Victims of the White Ship disaster

The victims of the White Ship disaster on 25 November 1120 (called 7 kalends of December by Farrer) have been unevenly identified by various sources. The impact of the disaster on the throne of England is well-documented, and this article presents the details of what is known (and/or believed) about the crew and passengers of the ill-fated voyage as well as those who chose not to travel on her.

Approximately 250, including servants and marines. Of these, 140 were knights or noblemen and 18 were noblewomen.

A number of other nobility of England were on board, although very little is known about them.

As is true of all such tales, the stories about the White Ship abound with inconsistencies. Whether these amount to a conspiracy as some have claimed (e.g., Chandler, Follett (The Pillars of the Earth)), there will likely never be resolution. Even by 12th century standards, an act of mass murder of such a scale to gain political power stretches the imagination.

Nevertheless, among the inconsistencies is, first and foremost, why would an experienced captain such as FitzStephen allow his crew to get drunk, especially when ferrying such an august group of nobles. While the Royal Navy was below par following the Norman conquest, it defies imagination that a captain would allow such behavior. Nor was the ship filled with immature persons, as many senior nobles and experienced Crusaders aboard.

The king chose not to travel in the White Ship (although, as the king, he could certainly travel however he liked), but then neither did William Adelin’s wife. Perhaps the best answer was that she was merely 14 years old at the time, and so must have been under the care of a custodian. It is also suspect that William, rescued in the only available skiff, would hear his half-sister’s cries among the chaos and have the boat turn around. Perhaps he should have ensured her safety before boarding the boat. William’s half-brother Richard was betrothed to Amice, daughter of Raoul II de Gael, and yet she was not traveling to England with her fiancé. Given the victory of Henry over the French, it would be assumed that the resultant marriage would take place in London.

Surely the king’s agents must have known about the drunkenness and overcrowding of the ship and that many of the nobles (including the future king of England) chose not to board. He also would have conducted a full investigation of the incident, given that three of his children, including his only legitimate male heir, died. No results of any such investigations seem to have been recorded.

Farrer, W., An Outline Itinerary of King Henry the First, Part II, The English Historical Review, Mandell Creighton, et al., Longman, 1919 (available on Google Books)

...
Wikipedia