The White Ship

The full impact of a calamity may not always be readily quantified. Although a considerable loss of life, the 1120 sinking of the White Ship in the English Channel, which claimed over 300 lives, pales in contrast to the other entries on this list. However, the tragedy had far-reaching effects since William the Aetheling, the 17-year-old Duke of Normandy and heir to the English throne, was among those who died on the White Ship.

Only 50 years had passed since William the Conqueror had defeated the Anglo-Saxons in battle and ruled England as the first Norman ruler. Due to the ongoing hostilities between the two sides, Henry I, the next Norman monarch, wed Queen Matilda of Scotland, a member of both the Scottish and Anglo-Saxon royal families.

They believed that having children of their own who were both Norman and Anglo-Saxon would appease both sides. However, that child was none other than William the Aetheling, and as a result, all preparations for a peaceful transfer of power perished with the White Ship. The Anarchy, a 15-year civil war between England and Normandy that resulted, caused a great deal more agony and suffering and much more deaths.

Date: 1120

Location: English Channel

Deaths: over 300