Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon
Encyclopedia
Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon (died 971) was an English West Country
landowner notable as a presumed close advisor of Edgar the Peaceful, king of England
, and as the father of Ælfthryth, the king's third wife and mother of Æthelred the Unready. Ordgar was created an Ealdorman
by Edgar in 964.
's Gesta pontificum Anglorum and in Geoffrey Gaimar
's L'Estoire des Engles concerned with the love affairs and marriages of his daughter Ælfthryth.
According to Gaimar, Ordgar was the son of an ealdorman, and was a landowner in every village from Exeter
to Frome
. He married an unknown lady of royal birth, by whom he had a daughter Ælfthryth. When King Edgar sent a messenger to woo Ælfthryth, he found her and her father, whom she completely controlled, playing at chess, which they had learned from the Danes
. The messenger, Æthelwald
son of Æthelstan Half-King
- a leading member of a very prominent Anglo-Saxon
family--instead took Ælfthryth for his own, marrying her ca. 956. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography draws a conclusion that Ordgar was "clearly a figure of some importance" to have secured such a match.
Æthelwald died in 962, and some suspicion, notably on the part of Dunstan
, rests on Ælfthryth for his death, together with the seduction of Edgar and later murder of his son Edward the Martyr
to pave the way for her son Æthelred to ascend to the throne. Whatever the circumstances, Ælfthryth became Edgar's third wife in 964 and in the same year Ordgar was created Ealdorman. The ODNB infers that Ordgar from this point until 970 was one of Edgar's closest advisors, by virtue of his being named on virtually all charters issued by Edgar in the period.
Tavistock Abbey
was founded in 961 by Ordgar and completed by his son Ordulf in 981, in which year the charter of confirmation was granted by King Ethelred II
. It was endowed with lands in Devon
, Dorset
and Cornwall
, and became one of the richest abbeys in the west of England.
Ordgar died in 971 and according to Florence of Worcester
was buried at Exeter.
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
landowner notable as a presumed close advisor of Edgar the Peaceful, king of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and as the father of Ælfthryth, the king's third wife and mother of Æthelred the Unready. Ordgar was created an Ealdorman
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
by Edgar in 964.
Biography
Little is known about Ordgar; three key sources are his name as witness on charters of King Edgar between 962 and 970; and digressions in William of MalmesburyWilliam of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
's Gesta pontificum Anglorum and in Geoffrey Gaimar
Geoffrey Gaimar
Geoffrey Gaimar , was an Anglo-Norman chronicler. Gaimar's most significant contribution to medieval literature and history is as a translator from Old English to Anglo-Norman. His L'Estoire des Engles translates extensive portions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as well as using Latin and French...
's L'Estoire des Engles concerned with the love affairs and marriages of his daughter Ælfthryth.
According to Gaimar, Ordgar was the son of an ealdorman, and was a landowner in every village from Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
to Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
. He married an unknown lady of royal birth, by whom he had a daughter Ælfthryth. When King Edgar sent a messenger to woo Ælfthryth, he found her and her father, whom she completely controlled, playing at chess, which they had learned from the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
. The messenger, Æthelwald
Æthelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia
Æthelwald was ealdorman of East Anglia. He is mentioned in Byrhtferth's life of Oswald of Worcester along with other members of his family....
son of Æthelstan Half-King
Æthelstan Half-King
Æthelstan , commonly called Æthelstan Half-King, was Ealdorman of East Anglia and the leading member of a very prominent Anglo-Saxon family. Æthelstan became a monk at Glastonbury Abbey in 957.-Origins and career:...
- a leading member of a very prominent Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
family--instead took Ælfthryth for his own, marrying her ca. 956. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography draws a conclusion that Ordgar was "clearly a figure of some importance" to have secured such a match.
Æthelwald died in 962, and some suspicion, notably on the part of Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
, rests on Ælfthryth for his death, together with the seduction of Edgar and later murder of his son Edward the Martyr
Edward the Martyr
Edward the Martyr was king of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but not his father's acknowledged heir...
to pave the way for her son Æthelred to ascend to the throne. Whatever the circumstances, Ælfthryth became Edgar's third wife in 964 and in the same year Ordgar was created Ealdorman. The ODNB infers that Ordgar from this point until 970 was one of Edgar's closest advisors, by virtue of his being named on virtually all charters issued by Edgar in the period.
Tavistock Abbey
Tavistock Abbey
Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. Nothing remains of the abbey except the refectory, two gateways and a porch. The abbey church, dedicated to Our Lady and St Rumon, was destroyed by Danish raiders in 997 and...
was founded in 961 by Ordgar and completed by his son Ordulf in 981, in which year the charter of confirmation was granted by King Ethelred II
Ethelred the Unready
Æthelred the Unready, or Æthelred II , was king of England . He was son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. Æthelred was only about 10 when his half-brother Edward was murdered...
. It was endowed with lands in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, and became one of the richest abbeys in the west of England.
Ordgar died in 971 and according to Florence of Worcester
Florence of Worcester
Florence of Worcester , known in Latin as Florentius, was a monk of Worcester, who played some part in the production of the Chronicon ex chronicis, a Latin world chronicle which begins with the creation and ends in 1140....
was buried at Exeter.