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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1998-10 > 0907271120


From: "Paul Thomas Blay" <>
Subject: Goldsmiths, Godiva ...
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 20:45:20 +0100


Many thanks for all the helpful responses. I admit I was expecting the
"Lucy Story" to be shot down but the coincidence of the supposed father
of Leofwine being married to "Ediva the Fair" while Leofric of Borne was
married to "Eadiva" adn the help it would be if Aelfgar was of an age to
have land in 1007 was too good to miss. I am still left with "two" Aelfgars
married to Aelfgifus whose descendants are in Lucy and Ivo's family.

The bit on Eadric in your post was particularly helpful. Let me explain
that I am not a historian (bet you guessed). For the past three months I
have been trying to piece together the history of our area to present at an
enquiry into the siting of a Motorway Service Area. (My credentials as a
historian might be non-existant but I seem to know more than anyone else in
the local area). The last date I can give evidence is Oct 14. It doesn't
help that our library takes six weeks to get a book.

The area is known to have been home to the royal goldsmiths. Goldsmithing
fizzled out in the 14th century with the dissolution of the Knights Templar
and the Black Death. There is a little archeological evidence that metal
working on the site could go back to the Bronze Age. There is evidence of a
pre-historic burial ground. There was an extensive Roman settlement in the
area. The area gave its name to the hundred and there is evidence that it
was one of the administrative centres of Berkshire during the Anglo-Saxon
period.

There is every reason to suppose that the Aelfsige who held the land with
the neighbouring White Waltham in 940 was the son of Athelstan half-king.
(If you know anything about his wife Eadgifu, who also employed goldsmiths,
I would be grateful for the information).

Skeat in "Place Names of Berkshire" asserts that White Waltham is the only
Waltham to be spelled "Wealtham" by the anglo-saxons. Wealtham and its
royal residence was burned down by the Vikings in 1001. The charter of 1007
which sells the area of the gold workshops to Aelfgar is signed at the
"novum oppium" "Beorchore" another copy gives the name as "Beorchorc".
There is a connection with other unidentified "Beorch" names and it is
possible that the wood "Berroc" that Asser says Berkshire is the same place.
"orc" = "orch" = goldsmith.

I was first alerted to the possibility that the gold workshops had been in
existance for some considerable time when I traced teh connections of the
goldsmiths from the Domesday Book. It was obvious that the "new" goldsmiths
had been given land that had been previously linked and this land formed a
network across the country from east to west with holdings within easy
distance of ancient trade routes such as the Ridgeway.

When I traced this network back it seemed to be working as almost a
semi-independent buffer state as well as a trade-network. When reading
Stanton's "Anglo-Saxon England" I realised that it was the land that had
been occupied by the Jutes. This is reflected in both place names and
jewellery finds.

Godiva is said to be descended from Duke Oslac. Oslac is a Jute name. It
is possible that Godiva held land in the "goldsmith network" but as they are
places such as "Farnborough" where there is more than one place of the same
name I cannot confirm this without closer study.

I'm not sure that my evidence would stand up to close scrutiny but the
descendants of Offa's ealdorman Bynna appear to also have close connections
and immediately preceeding the 1007 charter Eadric Streona eliminated them.
After Aelfgar the land passed to Aelfweard then Alward then William - a
direct line of descent and all goldsmiths.

Thorald, the designer of the Bayeaux tapestry, I take to be son of Geoffrey,
Lord of Aston, and father of Nicholas. This is supported by an article by
Luke Over (which I haven't been able to lay my hands on while writing this
but will look up). There is only one Goldsmith known to have the name
Thorald at that time, and goldsmiths have connections with embroidery
design - Godiva is known to have instructed her goldsmiths to design
embroidery.

Thorald, Geoffry and Nicholas were tenants of Aston Tirrold under the Earls
of Warwick. The king's goldsmith at the time of the death of Edward the
Confessor was Theodric (the goldsmiths were an international bunch). He was
also known as Otto. Theodric was kept on by William I as he designed his
tomb. Most of the lands in the "goldsmith network" that were given to
Theodric had been previously owned by Edward and Lanc. Aston Tirrold was
previously owned by Lanc's wife. The land owned by Thorold at White Waltham
was just one hide but it was Bury (pronounched Berry) and is the site of the
manor house.

There is a pattern of individual goldsmiths having a house on the border of
larger goldsmith holdings. Variations on the name Thorold are found among
moneyers and goldsmiths from the 8th to the late 13th century.

In "Liber Eliensis" Godiva is described as "regnante Canuto, comitus
derelicta fuit" I can't find any Earls that fit.

I had ealdorman Aethelweard down as a son of Ethelwine half-king or Aelfsige
his brother, but I think I'm muddled again. An Eadric came out as
great-uncle and I suspect he had goldsmith connections.

Celia

<Via Paul's internet account>

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