Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin ( Old English Ēadwine , Latin Eduin , † 1071 ) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman of the 11th century who held the title of Earl of Mercia .
Life
He was the older son of Ælfgar and inherited him in 1062 as the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Mercia .
In 1066 he was defeated, together with his brother Morcar , Earl of Northumbria , to the army of Harald Hardråde of Norway , who was defeated by King Harold Godwinson only five days later at the Battle of Stamford Bridge . After Harold's death in the Battle of Hastings , in which neither took part, he submitted to William the Conqueror as the new English king and was left as a vassal in his earl's office.
In 1068 Edwin and Morcar rebelled against Wilhelm, along with numerous other vassals. The exact reasons for their uprising are debatable. According to the chronicler Orderic Vitalis, Edwin had hoped to marry a daughter of the king, which the king would have denied. The rebellion failed and was put down by Wilhelm by 1070. As early as 1071 Edwin rose again against the king. This uprising failed much faster. While he was on the run, his own soldiers killed him that same year.
Individual evidence
- ^ William Hunt: Ælfgar . In: Leslie Stephen (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 1, 1885, p. 148 f.
- ^ Ann Williams: The English and the Norman Conquest. Woodbridge 2001, p. 24.
- ↑ Steven David Baxter: The Earls of Mercia. Lordship and Power in Late Anglo-Saxon England. New York 2007, p. 278.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ælfgar |
Earl of Mercia 1062-1071 |
Title abolished |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Edwin, Earl of Mercia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ēadwine |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Anglo-Saxon nobleman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 10th century or 11th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1071 |