Henry I, King of England (British Library MS Royal 14 C VII, folio 8v)

Henry's new men are considered by historians to be those men that rose to prominence during the reign of Henry I of England (reigned 1100–1135) and whose families had not previously been prominent in royal service.Doherty "Henry I's new men (act. 1100–1135)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''

Overview

Although the use of the actual phrase "new men" dates from the writings of

William Stubbs William Stubbs (21 June 182522 April 1901) was an English historian and Anglican bishop. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford between 1866 and 1884. He was Bishop of Chester from 1884 to 1889 and Bishop of O ...

around 1874, the group of men was first singled out in the writings of writers contemporary with the men. The chronicler Orderic Vitalis in his '' Historia Ecclesiastica'' said that Henry had "enobled others of base stock who had served him well, raised them, so to say, from the dust, and heaping all kinds of favours on them, stationed them above earls and famous constables."Quoted in Doherty "Henry I's new men (act. 1100–1135)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Orderic went on to mention a number of men that he considered "new men". Orderic's list of new men included: *

Geoffrey de Clinton Geoffrey de Clinton (died c. 1134) was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina. Life Clinton's family origins are a litt ...

Ralph Basset Ralph Basset (sometimes Bassett; died Wiktionary:circa, c. 1127) was a medieval English royal justice during the reign of King Henry I of England. He was a native of Normandy, and may have come to Henry's notice while Henry held land in Normandy ...

* Hugh of Buckland * Guillegrip * Rainer of Bath * William Trussebut * Haimo of Falaise * Wigan Algason * Robert of Bostare The medieval writer

Henry of Huntingdon Henry of Huntingdon ( la, Henricus Huntindoniensis; 1088 – AD 1157), the son of a canon in the diocese of Lincoln, was a 12th-century English historian and the author of ''Historia Anglorum'' (Medieval Latin for "History of the English"), ...

, writing in his '' De Contemptu Mundi'', mentioned a number of the above and added: * Richard Basset * Geoffrey Ridel The author of the ''

Gesta Stephani __NOTOC__ ''Deeds of King Stephen'' or ''Acts of Stephen'' or ''Gesta Regis Stephani'' is a mid-12th-century English history by an anonymous author about King Stephen of England and his struggles with his cousin, Empress Matilda, also known as the ...

'', a chronicle of the reign of King

Stephen of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne '' jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 ...

, Henry's successor, named the following as new men during Henry's reign:Green ''Henry I'' pp. 242–244 *

Pain fitzJohn Pain fitzJohn (before 110010 July 1137) was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman nobleman and administrator, one of King Henry I of England's "list of Henry's new men, new men", who owed their positions and wealth to the king. Pain's family originate ...

Miles of Gloucester Miles FitzWalter of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford (died 24 December 1143) (''alias'' Miles of GloucesterSanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, p.7) was a great magnate based in the west of ...

To these men, the modern historian H. F. Doherty, writing for the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', adds: * Eustace fitzJohn * Walter de Beauchamp * John Marshall *

Brien fitzCount Brian fitz Count (also Brian of Wallingford) was descended from the Breton ducal house, and became an Anglo-Norman noble, holding the lordships of Wallingford and Abergavenny. He was a loyal adherent of Henry I, King of England, and a staunch su ...

The historian and biographer of Henry I, Judith Green adds the following: * William de Pont-del-l'Arche * Osbert the priest * Richard of Winchester *

Nigel d'Aubigny Nigel d'Aubigny (''Neel d'Aubigny'' or ''Nigel de Albini'', died 1129), was a Norman Lord and English baron who was the son of Roger d'Aubigny and Amice or Avice de Mowbray. His paternal uncle William was lord of Aubigny, while his father was an ...

Roger of Salisbury Roger of Salisbury (died 1139), was a Norman medieval bishop of Salisbury and the seventh Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England. Life Roger was originally priest of a small chapel near Caen in Normandy. He was called "Roger, priest of the c ...

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