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Extract: - King William

King William gave the earldom, city and castle of Norwich to Ralph Guader in 1071. Ralph was a Norfolk man with a Welsh mother. In 1075 he married Emma the daughter of William Fitz Osbern and sister of Roger, Earl of Hereford. The marriage feast was celebrated in Norwich and many Saxon nobles were present including Roger and Waltheof, Earl of Northumberland. At the feast, Ralph persuaded them to join in a conspiracy against King William who was in Normandy at the time. Next day Earl Waltheof changed his mind and went to Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was guardian of the kingdom. On Lanfranc's advice, Waltheof sailed over to Normandy and told the King about the planned rebellion. Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, and Jeffrey, Bishop of Coutances, raised an army loyal to the King. They forced Ralph back into his castle at Norwich from where he took ship to obtain help from Denmark leaving his wife Emma to defend the castle.

The King's army besieged the castle

The Danes sent 200 ships in support but when King William returned from Normandy they fled without fighting. The King's army then besieged the castle and after three months Emma was forced to surrender: she was allowed to follow her husband to Brittany. At Christmas the King himself came to Norwich and punished those who supported Ralph, some being banished and others having their eyes gouged out. The next year (1076), King William pursued Ralph into Brittany and besieged him in his castle at Dol. However Philip, the King of France, came to Ralph's support and William was forced to withdraw leaving Ralph and Emma unpunished. Ralph's estates and titles were of course forfeited and William appointed Roger Bigot constable of Norwich Castle and King's bailiff.