Godwine was the earl of wessex, the most powerful man in england during the opening years of the reign of edward the confessor Learn about the life and career of godwin, a powerful saxon earl who supported and opposed various kings of england Find out how he was involved in the death of alfred atheling, the marriage of edith to edward the confessor, and the conflict with the normans. The word kingmaker often evokes the image of richard neville, earl of warwick, who featured prominently in various plays for power during the wars of the roses But, several hundred years before warwick’s schemes, another man earned the title of kingmaker Earl godwin (e) of wessex was one of the most powerful men in england before the norman conquest and his life is inextricably bound to wessex and hampshire
He was born around 1000 and his father was possibly a ruler in sussex, known as wulfnoth, who was a powerful and influential man. Godwine, earl of wessex (d Godwine rose to prominence in the reign of cnut, as one of his chief advisers, and has traditionally been held responsible for the brutal death of æthelred the unready's exiled son alfred in 1036 When the danish line ended (1042), godwine supported the accession of alfred's brother edward, who married godwine's daughter Source for information on godwine. Godwin of wessex was an english nobleman who rose to prominence under king cnut the great and his successors
His children included king harold ii and edith of wessex, who married king edward the confessor Initially a thegn's son from sussex, godwin's early support for the danish king's rule facilitated his rapid ascent to power. Cnut made godwin the first earl of wessex (c Godwin was the father of king harold ii (r Tostig as earl of northumbria tostig’s place in the story of 1066 is inseparable from the extraordinary power of his family His father, godwin of wessex, rose from obscurity to become the most influential noble in england
So powerful that when he and his children were exiled by the king, edward the confessor, in 1051, popular pressure forced their return within a year This assertion is also incorrect The actual year that godwine was made earl of wessex is found by matching the royal charters with the best of the information provided by the chroniclers While there are conflicting accounts of when godwine was made earl of wessex, there is consensus on one aspect of his rise. [2] in this period, the earldom of wessex covered the lands of the old kingdom of wessex, covering the counties of the south of england, and extending west to the welsh border During the reign of king cnut, the earldom was conferred on godwin at some time after 1020
Godwin was the father of king harold ii (r. His son harold became king harold ii As edward‘s earl of wessex and most powerful subject, godwin effectively governed england in the king‘s name He arranged for his daughter edith to marry edward, though the union would remain childless, and secured earldoms for his sons swegn and harold. About gōdwine wulfnothsson, earl of wessex the house of godwin in norway after 1066, three grandsons of earl godwin immigrated to norway They were earl tostig's stepson skuli and son ketil, who came to norway in 1067 under the protection of king olaf iii, and king harold's son harold, who became a member of king magnus iii's retinue.
Harold was a son of godwin (c 1015/1016), the daughter of king sweyn forkbeard [2] (died 1014) and sister of king cnut the great of england and denmark Ulf and estrid's son would become king sweyn ii of denmark [3] in 1047 Godwin was the son of wulfnoth. One such new earl was godwin, the son of wulfnoth, a suffolk thane who had turned to piracy during ethelred’s reign, had been exiled and his estates forfeited Godwin became a supporter of edmund ironside in his battles against cnut, but following edmund’s death, had sworn fealty to the danish king.
995 england died 1053 winchester, hampshire, england including ancestors + descendants + 1 photos + 16 genealogist comments + more in the free family tree community. Gytha thorkelsdottir was a member of the house of knytlinga through birth and the house of wessex through marriage
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