Baldwin I of Jerusalem death, thought that "al-Bardawil" had started the First Crusade. Presenting a fictional correspondence between Baldwin and Roger I of Sicily, Al-Athir claimed that Baldwin had initially wanted to conquer Ifriqiya, but Roger, who wanted to secure the territory for himself, talked into him into attacking Jerusalem. Among modern historians, Thomas Asbridge states that Baldwin was one of the commanders of the First Crusade "whose skill, ambition and devotion drove the enterprise, and by turns threatened to rip it apart". Christopher Tyerman emphasises that Baldwin was a talented military commander and a clever politician, who "established a stable kingdom with defined
History of Christchurch, Dorset the 12th century Christchurch became the caput of a feudal barony when it was granted by King Henry I (1100–1135) to Richard de Redvers (d.1107), feudal baron of Plympton, Devon. The castle was originally built as a wooden motte and bailey fort, and its placement seems to have caused the realignment of nearby streets. After Richard's death the Manor of Christchurch passed to his son, Baldwin de Redvers (d.1155). Baldwin was one of the primary barons to support Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I, in her claim for the crown against her cousin King Stephen (1135–1154) during The