Aethelred II's first wife or wives

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John Parsons

Aethelred II's first wife or wives

Legg inn av John Parsons » 04 okt 2004 15:27:07

The conflicting statements about the identity & parentage of Aethelred II's
first wife are that he m. [Aelflaed], daughter of Thored ealdorman of
Northumbria (so Aelred of Rievaulx), or Aelfgifu dau of an ealdorman
Aethelberht (so Florence of Worcester). Both sources are mid to late 12th
century and thus 150 years after the fact, give or take.

The late Dorothy Whitelock, one of England's premier Anglo-Saxon experts,
contributed a very interesting article to a collection edited by Peter
Clemoes, *The Anglo-Saxons: Studies Presented to Bruce Dickins* (London,
1959). At pp. 23-24 Whitelock, based on an analysis of charter witness
lists, suggests that Aethelred II was married 3 times:

(1) The first wife, daughter of ealdorman Thored, was the mother of
Aethelstan (undoubtedly the eldest son, b. per Whitelock 985 x 990), Egbert,
Edmund, and perhaps Edred. All these sons were seemingly born by 993 and
all occur in 996.

(2) The second wife, Aelfgifu daughter of ealdorman Aethelberht, was (per
Whitelock) mother of perhaps Edred, and (Whitelock thought more certainly)
of Edwig (occurs from 997) and Edgar (occurs from 1001).

Whitelock did not assign Aethelred II's daughters to either wife b/c the
daughters do not appear in charter witness lists. Florence of Worcester says
Aelfgifu (daughter of Aethelberht) was the mother of Edith, wife of Eadric
Streona.

(3) Aelfgifu-Emma, daughter of Richard II duke of Normandy, is known to have
been the mother of Alfred (d. 1036), Edward the Confessor and Godgifu a/k/a
Goda.

Whitelock deduced from an analysis of Edmund Ironside's witness lists that
he had strong northern connections, which could have come via his mother if
she was indeed daughter of an ealdorman of Northumbria.

John P.

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