Back to the Twelfth Century Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beauclerc

The fourth son of William I (the Conqueror) Henry was never intended to be king but took the throne when William II (Rufus) was killed in a New Forest hunting accident. Henry was present at the time, and there are theories that the accident to his brother might have been an assassination. Whether it was planned or not, Henry abandoned William's body and rode straight to Winchester to take control of the treasury and declare himself king.

His nickname of Beauclerc, meaning fine scholar, related to Henry's high level of education for the times in which he lived. Ethelred was the Unready, Longshanks was Edward I and Charles II was known as the Merry Monarch.

Answer: Exchequer

Roger of Salisbury was the chief minister to both Henry I and his eventual successor, Stephen. His skill at managing finances made him invaluable to both kings, although he eventually fell foul of Stephen whose need for money led him to confiscate Roger's estates. Since Roger had originally vowed to support Matilda's claim to the throne before switching allegiance to Stephen he probably expected better treatment. Like Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell centuries later, he discovered that monarchs have short memories.

Although the other institutions have been around a while, none of them dates back to the twelfth century. The Bank of England was set up in 1694, the Stock Exchange in 1571 and Lloyds in the 1680s.

Answer: White Ship

In an early example of causing death by dangerous driving (or maybe navigating would be a better word) the disaster was caused by the captain, crew and passengers having over indulged in wine. On leaving port, the ship struck a rock and capsized. According to reports, William had boarded a small boat but ordered it to return the the ship to rescue his half sister. The boat was overloaded and sank. Apart from William, two of his half-siblings (he had many from his father's various mistresses) drowned along with many nobles. Around 300 died in all, including the captain who initially survived but decided allowing himself to drown was a better option than facing the bereaved king.

The repercussions for England were serious since Henry I no longer had a legitimate male heir, only a daughter and having a queen instead of a king was a step too far in those far off times.

Answer: Abbeys

All three abbeys belonged to the Cistercians, or White Monks and are located in beautiful settings. Rievaulx is in the North York Moors area, near the River Rye while Fountains is in North Yorkshire as well, not far from Ripon. Tintern is on the banks of the River Wye, in Wales and was the first Cistercian Abbey in that country. None of them survived the dissolution of the monasteries carried out under the orders of Henry VIII in the 1530s.

Their treasures were confiscated and added to the king's coffers.

The ruins of all three give an idea of their original grandeur and are now protected.

Answer: Historian

Gerald of Wales was born in Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, in south west Wales. He came from a noble family and was educated in Paris before becoming Archdeacon of Brecknock. He had ambitions to become Bishop of St David's - the UK's smallest city and located in his home county of Pembrokeshire, but was thwarted each time he was nominated for the position.

He kept accounts of his travels, which included Ireland as companion to Prince John (later King John), France and Wales. While anecdotal, his works provide an insight into the people and events of his times.

Answer: The Anarchy

Following the death of his only legitimate son, Henry I made the controversial decision to nominate his daughter Matilda as his heir. His nobles were made to swear allegiance to her, but a female monarch was an alien concept. When Henry I died in 1135 his nephew, Stephen of Blois, immediately claimed the throne leading to years of conflict as Matilda made numerous attempts to depose him. Eventually, peace prevailed when Stephen named Matilda's son Henry, who later reigned as Henry II, as his heir.

The long period of unrest, which lasted through most of Stephen's reign, was given the name of the Anarchy.

Answer: Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor died in January 1066 setting in motion the events which led to the Norman invasion later that year which changed England for ever. Edward has gone down in history as a pious and unworldly man, and his sainthood has reinforced this view of him. Various miracles were ascribed to Edward, including healing of the sick during his lifetime.

Although there is evidence that politics were involved, Edward was declared a saint by Pope Alexander III. His tomb is in Westminster Abbey in London.

Answer: France

Henry II and Thomas Becket had been long time associates and friends, with Becket acting as the king's chancellor. Henry felt the church had too much power and decided that appointing Thomas as Archbishop of Canterbury would mean that he had an ally to change this. Thomas had other views and became a firm supporter of the church to the extent that he and the king were so much at odds Thomas feared for his life.

He fled to the French court in 1164, only returning in early December 1170. Thomas had not changed and infuriated the king again to such an extent that an outburst from him led a group of his knights to kill the archbishop in his cathedral before the month had ended. Thomas was canonised as a martyr and his murder, and where it occurred, still has the power to shock us in these more secular times.

Answer: Glastonbury Abbey

Glastonbury Abbey was a Benedictine order and dates back much further than the other abbeys mentioned in this quiz. Its early days were in the eighth century, it was enlarged in the tenth and enhanced further following the Norman conquest of England. By the time of the fire it was the wealthiest in the country but the fire destroyed many of its buildings and treasures. In 1191, the monks claimed to have discovered the remains of King Arthur and Guinevere which encouraged new pilgrims to visit the site. Since there is little proof that Arthur even existed, and the timing of the discovery came at a time when funds were needed for rebuilding, the likelihood of there being any truth to the tale is slim. Even Glastonbury's long history couldn't save it from Henry VIII, though, and it suffered the same fate as other religious orders in the 1530s.

The ruins are still spectacular and I can tell you that it is the only place I have visited where I felt a frisson of something otherworldly. And I have visited a lot of cathedrals, castles and abbeys in my time.

Answer: Richard I

Richard the Lionheart spent most of his reign away from England and his death was no exception. He was shot in the shoulder by a crossbow and when the wound turned gangrenous Richard's life ended at the age of forty-one. His bodily remains were buried in France - his heart in Rouen, his entrails in the town where he died and his body in Fontevraud Abbey next to his father. His mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was also buried there following her death in 1204.

John succeeded Richard - knowing he sealed the Magna Carta in 1215 should have eliminated him and Henry V was involved in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Edward I was around a century later, reigning from 1272 to 1307.