British History in Perspective General Editor: Jeremy Black978-1-349-27454-3/1.pdf · British History in Perspective General Editor: Jeremy Black ... S. J. Gunn Early Tudor Guuernment,

British History in Perspective General Editor: Jeremy Black

PUBLISHED TITLES

Rodney Barker Politics, Peoples and Guuernment C. J. Bardett British Foreign Policy in tM Twentieth Century

Jeremy Black Robert Walpole and tM Nature of Politics in Early Eighteenth-Century Britain

D. G. Boyce TM Irish QJLestion and British Politics, 1868-1996 (2nd edn) Keith M. Brown Kingdom or Province' Scotland and tM Regal

Union,1603-1715 A. D. Carr Medieval Wales

Anne Curry TM Hundred Yean War John W. Derry British Politics in tM Age of Fox, Pitt and Liverpool

Susan Doran England and Europe in tM Sixteenth Century Sean Duffy Ireland in tM Middle Ages

William Gibson Church, State and Society, 1760-1850 David Gladstone TM Twentieth-Century Welfare State

Brian Golding Conquest and Colonisation: tM Normans in Britain, 1066-1100 S. J. Gunn Early Tudor Guuernment, 1485-1558

J. Gwynfor Jones Early Modem Wales, c.1525-1640 Richard Harding TM Evolution oftM Sailing Navy, 1509-1815 David Harkness Ireland in the Twentieth Century: Divided Island

Ann Hughes TM Causes oftM English Civil War (2nd edn) Ronald Hutton TM British Republic, 1649-1660

Kevin Jefferys TM Labour Party since 1945 T. A.Jenkins Disraeli and Victorian Conservatism

T. A. Jenkins Sir Robert Peel D. M. Loades The Mid-Tudor Crisis, 1545-1565

Diarmaid MacCulloch The Later Reformation in England,1547-1603 A. P. Martinich Thomas Hobbes

John F. McCaffrey Scotland in the Nineteenth Century W. David McIntyre BritishDecolonization, 1946-1997:

When, Why and How did the British Empire Faa? W. M. Ormrod Political Life in Medieval England, 1300-1450

Richie Ovendale Ang~American Relations in tM Twentieth Century Ian Packer Lluyd George

Keith Perry British Politics and tM American Revolution Murray G. H. Pittock jacobitism

A. J. Pollard TM Wars of tM Rilles David Powell British Politics and the Labour Question, 1868-1990

David Powell TM Edwardian Crisis Richard Rex Henry VIII and tM English Reformation

G. R. Searle The Liberal Party: Triumph and Disintegration, 1886-1929 Paul Seaward The Restoration, 1660-1668

W. M. Spellman john Locke William Stafford john Stuart Mia

Robert Stewart Party and Politics, 1830-1852 Bruce Webster Medieval Scotland

Titles continued overleaf

List continued frum previous page

Ann Williams Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England John W. Young Britain and European Unity, 1945-92

Michael B. Young Charles I

FORTHCOMING Walter L. Arnstein Queen Victoria

Ian Arthurson Henry VII Toby Barnard The Kingdom of Ireland, 1640-1740

Eugenio Biagini Gladstone Peter Catterall The Labour Party, 1918-1945

Gregory Claeys The French Revolution Debate in Britain Pauline Croft James 1

Eveline Cruickshanks The Glorious Revolution John Davis BritishPolitics, 1885-1939

David Dean Parliament and Politics in Elizabethan and Jacobean England, 1558-1614

Colin Eldridge The Victorians Overseas Richard English The IRA

Alan Heesom The A ngfb.Irish Union, 1800-1922 I. G. C. Hutchison Scottish Politics in the Twentieth Century

GarethJones Wales, 1700-1980: Crisis of Identity H. S. Jones Political Thought in Nineteenth-Century Britain

D. E. Kennedy The English Revolution, 1642-1649 Carol Levin The Reign of Elizabeth I

Roger Mason Kingship and Tyranny? Scotland, 1513-1603 Hiram Morgan Ireland in the Early Modern Periphery, 1534-1690

R. C. Nash English Foreign Trade and the World Economy, 1600-1800 Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson Britain and the Impact of World War I

Brian Quintrell Government and Politics in Early Stuart England Stephen Roberts Governance in England and Wales, 1603-1688

David Scott The British Civil Wars John Shaw The Political History of Eighteenth-Century Scotland

Alan Sykes The Radical Right in Britain Ann Wiekel The Elizabethan Counter-Revolution

Ian Wood Churchill

Plea"" note that a sister series, Social Hillary in PI'1'..pertive, is now av.tilable. It covers the key topics in social, cultuml and religious history.

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KINGSHIP AND GOVERNMENT IN PRE-CONQUEST ENGLAND

c.500-1066

ANN WILLIAMS

First published in Great Britain 1999 by MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills. Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-333-56798-2 ISBN 978-1-349-27454-3 (eBook)

First published in the United States of America 1999 by

ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue. New York. N.Y. lOOlO

ISBN 978-0-312-22090-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Williams. Ann. 1937-Kingship and government in pre-conquest England. c. 500-10661 Ann Williams. p. cm. - (British history in perspective) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-312-22090-7 (cloth) I. Great Britain-Politics and govemment-449-1 066. 2. Monarchy-England-History-To 1500. 3. Anglo-Saxons-Kings and rulers. I. Title. II. Series. DAI52.W545 1999 942.0 I-DC2 I 98-46258

CIP

© Ann Williams 1999 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1999

All rights reserved. No reproduction. copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced. copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright. Designs and Patents Act 1988. or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. 90 Tottenham Court Road. London WI P 9HE.

Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright. Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99

ISBN 978-0-333-56798-2 ISBN 978-1-349-27454-3 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-27454-3

To the generations of students at the Polytechnic of North London who, between 1965 and 1988, attended my classes on pre-conquest history, and (in some cases) were kind enough to say that they enjoyed the experience, this book is dedicated in love and gratitude.

The people must know how well I govern them. How would they know, if we didn't tell them?'

(Frank Herbert, Dune)

CONTENTS

Preface IX

List of Abbreviations Xl

Chronology XIV

Genealogical Tables xx

1 Through a Glass Darkly: The Origins of English Kingship 1 Sources and Problems 2 The Idea ofthe 'Seven Kingdoms' 5 Unity in Diversity? The Emergence

of 'Englishness' 9

2 The Time of the Warlords 14

3 The Shadow of Mercia 22

4 Strategies of Power 32 Tribute and Tax 33 Military Service 36 Hospitality 39 The King's Lands 40 Towns and Trade 43

5 All the King's Men 49 The King's Household 50 The Reeve 51 The Ealdorman 52 Church, Law and Literacy 56

vii

Vlll Contents

6 Out of the North: The Impact of the Vikings 65 Military Organization in the Eighth Century 66 The Viking Raids 68 The Rise of Wessex 71 The Achievement of Alfred 73

7 The Making of England 81 Making the Kingdom 82 Kings of the English 84 Local Institutions: Shire, Hundred and Vill 88 Ealdormen and Ealdordoms 89 The King's Household 91 The Royal Council 92 Law and Legislation 93

8 Rule and Conflict, 978-1066 97

9 The Ill-Counselled King 107 Local Organization: Ealdormen and Reeves 108 Local Organization: The Shire Court and Community 109 The Written Word and Royal Administration 113 Military Organization 115

10 The Danish Conquest 123 Danes and English 124 The King's Household 126 Earls and Earldoms 131

11 Authority and Ambition, 1042-66 137 The French Connection 138 1051-2: A Crisis ofAuthority? 139 The King's Government 142 A United Kingdom? 147

Notes 151

Bibliography 222

Index 231

PREFACE

This book is a study ofthe exercise of royal authority before the Norman Conquest. Six centuries separate the adventus Saxonum from the battle of Hastings; the same length oftime which separates the late twentieth century from the age of Chaucer. During those long years, the English kings changed from warlords who exacted submission by force into law-givers to whom obedience was a moral duty. In the process, they created many of the administrative institutions which continued to serve their successors. They also created England; the united kingdom of the English people.

To write the history even of a few aspects of such a lengthy process is not easy, and this book has been long in the making; much perforce has been omitted. It could not have been done at all without the support and encouragement of friends, especially Stephen Church, who cheered me with help and advice over many difficult times. I should like to thank all those who, over the years, have sent me papers which I might otherwise have missed or had difficulty finding, especially Simon Keynes, Susan Reynolds, David Roffe, Pamela Taylor, Patrick Wormald and Barbara Yorke. I am particularly grateful to Dr Keynes for a copy of his privatelypublished Atlas of Attestations in Anglo-Saxon Charters; the frequency of its appearance in the footnotes will show the labour it has saved me. For similar reasons I must thank Susan Kelly for the interim update ofP. H. Sawyer's Anglo-Saxon Charters, on a new edition of which she is currently engaged. Many debts are acknowledged in the bibliography and the endnotes, but not all the assistance I received was in published form, and I should like to mention a few who helped me with discussion of particular problems; Tom Cain, Marios Costambeys, David Dumville, Guy Halsall, Michael Hare and Sally Harvey. I also owe much to those who participated in the now-defunct seminars on English Diplomatic at the Institute of Historical Research, London, notably Paul Fouracre, Wendy Davies, Diana Greenway, Alex Rumble, T. A. Heslop and Janet Nelson. And I must record a

ix

x Preface

special debt to the late John Brand, from whom I derive whatever understanding I possess of the mysteries of numismatics. All errors, omissions and misunderstandings are, of course, my own.

Wanstead ANN WILLIAMS

Acknowledgements

The author and publishers wish to thank Routledge for permission to use copyright material from the table 'Regnal list of the West Saxons' (p. xxvii), from Barbara Yorke, Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England (1997), p. 133. Every effort has been made to trace all the copyright-holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangement at the first opportunity.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

LEthelweard, Chron

Anon Life ANS ASC

ASE ASSAH

Asser

BAR Bede, Letter to

Ecgbert

Bede, Prose Life BNJ CBA Chron Abingdon

Chron Eveslutm

Chron Ramsey

Domesday Book iv

A. Campbell (ed.), The Chronicle of /Ethelweard (London, 1962). Anonymous life of St Cuthbert, in Two Lives. Anglo-Norman Studies. Dorothy Whitelock, David C. Douglas and Susie I. Tucker (eds), The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: a revised translation, 2nd edn (London, 1965). Anglo-Saxon England. Anglo-Saxon Studies in Arcluteology and History (vols 1-3 published by BAR; subsequent volumes by Oxford Committee for Archaeology and History). 'Asser's Life of King Alfred', Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, Alfred the Great (Harmondsworth, 1983) pp. 66-110. British Archaeological Reports. Epistola Bede ad Ecgbertum episcopum, in Charles Plummer (ed.), Venerabilis Baedae Opera Historica (Oxford, 1896) pp. 405-23. Bede's Prose life of Cuthbert, in Two Lives. British Numismatic Journal. Council for British Archaeology. Joseph Stevenson (ed.), Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon, Rolls Series (London, 1858). W. Dunn Macray (ed.), Chronicon Abbatiae de Evesham, Rolls Series (London, 1863). W. Dunn Macray (ed.), ChroniconAbbatiae Rameseiensis, Rolls Series (London, 1886). Domesday Book seu Liber Censualis Willelmi Primi Regis Angliae, vol iv Additamenta (London, 1816).

Xl

xu

ECEE

ECNENM

ECW

ECWM

EHDi

EHR Exon Domesday GDB

GP

GR

HA

HAA

HB

HC

HE

HR

J. Med. Hist. JnW

List of Abbreviations

C. R. Hart, The Early Charters of Eastern England (Leicester, 1966). C. R. Hart, The Early Charters of Northern England and the North Midlands (Le.icester, 1975). H. P. R. Finberg, The Early Charters of Wessex (Leicester, 1964). H. P. R. Finberg, The Early Charters of the West Midlands (Leicester, 1961). Dorothey Whitelock (ed.), English Historical Documents, i, c. 500-1042 (London, 1955). English Historical Review. Liber Exoniensis (printed in Domesday Book iv). R. W. H. Erskine (ed.), Great Domesday: facsimile, Alecto Historical Editions (London, 1986). N. E. S. A. Hamilton (ed.), William of Malmesbury, De gestis pontificum Anglorum, Rolls Series (London, 1870). W. Stubbs (ed.), William of Malmesbury, De gestis regumAnglorum, Rolls Series (London, 1887). Historia Abbatum auctore Baedae, in Charles Plummer (ed.), Venerabilis Baedae Opera Omnia (Oxford, 1896) pp. 364-87; translation in D. H. Farmer (ed.), The Age of Bede (Harmondsworth, 1983). Anonymous Life of Ceolfrid , Historia Abbatum auctore anonymo, in Charles Plummer (ed.), Venerabilis Baedae Opera Historica (Oxford, 1896). Historia Brittonum, in John Morris (ed.), Nennius: British History and the Welsh Annals (Chichester, 1980). Hemming's Cartulary, Thomas Hearne (ed.), Hemingi Chartularium Wigornensis (Oxford, 1723). Bertram Colgrave and R. A. B. Mynors (eds), Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Oxford, 1969). Historia Regum, in Thomas Arnold (ed.), Symeonis monachi Opera Omnia, Rolls Series (London, 1882-5) ii, pp. 3-283. J oumal of Medieval History. P. McGurk and R. R. Darlington (eds), The Chronicle of John of Worcester (Oxford 1995).

LDB

Origins

P&P S.

Stenton,ASE

TRHS Two Chronicles

Two Lives

VCH VG

VW

Wallace-Hadrill, Commentary

WG

List of Abbreviations Xlll

Little Domesday, Abraham Farley (ed.), Domesday Book, seu Liber Censualis Willelmi Primi Regis Anglie ii, Record Commission (London, 1783). Steven Bassett (ed.), The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms (Leicester, 1989). Past and Present. P. H. Sawyer, A nglo-Saxon Charters: an A nnotated List and Bibliography, Royal Historical Society (London, 1968). F. M. Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England, 3rd edn (Oxford, 1971). Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. Thomas Earle and Charles Plummer (eds), Two of the Saxon Chronicles parallel (Oxford, 1952). Bertram Col grave (ed.), Two Lives of Saint Cuthbert (Cambridge, 1940). Victoria History of the Counties of England. Bertram Colgrave (ed.), Felix's Life of Saint Guthlac (Cambridge, 1985). Bertram Colgrave (ed.), The Life of Bishop Wilfrid by Eddius Stephanus (Cambridge, 1985). J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English people: a Historical Commentary (Oxford,1988). Bertram Colgrave (ed.), The Earliest Life of Gregory the Great (Cambridge, 1985).

CHRONOLOGY

c.400-600 The period of English settlement in Britain. 580/93-616/18 A<:thelberht king of Kent. c.602-3 Laws ofA<:thelberht. 590-604 Pontificate of Gregory I, the Great, 'apostle of the English'. 593-616 A<:thelfrith king of Berni cia. 597 Arrival ofSt Augustine, first archbishop of Canterbury. 604 A<:thelfrith seizes Deira and marries Acha, daughter of

616

616-33 628

?628-655 633

633-4

634-42 634-51 642 642-51 642-70 651

655 655-c.664

A<:lle; Edwin driven into exile. Battle of the River Idle: A<:thelfrith killed by Rcedwald of East Anglia. Edwin king of De ira and Bernicia. Baptism of Edwin; battle ofCirencester, where Penda of Mercia defeats the West Saxons. Penda king of Mercia. Battle of Hatfield: Edwin killed by Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia. Eadfrith of Bernicia and Osric of Deira killed by Cad-waHon; battle of'Heavenfield' (near Hexham): CadwaHon killed by Oswald. Oswald king of Berni cia and Deira. Aidan bishop of the Northumbrians at Lindisfarne. Battle of Maserfeld: Oswald killed by Penda. Oswine king of De ira. Oswiu king of Berni cia. Oswine murdered by Oswiu; Oethelwald, son of Oswald becomes king of De ira. Battle of the River Winwced: Penda killed by Oswiu. Alhfrith son ofOswiu king of Deira.

XIV

658 658-75 664 664-709110 668-90 670-85 672 673-c.685 c.674 675-704 679

685

685-7 685-705 688-726 688-94 690-726 695 716-57 731 735 736 757 757-86 758-96 765-92 768 786 786-802 787

789

793 796

796-821 800

Chronology

Mercians throw off Northumbrian rule. Wulfhere king of Mercia. Synod of Whitby (Northumbria). Wilfrid bishop of York. Archiepiscopate of Theodore. Ecgfrith king of Berni cia; A<:lfwine king of De ira. First synod of the whole English Church at Hertford. Laws of Hlothhere and Wihtred of Kent. Wulfhere defeated by Ecgfrith. A<:thelred king of Mercia.

xv

Battle of the River Trent: Ecgfrith defeated by A<:thelred; death ofA<:lfurine of De ira. Battle ofNechtanesmere (Dunnichen Moss): Ecgfrith killed by Bruide, king ofthe Picts. C<edwalla king of Wessex. Aldfrith king of Northumbria. Ine king of Wessex. LawsofIne. Wihtred king of Kent. Laws ofWihtred. A<:thelbald king of Mercia. Bede completes the Historia Ecclesiastica. Death of Bede ; York becomes an archbishopric. Ismere charter; A<:thelbald called 'king of Britain' . Murder ofA<:thelbald; Beornred and Offa fight for Mercia. Cynewulf king of Wessex. Offa king of Mercia. J<enberht archbishop of Canterbury. Charlemagne king ofthe Franks. Papal legation to England; murder of Cynewulf. Beorhtric king of Wessex; Ecgberht in exile in Frankia. Synod of Chelsea: Lichfield an archbishopric. Ecgfrith, Offa's son, consecrated king of the Mercians. Beorhtric marries Offa's daughter, Eadburh; viking raid on Portland, Dorset. Vikings sack Lindisfarne. Deaths of Off a and Ecgfrith; Eardwulf consecrated king ofN orthumbria. Coenwulfking of Mercia. Charlemagne crowned emperor.

XVI

802-39 803 814 814-40 821-3 823 823-6 825

826 826-7

827 827-c.838 829-30 838

839-58 839-c.852 840-52 843-77 849

852-74 853 855-6 856

858-60 860-65 865-71 865 867 869 870

871

871-99

Chronology

Ecgberht king of Wessex. Synod ofCloJesho: Lichfield demoted to a bishopric. Death of Charlemagne. Louis the Pious emperor and king of the Franks. CeolwulfI king of Mercia. Ceolwulf deposed. Beornwulfking of Mercia. Battle of Ellendun (Wroughton): Ecgberht defeats Beornwulf. Beornwulfkilled in East Anglia. West Saxon conquest of south-east England; lEthelwulf son of Ecgberht king of Kent. Ludeca, king of Mercia, killed in East Anglia. Wiglafking of Mercia. Wiglaftemporarily expelled by Ecgberht. Battle of Hingston Down: Ecgberht defeats the Britons ofDumnonia and their viking allies. lEthelwulfking of Wessex. Athelstan, son oflEthelwulf, king of Kent. Beorhtwulfking of Mercia. Charles the Bald king ofthe Franks. Murder of Wigs tan, grandson ofWiglaf and CeolwulfI; cult develops at Repton. Burgred king of Mercia. Burgred marries lEthelswith, daughter oflEthelwulf. lEthelwulfs pilgrimage to Rome. lEthelwulf marries Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald. lEthelbald king of Wessex. lEthelberht king of Wessex. lEthelred I king of Wessex. Arrival ofthe 'Great Army' ofI var the Boneless. Great Army attacks York. Great Army attacks Mercia. Great Army attacks East Anglia; martyrdom of King Edmund of East Anglia. Great Army attacks Wessex; battles of Ashdown and Basing; death oflEthelred I; arrival of 'Summer Army' ofGuthrum. Alfred king of Wessex.

874 874-878/9 876

877 878

880-90 883 886

889/99 898 899-924 910

911 911-18 918 920 924-39 926 927

934 937

939 940-6 940

943 946-55 954

955-9 957 958-87

959-75

Chronology

Vikings occupy Repton; Burgred flees to Rome. CeolwulflI king of Mercia.

XVll

Vikings settle southern Northumbria; Danish kingdom of York established. Ceolwulfpartitions Mercia with Guthrum. Guthrum occupies Chippenham; Alfred takes refuge at Athelney; battle of Edington: Alfred defeats Guthrum. Guthrum king of East Anglia. iEthelred lord of Mercia. Alfred takes London from the Danes; ?marriage of iEthelred andiEthelfl;ed, Alfred's daughter. iEthelred andiEthelfl;ed fortifY Worcester. Alfred fortifies London. Edward the Elder king of Wessex. Battle of Tettenhall: West Saxons and Mercians defeat Danes of York. Death ofiEthelred lord of Mercia. iEthelfl;ed Lady of the Mercians. Death ofiEthelfl;ed; Edward takes over Mercia. Sigtrygg Caech king of York. Athelstan king of the English. Sigtrygg Caech marries Eadgyth, sister of Athelstan. Sigtrygg dies; Athelstan seizes York; meeting of Athelstan with Constantine II, king of Scots, at Eamot. Athelstan campaigns in Scotland. Battle of Brunanburh: Athelstan defeats coalition of Scots and Vikings. Death of Athelstan; OlafGothfrithsson seizes York. Edmund king ofthe English. OlafGothfrithsson sacks Tamworth and seizes the 'Five Boroughs'. Edmund recovers the 'Five Boroughs'. Eadred king of the English. Eric Bloodaxe, last viking king of York, killed on Stainmore. Eadwig king ofthe English. Edgar king of the Mercians. Harald Bluetooth, son of Gorm the Old, king of Denmark. Edgar king ofthe English.

XVlll

973

975-8 978 978-1016 979 986

987-1014 991

994 995-9 1002

1002-23

1007-17 1009-12 1012 1013-14

1014

1014-19 1015

1016

1016-35 1017 1018 1019 c.I023 1023/32 1027 1028-30

Chronology

Coronation of Edgar at Bath; meeting with the Scots and British kings at Chester. Edward the Martyr king ofthe English. Edward murdered at Corfe, Dorset. 1Ethelred II king of the English. 1Ethelred crowned at Kingston. Harald driven from Denmark by his son Swein Forkbeard. Swein Forkbeard king of Denmark. Battle of Maldon: Vikings defeat and kill Byrhtnoth, ealdorman of Essex. Treaty of 1Ethelred with OlafTryggvasson. OlafTryggvasson king of Norway. Marriage of 1Ethelred with Emma, daughter of Richard I of Normandy. Wulfstan lupus bishop of Worcester and archbishop of York. Eadric Streona ealdorman of Mercia. Thorkell the Tall's army in England. Martyrdom ofArchbishop1Elfheah (StAlphege). Swein Forkbeard king of the English; 1Ethelred flees to Normandy; ?marriage ofCnut, Swein's son, with1Elfgifu of Northampton. Death of Swein; return of 1Ethelred; Cnut returns to Denmark. Harald, Swein's son, king of Norway. Murder of Sigeferth and Morcar, thegns of the 'Seven Boroughs' (Northumbria); Edmund a:theling, son of 1Ethelred married Sigeferth's widow. Death of 1Ethelred; Edmund Ironside king of the English. Cnut defeats Edmund at Assandune; death of Edmund on 30 November. Cnut king of the English. Coronation ofCnut; marries Emma, widow of1Etheired. Agreement of Oxford; Cnul's law-code oflOl8. Harald dies; Cnut king of Denmark. Godwine earl of Wessex. Leofric earl of Mercia. Cnut's pilgrimage to Rome. Norway conquered by Danes.

1033 1035-47 1035-42 1035-40 1036 1038-46 1040-2 1042 1042-66 1043

1044 1045

1046-60 1047 1050

1051-2 1052

1053 1053-66 1055 1055-65 1057

1057-?1062 1060-69 1062-95 ?1062-70 1063

1065

1066

Chronology

Siward earl ofN orthumbria. Magnus king of Norway. Harthacnut king of Denmark. Harold I Harefoot king ofthe English. Murder of Alfred <etheling. Lyfing bishop of Worcester. Harthacnut king of the English.

XIX

Magnus invades Denmark; opposed by Swein Estrithson. Edward the Confessor king ofthe English. Swein Godwineson an earl; Stigand bishop of East Anglia. Robert of J umieges bishop of London. Marriage of Edward with Edith, Godwine's daughter; Harold Godwineson earl of East Anglia. Ealdred bishop of Worcester. Stigand translated from East Anglia to Winchester. Ralph, King Edward's nephew, made an earl; Robert of Jumieges becomes archbishop of Canterbury. Edward expels Earl Godwine and his family. Return and reinstatement of Earl Godwine; Stigand archbishop of Canterbury. Death of God wine. Harold Godwineson earl of Wessex. Death of Earl Siward of North umbria. Tostig Godwineson earl of North umbria. Deaths of Ralph, earl of Hereford, and Leofric of Merna. JElfgar, Leofric's son, earl of Mercia. Ealdred archbishop of York. Wulfstan bishop of Worcester. Edwin, son of Earl JElfgar, earl of Mercia. Harold and Tostig conquer North Wales; ?marriage of Harold and Edwin's sister Ealdgyth. N orthumbrian revolt; Tostig exiled; Morcar, son of Earl JElfgar, earl of Northumbria. Edward dies, 5 January; Harold II Godwineson crowned, 6 January. Battle of Stamfordbridge, 25 September; battle of Hastings, 14 October: Harold II killed. William of Normandy becomes king of the English.

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(6

51-5

, D

eira

)

EA

NF

RIT

H

(633

-4)

C1

~

Z ~ o C1 ~ ~ ~ eo r ~ \J

1

Tabl

e 2

Mer

cian

kin

gs

PYB

BA

I

I ..

-----

----

I

PEN

DA

(do

655)

EO

WA

(do

642)

C

oenw

ealh

I

--

PEA

DA

W

UL

FH

ER

E

.-ET

HE

LR

ED

(d

o 65

6)

(658

-75)

(6

75-7

04)

I ~----------~

CO

EN

RE

D

CE

OL

RE

D

(704

-9)

(709

-16)

Oth

er k

ings

, rel

atio

nshi

p un

know

n B

eorn

red

(757

-8)

Beo

rnw

ulf (

823-

6)

Lud

eca

(826

-7)

Wig

laf (

827-

-co

838)

W

igm

und

(co 8

38-4

0) s

on o

fWig

laf

Bur

gred

(84

0-74

) .-E

thel

red

(co 8

83-9

11)

CEO

LWA

LD

(716

)

Alw

ih

Osm

od

.-ET

HE

LB

AL

D

(716

-57)

E

anul

f

I T

hing

fert

h

I O

FFA

(7

58-9

6)

I E

CG

FR

ITH

(7

96) C

EO

LW

UL

FI

(821

-3)

I m

.-E

lffi:e

d

----

---,

Cut

hwal

d

Cen

twin

e

Cyn

ereo

w

I B

assa

Cut

hber

t

WIG

MU

ND

(c

. 83

8-40

) r

Wig

stan

C

EO

LW

UL

F II

(8

79-8

78/9

)

CO

EN

WU

LF

(796

-821

)

~o

Tabl

e 3

The

Wes

t Sax

on k

ings

of t

he n

inth

cen

tury

(sim

plif

ied)

EC

GB

ER

HT

(8

02-3

9)

I

Cha

rles

th

e B

ald

Kin

g of

the

Fra

nks

I iE

TH

EL

WU

LF

m

(I

) O

sbu

rh

(2) J

ud

ith

m

(2

) iE

TH

EL

BA

LD

(3

) B

aldw

in 'I

ron

arm

' (8

39-5

8)

(?I)

(I

) I (

I)

(I)

(I)

(I)

I I

I I

I I

Ath

elst

an,

kin

g o

f iE

TH

EL

BA

LD

iE

TH

EL

BE

RH

T

iET

HE

LR

ED

I

ken

t (8

39-5

3)

(858

-60)

(8

60-6

5)

(865

-71)

iE

thel

swit

h m

B

urg

red

of

Mer

cia

AL

FR

ED

(8

71-9

9)

iEth

elfl

aed

(911

-18)

m

iE

thel

red

of

ED

WA

RD

iE

lfsw

ith

m

Bal

dwin

II,

co

un

t

I iE

lfw

ynn

iEth

elw

eard

the

C

hron

icle

r (d

. 99

8)

Mer

cia

(see

Tab

le 4

) o

f F

lan

der

s (d

. 91

1)

Arn

ulf

A

delo

lf

~ ~

Cou

nts

of

Co

un

ts o

f F

land

ers

Bo

ulo

gn

e

~ ~:

Tabl

e 4

The

Wes

t Sax

on k

ings

(i)

Edw

ard

to l

Eth

elre

d II

(si

mpl

ifie

d)

ED

WA

RD

the

Eld

er

m

(1)

Ecg

wyn

n (8

99-9

24)

~-------l

Ead

gyth

m

S

igtr

ygg

Cae

ch

AT

HE

LS

TA

N

(924

-39)

1-iE

LFW

EA

RD

(9

24)

Not

e:

*O

ther

chi

ldre

n o

f thi

s m

arri

age

incl

ude:

E

dith

(E

adgy

th)

m O

tto

I, th

e G

reat

, Em

pero

r E

adhi

ld m

Hu

gh

the

Gre

at, d

uke

oft

he

Fra

nks.

(2)

iElff

i<ed

* Ead

gifu

m

C

harl

es t

he

Sim

ple,

K

ing

of t

he

Fra

nks

(3)

Ead

gifu

,---L

, E

DM

UN

D

(940

-46)

E

AD

RE

D

(946

-55)

1-

--

--

--

-I

EA

DW

IG

(955

-9)

(I)

iEth

elfl

<ed

m

ED

GA

R

m

(2)

iElf

thry

th

(959

-75)

ED

WA

RD

the

Mar

tyr

iET

HE

LR

ED

II

(975

-8)

(978

-101

6)

(see

Tab

le 5

)

g:

Tabl

e 5

The

Wes

t Sax

on k

ings

(ii)

lEth

elre

d II

to E

dwar

d th

e C

onfe

ssor

(si

mpl

ifie

d)

iElf

gifu

(1

) m

iE

TH

EL

RE

D I

I (9

78-1

016)

---l

E

dith

m

E

adri

c S

treo

na

iElf

gifu

m

U

htr

ed o

f E

DM

UN

D

m

Eal

dgyt

h o

f M

erci

a B

ambu

rgh

(101

6)

(see

Tab

le 7

)

Edw

ard

.eth

elin

g

Edg

ar .e

thel

ing*

m

(2)

Em

ma

of

Nor

man

dy (

see

Tab

le 6

)

r--

I l

Alf

red

ED

WA

RD

the

G

oda

m

Dro

go

Con

fess

or

(10

42

-66

)

Ral

ph,

earl

of

Her

efor

d

Not

e:

·His

sist

er, M

arga

ret o

f Sco

tlan

d, m

Mal

colm

III

Can

mor

e; th

eir

daug

hter

, Edi

th/M

atil

da, m

Hen

ry I

(11

00-3

5).

~

~.

<:

Tho

rgil

s

I G

odw

ine

m

Gyt

ha

Eil

af

Vlf

m

Tabl

e 6

Th

e D

anis

h K

ings

(si

mpl

ifie

d)

Mie

sko,

duk

e o

f the

Pol

es

dau

(2

) m

Est

rith

SVV

EIN

For

kbea

rd

(10

13

-14

) m

(I

) un

know

n

r----L

, m

d

au

Gyt

ha m

Eri

c o

f Lad

e

~

Har

ald,

kin

g o

f D

enm

ark

CN

UT

m

(I

)£lf

gif

u*

(2)

Em

mat

(1O~6-35)

VV

yrtg

eorn

ki

ng o

f the

V

Ven

ds

HA

RO

LD

II

(10

66

) (s

ee T

able

7)

Sw

ein

of

Den

mar

k B

eorn

H

aral

d (

2)

m

Gu

nn

hil

d

m

(I)

Hak

on

(I)

(2

)--

HA

RO

LD

I

(10

35

-40

) H

AR

TH

AC

NV

T

(10

40

-42

)

Not

e:

·See

Tab

le 7

; tS

ee t

able

5. E

arls

in

Eng

land

und

erli

ned.

~

~ <

Tabl

e 7

The

ear

ls o

f Mer

cia

and

the

fam

ily

of lE

lfgi

fu o

f Nor

tham

pton

Wul

frun

m

u

nk

no

wn

E

arls

of M

erci

a

I .. -

.. ---

---

--I W

ulfr

ic S

pot

lElf

heim

lE

lfth

ryth

m

un

know

n

,----,

lE

lfgi

fu o

f m

C

NU

T

Eal

dgyt

h m

M

orca

r S

igef

erth

* N

ort

ham

pto

n

(see

Tab

le 6

)

Sw

ein

HA

RO

LD

I

(see

Tab

le 6

)

Edw

in o

f M

erci

a

Not

e:

*His

wid

ow m

ED

MU

ND

Iro

nsi

de

(see

Tab

le 5

).

dau

gh

ter

=

? lE

lfgi

fu

m

Mor

car

of

No

rth

um

bri

a

Leo

fwin

e

Leo

fric

m

G

odgi

fu

lElf

gar

Eal

dgyt

h m

H

AR

OL

D I

I (s

ee T

able

6)

~ ~.

Genealogical Tables XXVll

Table 8 Regnal list of the West Saxons

Cerdic 538-554

Cynric 554-581

Ceawlin 581-588

Ceol 588-594

Ceolwulf 594-611

Cynegils 611-642

Cenwalh 642-673

Seaxburh 673-674

iEscwine 674-676

Centwine 676-685/6

Ca:dwalla 685/6-688

Ine 688-726

iEthelheard 726-740

Cuthred 740-756

Sigebert 756-757

Cynewulf 757-786

Beorhtric 786-802

Egbert 802-839

iEthelwulf 839-855(8)

iEthelbald 855-860

iEthelbert 860-866

iEthelred 866-871

Alfred 871-899

Source: Reproduced by kind permission of Routledge, from Barbara Yorke (1997) Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England.