Uhtred (Derbyshire ealdorman)
Encyclopedia
Uhtred was an ealdorman
based in Derbyshire
in the 10th century. His date of birth and origins are unclear, although it has been suggested by some modern historians that he came from Northumbria
. He is thought to have been the thegn
who, having purchased land at Hope
and Ashford in Derbyshire from the Vikings before 911, had it confirmed by King Æthelstan in 926. He was ealdorman in or before 930. It appears that he witnessed charter
s during the remainder of the reign of Æthelstan, the reign of Edmund I (939–46) and the reign of Eadred (946–55), and the last king appears to have granted Uhtred land at Bakewell
in 949. It is thought that Uhtred may have used this land to found a minster there. An Uhtred witnesses charters from 955 to 958, in the reigns of Eadwig the Fair (955–59) and Edgar the Peaceable (957–75), but some historians believe this to be a different Uhtred, perhaps Uhtred Cild.
s (manentes) of land at Hope
and Ashford in Derbyshire
to his "faithful man", Uhtred. Uhtred is said to have purchased the land from the Scandinavians for twenty pounds of silver and gold, having been ordered to do so by Æthelstan's father and predecessor Edward the Elder
and by Æthelred, Ealdorman of Mercia. As Ealdorman Æthelred had died in 911, the purchase must have occurred in or before 911.
W. H. Stevenson in 1895 argued that this Uhtred was a member of the Bamburgh family, perhaps a son of Eadwulf II of Northumbria. Peter Sawyer added his support for Stevenson's northern origin theory in 1975, noting the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
version A (the "Parker Chronicle")'s claim that the "sons of Eadwulf", along with other northern potentates, submitted to Edward the Elder at Bakewell
, Derbyshire, in 920. Sawyer further speculated on the course of events: the Bamburgh family acknowledged West Saxon supremacy c. 900, and the West Saxon king ordered them to buy up land in the Peak District
; the area remained outside direct West Saxon control until 917, when the Scandinavians lost control of Derby
; in 920, on the death of Queen Æthelfleda of Mercia, Edward became King of Mercia, soon after constructing a burh
at Bakewell, on Uhtred's land Edward; Æthelstan succeeded Edward in 924, and confirmed Uhtred's lands in 926.
(in Latin, dux
). Cyril Hart and Peter Sawyer believed that the thegn of the 926 confirmation was the same man as this new ealdorman. This man occurs as the fourth ealdorman in the list of secular witness to a charter of King Æthelstan to Beornheah
, bishop of Selsey, dated 3 April 930 and issued at Lyminster
in Sussex
; then fifth in a grant by the king to Eadulf bishop of Crediton
, at Chippenham
in Wiltshire
, nearly a month later on 29 April.
The following year, on 23 March 931 at Colchester
he is probably named as the fourth ealdorman on a list of witnesses; probably fifth on 20 June at Worthy
in Hampshire
, and fourth on 12 November at Lifton in Devon
. He witnesses a further three extant charters of 932, on 30 August at Milton in either Kent
or Dorset
(fifth ealdorman), on 9 November at Exeter
in Devon (seventh ealdorman), and on Christmas Eve
at Amesbury
in Wiltshire
(as fourth ealdorman). Two subscriptions occur in 933, on 11 January (fifth ealdorman) and 26 January (fourth), respecitively at Wilton
and Chippenham, both in Wiltshire; two in 934, at Winchester
and Nottingham
on 28 May (eighth) and 7 June (fifth); and one in 935, on 21 December (fourth) at Dorchester. Simon Keynes
' Atlas of Attestations lists this Uhtred as witness to nine more charters during Æthelstan's reign, three in 937, two in 938, and four in 939; he is the second ealdorman in all cases for the years 937 and 938, and in 939 he occurs fourth three times and fifth once.
A problem is that from 931 to 935, two ealdormen with the name Uhtred witness royal charters. The charters labelled Sawyer numbers 412, 413, 416, 417, 418, 407, and 434 are all subscribed by two Uhtreds. Historian Cyril Hart argued in 1975 that this second Uhtred was an ealdorman of Essex, but by 1987 thought his jurisdiction fell over the shires of North-Western Mercia. Hart believed that this Uhtred's successor in North-Western Mercia was Æthelmund
, ruling between 940 and 965.
After a gap of a few years, in 949 an Uhtred witnessed two charters, this time being placed sixth and seventh. In the same year Uhtred himself appears to be the beneficiary of a royal grant, receiving land at Bakewell from Eadred. He may have been granted this land in order to found or refound a religious house there, and the evidence indicates Bakewell became an important centre of sculpture during the century. Uhtred witnesses again in 950.
in Derbyshire
to an Uhtred Cild, who may be the same figure as the ealdorman, or may be a kinsman. Peter Sawyer believed that Uhtred Cild was a separate figure, and that Uhtred Cild was responsible for the subsequent attestations with the name "Uhtred" in the period 956 to 958. D. H. Hadley likewise believed that Uhtred Cild was a separate person, the previous Uhtred dying after his last attestation in 950. Cyril Hart suggested that Uhtred Cild was Uhtred's son, and that Uhtred succeeded his father as ealdorman.
During the reign of Eadred's successor Eadwig (955–59), probably in 956 (but perhaps in 959), an "Ealdorman Uhtred" witnessed the king's grant to Oscytel bishop of Dorchester (and later archbishop of York) of the minster
of Southwell
with its dependent lands in Nottinghamshire
. He appears under King Edgar (957–75), subscribing three charters in 958.
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...
based in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in the 10th century. His date of birth and origins are unclear, although it has been suggested by some modern historians that he came from Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria 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...
. He is thought to have been the thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
who, having purchased land at Hope
Hope, Derbyshire
Hope is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies in the Hope Valley, at the point where Peakshole Water flows into the River Noe. To the north, Win Hill and Lose Hill stand either side of the Noe....
and Ashford in Derbyshire from the Vikings before 911, had it confirmed by King Æthelstan in 926. He was ealdorman in or before 930. It appears that he witnessed charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s during the remainder of the reign of Æthelstan, the reign of Edmund I (939–46) and the reign of Eadred (946–55), and the last king appears to have granted Uhtred land at Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
in 949. It is thought that Uhtred may have used this land to found a minster there. An Uhtred witnesses charters from 955 to 958, in the reigns of Eadwig the Fair (955–59) and Edgar the Peaceable (957–75), but some historians believe this to be a different Uhtred, perhaps Uhtred Cild.
Thegn
A charter dated to 926, preserved in the archives of Burton Abbey, has King Æthelstan confirm 60 hideHide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s (manentes) of land at Hope
Hope, Derbyshire
Hope is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies in the Hope Valley, at the point where Peakshole Water flows into the River Noe. To the north, Win Hill and Lose Hill stand either side of the Noe....
and Ashford in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
to his "faithful man", Uhtred. Uhtred is said to have purchased the land from the Scandinavians for twenty pounds of silver and gold, having been ordered to do so by Æthelstan's father and predecessor Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
and by Æthelred, Ealdorman of Mercia. As Ealdorman Æthelred had died in 911, the purchase must have occurred in or before 911.
W. H. Stevenson in 1895 argued that this Uhtred was a member of the Bamburgh family, perhaps a son of Eadwulf II of Northumbria. Peter Sawyer added his support for Stevenson's northern origin theory in 1975, noting the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
version A (the "Parker Chronicle")'s claim that the "sons of Eadwulf", along with other northern potentates, submitted to Edward the Elder at Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
, Derbyshire, in 920. Sawyer further speculated on the course of events: the Bamburgh family acknowledged West Saxon supremacy c. 900, and the West Saxon king ordered them to buy up land in the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
; the area remained outside direct West Saxon control until 917, when the Scandinavians lost control of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
; in 920, on the death of Queen Æthelfleda of Mercia, Edward became King of Mercia, soon after constructing a burh
Burh
A Burh is an Old English name for a fortified town or other defended site, sometimes centred upon a hill fort though always intended as a place of permanent settlement, its origin was in military defence; "it represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the...
at Bakewell, on Uhtred's land Edward; Æthelstan succeeded Edward in 924, and confirmed Uhtred's lands in 926.
Ealdorman, 930–40
From 930, a notable named Uhtred begins attesting royal charters as an ealdormanEaldorman
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...
(in Latin, dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
). Cyril Hart and Peter Sawyer believed that the thegn of the 926 confirmation was the same man as this new ealdorman. This man occurs as the fourth ealdorman in the list of secular witness to a charter of King Æthelstan to Beornheah
Beornheah
Beornheah was a Bishop of Selsey.Beornheah is said to have been consecrated by Archbishop Plegmund on the same day as with six other bishops, about 909. In 930 Beornheah received a grant from King Athelstan.Beornheah died between 930 and 931....
, bishop of Selsey, dated 3 April 930 and issued at Lyminster
Lyminster
Lyminster is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the outskirts of the built-up area of Littlehampton, two miles north of the town centre. The civil parish covers an area of and has a population of 351 persons...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
; then fifth in a grant by the king to Eadulf bishop of Crediton
Bishop of Crediton
The Bishop of Crediton was originally a prelate who administered an Anglo-Saxon diocese in the 10th and 11th centuries, and is presently a suffragan bishop who assists the diocesan bishop.-Diocesan Bishops of Crediton:...
, at Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, nearly a month later on 29 April.
The following year, on 23 March 931 at Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
he is probably named as the fourth ealdorman on a list of witnesses; probably fifth on 20 June at Worthy
Abbots Worthy
Abbots Worthy is a small village in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England.It lies on the A33 to the north of Winchester and is included within the civil parish of Kings Worthy. Politically it is part of the Winchester City Council administration.-External links:...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and fourth on 12 November at Lifton 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...
. He witnesses a further three extant charters of 932, on 30 August at Milton in either Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
or 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...
(fifth ealdorman), on 9 November at 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...
in Devon (seventh ealdorman), and on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
at Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(as fourth ealdorman). Two subscriptions occur in 933, on 11 January (fifth ealdorman) and 26 January (fourth), respecitively at Wilton
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
and Chippenham, both in Wiltshire; two in 934, at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
on 28 May (eighth) and 7 June (fifth); and one in 935, on 21 December (fourth) at Dorchester. Simon Keynes
Simon Keynes
Simon Douglas Keynes MA, PhD, Litt.D, FBA is the current Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic at Cambridge University.-Biography:...
' Atlas of Attestations lists this Uhtred as witness to nine more charters during Æthelstan's reign, three in 937, two in 938, and four in 939; he is the second ealdorman in all cases for the years 937 and 938, and in 939 he occurs fourth three times and fifth once.
A problem is that from 931 to 935, two ealdormen with the name Uhtred witness royal charters. The charters labelled Sawyer numbers 412, 413, 416, 417, 418, 407, and 434 are all subscribed by two Uhtreds. Historian Cyril Hart argued in 1975 that this second Uhtred was an ealdorman of Essex, but by 1987 thought his jurisdiction fell over the shires of North-Western Mercia. Hart believed that this Uhtred's successor in North-Western Mercia was Æthelmund
Æthelmund
Æthelmund, an Anglo-Saxon noble, was Ealdorman of Hwicce in the late 8th century, perhaps living into the early 9th century. Æthelmund's predecessors had been kings, but he was a subject of the king of Mercia....
, ruling between 940 and 965.
Ealdorman, 940–950
After the accession of Edmund I, Uhtred continued to witness royal charters, his name coming fourth, fourth, fourth, sixth, seventh, and fifth, in six surviving witness lists from 940. There are four appearances dating to 941, where his name falls seventh for three and sixth for one; and three for 942, his name ranking sixth once and eighth twice. He is fifth and sixth once, seventh three times, and eighth once in six charters dating to 943. He appears in one charter in 944, ranked seventh, and one charter of 946, ranked eighth. He subscribes two other extant charters that cannot be dated, where he is fifth and eighth. Uhtred witnessed one more charter in 946, falling to tenth among ealdormen, this time after the accession of Eadred to the English throne.After a gap of a few years, in 949 an Uhtred witnessed two charters, this time being placed sixth and seventh. In the same year Uhtred himself appears to be the beneficiary of a royal grant, receiving land at Bakewell from Eadred. He may have been granted this land in order to found or refound a religious house there, and the evidence indicates Bakewell became an important centre of sculpture during the century. Uhtred witnesses again in 950.
Ealdorman, 955–59?
Uhtred ceases to appear in witness lists c. 950, and it is unclear if the Uhtred who witnesses from 955 is the same ealdorman. In 955 Eadred granted an ChesterfieldChesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
to an Uhtred Cild, who may be the same figure as the ealdorman, or may be a kinsman. Peter Sawyer believed that Uhtred Cild was a separate figure, and that Uhtred Cild was responsible for the subsequent attestations with the name "Uhtred" in the period 956 to 958. D. H. Hadley likewise believed that Uhtred Cild was a separate person, the previous Uhtred dying after his last attestation in 950. Cyril Hart suggested that Uhtred Cild was Uhtred's son, and that Uhtred succeeded his father as ealdorman.
During the reign of Eadred's successor Eadwig (955–59), probably in 956 (but perhaps in 959), an "Ealdorman Uhtred" witnessed the king's grant to Oscytel bishop of Dorchester (and later archbishop of York) of the minster
Southwell Minster
Southwell Minster is a minster and cathedral, in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. It is six miles away from Newark-on-Trent and thirteen miles from Mansfield. It is the seat of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.It is considered an outstanding...
of Southwell
Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
with its dependent lands in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He appears under King Edgar (957–75), subscribing three charters in 958.