Godwin, Earl of Wessex
Godwin (sometimes Godwine) (c.
1001-
April 15,
1053), was one of the most powerful lords in
England under the
Danish king
Canute the Great and his successors.
Godwin was a seventh generation descedant of King
Ethelred of Wessex (c.
837 -
871, reigned
865 -
871). Ethelred was succeeded by his younger brother
Alfred the Great because his own son Aethelhelm of Wessex (c.
870 -
927) was still a minor at the time of his death.\nAethelhelm was later granted lands by his uncle but was never able to claim the throne. His daughter Elfleda of Wessex (c.
890 -
918) however became
Queen consort to King
Edward the Elder (c.
871 -
924, reigned
899 -
924).
Her brother Aethelfrith of Wessex (c.
900 -
927) lived the life of a common landlord. His son Eadric of Wessex was granted possession of Washington in the
South Downs of
West Sussex. His own son Aethelwerd of Wessex (c.
930 -
998) is known as "
the Historian". Aethelmar Cild (c.
960 -
1015) , son of the later, was a benefactor of Eynsham Abbey. His son was Wulfnoth Cild (c.
983 -
1015) who was
Thegn of
Sussex but is otherwise obscure. Godwin was son to Wulfnoth.
Around
1014, Godwin was first married to Thyra Sveinsdóttir, daughter of Sweyn I ,
King of Denmark, Norway and England. Thyra however died in
1018. Her death apparently did not prevent her brother
Canute the Great from creating Godwin
Earl of Wessex during the same year.
In
1019, Godwin was married again to Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, great-granddaughter to
Harold Bluetooth who was
King of Denmark and Norway, father to Sweyn I and grandfather to Canute. The marriage resulted in the birth of at least twelve children:
- Driella of Wessex (c. 1019)\n*Edith of Wessex, (c. 1020 - December 19, 1075), Queen consort of Edward the Confessor.\n*Sweyn Godwinson, Earl of Mercia (c. 1021 - 1052). At some point he declared himself an illegitimate son of Canute the Great but this is considered to be a false claim.\n*Harold II of England (c. 1022 - October 14, 1066).\n*Gungilda of Wessex, a nun (c. 1024 - 1080).\n*Ylgiva of Wessex (c. 1025).\n*Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria (c. 1026 - September 25, 1066).\n*Ydgiva of Wessex (c. 1028).\n*Gyrth Godwinson (c. 1032 - October 14, 1066).\n*Leofwine Godwinson , Earl of Kent (c. 1035 - October 14, 1066).\n*Wulfnoth Godwinson (c. 1036 - 1087).\n*Ylfgar of Wessex (c. 1038).
On
November 12,
1035,
Canute the Great died. His kingdoms were divided among three rival rulers.
Harold Harefoot, illegitimate son by
Aelgifu of Northampton, usurped the throne of
England.
Harthacanute, legitimate son by
Emma of Normandy, reigned in
Denmark.
Norway rebelled under
Magnus the Noble. On
1037, the throne of England was reportedly claimed by
Alfred of Wessex, son of
Emma of Normandy and
Ethelred the Unready and half-brother of Harthacanute. Godwin is reported to have either captured Alfred himself or to have deceived him by pretending to be his ally and then surrendering him to the forces of Harold Harefoot. Either way Alfred was
blindeded and soon died.
On
March 17,
1040, Harold Harefoot died and Godwin supported the accession of Harthacanute to the throne of England. When Harthacanute himself died on
June 8,
1042 , Godwin supported the claim of his half half-brother
Edward the Confessor to the throne. Edward was another son of
Emma of Normandy and
Ethelred the Unready, having spent most of the previous thirty years in
Normandy. His reign restored the native royal house of
Wessex to the
Throne of
England. Despite his alleged responsibility for the death of Edward's brother Alfred, Godwin secured the
marriage of his daughter Edith (Eadgyth) to Edward in
1045. Godwin soon became the leader of opposition to growing
Norman influence as Edward drew advisors,
nobles and
priests from his former place of refuge.
Exiled from the kingdom in
September,
1051 for refusing to punish the people of
Dover for a violent clash with the visiting
Eustace II,
Count of Boulogne, Godwin returned the following year with an armed force, compelling Edward to restore his
earldom.
On
April 15,
1053, Godwin died. His son Harold succeeded him as
Earl of
Wessex, an area then covering roughly the southernmost third of England. Harold later succeeded Edward the Confessor and became King of England in his own right.
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