Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1070. [his brother] Earl Baldwin (age 40) also died, and his son Arnulf (age 15) succeeded to the earldom. Earl William (age 50), in conjunction with the king of the Franks (age 17), was to be his guardian; but Earl Robert (age 37) came and slew his kinsman Arnulf and the earl, put the king to flight, and slew many thousands of his men.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1079. This year Robert (age 28), the son of King William (age 51), deserted from his father to his uncle Robert in Flanders (age 46); because his father would not let him govern his earldom in Normandy; which he himself, and also King Philip (age 26) with his permission, had given him. The best men that were in the land also had sworn oaths of allegiance to him, and taken him for their lord. This year, therefore, Robert fought with his father, without Normandy, by a castle called Gerberoy; and wounded him in the hand; and his horse, that he sat upon, was killed under him; and he that brought him another was killed there right with a dart. That was Tookie Wiggodson. Many were there slain, and also taken. His son William (age 23) too was there wounded; but [his future son-in-law] Robert (age 37) returned to Flanders. We will not here, however, record any more injury that he did his father.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1085. In this year men reported, and of a truth asserted, that [his son-in-law] Cnute, King of Denmark (age 43), son of King Sweyne, was coming hitherward, and was resolved to win this land, with the assistance of Robert, Earl of Flanders (age 52);¹⁰⁶ for Cnute had Robert's [his daughter] daughter (age 21). When William, King of England (age 57), who was then resident in Normandy [Map] (for he had both England and Normandy), understood this, he went into England with so large an army of horse and foot, from France and Brittany, as never before sought this land; so that men wondered how this land could feed all that force. But the king left the army to shift for themselves through all this land amongst his subjects, who fed them, each according to his quota of land. Men suffered much distress this year; and the king caused the land to be laid waste about the sea coast; that, if his foes came up, they might not have anything on which they could very readily seize. But when the king understood of a truth that his foes were impeded, and could not further their expedition¹⁰⁷, then let he some of the army go to their own land; but some he held in this land over the winter. Then, at the midwinter, was the king in Glocester [Map] with his council, and held there his court five days. And afterwards the archbishop and clergy had a synod three days. There was Mauritius chosen Bishop of London, William of Norfolk, and Robert of Cheshire. These were all the king's clerks. After this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land; how it was occupied, and by what sort of men. Then sent he his men over all England into each shire; commissioning them to find out "How many hundreds of hides were in the shire, what land the king himself had, and what stock upon the land; or, what dues he ought to have by the year from the shire." Also he commissioned them to record in writing, "How much land his archbishops had, and his diocesan bishops, and his abbots, and his earls;" and though I may be prolix and tedious, "What, or how much, each man had, who was an occupier of land in England, either in land or in stock, and how much money it were worth." So very narrowly, indeed, did he commission them to trace it out, that there was not one single hide, nor a yard¹⁰⁸ of land, nay, moreover (it is shameful to tell, though he thought it no shame to do it), not even an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine was there left, that was not set down in his writ. And all the recorded particulars were afterwards brought to him.¹⁰⁹

Note 106. and of Clave Kyrre, King of Norway. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand".

Note 107. Because there was a mutiny in the Danish fleet; which was carried to such a height, that the king, after his return to Denmark, was slain by his own subjects. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand", also our "Chronicle" A.D. 1087.

Note 108. i.e. a fourth part of an acre.

Note 109. At Winchester; where the king held his court at Easter in the following year; and the survey was accordingly deposited there; whence it was called "Rotulus Wintoniae", and "Liber Wintoniae".