Thomas FitzStephen (Old French: Thomas fiz Estienne; died 1120) was captain of the ill-fated White Ship (French: la Blanche-Nef), which sank off Barfleur, Normandy, on 25 November 1120.
FitzStephen was the son of Stephen FitzAirard (Old French: Estienne fiz Airard), the captain of the Mora, the ship which brought William the Conqueror over from Normandy during his invasion of England in 1066.[1] FitzStephen owned and captained the White Ship, which at that time was docked at Barfleur harbour.[2] When Thomas FitzStephen presented himself to the king he said:
"Stephen, my father, served yours all his life by sea, and he it was who steered the ship in which your father sailed for the conquest of England. Sire king, I beg you to grant me the same office in fief: I have a vessel called the Blanche-Nef, well equipped and manned with fifty skilful mariners."[3]
Henry had already made other arrangements, but gave permission for his sons William Adelin and Richard, as well as the young nobles in William's entourage, to travel on it instead.[4] According to Orderic Vitalis, the nobles as well as the crew were drinking.[4]
By the time the ship was ready to leave there were about 300 people on board although some had disembarked before the ship sailed due to the excessive drinking.[5] FitzStephen and his crew were challenged by the revelers to overtake the king's ship which had already sailed.[5] The White Ship was fast, of the best construction and had recently been fitted with new materials, which made the captain and crew confident they could reach England first.[2] However, when the ship set off in the dark, its port side struck a submerged rock and the ship quickly capsized and sank.[5] The loss of life was devastating – according to Orderic Vitalis only one survived, by clinging to the rock all night: a butcher from Rouen.[6] Orderic also claims that FitzStephen let himself drown rather than face the wrath of King Henry I, as Henry's son William Adelin had been among those drowned.[a][7]