GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1996-11 > 0847043920


From: Sandy McDougall <>
Subject: Re: ANGLO SAXON WRITS
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 08:58:40 -0900


At 12:15 AM 11/2/96 GMT, you wrote:

>Thanks for the offer Sandy - anything from Mercia - currently
>Droitwich/ Worester area?
>
>Penny
>
There are three writs for Worcester, nos. 115-117. In 115, addressed to the
three shires within the diocese, which lay within Earl AElfgar's earldom,
and also to Earl Harold, King Edward announces the appointment of Wulfstan,
prior of the cathedral priory, to the See of Worcester ( the bishopric of
the Hwicce, later known as the bishopric of Worcester, was founded near the
end of the 7th cen. St Peters church at Worcester seems to have been
regarded as the cathedral church of the diocese until thee time of St
Oswald, who in 953 transferred the bishop's seat to a new foundation.) in
succession to Bishop Ealdred, promoted to the see of York. On his
appointment as archbishop at Christmas 1060, Ealdred had hoped to retain the
bishopric of Worcester, holding it in plurality witth York as certain of his
predecessors had done. But when he arrived in Rome in 1061 to receive his
pallium, Pope Nicholas refused to grant him this symbol of his office unless
he surrendered Worcester, a condition which Ealdred refused to accept until
he was obliged to return tto Rome, after having set out on his journey home,
in consequence of an attack by robbers by whom he and his companions were
stripped of their possessions. The papal legates who had been sent to
England, and who were much impressed by Prior Wulfstan's mode of life when,
at Ealdred's suggestion, they spent the Lent of 1062 at the cathedral priory
at Worcester, recommended Wulfstan's election to the bishopric. Their
proposal was supported by the two archbishops Stigand and Ealdred, and by
the Earls AElfgar and Harold, and approved by King Edward. The election of
Wulfstan, who was most reluctant to undertake the office of bishop, was
canonically confirmed on 29 August 1062, with his consecration at York by
Archbishop Ealdred following on 8 September.

Eadward kyning gret Harold eorl 7 AElfgar eorl 7 ealle pa oegnas on
Wigeraceastrescire 7 on Gleaweceastrescire 7 on Waeringwicscire etc........

Translation: King Edward sends friendly greetings to Earl Harold and Earl
AElfgar and all the thegns in Worcestershire and Gloustershire and
Warwickshire. And I inform you that I have granted to the monk Wulfstan the
bishopric of Worcester with sake and with soke, toll and team, within
borough and without, as fully and as completely in all things as ever any of
his predecessors possessed it. Therefore I will not permit anyone in any
manner to do him wrong, or to deprive him of any of the things that he ought
lawfully to have for his bishopric.

Biographical notes on persons named in the writ:
AElfgar, Earl of East Anglia 1051-52 and 1053-57; earl of Mercia 1057-62.
AElfgar was the son of Earl Leofric and his wife Godgifu (Godiva). During
the exile of Earl Godwine and his family, which lasted from 24 Sept 1051 to
14 Sept 1052, AElfgar held the earldom of East Anglia which Harold had had,
but relinquished it on Harold's reinstatement. In 1053 he was re-appointed
to the same earldom, now vacated by Harold on his appointment to the
earldom of Mercia after his father's death on 15 Apr 1053. Having been
outlawed at a meeting of the witan in 1055 on an accusation of treachery,
AElfgar obtained the help of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, king of Gwynned and
Powys, and of a force of Norsemen from Ireland, with shom he attacked and
put to flight an English force and ravaged the town of Hereford, sacking and
burning the minster. He was shortly afterwards restored to his earldom. In
1057 he was appointed earl of Mercia after the death of his father, Earl
Leofric, on 31 August (or 30 September) 1057. In 1058 he was again
banished, and aagain won back his position with the help of Gruffydd and
from a fleet from Norway. AElfgar took part in the discussions in the
spring or summer of 1062 concerning the appointment of Wulfstan to the see
of Worcester. AElfgar is not heard of again, and the date of his death is
not known.
Harold, Earl and King, second son of Earl Godwine, was appointed earl of
East Anglia in 1044/5. He was banished with his father and brothers on 24
Sept 1051, and went, accompanied by Leofwine, to Ireland. He was reinstated
with them in Sept 1052. On the death of Earl Godwine in April 1053 he
relinquished the earldom of East Anglia and succeeded to his father's
earldom of Wessex and Kent, while the earldom of Herefordshire was merged
with Harold's earldon tn the death in 1057 of Earl Ranulf. He succeeded
King Edward as King of England on 6 Jan 1066. On 25 Sept the same year he
defeated his brother Earl Tostig and King Harold Hardrada of Norway at
Stamford Bridge, but was killed at the battle of Hastings on 14 Oct 1066.
Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester 1062-1095. From 1075 he occupied a unique
position as the only surviving prelate of English birth. The date of his
death is given as 18 Jan 1095, but R.R. Darlington has shown that the
correct date must be 20 Jan.

Anglo Saxon Writs
F E Harmer 1952
compilation by Paul Watkins 1989

This thread: