← Explore on the interactive map

William FitzOsbern

Type Figure Region Normandy Time c. 1020–1071 Also known as Earl of Hereford

Norman military noble, the right arm and confidant of William the Conqueror.…

Timeline

  1. 1040–1065Rouen · NormandyLong served Duke William of Normandy, taking part in the duchy's internal and military planning, and was one of the Norman nobles William trusted most. His daughter later married William's son William Rufus, further strengthening ties with the ducal family.
  2. 1066–1068Hereford · HerefordshireCrossed the sea with William to fight in 1066; after Hastings he was made Earl of Hereford and ruled the Welsh Marches. Between 1067 and 1068, with William de Warenne and others, he suppressed rebellions at Exeter and elsewhere, and oversaw castle-building at Hereford, Monmouth, and other places.
  3. 1071Cassel · FlandersIn 1071 he led an army to the aid of Count Robert I of Flanders, but was defeated and killed by Flemish rebels at the Battle of Cassel. His son William FitzOsbern succeeded as earl, and Norman military power in western England was thereby weakened.

Sources