1140s in England:

Other decades

1120s 1120s in England Events from the 1120s in England.-Events:* 1120** 25 November - Sinking of the White Ship in the English Channel. King Henry I of England's only legitimate son, William Adelin, drowns.* 1121** Henry I marries Adeliza of Louvain....  | 1130s 1130s in England Events from the 1130s in England.-Events:* 1130** New choir of Canterbury Cathedral completed.* 1131** 8 September - The barons swear allegiance to Matilda as the true heir of Henry I of England....  | 1140s | 1150s 1150s in England Events from the 1150s in England.-Events:* 1150** Henry, son of Empress Matilda, becomes Duke of Normandy.** The Anarchy: Worcester sacked.* 1151** Henry pays homage to Louis VII of France, and cedes Vexin to France.* 1152...  | 1160s 1160s in England Events from the 1160s in England.-Events:* 1160** 2 November - Marriage of Henry the Young King and Marguerite, daughter of Louis VII of France; King Henry II takes control of Norman Vexin.* 1161** Canonisation of Edward the Confessor....

Incumbents

Events

• 1140
  • December - The Anarchy
    The Anarchy
    The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
    
    : Earl Ranulf of Chester
    Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester
    Ranulf II was an Anglo-Norman potentate who inherited the honour of the palatine county of Chester upon the death of his father Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester...
    
     captures Lincoln
    Lincoln, Lincolnshire
    Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
    
    .
  • Dryburgh Abbey
    Dryburgh Abbey
    Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland...
    
     founded.
• 1141
  • 2 February - The Anarchy: At the First Battle of Lincoln, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
    Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
    
     and Empress Matilda
    Empress Matilda
    Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
    
     wrest control of the throne from King Stephen
    Stephen of England
    Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
    
    .
  • 8 April - The Anarchy: Stephen captured and Matilda proclaimed "Lady of the English".
  • 24 June - The Anarchy: Matilda is forced to flee Westminster
    Palace of Westminster
    The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
    
     during a royal banquet, and flees to Oxford
    Oxford
    The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
    
    .
  • July - The Anarchy: Matilda I of Boulogne, wife of Stephen, recaptures London.
  • 14 September - The Anarchy: Robert of Gloucester captured by forces loyal to Stephen during fighting at Winchester
    Winchester
    Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
    
    .
  • 1 November - The Anarchy: Stephen and Robert exchanged as prisoners ending the reign of Matilda.
• 1142
  • Matilda's son Henry
    Henry II of England
    Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
    
     comes to England for the first time.
  • 26 September - The Anarchy: Stephen captures Oxford, and besieges Matilda inside the castle.
  • December - The Anarchy: According to Henry of Huntingdon
    Henry of Huntingdon
    Henry of Huntingdon , the son of a canon in the diocese of Lincoln, was a 12th century English historian, the author of a history of England, Historia anglorum, "the most important Anglo-Norman historian to emerge from the secular clergy". He served as archdeacon of Huntingdon...
    
    , Matilda escapes from Oxford Castle
    Oxford Castle
    Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle situated on the west edge of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced with stone in the 11th century and played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy...
    
     across the snow in a white cape for camouflage.
• 1143
  • The Anarchy: Geoffrey de Mandeville
    Geoffrey de Mandeville
    Geoffrey de Mandeville is the name of several important medieval English barons:*Geoffrey de Mandeville , was one of the great magnates of the reign of William the Conqueror*Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex Geoffrey de Mandeville is the name of several important medieval English...
    
    , a supporter of Matilda, is deprived of his castles in Essex
    Essex
    Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
    
    , but subsequently captures Ely
    Ely, Cambridgeshire
    Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
    
     and campaigns in Cambridgeshire
    Cambridgeshire
    Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
    
    .
  • Robert of Ketton
    Robert of Ketton
    Robert of Ketton was an English medieval theologian, astronomer and Arabist.Ketton, where Robert was either born or perhaps first took holy orders, is a small village in Rutland, a few miles from Stamford.Robert is believed to have been educated at the Cathedral School of Paris...
    
     makes the first European translation of the Qur'an
    Qur'an
    The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
    
     into Latin
    Latin
    Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
    
    .
• 1144
  • 11 February - Robert of Ketton completes the translation of Book of the Composition of Alchemy from Arabic
    Arabic language
    Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
    
     to Latin. It is the first book in Europe to describe alchemy
    Alchemy
    Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
    
    .
  • 22 March - A young apprentice, William of Norwich
    William of Norwich
    William of Norwich was an English boy whose death was, at the time, attributed to the Jewish community of Norwich. It is the first known medieval accusation of ritual murder against Jews....
    
    , is murdered, a crime attributed to the Jews
    Jews
    The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
    
     by the Norwich
    Norwich
    Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
    
     mob, the first known medieval accusation of blood libel against Jews.
  • Matilda's husband, Geoffrey V of Anjou, completes the conquest of Normandy
    Normandy
    Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
    
    .
• 1145
  • The Anarchy: Stephen captures Faringdon Castle
    Faringdon Castle
    Faringdon Castle was a Norman castle standing just outside the market town of Faringdon in the English county of Berkshire , some 17 km to the north-east of Swindon ....
    
    .
  • Woburn Abbey
    Woburn Abbey
    Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
    
     founded.
  • Robert of Chester
    Robert of Chester
    Robert of Chester was an English arabist of the 12th century. He translated several historically important books from Arabic to Latin, by authors such as Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Al-Khwarizmi including:...
    
     makes the first translation of an algebra
    Algebra
    Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
    
     text from Arabic into Latin.
• 1146
  • The Anarchy: Ranulf of Chester is captured, but released after surrendering his castles.
  • Many knights and barons leave England to take part in the Second Crusade
    Second Crusade
    The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
    
    .
• 1147
  • The Anarchy: Henry arrives in England to fight for Matilda, but is defeated in skirmishes, and returns to Normandy.
  • The Anarchy: Ranulf of Chester lays waste to the land around Coventry
    Coventry
    Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
    
    , but fails to capture the city itself.
  • 24 October - English crusaders capture Lisbon
    Lisbon
    Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
    
     from the Moors
    Moors
    The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
    
    .
• 1148
  • February - The Anarchy: Empress Matilda forced to return to France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
    
    .
• 1149
  • 22 May - King David I of Scotland
    David I of Scotland
    David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
    
     knights Henry, and cedes northern Lancashire
    Lancashire
    Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
    
     to Ranulf of Chester, in return for control of Carlisle.
  • King David I of Scotland
    David I of Scotland
    David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
    
     attempts to wrest control of the Bishopric of Durham and the Archbishopric of York
    Archbishop of York
    The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
    
     from Stephen, but fails.

Births

• 1146
  • William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
    William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
    Sir William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He was described as the "greatest knight that ever lived" by Stephen Langton...
    
    , soldier and statesman (died 1219)
• 1147
  • Hugh de Kevelioc, 3rd Earl of Chester
    Hugh de Kevelioc, 3rd Earl of Chester
    Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester was the son of Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester and Maud of Gloucester, daughter of Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester .-Early life:He is thought to have been born Kevelioc in Monmouth...
    
     (died 1181)

Deaths

• 1140
  • 6 February - Thurstan
    Thurstan
    Thurstan or Turstin of Bayeux was a medieval Archbishop of York, the son of a priest. He served kings William II and Henry I of England before his election to the see of York in 1114. Once elected, his consecration was delayed for five years while he fought attempts by the Archbishop of Canterbury...
    
    , Archbishop of York
    Archbishop of York
    The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
    
    
• 1141
  • Aubrey de Vere
    Aubrey de Vere II
    Aubrey de Vere II — also known as "Alberic[us] de Ver" — was the second of that name in England after the Norman Conquest, being the eldest surviving son of Alberic or Aubrey de Vere who had followed William the Conqueror to England in or after 1066.Their lineage is probably Norman, possibly...
    
    , Lord Great Chamberlain
    Lord Great Chamberlain
    The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable...
    
     (born 1062)
• 1142
  • Orderic Vitalis
    Orderic Vitalis
    Orderic Vitalis was an English chronicler of Norman ancestry who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. The modern biographer of Henry I of England, C...
    
    , chronicler (born 1075)
• 1143
  • William of Malmesbury
    William of Malmesbury
    William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
    
    , historian (born 1080)
• 1144
  • Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex
    Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex
    Geoffrey de Mandeville II, 1st Earl of Essex was one of the prominent players during the reign of King Stephen of England. His biographer, the 19th-century historian J. H...
    
    
• 1147
  • 31 October - Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
    Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
    
    , politician (born c. 1090)
• 1148
  • Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke
    Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke
    Gilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare , son of Gilbert Fitz Richard and Alice de Claremont, was sometimes referred to as "Strongbow", although his son is better remembered by this name, was the first Earl of Pembroke from 1138....
    
     (born 1100)
  • William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey
    William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey
    William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey was the eldest son of the William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth de Vermandois.He was generally loyal to king Stephen...