The Anglo-Norman Territories

William of Newburgh (c. 1135 / 1201)

 

Born near Bridlington in East Yorkshire, William probably spent much of his life in the Augustinian Priory of nearby Newburgh, although much of his career is unrecorded. His Historia Rerum Anglicarum (The History of English Affairs), which is often claimed  to be the finest historical work of the 12th century, runs from the Norman Conquest to 1197. It is a particularly important independent source for the reign of Henry II, especially the years 1154 – 1170. Although  William drew freely on work of others his history is judged to be a reliable and free of prejudice.

 

Bibliography

- Howlett, R., 1884. Chronicles and Memorials of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II and Richard I, vol I (London, Rolls Series)
- Walsh, P.G. and Kennedy, M.J., 1988. The History of English Affairs (Warminster, Aris and Phillips)

retour aux sources littéraires de l'histoire normande