Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia
Ælfhere (died in 983) was
Origins and relations
Ælfhere was a son of
Ælfhere was promoted by King Eadwig, probably as a counter to the influence of Æthelstan Half-King and his kinsmen.
Prince of the Mercian people
Following the partition of the kingdom, Æthelstan Half-King retired from political life, leaving Ælfhere as the chief ealdorman in Edgar's northern kingdom. From 959 to 975 he was almost always the first witness to Edgar's charters.
As the ealdorman of Mercia, Ælfhere was concerned with relations with the Welsh princes. Wars in Wales gave opportunities for fame, and for booty to be distributed to allies and kinsmen. A campaign in 983 by Ælfhere against Brycheiniog and Morgannwg, with the aid of the Welsh king Hywel ap Ieuaf, is recorded by the Annales Cambriae.[8]
Edward and Æthelred
King Edgar's complicated marital relations left two sons on his death in 975.
The short reign of Edward was the period of the so-called anti-monastic reaction. Ælfhere was portrayed by medieval writers, who were typically monks, as a leader in this movement, which saw the seizure of monastic lands by the magnates. In Ælfhere's case, this appears to have centred on the lands attached to monasteries founded by Oswald of Worcester, which had been greatly enlarged with the assistance of the sons of Æthelstan Half-King.[11]
The reign of Edward came to an end with his murder at Corfe Castle on 18 March 978. His stepmother Queen Ælfthryth was soon blamed for the killing, the details of which are uncertain. Edward was initially buried at Wareham, but in 979 or 980 Ælfhere and Archbishop Dunstan had the remains of the king reburied at Shaftesbury Abbey. Whether Ælfhere wished to publicly disassociate himself from the killing of Edward, or to assuage a guilty conscience—he certainly profited from Edward's death—can only be conjectured.[12]
The
References
- ^ Henson, p. 127; Higham, p. 4. Charters variously call Ælfhere and Ælfheah propinquus, that is consanguineal relative, of Kings Eadred, Eadwig, and Edgar, and of the chronicler Ealdorman Æthelweard. Ealhhelm was a major figure who witnessed a large number of charters; Stafford, p. 38. See Williams, p. 144, table 1, for the known and conjectured relationships.
- ^ For Ælfhere's kin, which included at least two other brothers, see Williams, passim, especially p. 144, table 1.
- ^ Higham, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Higham, p. 5; Stafford, pp. 47–50.
- ^ Maddicott, p. 7
- ^ Williams, p. 157.
- ^ Henson, p. 125, however Higham, p. 5, presumes that the appointment remained vacant.
- ^ Stafford, p. 120.
- ^ Williams, pp. 150 & 157.
- ^ For the events of 975 to 978, see Higham, pp. 6–14; Stafford, pp. 57–59; Stenton, pp. 372–374.
- ^ Higham, pp. 8–9; Lapidge; Stafford, p. 58; Stenton, pp. 372–373.
- ^ Higham, pp. 12–14; Stafford, pp. 58–69. Stafford notes the possibility that the reburial of Edward was an attempt by the supporters of Æthelred to effect a reconciliation with the supporters of Edward.
- ^ Williams, p. 144, table 1 & pp. 170–171.
Sources
- Campbell, John; John, Eric; ISBN 0-14-014395-5
- Fisher, D. J. V. (1952), "The Anti-Monastic Reaction in the Reign of Edward the Martyr", Cambridge Historical Journal, 10 (3), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 254–270, JSTOR 3021114
- Henson, Donald (1998), A Guide to Late Anglo-Saxon England: From Ælfred to Eadgar II, Hockwold-cum-Wilton: Anglo-Saxon Books, ISBN 1-898281-21-1
- Higham, Nick (1997), The Death of Anglo-Saxon England, Stroud: Sutton, ISBN 0-7509-2469-1
- Hunt, William (1885). Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- ISBN 0-631-22492-0
- ISBN 978-0-19-958550-2
- ISBN 0-7131-6532-4
- ISBN 0-19-280139-2
- ISBN 1-85285-382-4
- Williams, Ann (2004). "Ælfhere (d. 983)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. required.)
- Williams, Ann (1982), "Princeps Merciorum Gentis: The Family, Career and Connections of Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia", Anglo-Saxon England, 10, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 143–172,