William D'Aubigny

     William D'Aubigny was also known as William "Strong Hand". As related by William Dugdale, this is the story of how he came by the name: "It happened that [in 1137] the Queen of France, being then a widow, and a very beautiful woman, became much in love with a knight from an other country, who was a comely person, and in the flower of his youth; and because she thought that no man excelled him in valor, she caused a tournament to be proclaimed throughout her dominions, promising to reward those who should exercise themselves therein, according to their respective abilities; and concluded that if the person whom she so well affected should act his part better than others in those military exercises, she might marry him without any dishonor to herself. Hereupon divers gallant men, from foreign parts hasting to Paris, amongst others came this our William de Albini, bravely accoutered, and in the tournament excelled all others, overcoming many, and wounding one mortally with his lance, which being observed by the queen, she became exceedingly enamored of him, and forthwith invited him to a costly banquet, and afterwards bestowing certain jewels upon him, offered him marriage; but, having plighted his troth to the Queen of England, then a widow, he refused her, whereat she grew so discontented that she consulted with her maids how she might take away his life; and in pursuance of that design, inticed him into a garden, where there was a secret cave, and in it a fierce lion, unto which she descended by divers steps, under color of showing him the beast; and when she told him of its fierceness, he answered, that it was a womanish and not a manly quality to be afraid thereof. But having him there, by the advantage of a folding door, thrust him to the lion; being therefore in this danger, he rolled his mantle about his arm, and putting his hand into the mouth of the beast, pulled out his tongue by the root; which done, he followed the queen to her palace, and gave it to one of her maids to present her. Returning thereupon to England, with the fame of this glorious exploit, he was forthwith advanced to the Earldom of Arundel, and for his arms the Lion given him."

William D'Aubigny was born circa 1109 in England, son of William D'Aubigny and Maud Bigod. He was the 1st Earl of Arundel and Chief Butler of England.

William married Adeliza de Louvain in 1138. She was the young widow of King Henry I who died in 1135. Adeliza was the daughter of a French Count, Godfrey I of Brabant, Count of Louvain and Duke of Lower Lorraine, and Ida de Namur. Adeliza was known for her great beauty.¹

William was a prolific builder. He built the Castle at New Buckenham in Norfolk in 1145, as well as the magnificent square keep at Castle Rising . He also constructed the fantastic keep at Arundel which still survives today.

Arundel has grown from its modest origins as a motte and bailey keep built by Roger de Montgomery, 1st Earl of Arundel, to a palatial castle. It was constructed around 1068 during the reign of William the Conqueror as a fortification for the River Arun and a defensive position for the surrounding land. After Roger de Montgomery died, the castle reverted to the crown under Henry I (1068-1135). The King, in his will, left Arundel Castle and the attached land to his second wife Adeliza of Louvain. In 1138, three years after Henry's death, she married William d'Aubigny II. William was made Earl of Sussex on his marriage was responsible for creating the magnificent keep on the motte (an artificial mound over 100 feet high), thus increasing the defence and status of the castle. The keep was built of Caen stone which was brought over from Normandy, and Quarr Abbey stone from the Isle of Wight. It is in fact an irregular oval in its plan with walls 27 ft high and 10 feet thick, the exterior is smooth stone punctuated at intervals with small buttresses. By the standards of the time, the interior of the keep would have been luxurious and richly decorated, fit for a Queen dowager, but would also have served as the administrative centre for the district.

The year following their marriage in 1139 William and Adeliza invited the Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I to stay, as she intended to press her claim to the throne from Stephen (1135-1154). Stephen threatened to besiege Arundel and a safe passage was quickly established for her to go to Bristol . Matilda continued with her claim to the throne, but was unsuccessful, although she managed to get Stephen to agree that her eldest son Henry Plantagenet would inherit the Crown on his death. King Henry II (1154-1189) in 1155 confirmed William d'Aubigny II as Earl of Arundel, with the Honour and Castle of Arundel. D'Aubigny owned Arundel until his death in 1176 when it again came under ownership of the Crown. Arundel Castle has belonged to the Earl's of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk for many centuries. Passing from the d'Aubignys to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and to the Howards in the 16th century, it has been home to many prominent figures in English History. The current Duke of Norfolk, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, is a direct descendent of the d'Aubigny/Albini family.

William being held in high regard by Henry II served in the King's embassy to Rome in 1163/4, and also to Saxony in 1168. He was commander of the Royal Army in August 1173 in Normandy, against the King's rebellious sons, where he is said to have distinguished himself with "swiftness and velocity". He fought in the battle near Bury St. Edmunds on 29 Sep 1173, where he assisted in the defeat of the Earl of Leicester who had, with his Flemings, invaded Suffolk.

William D'Aubigny died on 3 October 1176 in Waverly, Surrey County, England. He was buried in Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk, England.