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As a younger son of a minor nobleman, William had no lands or fortune to inherit, and had to make his own way in life.
Around the age of twelve, when his father's career was faltering, he was sent to Normandy to be brought up in the household of William de Tancarville, a great magnate and cousin of young William's mother.
Here he began his training as a knight.
He was knighted in 1166 on campaign in Upper Normandy, then being invaded from Flanders.
His first experience of warfare was not a great success.
He failed to take advantage of the knights he had managed to overcome in the street skirmish at Neufchâtel-en-Bray.
In 1167 he was taken by William de Tancarville to his first tournament where he found his true métier.
Quitting the Tancarville household he then served in the household of his mother's brother, Patrick, Earl of Salisbury.
In 1168 his uncle was killed in an ambush by Guy de Lusignan.
William was injured and captured in the same skirmish.
It is known that William received a wound to his thigh and that someone in his captor's household took pity on the young knight.
He received a loaf of bread in which were concealed several lengths of clean linen bandages with which he could dress his wounds.
This act of kindness by an unknown person perhaps saved Marshal's life as infection setting into the wound could have killed him.
After a period of time, he was ransomed by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was apparently impressed by tales of his bravery.
Thereafter he found he could make a good living out of winning tournaments.
At that time tournaments were dangerous, often deadly, staged battles, not the jousting contests that would come later, and money and valuable prizes could be won by capturing and ransoming opponents, their horses and armour.
His record is legendary: on his deathbed he recalled besting 500 knights during his tourneying career.

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