Ælfgar
Ælfgar (also Algar or Elgar ; † 1062 ) was an Anglo-Saxon earl in the 11th century.
family
Ælfgar was the son of Earl Leofric of Mercia , whose famous wife Lady Godiva was his mother or stepmother.
He was married to Aelfgifu, with whom he had three children: the daughter Ealdgyth , who was married to the Welsh King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in her first marriage, to Harald Godwinson in her second marriage and the sons Edwin, his successor as Earl of Mercia , and Morcar the future Earl of Northumbria .
Life
During Harald Godwinson's escape from 1051 to 1052, Ælfgar briefly received his Earldom in East Anglia.
In 1053, after Godwin's death , Harald Godwinson took over his Earldom Wessex and his son Ælfgar was appointed as Harald's successor to the Earl of East Anglia .
Ælfgar was accused of treason by King Edward the Confessor in 1055 for unknown reasons , deposed and banished. He allied himself with Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales, raised an army in Ireland and attacked Herefordshire. Edward's nephew, Earl Rodulph , who was supposed to stop the raiders, and his men were decisively defeated in a sortie from Hereford Castle on October 24, 1055. Hereford was conquered, the town, monastery and cathedral sacked and the recently built castle destroyed. Harald Godwinson drove away the intruders on Edward's behalf and rebuilt Hereford. After peace was made in Byligesleage (Bilsley), Ælfgar was reinstated and land was returned. The following year, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Ælfgar's daughter Ealdgyth married.
After the death of his father Leofric of Mercia in 1057, Ælfgar became Earl of Mercia.
Earl Ælfgar was removed from office a second time in 1058 by Eduard the Confessor. Again he allied himself with his son-in-law Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales and recaptured his county, also with the help of a Norwegian fleet.
When Ælfgar died in 1062, his eldest son Edwin (also Eadwin) became Earl of Mercia. His second son Morcar (also Morkere) became Earl of Northumbria in 1065.
Individual evidence
literature
- Anonymous: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- Symeon of Durham : Historia regum Anglorum et Dacorum
Web links
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in Project Gutenberg (English)
- Symeon von Durham , Translator: J. Stevenson: The Historical Works of Simeon of Durham . In: Church Historians of England, volume III, part II . Seeley's. 1855. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Harald Godwinson | Earl of East Anglia 1051-1052 |
Harald Godwinson |
| Harald Godwinson | Earl of East Anglia 1053-1057 |
Gyrth Godwinson |
| Leofric of Mercia | Earl of Mercia 1057-1062 |
Edwin, Earl of Mercia |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ælfgar |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Aelfgar; Algar; Elgar |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Earl of Mercia; Earl of East Anglia |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 10th century or 11th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1062 |