William Fitz Osbern, was
the illegitimate son of Osbern the Seneschal, who became one of the
legal guardians of William
the Conqueror after
the death of his father Robert, Duke of Normandy,
in 1035. A number of Norman
barons would not accept an illegitimate son as their leader and in
1040 an attempt was made to kill William. The plot failed but they
did kill the guardians Osbern the Seneschal, Gilbert
of Brionne and Alan of Brittany.
Fitz Osbern became a close
friend of William
the Conqueror and
at the Council of Lillebonne, urged the Norman barons to invade England.
According to Norman chroniclers, Fitz Osbern led the right wing of
the forces at the Battle of Hastings.
After his coronation in
1066, William
the Conqueror claimed
that all the land in England now belonged to him. William retained
about a fifth of this land for his own use. The rest was distributed
to those men who had helped him defeat Harold.
William Fitz Osbern
was given vast estates, notably in the Welsh Marshes.
After appointing
Fitz Osbern and Odo of Bayeux
as co-regents, William
the Conqueror spent
time in Normandy (March to December,
1067). While he was
away, disturbances broke out in Kent, Herefordshire, and in the north
of the country and Fitz Osbern played a leading role in putting down
these rebellions.
To maintain
control over his land Fitz Osbern built several castles including
those at Chepstow, Clifford and Wigmore. He had particular problems
with Edric the Wild in Herefordshire in 1070.
Fitz Osbern
was one of William's senior administrators and worked on his behalf
in Normandy and Flanders. William Fitz Osbern was killed in a battle
at Cassel in February 1071.
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