The death of King Henry I in 1135 signalled the start of what historians call the anarchy of King Stephen’s reign. The succession had become a contentious issue ever since Henry’s only son and heir had drowned in the sinking of the white ship in 1120. As the kings death drew nearer so the political tension within the Anglo-Norman realm increased. In 1135 there were three contenders for the crown.
Sexism and Self Interest
Henry I had made his nobles take an oath that they would accept his daughter, the Empress Matilda, as queen on his death. However there were two sticking points. Matilda was married to Geoffrey of Anjou who had alliances with men Henry I had disinherited. Bringing those men back to court would put Henry’s ‘new men’ at risk. More important than that was the fact that Matilda was a woman. The other two candidates were Richard Earl of Gloucester and Stephen Count of Blois. Stephen had a good hereditary claim through his mother, the sister of Henry I and while Richard of Gloucester was indeed the king’s son he was also illegitimate. As such the kingdom was split over the different contenders at the time of Henry’s death.
The Instruments of Power
While the others waited for the fallout from Henry’s death Stephen acted. He quickly crossed the channel and headed straight for London. Here he was received by the citizens of the town and accepted as king. From London Stephen headed to Winchester where with the help of his brother the Bishop of Winchester he took control of the royal treasury and the administrative apparatus of government. His oath to Matilda was effectively sidelined as it had been made under duress and was therefore illegal. Stephen was eventually crowned at Westminster by the archbishop of Canterbury in the December of 1135.
Position and Patronage
The position of Stephens brother within the church not only guaranteed him support at home but also a sympathetic ear in Rome. Pope Eugenius had, like Stephen’s brother, taken orders in the house of Cluny. This vital connection pulled the papacy his way when it mattered most. Stephen also granted the church some major concessions. This policy of concession was also followed in Stephen’s dealings with the nobility when he bought off successive ‘rebel’ earls with gifts at the expense of others.
In the short term such tactics secured the throne for Stephen. However promises were then as they are now; easy to make and harder to keep. This piecemeal policy proved easy to turn against a weak king who had difficulty controlling the different factions. Under such circumstances and with rival contenders ready to stake their claim for the throne civil war was inevitable.
References
Davis R.H.C. King Stephen 1135-1154, 3rd edn. (Longman 1990)
