You will find that some courses are only available for WEA members at this time, as part of member's priority booking. Courses will become available for all at 11 am on Wednesday 3rd July. Alternatively, become a WEA member today to book right away. Click on the 'Become a member' link at the top of the page.
Humanities & Science
History: The 12th Century Civil War for the Crown of England
Early booking is a membership perk for WEA members, where courses are available exclusively before becoming available for everyone else.
Course overview
This course looks at the troubled years after 1140, when England was ravaged by civil war and had two rival monarchs: the Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I and her cousin, King Stephen. The Empress spent 17 years trying to secure her birthright. These years were called ‘The Anarchy’ by historians because of the destruction wreaked by both sides on villages and towns across southern England and the breakdown of law and order. The course explores the reasons why William Adelin’s sister, the Empress Matilda never achieved the Crown.
This course is for early booking only.
Course description
“And people said that Christ and his saints slept.” This course looks at the troubled years after 1140, when England was ravaged by civil war and had two rival monarchs: the Empress Matilda, the legitimate claimant, the daughter of King Henry I and her cousin, King Stephen, who usurped her throne. The Empress spent 17 years trying to secure her birthright. These years were called ‘The Anarchy’ by historians because of the destruction wreaked by both sides on villages and towns across southern England and the breakdown of law and order. Its origins lie twenty years before in the icy waters off the port of Barfleur in northern France and the White Ship disaster that killed King henry heir, William Adelin. The course explores the reasons why William Adelin’s sister, the Empress Matilda never achieved the Crown, but her son, Henry FitzEmpress, did as well as considering the contemporary Chronicles, the significant sources of information available to the historian.
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