William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins under his command at the Battle of Hastings in With these and other men he went on in the five succeeding years to conduct the Harrying of the North and complete the Norman conquest of England. The term "Companions of the Conqueror" in the widest sense signifies those who planned, organised and joined with William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, in the great adventure which was the Norman Conquest The term is however more narrowly defined as those nobles who actually fought with Duke William in the Battle of Hastings.
Over the centuries since the Battle of Hastings, many people in England have claimed that an ancestor fought on the Norman side. While there is sound evidence of extensive settlement in England by people of Norman, Breton and Flemish origin after , the fact remains that the names of only 15 men who were with Duke William at the battle can be found in reliable sources.
This group is sometimes called the "proven companions", [ 5 ] Many lists and so-called "rolls" of other alleged companions have been drawn up over the ages but, unless new evidence turns up, all are conjecture of no historical value. The three unchallenged sources remain as follows:.
The following three sources constitute the only generally accepted reliable contemporary evidence which names participants at the Battle of Hastings. Between all three sources only 15 names result. These three sources are unfortunately manifestly inadequate, [ citation needed ] as all are primarily from a Norman perspective. William of Poitiers, chamberlain to Duke William and a trained knight, who provides the most detail, was absent in France during the battle, and betrays severe prejudices in respect of Breton culture and their role at Hastings.
Both William and Orderic state that the Bretons were a major component of the battle array, but neither names any of the Bretons present. He was as yet but a young man and he performed feats of valour worthy of perpetual remembrance.
