Edwin (died 1071) was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of
Ælfgār, Earl of MerciaÆlfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
and grandson of
Leofric, Earl of MerciaLeofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's death in 1062. He appears as Earl Edwin (
Eduin comes) in the
Domesday BookDomesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
His younger brother, Morcar was elected Earl of
NorthumbriaNorthumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
when
Tostig GodwinsonTostig Godwinson was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson, the last crowned english King of England.-Early life:...
was ejected by the Northumbrians (October 3, 1065). In 1066 Tostig raided in Mercia but was repulsed by Edwin and Morcar and fled to
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Later in the year he returned, accompanied by King
Harald Hardrada of Norway at the head of a huge Norwegian army, which defeated Edwin and Morcar at the
Battle of FulfordThe Battle of Fulford took place at the village of Fulford, near York in England on 20 September 1066, when King Harald III of Norway - also known as Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar. Tostig was Harold Godwinson's...
near York (September 20). Harald and Tostig were in turn defeated and slain by Harold Godwinson's army, five days later at the
Battle of Stamford BridgeThe Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway and the English king's brother Tostig...
(September 25). After Harold's death at the
Battle of HastingsThe Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
, Edwin and Morcar were the principal supporters of a new regime under Edgar the Atheling, but failed to take effective steps against the invading
NormansThe Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
and soon submitted to
Duke WilliamWilliam I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
.
In 1068, Edwin and Morcar attempted to raise a rebellion in Mercia but swiftly submitted when William moved against them. In 1071 they again sought to rebel but Edwin was soon betrayed to the Normans by his own retinue and killed.
Edwin's sister,
EdithEaldgyth , also Aldgyth or anglicized, Edith, was a daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also Aldgyth or anglicized, Edith, was a daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also...
, had been married to Harold Godwinson until the latter's death at
HastingsThe Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
on 14 October 1066.
Edwin's lands centred at
Gilling WestGilling West is a large village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury....
in his brother's Northumbrian earldom, were given to
Alain Le RouxAlan Rufus was a probable companion of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest and especially during Harrying of the North, in which he built Richmond Castle. He was the second son of Odo, Count of Penthièvre, by Agnes, daughter of Alain Cagnart, Count of Cornouaille, and a cousin of...
in 1071 and the district was renamed
RichmondshireRichmondshire is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. It covers a large northern area of the Yorkshire Dales including Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale, with the prominent Scots' Dyke and Scotch Corner along the centre. Teesdale lies to the north...
.
Edwin was portrayed by Adam Bareham in the TV drama
Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990). He is mentioned in
Alice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
when the
mouseThe Mouse is a fictional character in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He appears in Chapter II "The Pool of Tears" and Chapter III "A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale" ....
attempts to dry itself and other characters by reciting a dry example of English history.