shadow. Like many great men, he rotted from the loins up. He only had a single legitimate son - William Ætheling. He had a legitimate daughter, Mathilda. Mostly prior to being King, but also subsequently, he had numerous mistresses and fathered at least 23 illegitimate children.

The disaster would come when his heir apparent, William Ætheling, was a young man towards the end of Henry’s reign. William Ætheling had a party boat known as “the white ship.” This boat would sail in between England and Normandy, and was the site of heavy drinking and debauchery. In November 1120, the White Ship sank, possibly due to a drunken accident. Only two men survived by clinging to wreckage and swimming to the coast of Normandy. William Ætheling, along with his entire generation of nobility, died overnight. Stricken by grief, Henry died shortly later while on a military campaign against France.

With no legitimate heir, but many bastards, the entire realm descended into a period of civil war known as “the Anarchy.” The Welsh, Scots, French, and Irish made significant advances, resulting in massive territorial losses for the English on all fronts. Different lords and nobles all claimed the throne. The economy was completely destroyed. All of Henry’s brilliant reforms were nearly forgotten. The anarchy would last until 1153, when the grandson of Henry 1 via his legitimate daughter Mathilda - Henry II - would manage to seize control of the throne.

Henry II, with his wife Aliénor of Aquitaine, managed to restore the reign. Henry II re-implemented many of Henry I’s reforms, stabilizing the realm.

This is a fascinating period of history. I am pretty well versed in early Norman history, so found the book enjoyable. It is hard for me to gauge how interesting this book will be to someone who isn’t knowledgeable or interested in the period. Overall, I would recommend it to someone curious about this specific time. I especially enjoyed the many tidbits that cover economic history.

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