Robert of Gloucester

Timeline

1. c. 1090–1122Gloucester · GloucestershireThe most favored of the many illegitimate children born to Henry I and his mistresses, he was created Earl of Gloucester, married into a noble family, and amassed vast estates in the west. Though not born in wedlock, he enjoyed a lofty status at court and among the nobility and was a royal kinsman on whom Henry I relied in his later years.
2. 1135–1139Bristol · BristolAfter Stephen usurped the throne in 1135, Robert was the first to refuse allegiance, organizing resistance from his base at Bristol. Drawing on his western estates and maintaining contact with his Welsh allies, he welcomed Matilda's landing in 1139 and became the undisputed de facto commander of the opposition during the Anarchy.
3. 1141Lincoln · LincolnshireAt the Battle of Lincoln in February 1141, Robert commanded Matilda's forces and their Welsh allies, defeating and capturing King Stephen in a blizzard and bringing the civil war to its most favorable moment for the opposition. The battle is regarded as the high point of his military career and a turning point of the Anarchy.
4. 1141–1142Winchester · HampshireAt the Battle of Winchester in September 1141, Robert was captured by Matilda of Boulogne, wife of Stephen, while covering Matilda's retreat. Through negotiation, Stephen was exchanged for Robert's release; both sides returned to the stalemate that had prevailed before, and the opposition lost its chance to settle the war in one blow.
5. 1142–1147Bristol · BristolBetween 1142 and 1147 Robert continued to direct the war in the west and served as guardian of the young Henry Plantagenet. He died of illness at Bristol on 31 October 1147 and was buried at the Abbey of St James. His death deprived Matilda of her most reliable military pillar, and she withdrew from England the following year.