Edith of Wessex was the wife of which pre-Norman English king, born c. 1003 AD?
"brother-in-law. Edith was originally named Gytha, but renamed Ealdgyth (or Edith) when she married King Edward the Confessor. Her brothers were Sweyn (c. 1020 – 1052), Harold (later Harold II) (c. 1022 – 1066), Tostig (c. 1026 – 1066), Gyrth (c. 1030 – 1066), Leofwine (c. 1035 – 1066), and Wulfnoth (c. 1040 – 1094). Edith was the firstborn of Godwin's three daughters, which included her sisters Gunhild (or Gunhilda) (c. 1035 – 1080) and Ælfgifu (c. 1035 – ?). The exact birthdates of the Godwin children are unknown, but Sweyn was the firstborn and Harold was the second son."
"In the late pre-Norman period, the east coast of modern-day England came under the growing sway of the Norsemen. Eventually England came to be ruled by Norse monarchs, and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fell one by one, Wessex being conquered in 1013 by King Sweyn Forkbeard. Sweyn's realms included Denmark and Norway, and parts of England such as Mercia (an Anglian kingdom roughly coinciding with the English Midlands), much of which, along with northern England, fell under the Danelaw. Sweyn ruled Wessex, along with his other realms, from 1013 onwards, followed by his son Canute the Great. But Cornwall was ""not"""
"time. However, Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington in 878. The resultant treaty gave the Danes control of northern and eastern England, with Alfred and his successors controlling Wessex. But the whole of England was unified with Norway and Denmark in the eleventh century, during the reign of the Danish king Cnut. When Cnut died, however, he was succeeded by the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor. Edward managed to reign until his death in 1066, when he was succeeded by the powerful Earl of Wessex, Harold Godwinson. Harold's accession, however, was not"
"man"", but he claimed he was able to procure a favourable judgment by giving Edward twenty marks in gold and his wife five marks. Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( , ; 1003 – 5 January 1066), also known as Saint Edward the Confessor, was among the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. The son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, Edward succeeded Cnut the Great's son – and his own half brother – Harthacnut, restoring the rule of the House of"
"swiftly defeated the remaining Saxons, killing Æthelred's son Edmund in the process. Cnut seized the throne, crowning himself King of England. Alfred of Wessex died in 899 and was succeeded by his son Edward the Elder. Edward, and his brother-in-law Æthelred of (what was left of) Mercia, began a programme of expansion, building forts and towns on an Alfredian model. On Æthelred's death, his wife (Edward's sister) Æthelflæd ruled as ""Lady of the Mercians"" and continued expansion. It seems Edward had his son Æthelstan brought up in the Mercian court, and on Edward's death Athelstan succeeded to the Mercian kingdom,"
"Wessex Wessex (; , the ""kingdom of the West Saxons"") was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from 519 until England was unified by Æthelstan in the early 10th century. The Anglo-Saxons believed that Wessex was founded by Cerdic and Cynric, but this may be a legend. The two main sources for the history of Wessex are the ""Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"" and the ""West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List"", which sometimes conflict. Wessex became a Christian kingdom after Cenwalh was baptised and was expanded under his rule. Cædwalla later conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. His successor,"
"Gunhild of Wessex Gunhild of Wessex (ft 1066-1093) was a younger daughter of Harold Godwinson and his first wife, Edyth Swannesha, who was most likely the wealthy magnate Edyth the Fair from the Domesday Book. Gunhild remained in England after her father's death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and received her education at Wilton Abbey. This was a centre of learning, which attracted many high-born women, both English and Norman. Matilda of Scotland was educated here, with her sister Mary. It was also the home of the poet Muriel. According to the ""Vita Wulfstani"", while still living at"
"Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( , ; 1003 – 5 January 1066), also known as Saint Edward the Confessor, was among the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. The son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, Edward succeeded Cnut the Great's son – and his own half brother – Harthacnut, restoring the rule of the House of Wessex after the period of Danish rule since Cnut (better known as Canute) conquered England in 1016. When Edward died in 1066, he was"
"funds to building ships, organising an army and establishing a system of burhs. Alfred's son, Edward, captured the eastern Midlands and East Anglia from the Danes and became ruler of Mercia in 918 upon the death of his sister, Æthelflæd. Edward's son, Æthelstan, conquered Northumbria in 927, and England became a unified kingdom for the first time. Cnut the Great, who conquered England in 1016, created the wealthy and powerful earldom of Wessex, but in 1066 Harold Godwinson reunited the earldom with the crown and Wessex ceased to exist. Modern archaeologists use the term ""Wessex culture"" for a Middle Bronze"
"his country. Alfred and his successors continued to drive back the Viking frontier and take York. A new wave of Norwegian Vikings appeared in England in 947 when Eric Bloodaxe captured York. In 1003, the Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard started a series of raids against England. This culminated in a full-scale invasion that led to Sweyn being crowned king of England in 1013. Sweyn was also king of Denmark and parts of Norway at this time. The throne of England passed to Edmund Ironside of Wessex after Sweyn's death in 1014. Sweyn's son, Cnut the Great, won the throne of"
"Cerdic of Wessex Cerdic (; ) is cited in the ""Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"" as a leader of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, being the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex, reigning from 519 to 534 AD. Subsequent kings of Wessex all had some level of descent claimed in the Chronicle from Cerdic. ""(See House of Wessex family tree.)"" His origin, ethnicity, and even identity have been extensively disputed. According to the ""Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"", Cerdic landed in what is today Hampshire in 495 with his son Cynric in five ships. He is said to have fought a Brittonic king named Natanleod"
"Edmund Ætheling Edmund Ætheling (; – possibly 1046, certainly by 1054) was a member of the royal House of Wessex as the son of Edmund Ironside, who briefly ruled as King of England between April and November 1016. He fought the Danish Vikings under Cnut the Great, but following the Danish victory at the Battle of Assandun in October, it was agreed that Ironside would rule Wessex, while Cnut took Mercia and probably Northumbria. In November 1016, Ironside died and Cnut became King of all England. Intent on keeping his succession secure, Cnut sent Ironside's two infant sons, Edward and"
"Wessex. Between 1019 and 1023 he accompanied Cnut on an expedition to Denmark, where he distinguished himself, and shortly afterwards married Gytha, the sister of the Danish earl, Ulf, who was married to Cnut's sister, Estrid. On 12 November 1035, Cnut died. His kingdoms were divided among three rival rulers. Harold Harefoot, Cnut's illegitimate son with Ælfgifu of Northampton, seized the throne of England. Harthacnut, Cnut's legitimate son with Emma of Normandy, reigned in Denmark. Norway rebelled under Magnus the Noble. In 1035, the throne of England was reportedly claimed by Alfred Ætheling, younger son of Emma of Normandy and"
"granite. A marble statue of Alfred the Great stands on the North side of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It was sculpted by Isidore Konti in 1910. Attribution: Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (, , ""elf counsel"" or ""wise elf""; between 847 and 849 – 26 October 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to c. 886 and King of the Anglo-Saxons from c. 886 to 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex. His father died when he was young and three of Alfred's brothers reigned in turn. Alfred took the throne after"
"to the north, East Anglia to the east, and Wessex, the kingdom of the West Saxons, to the south. Essex, the kingdom of the East Saxons, included London and lay between East Anglia and the kingdom of Kent. The earliest Mercian king for whom there is definite historical information is Penda of Mercia, Coenred's paternal grandfather. The main source for this period is Bede's ""Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum"" (Ecclesiastical History of the English People), completed in about 731. Despite its focus on the history of the church, this work provides valuable information about the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Charters, which recorded"
"further. It might have taken matters into its own hands and after eliminating any surviving pockets of resistance by competing British chieftains, such as the mysterious Natanleod of annal 508, it could 'begin to reign' without recognizing in future any superior authority. Cerdic of Wessex Cerdic (; ) is cited in the ""Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"" as a leader of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, being the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex, reigning from 519 to 534 AD. Subsequent kings of Wessex all had some level of descent claimed in the Chronicle from Cerdic. ""(See House of Wessex family tree.)"""
"does not associate the king personally with either of them. Smyth argues that this reflected an agenda by Alfred's propagandists to downplay the achievements of his brothers in order to enhance the reputation of Alfred himself. Æthelberht, King of Wessex Æthelberht (or Ethelbert or Aethelberht) was the King of Wessex from 860 until his death in 865. He was the third son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife, Osburh. Æthelberht was first recorded as a witness to a charter in 854. In the following year Æthelwulf went on pilgrimage to Rome and appointed his oldest surviving son, Æthelbald as"
"Great. A passage from Emma's Encomium provides a picture of Cnut's fleet: Wessex, long ruled by the dynasty of Alfred and Æthelred, submitted to Cnut late in 1015, as it had to his father two years earlier. At this point Eadric Streona, the Ealdorman of Mercia, deserted Æthelred together with 40 ships and their crews and joined forces with Cnut. Another defector was Thorkell the Tall, a Jomsviking chief who had fought against the Viking invasion of Sweyn Forkbeard, with a pledge of allegiance to the English in 1012—some explanation for this shift of allegiance may be found in a"
"claimant, Oswald. Oswald may have had the better claim, as the ""Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"" calls him a descendant of the early king Ceawlin, but it was Æthelheard who prevailed. It is possible that his success was due to the support of Æthelbald of Mercia, since he seems to have been subject to Æthelbald afterward. However, Æthelheard's lack of independence does not seem to have prevented Æthelbald from taking considerable territory from Wessex in 733, including the royal manor of Somerton. Æthelheard's wife Frithugyth is recorded in the ""Chronicle"" as making a pilgrimage to Rome in 737. Æthelheard was succeeded by Cuthred,"
"Red and Gunhild had a daughter named Matilda, who was the wife of Walter D'Aincourt. After Alan the Red's death shortly after the elopement in 1093, Gunhild settled with his brother Alan the Black, who was heir to his brother's vast estates. Anselm wrote to her again to refute her previous arguments and urge her again to return to Wilton. Some say she married Alan the Black, and she may have predeceased him. Gunhild of Wessex Gunhild of Wessex (ft 1066-1093) was a younger daughter of Harold Godwinson and his first wife, Edyth Swannesha, who was most likely the wealthy"
"search the battlefield for the body of King Harold. Edith the Fair Edith the Fair (, ""Edyth the Gentle Swan""; c. 1025 – c. 1086), also known as Edith Swanneck, was the first wife of King Harold Godwinson. ""Swanneck"" (or Swan-Neck) comes from the folk etymology which made her in Old English as ""swann hnecca"", ""swan neck"", which was actually most likely a corrupted form of ""swann hnesce, """"Gentle Swan"""" "". She is sometimes confused with Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar of Mercia, who was queen during Harold's reign. She may be identical with Eadgifu the Fair, who was one"
"three daughters: Edith of Wessex (originally named Gytha but renamed Ealdgyth (or Edith) when she married King Edward the Confessor), Gunhild and Ælfgifu. The birthdates of the children are unknown, but Harold was the second son, Sweyn being the eldest. Harold was aged about 25 in 1045, which makes his birth year around 1020. Edith married Edward on 23 January 1045 and, around that time, Harold became Earl of East Anglia. Harold is called ""earl"" when he appears as a witness in a will that may date to 1044; but, by 1045, Harold regularly appears as an earl in documents."
"does not dismiss the theory entirely. Ecgric of East Anglia Ecgric (killed ""circa"" 636) was a king of East Anglia, the independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom that today includes the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. He was a member of the ruling Wuffingas dynasty, but his relationship with other known members of the dynasty is not known with any certainty. Anna of East Anglia may have been his brother, or his cousin. It has also been suggested that he was identical with Æthelric, who married Hereswith and was the father of Ealdwulf of East Anglia. The primary source for the little"
"2010. Eadgyth Edith of England, also spelt Eadgyth or Ædgyth (, ; 910 – 26 January 946), a member of the House of Wessex, was German queen from 936 until her death, by her marriage with King Otto I. Edith was born to the reigning English king Edward the Elder by his second wife, Ælfflæd, and hence was a granddaughter of King Alfred the Great. In 919 her sister Eadgifu married the West Frankish king Charles the Simple. Nothing is known of Edith until at the request of the East Frankish king Henry the Fowler, who wished to stake a"
"of England, who had been replaced by Cnut the Great in 1016. Cnut subsequently married Æthelred's widow Emma of Normandy, Edward's mother, and had a son with her, Harthacanute. For their own safety, Edward and his brother Alfred were sent to Emma's relatives in Normandy. After Cnut's death in 1035, Harold Harefoot, his elder son by his first wife, acceded to the English throne. Following Harald's death in 1040, Harthacanute succeeded him for a short time, but as neither Harald nor Harthacanute left offspring, the throne was offered to Edward on Harthacanute's death in 1042. There is some evidence that"
"Edith the Fair Edith the Fair (, ""Edyth the Gentle Swan""; c. 1025 – c. 1086), also known as Edith Swanneck, was the first wife of King Harold Godwinson. ""Swanneck"" (or Swan-Neck) comes from the folk etymology which made her in Old English as ""swann hnecca"", ""swan neck"", which was actually most likely a corrupted form of ""swann hnesce, """"Gentle Swan"""" "". She is sometimes confused with Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar of Mercia, who was queen during Harold's reign. She may be identical with Eadgifu the Fair, who was one of the wealthiest magnates in England on the eve"
"king. One story implicates Earl Godwin of Wessex in Alfred's subsequent death, but others blame Harold. Emma went into exile in Flanders until Harthacnut became king following Harold's death in 1040, and his half-brother Edward followed Harthacnut to England; Edward was proclaimed king after Harthacnut's death in June 1042. William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, most likely towards the end of 1028. He was the only son of Duke Robert I, son of Duke Richard II. His mother, Herleva, was the daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; Fulbert may have been a tanner or embalmer."
"Ecgwynn Ecgwynn or Ecgwynna (""fl"". 890s), was the first consort of Edward the Elder, later King of the English (r. 899–924), by whom she bore the future King Æthelstan (r. 924–939), and a daughter who married Sihtric Cáech, Norse king of Dublin, Ireland, and Northumbria. Extremely little is known about her background and life. Not even her name is given in any sources until after the Norman Conquest. The first to record it is William of Malmesbury, who presents it in Latinised guise as ""Egwinna ""and who is in fact the principal source for her existence. According to William of"
"so complete that the Danish leader, Guthrum, was forced to accept Christian baptism and withdraw from Mercia. Alfred then set about strengthening the defences of Wessex, building a new navy—60 vessels strong. Alfred's success bought Wessex and Mercia years of peace and sparked economic recovery in previously ravaged areas. Alfred's success was sustained by his son Edward, whose decisive victories over the Danes in East Anglia in 910 and 911 were followed by a crushing victory at Tempsford in 917. These military gains allowed Edward to fully incorporate Mercia into his kingdom and add East Anglia to his conquests. Edward"
"was the son of a liaison between Edgar and a nun, presenting him as the son of Æthelflæd, daughter of Ordmær, ""ealdorman of the East Anglians"", whom Edgar had married in the years when he ruled Mercia (between 957 and Eadwig's death in 959). Additional accounts are offered by Goscelin in his life of Edgar's daughter Saint Edith of Wilton and in the histories of John of Worcester and William of Malmesbury. Together these various accounts suggest that Edward's mother was probably a noblewoman named Æthelflæd, surnamed ""Candida"" or ""Eneda""—""the White"" or ""White Duck"". A charter of 966 describes Ælfthryth,"
"Edith of Wilton Saint Edith of Wilton (c. 963 - c.986) (also known as Eadgyth, her name in Old English, or as Editha or Ediva, the Latinised forms of her name) was an English nun, a daughter of Edgar the Peaceful, king of England (r. 943–975). She was born between 961 and 964 and died on 16 September in a year between 984 and 987. Following her death in 984, she became the patron saint of her community at Wilton Abbey in Wiltshire and churches were dedicated to her in Wiltshire and in other parts of Anglo-Saxon England. Her biography"
"illustration of the event (above right). See also ""Encomium Emmae"" (for the ""Encomium Emmae Reginae"" or ""Gesta Cnutonis Regis"" in honour of Queen Emma) Emma of Normandy Emma of Normandy (c. 985 – 6 March 1052) was a queen consort of England, Denmark and Norway. She was the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, and his second wife, Gunnora. Through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready (1002–1016) and Cnut the Great (1017–1035), she became the Queen Consort of England, Denmark, and Norway. She was the mother of three sons, King Edward the Confessor, Alfred Ætheling, and King Harthacnut, as"
"of the Worcester cathedral chapter into granting him a lease of two of their estates, Greenhill and Eastbury. Urse was one of a new breed of royal official, one who was not opposed to royal power but rather welcomed it, as it helped his own position. Through his daughter, he is an ancestor of the Beauchamp family of Elmley Castle in Worcestershire, a scion of which, William de Beauchamp, became Earl of Warwick. It is likely that the Beauchamp family's emblem, a bear, derives from their relationship to Urse. Urse d'Abetot Urse d'Abetot (c. 1040 – 1108) was a Norman"