Thomas FitzStephen

Life

He was the son of Stephen FitzAirard (Old French : Estienne fiz Airard), the captain of the 'Mora', the ship which brought William the Conqueror over from Normandy during his invasion of England in 1066. FitzStephen owned and captained the White Ship which at that time was docked at Barfleur harbor. When Thomas FitzStephen presented himself to the king he said:

"Stephen, my father, served yours all his life by sea, and he it was who steered the ship in which your father sailed for the conquest of England. Sire king, I beg you to grant me the same office in fief: I have a vessel called the Blanche-Nef, well equipped and manned with fifty skilful mariners."

Henry had already made other arrangements, but gave permission for his sons William Adelin and Richard, as well as the young nobles William's entourage travel on it instead. According to Orderic Vitalis, the nobles as well as the crew were drinking.

By the time the ship was ready to leave there were about 300 people on board although some had disembarked before the ship sailed due to the excessive drinking. FitzStephen and his crew were challenged by the revelers to overtake the king's ship which had already sailed. The White ship was fast, of the best construction and had recently been fitted with new materials which made the captain and crew confident they could reach England first. But when the ship set off in the dark, its port side struck a submerged rock and the ship quickly capsized and sank. The loss of life was devastating – according to Orderic Vitalis only two survived, by clinging to the rock all night; one was a butcher from Rouen, the second was Geoffrey de l'Aigle. Orderic also claims that FitzStephen let himself drown rather than face the wrath of King Henry I, as Henry's son William Adelin had been among those drowned.