| | | 1150 | Kinloss Abbey founded |
 A-S C
| Another Cistercian abbey helped by David I, King of the Scots. The first monks came from Melrose. |
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| Combe Abbey founded |
| This Cistercian abbey in the Midlands was founded by Richard de Camville and was a daughter house of Waverley in the south. |
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| Henry becomes Duke of Normandy |
| Henry returned to Normandy from Scotland and he was given the title of Duke of Normandy by his father. |
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| Rochester Cathedral West Front |
| Work on the West front of Rochester Cathedral began in 1150. |
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| Fountains Abbey cloisters rebuilt |
| Work began on rebuilding the cloisters at Fountains Abbey. |
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| 1151 | Foundation of Flaxley Abbey |
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| Located in the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, the remains of this Cistercian abbey are in the grounds of a private house. The abbey's benefactor was Roger, Earl of Hereford and it was populated by monks from Bordesley Abbey. |
| War in Normandy |
| Louis VII, the king of France, was not happy with Henry's new position as Duke of Normandy. Louis declared war on Henry. The dispute was sent to arbitration in Paris (who by - probably Knights Templar) and was resolved by Henry doing homage to Louis for Normandy and giving France the area of Vexin. |
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| Sep - Geoffrey dies |
| After returning from Paris with Henry, Geoffrey fell ill and died. |
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| 1152 | Newbury Castle Siege  |
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| Besieged and captured by King Stephen in 1152 (or 1153). |
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| Death of Ranulf, Earl of Chester |
| He died. |
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| William Marshal as hostage |
| At the age of five or six, William Marshal was handed over to King Stephen as a hostage. Instead of being killed, which was possible, William began a new life that would make him a knight. |
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| Apr 6 - Theobald refuses to crown Eustace |
| King Stephen had several lords swear to have Eustace, his son, as the next king of England. Theobald the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had to accept as well, refused to crown Eustace favouring Henry II's claim to the throne instead. |
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| May - Henry marries Eleanor |
| Only two months after Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to Louis VII, king of France was annulled, she married Henry of Anjou - future king of England - Henry II. |
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| Qtr 3 - Henry defends his position |
| After marrying Eleanor Henry came under attack by Louis, Eleanor's previous husband, who did not recognise Henry as the new Duke of Aquitaine. Stephen sent troops and his son Eustace to help Louis against Henry. Henry's younger brother, Geoffrey, was also not happy with the situation and joined the quarrels. Henry moved quickly attacking Louis and capturing Geoffrey to secure his position as Duke. |
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| 1153 | Richard de Lucy becomes Constable of the Tower |
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| Richard de Lucy was appointed the title of Constable at the Tower of London, an extremely important position, by King Stephen. |
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| Reading Castle destroyed |
| Reading Castle destroyed by Henry II. |
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| Jan - Henry invades England |
| Henry and a fleet of 30 to 40 ships landed on the south coast of England. Henry chose to attack Malmesbury, one of Stephen's out posts. The Winter weather took its toll on Stephen's troops and a truce was agreed. In the Midlands, the Earl of Leicester took Henry's side and this gave Henry control of large number of castles in the area. |
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| Jun - Malcolm IV becomes King of the Scots |
| After the death of David I Malcolm became king. He was crowned at Scone. |
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| Aug 17 - Stephen's son Eustace dies |
| Eustace wanted to continue the fight against Henry and had started attacking areas around Cambridge and East Anglia. He ransacked the Abbey at Bury St. Edmunds but died very shortly afterwards from a sudden illness. |
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| Nov 6 - Treaty of Wallingford |
| Henry had besieged a fort that Stephen had built at Crowmarsh on the banks of the Thames opposite Wallingford Castle. An agreement of succession of Henry II after Stephen was concluded and witnessed by the English Knights Templars. King Stephen accepted Henry of Normandy, Anjou and Aquitaine as heir to the throne and in turn Henry recognised Stephen as king. Stephen made his barons do homage to Henry (Jan.1154). |
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| 1154 | Ripon Cathedral rebuilt |
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| Under the direction of Archbishop Roger of York, Ripon Cathedral was rebuilt. Building work continued until 1180. |
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| Chapter House at Bristol |
| Building of the Chapter House at Bristol started in 1154 and continued to 1164. |
| Berkeley Castle changes hands |
| Henry II granted the castle at Berkeley to Robert Fitz Harding, a wealthy merchant who had helped Henry with financial aid during the conflict with Stephen. |
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| Spring - Henry returns to Normandy |
| A triumphant Henry returned to Rouen in Normandy to a warm reception from his family including Eleanor and his eight month old son William. |
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| Oct 25 - Stephen dies |
| Stephen had agreed that Henry should become King on his death. Henry was in Normandy at the time. |
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| Dec - Henry II succeeds Stephen |
| Under Henry II, the Grand Master of Knights Templars superintended the Masons. 1155 - Built their Temple in Fleet Street. |
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| Dec 8 - Henry lands in England |
| Although the English Channel was stormy, Henry needed to get to England as it had been without a King since the end of October. His ship landed somewhere near Southampton and he went straight to Winchester where he received the Royal treasures and the homage of the English barons. |
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| Dec 19 - Henry crowned at Westminster Abbey |
| Henry of Normandy crowned Henry II of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine crowned Queen, at Westminster.
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| 1155 | Farnham Castle demolished |
| Orders are given to destroy the central tower at Farnham Castle. The castle belonged to Henry, Bishop of Winchester who was the brother of King Stephen. |
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| Bridgnorth castle surrendered to Henry |
| Henry II captures the castle at Bridgnorth. |
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| Peterborough Cathedral Nave |
| The nave of Peterborough cathedral was the next phase of rebuilding work after the choir and transept. Work continued until 1175. |
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| Henry takes Scarborough Castle and Bridgnorth |
| As part of his attempt to subdue the Barons who had become too powerful during the civil war, Henry took the castle at Scarborough from William of Aumale and Bridgnorth from Hugh Mortimer. |
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| Plan for the conquest of Ireland approved |
| A plan to conquer Ireland is approved by Pope Adrian IV in a papal bull called Laudabiliter. |
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| Knights Templar build Temple in Fleet Street |
| Being the superintendents of the Masons, the Knights Templars build their Temple in Fleet Street in London. |
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| Feb 28 - Henry the Young King is born |
| Eleanor gave birth to Henry at Bermondsey Palace in London. |
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| Spring - Repairs to Westminster Palace |
| The Palace at Westminster had been badly damaged by Stephen's supporters at the time of the Anarchy and it had become unfit as a Royal residence. Thomas Becket was given the task of repairing the buildings and by the summer of the same year Eleanor was able to move in. |
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| 1156 | Kremlin built at Moscow |
| The Kremlin started as a wooden stockade. |
| Henry captured Anjou |
| Anjou was captured by Henry II in this year. It was regained by the French in 1205 from king John. |
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| 1157 | Wark Castle refortified |
| The castle at Wark-on-Tweed was refortified. Henry II ordered a new stone castle be built on the site of the older wooden fort. |
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| Construction of Harbottle Castle |
| Henry II ordered a new castle to be built in Northumberland. |
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| Devizes Castle passed to the Crown |
| The at Devizes castle passed into Henry's control. |
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| Basingwerk Castle is built |
| Henry II builds a castle at Basingwerk. |
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| Malcolm IV surrenders land to Henry |
| The areas of Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland are surrendered by Malcolm IV, King of Scotland to Henry. The lands had been aquired by David I. |
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| Sep 9 - Richard (I) born at Oxford |
| Richard may have been born at the Palace of Beaumont in Oxford. |
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| 1158 | Cardiff Castle attack |
| Welsh leader Ifor Bach attacked the castle and kidnapped William Fitzcount, the Lord of Glamorgan, along with his family. |
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| Dieulacres Abbey founded |
| Monks from Combermere founded this daughter house in 1158 at Poulton in Cheshire, but it would later be moved. |
| Knights Templars present in Italy |
| Knights Templars were known to be present in the Italian port of Lucca home of silk trading. They may have been present since the 1130's. Also present in the Adriatic ports of Barletta, Bari, Brindisi, Siponto and Messina. |
| Spring - Henry visits Wulfstan's Shrine |
| At Easter Henry II and his wife Eleanor visited Worcester Cathedral and placed their crowns on the shrine of Wulfstan, vowing not to wear them again. |
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| Sep 23 - Birth of Geoffrey Plantaganet |
| Birth of Geoffrey Plantaganet. |
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| 1161 | Coupar Angus Abbey founded |
| This Scottish Cistercian abbey was founded by Malcolm IV, King of Scotland. The monks that colonised it came from the abbey at Melrose. |
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| Knights Templars move London Temple |
| The Knights Templars moved their London temple to the new site between Fleet Street and the Thames. |
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| 1162 | Thomas Becket becomes Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Thomas Becket becomes Archbishop of Canterbury. |
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| 1163 | Notre Dame in Paris |
| Construction of the Notre Dame in Paris was start in this year by Bishop Maurice de Sulley. |
| Jul - Council at Woodstock |
| The council held at the Royal Palace of Woodstock near Oxford was the scene for a clash between Henry II and Thomas Becket over the control of payments to Sheriffs. Becket opposed the plan and was going to oppose more of Henry's reforms in the near future. |
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| Oct - Henry II puts plans of reform to Council of Westminster |
| Henry II put his plans before the Council of Westminster to reform the judicial system allowing the courts power over members of the Church which had the luxury of their own courts. Thomas Becket stood against the plans starting a rift between him and Henry that would led to Becket's death. |
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| 1164 | Foundation of Strata Florida Abbey |
| This Cistercian abbey was founded by Robert fitz Stephen, a Norman. Monks were sent from the Cistercian abbey at Whitland to populate the new monastery. |
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| A meteor ? |
| From the Chronicles of Meaux Abbey came the report saying 'In the tenth year of Henry II, about the first hour there appeared in the sky three circles and two suns; and a dragon of immense size was seen in St. Osyth (Osey Island, co. Essex), sailing the air so close to the earth that divers houses were burnt by the heat.' Is this a report of an airburst meteor? An airburst meteor is meteor that explodes in the air before it reaches the ground and doesn't create an impact crator. A more recent example of an airburst meteor occurred in Russia at a place called Tunguska. This event, known and the great Siberian explosion, happened in 1908 and resulted in the felling of millions of trees. |
| Templars attempt a reconciliation |
| Richard de Hastings, Master of the Templars, attempted to reconcile the differences between Henry II and Thomas Becket. |
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| Jan 30 - William of Paitin dies |
| William of Paitin, Henry II’s brother, died at Rouen. |
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| Jan 30 - Constitutions of Clarendon |
| A series of statements laid down by Henry II regarding the relationship between the church and the state. One statement was the cause for the rift between Henry and Thomas Becket, that said that a member of the church who committed a crime should be available to be tried in a state court and not just a church one. Clarendon is near Salisbury. |
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| Apr 19 - Reading Abbey consecrated |
| Thomas Becket consecrated the abbey at Reading on its completion in this year. |
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| Oct 6 - Council of Northampton |
| Council of Northampton held to discuss the Welsh rebellion and the Constitution of Clarendon; the Council tried Thomas Becket (8.10) and found him guilty of perjury (failure to appear at Council) and heresy; he was sentenced to forfeiture of his possessions; the sentence was quashed by Alexander III and Becket fled to Lincoln (14.10) and then France (2.11). |
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| Nov 2 - Becket flees to France |
| Becket flees to France. |
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| 1165 | Hugh Bigod buys back Framlingham |
| Henry II had confiscated the castle from the rebellious Earl. But Hugh raised the money required to buy back the castle. Henry built the castle at Orford to keep Hugh under control. |
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| Eleanor moves back to Aquitaine |
| Henry II and Eleanor's marriage is effectively ended when she moves back to Aquitaine leaving Henry to rebuild England after the civil war in Stephen's reign. |
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| Dec - William I 'the Lion' becomes king of the Scots |
| On the death of Malcolm IV his brother, William, became the king of the Scots. William was crowned at Scone. |
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| 1166 | Becket excommunicates his enemies |
| Richard de Lucy, joint Chief Justiciar in England, excommunicated by Thomas Becket. |
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| Building work at Bridgnorth Castle |
| Work on the tower at the castle of Bridgnorth progressed between 1166 and 1174. |
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| Assize of Clarendon |
| A series of legislative statements made by Henry II with the aim to improve the justice process, including the jury system. |
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| Building of Orford Castle |
| Henry II, had the castle at Orford, in Norfolk built between 1166 and 1172, to counter the threats of Hugh Bigod and to confront his castle fortress at Framlingham. |
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| 1167 | University of Paris ban |
| Due to a dispute with France Henry II banned all English scholars from attending the University of Paris. The scholars returned to England and boosted the numbers attending the English universities such as Oxford. |
| Construction of Wallingford Castle |
| Robert D'Oyley of Liseux built the castle at a strategic site of Wallingford where it was possible to cross the river Thames. Originally the castle would have been a motte and bailey type castle. |
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| Dec 24 - John, the future king of England is born |
| John is born at Oxford. |
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| 1168 | Reconstruction of Dover Castle |
| Henry II began the reconstruction of Dover Castle. The work would continue for twenty years and at the end of it, a brand new keep had been built, along with the outer walls of the inner bailey and sections of the outer wall. |
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| 1169 | Jan 6 - Becket submits to Henry |
| Henry II of England, Louis VII of France and Becket met at Montmirail; Becket submitted to Henry excepting only on point, and negotiations failed (7.1); a second meeting took place (7.2) at St. Leger-en-Yvelines, and a papal ultimatum served on Henry.. |
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| 1170 | Fire damages Norwich Cathedral |
| Some repair work was carried out at the Cathedral after the fire in 1170 (or 1171). |
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| Construction of Middleham Castle |
| Middleham Castle in Yorkshire could have been built at this time. |
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| The Galilee porch at Durham is built |
| The Galilee porch on the West front of Durham Cathedral was built between 1170 and 1175. |
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| Ireland attacked by Earl of Pembroke |
| Richard de Clare, the Earl of Pembroke invaded Ireland, taking Waterford and Dublin onbehalf of Dermot, the King of Leinster. Richard also marries Dermot's daughter. |
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| Jun 14 - Henry II coronation of Prince Henry |
| To insult Thomas Becket, Henry II used the Archbishop of York in the coronation of his son Henry. This was an act that infringed the rights of the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
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| Jul 22 - Becket and Henry at Freteval |
| Conference between Henry II and Becket near Freteval, resulting in Becket’s partial restoration. |
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| Dec 1 - Thomas Becket returns to England |
| Thomas Becket returned to England after hearing the Henry II had ....... |
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| Dec 29 - Thomas Becket is murdered |
| When Henry II heard that Thomas Becket had returned to England and was threatening to excommunicate his opponents, his outrage was such that four knights overhearing the King travelled to England and killed Becket inside Canterbury Cathedral. |
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| 1171 | Construction of Bowes Castle |
| Henry II financed the construction of an improved castle on an old site in County Durham. |
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| Bindon Abbey founded |
| A group of Cistercian monks from Forde Abbey colonised a new abbey at Bindon near Wareham on the south coast of England. |
| Jan 1 - Henry II told of the murder of Becket |
| Henry II told of the murder of Becket. |
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| Aug 8 - Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, dies |
| Henry of Blois died. |
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| Oct 17 - Henry lands at Waterford in Ireland |
| King Henry II had become concerned that Richard Strongbow was building a strong base in Ireland, strong enough to become an independent state separate from England. Henry planned to take an army to Ireland to deal with Strongbow but Strongbow went to see Henry and promised his loyalty to the king. Henry travelled to Ireland to receive the homage the Irish leaders. |
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| 1172 | May 21 - Compromise of Avranches |
| Eventhough Henry II was cleared of involvement in Thomas Becket's murder, he did penance before the Cathedral at Avranches in Normandy. The compromise was a deal struck between Henry and the church over the matter of Becket's death. (More detail required). |
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| 1173 | Murder of Sitsyllt ap Dwfnwal |
| Abergavenny Castle was captured from William de Braose by Sitsyllt ap Dwfnwal, a Welsh Chieftain. The castle was restored to Broase by Sitsyllt and the Chieftain was invited to a feast to celebrate its return. Instead of a friendly meeting Broase had Sitsyllt ap Dwfnwal and his guests murdered. |
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| Henry takes control of Kenilworth |
| With the threat of attack from the Barons and his own sons, Henry II took control of Kenilworth Castle and defended it with a small army of men. |
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| Remodelling of Windsor Castle |
| Henry II carried out major rebuilding work at Windsor Castle, including raising the height of the keep and improved the walls around the bailey. He added towers to the walls and built himself a house, the basement of which survives. |
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| Wallingford Castle repairs |
| Repairs to the castle at Wallingford. |
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| Henry called as arbitrator |
| Henry II's knowledge of law was extensive and he was called in as arbitrator in a conflict between Toulouse and Aragon. |
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| Baronial rebellion |
| The baronial rebellion against Henry II. One of it leaders was Hugh Bigod. (Need to investigate) |
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| Feb 21 - Becket canonised |
| Becket was canonised by Pope Alexander III. His shrine at Canterbury Cathedral became extemely wealthy due to the number of pilgrims visiting it and donating money. |
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| 1174 | William of Scotland held prisoner |
| King William of Scotland was held captive at Richmond Castle. |
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- Unfinished link (0)[William I 'the Lion' becomes king of the Scots]
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| Construction of Bolebec Castle |
| Bolebec Castle near Whitchurch was built around this time by Hugh de Bolebec. |
| Canterbury Cathedral fire |
| Canterbury Cathedral suffered another disastrous fire and was damaged so badly that it needed almost completely rebuilding. William of Sens was given the task of constructing a new Cathedral. William was injured by a fall from scaffolding and the work was continued by William the Englishman. |
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| William I of Scotland signs Treaty of Falaise |
| Captured by the English, William of Scotland was forced to sign the Treaty of Falaise. The treaty made Scotland a feudal possession of England and William and his nobles swore fealty to Henry II. This treaty was overruled by Richard I in return for funds paid by Scotland that Richard needed for his crusade in 1189. |
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| May - Richard (I) seizes the town of Saintes from his father, Henry II |
| Richard seized the town of Saintes from his father but soon lost it again as Henry's tactics and forces were more superior. |
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| Jun 13 - The Battle of Alnwick |
| William I, king of Scotland invades England to help fight in the baronial rebellion against Henry II. William is captured at the battle of Alnwick and the rebellion comes to an end. |
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| Jul 7 - Whipping of Henry II |
| Henry II accepted his part, even though indirect, in the killing of Thomas Becket. He was whipped by the monks of Canterbury as punishment. |
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