The Family of Æthelstan "Half-King"

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The Family of Æthelstan "Half-King"

Legg inn av Gjest » 03 mai 2007 01:16:30

In "Anglo-Saxon England", vol. 2, 1973 (ed. by Peter Clemoes) there is
an article by Cyril Hart on the genealogy of Æthelstan "Half-King",
ealdorman of East Anglia. I do not know if this article is familiar to
those on this list who are researching Anglo-Saxon England, so I will
summarize Mr. Hart's findings here.

Æthelstan was one of four sons of Æthelfrith, ealdorman of south-east
Mercia (who lived at least 916). Hart identifies Æthelfrith's wife as
Æthelgyth, daughter of Æthelwulf. The oldest of Æthelstan's brothers,
Ælfstan, disappears from charters after June 7 934, and Hart suggests
he died during the campaign in Scotland that summer. He left a son,
unnamed, who inherited an estate in Hampshire and who Hart says may
have been the father of ealdorman Æthelweard and Ælfgifu, the wife of
King Eadwig.

Æthelstan's two younger brothers, Æthelwold and Eadric, witness
charters as thegns from 931 onward. Æthelwold became an ealdorman in
940 but died in 946, leaving a will but no provisions for either a
wife or children, so probably he died a bachelor. Eadric became
ealdorman in central Wessex; he seems to have been the father of
'Ælfsige mine breder suna' who was left land in his uncle Æthelwold's
will.

Æthelstan's wife was Ælfwyn, and they had four sons: Æthelwold II,
Ælfwold, Æthelsige, and Æthelwine. In addition, he and his wife
fostered Edgar, the son of King Edmund, after the death of Edgar's
mother in 944 (see the Ramsey Chronicle). Æthelwold II married
Ælfthryth in 956, and they had two sons, Leofric and Æthelnoth, before
Æthelwold's death in 962. In 964 Ælfthryth remarried to King Edgar,
who was her deceased husband's foster-brother. Æthelwold's sons were
therefore the half-brothers of King Æthelred. Hart identifies
Æthelwold II's son Leofric with the Leofric who founded St. Neot's
Priory along with his wife Leoflaed. This Leofric and Leoflaed seem to
have been, in turn, the parents of Leogifu and Oscytel, who later
controlled St. Neot's.

Ælfwold, Æthelstan's son, appears in King Edgar's charters as thegn
after 958. He was married to Ælfhild, and their son Eadnoth became a
novice at Ramsey Abbey. Ælfwold died April 14 990. His brother
Æthelsige also began witnessing charters at the same time as Ælfwold,
and he became Edgar's chamberlain. He died October 13 987. Æthelwine
succeeded to his brother Æthelwold II's lands in 962. He married three
times: Æthelflaed, Æthelgifu, and Wulfgifu, and had by his first wife
sons Leofwine, Eadwine, and Æthelweard (died 1016). He died in 992.

taf

Re: The Family of Æthelstan "Half-King"

Legg inn av taf » 09 mai 2007 02:35:12

On May 2, 5:16 pm, Mississippie...@gmail.com wrote:
In "Anglo-Saxon England", vol. 2, 1973 (ed. by Peter Clemoes) there is
an article by Cyril Hart on the genealogy of Æthelstan "Half-King",
ealdorman of East Anglia. I do not know if this article is familiar to
those on this list who are researching Anglo-Saxon England, so I will
summarize Mr. Hart's findings here.

For what its worth, much of this is not new, having appeared in the
earlier work of Fenton Aylmer (who makes AEthelstan grandson of the
king of Mercia, an opinion not followed by more recent authors), nor
are parts universally accepted.

Æthelstan was one of four sons of Æthelfrith, ealdorman of south-east
Mercia (who lived at least 916). Hart identifies Æthelfrith's wife as
Æthelgyth, daughter of Æthelwulf. The oldest of Æthelstan's brothers,
Ælfstan, disappears from charters after June 7 934, and Hart suggests
he died during the campaign in Scotland that summer. He left a son,
unnamed, who inherited an estate in Hampshire and who Hart says may
have been the father of ealdorman Æthelweard and Ælfgifu, the wife of
King Eadwig.

Æthelstan's two younger brothers, Æthelwold and Eadric, witness
charters as thegns from 931 onward. Æthelwold became an ealdorman in
940 but died in 946, leaving a will but no provisions for either a
wife or children, so probably he died a bachelor. Eadric became
ealdorman in central Wessex; he seems to have been the father of
'Ælfsige mine breder suna' who was left land in his uncle Æthelwold's
will.

An alternative line of speculation makes AEthelweard son of Eadric.
This is followed by Barlow and Kelley. It is of particular note given
that AEthelweard was, by his own testimony, grandchild's grandson of
AEthelred I.

AEthelweard would in turn appear to be father of Ealdorman AEthelmaer
(and from there the reconstructions get even more speculative).


taf

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