Wreck of the White Ship

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Domains

Natural Disasters

Dates

Date of occurrence 1120-11-25

Places

England (Location)
France (Involved)

Resources

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The White Ship was a vessel owned by Thomas FitzStephen, son of a supporter of William the Conqueror. After Henry I of England had been to visit his Norman lands, FitzStephen offered the king the use of this ship for his return journey. Henry himself took his own ship, but his only surviving legitimate son, William Adelin, took a place on the White Ship. It had barely set off when it struck a rock near Barfleur, and all except one passenger on the ship died in the shipwreck. The death of William Adelin left Henry without an obvious heir, and led to the succession crisis of the mid-twelfth century known as "The Anarchy".

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113 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Wreck of the White Ship". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 July 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=9314, accessed 06 May 2024.]

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