William i c 1028 9 september 1087 usually known as william the conqueror and sometimes william the bastard was the first norman king of england reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 a descendant of rollo he was duke of normandy from 1035 onward after a . The policies of william the conqueror king of england from 1066 until his death in 1087 may be largely responsible for eventually making britain the most powerful nation in europe. William i byname william the conqueror or william the bastard or william of normandy french guillaume le conqurant or guillaume le btard or guillaume de normandie born c 1028 falaise normandy france died september 9 1087 rouen duke of normandy as william ii from 1035 and king of england as william i from 1066 one of the greatest soldiers and rulers of the middle ages. Timeline outlining william the conquerors life williams next achievement was an unparalleled undertaking in medieval history a vast survey of all the land and holdings in england. William an old french name composed of germanic elements wil meaning desire and helm meaning protection was introduced to england by william the conqueror and quickly became