Ælfhelm of York
Encyclopedia
Ælfhelm was the ealdorman of Northumbria, in practice southern Northumbria
(the area around York), from about 994 until his death. An ealdorman (or earl
) was a senior nobleman who governed a province—a shire
or group of shires—on behalf of the king. Ælfhelm's powerful and wealthy family came from Mercia, a territory and former kingdom incorporating most of central England
, and he achieved his position despite being an outsider. Ælfhelm first appears in charters as dux ("ealdorman") in about 994.
Most of Ælfhelm's subsequent historical appearances record him as a witness to charter
s, although one notable exception is the will
of his brother, Wulfric Spot
. According to a 12th-century tradition, Ælfhelm was murdered and his sons blinded in 1006, by Eadric Streona
with the connivance of King (Æthelred II). Ælfhelm's daughter, Ælfgifu, married Cnut the Great, King of England between 1016 and 1035, as a result of which Ælfhelm became the grandfather of future English king Harold Harefoot
.
n, son of Wulfrun
, a rich noblewoman who founded Burton Abbey. His father is unknown, but it is thought that he was of lower rank than Wulfrun as Wulfric Spot
, Ælfhelm's brother, is called "Wulfric son of Wulfrun", suggesting that his status derived mainly from his mother. Wulfric Spot founded Burton Abbey, but little is known about Ælfhelm's sister, Ælfthryth.
Wulfrun also founded the Minster of St Mary
's at Wolverhampton
, a settlement which took her name ("Wulfrun's chief settlement"). Her earliest association is with Tamworth
, when she is mentioned as the only hostage taken after Amlaíb mac Gofraid, Norse-Gael King of Northumbria, captured that city in 940. It is thought that her lands were mostly in Staffordshire
, while most of Wulfric Spot's lands were in Staffordshire, Derbyshire
, and western Warwickshire
.
, in 994. He was thought by historian Simon Keynes
to have been the same as Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE)
"Ælfhelm 15", who witnesses charters as minister, i.e. thegn
, from 982 to 990. Charter appearances earlier, during the reign of Edgar the Peaceable, are possible, but it is impossible to show definitively that earlier thegns with the name Ælfhelm are the same as the future ealdorman of southern Northumbria, the latter only being positively identifiable by his title, dux.
Ælfhelm's apparent promotion in 994 is thought by some historians, for instance Richard Fletcher, to have been due to the Scandinavian attack on Northumbria in 993. Under the year 993, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
relates that Vikings had invaded Northumbria and sacked Bamburgh
, whereupon the southern English raised an army:
written in Old English, which provides many of the details we know about Ælfhelm. For instance, it gives the names of his two sons, Wulfheah and Ufegeat. It dates to between 1002 and 1004, and survives in a 12th-century manuscript.
Wulfric granted the lands "between the Ribble
and the Mersey
, and in the Wirral" to Ælfhelm and his son Wulfheah, on condition that they each pay Burton Abbey 3,000 shad
at shad season. Wulfric left Ælfhelm Rolleston
(Staffordshire), Harlaston
(Staffordshire), and Conisbrough
(Yorkshire), the last on condition that he gave Burton one third of the fish there. Wulfheah received Barlaston
(Staffordshire), Marchington
(Staffordshire), and Alvaston
(Derbyshire), while Ælfhelm's other son Ufegeat was given Norton (Derbyshire) "in the hope that he may be a better friend and supporter of the monastery [of Burton]". Ælfhelm is asked to protect Burton Abbey and the possessions of Wulfric's daughter.
:
about Eadric Streona, not extant but used by various surviving 11th- and 12th-century sources. Kapelle thought Ælfhelm's murder, conducted without King Æthelred's displeasure, was the result of suspect loyalty in the face of Scandinavian invasions.
The sources appear to indicate that Ælfhelm's successor was Uhtred of Bamburgh, the first magnate in decades to govern northern and southern Northumbria together. The text known as De obsessione Dunelmi
("On the siege of Durham"), relates that Uhtred took power after defeating a Scottish invasion.
As well as his two sons Ælfhelm left a daughter, Ælfgifu of Northampton, by a woman named Wulfrun; Ælfgifu's territorial appellation is taken as further evidence that Ælfhelm had territory in the eastern Danelaw
. She is perhaps more famous than her father, because at some time between 1013 and 1016 she married Cnut, son of Sweyn Forkbeard, future King of the English. Her son was Harold Harefoot
, King of the English.
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...
(the area around York), from about 994 until his death. An ealdorman (or earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
) was a senior nobleman who governed a province—a shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
or group of shires—on behalf of the king. Ælfhelm's powerful and wealthy family came from Mercia, a territory and former kingdom incorporating most of central 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 he achieved his position despite being an outsider. Ælfhelm first appears in charters as dux ("ealdorman") in about 994.
Most of Ælfhelm's subsequent historical appearances record him as a witness to 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, although one notable exception is the will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
of his brother, Wulfric Spot
Wulfric Spot
Wulfric , called Wulfric Spot or Spott, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. His will is an important document from the reign of King Æthelred the Unready...
. According to a 12th-century tradition, Ælfhelm was murdered and his sons blinded in 1006, by Eadric Streona
Eadric Streona
Eadric Streona was an ealdorman of the English Mercians. His name a loose translation of the Anglo-Saxon "the Grasper." Streona is historically regarded as the greatest traitor of the Anglo-Saxon period in English history....
with the connivance of King (Æthelred II). Ælfhelm's daughter, Ælfgifu, married Cnut the Great, King of England between 1016 and 1035, as a result of which Ælfhelm became the grandfather of future English king Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot was King of England from 1037 to 1040. His cognomen "Harefoot" referred to his speed, and the skill of his huntsmanship. He was the son of Cnut the Great, king of England, Denmark, and Norway by Ælfgifu of Northampton...
.
Origins
Ælfhelm was a MerciaMercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n, son of Wulfrun
Wulfrun
Wulfrun was an Anglo-Saxon noble woman and landowner, who established a landed estate at Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England in 985. Contemporary knowledge of her comes from several text sources:...
, a rich noblewoman who founded Burton Abbey. His father is unknown, but it is thought that he was of lower rank than Wulfrun as Wulfric Spot
Wulfric Spot
Wulfric , called Wulfric Spot or Spott, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. His will is an important document from the reign of King Æthelred the Unready...
, Ælfhelm's brother, is called "Wulfric son of Wulfrun", suggesting that his status derived mainly from his mother. Wulfric Spot founded Burton Abbey, but little is known about Ælfhelm's sister, Ælfthryth.
Wulfrun also founded the Minster of St Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
's at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, a settlement which took her name ("Wulfrun's chief settlement"). Her earliest association is with Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, when she is mentioned as the only hostage taken after Amlaíb mac Gofraid, Norse-Gael King of Northumbria, captured that city in 940. It is thought that her lands were mostly in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, while most of Wulfric Spot's lands were in Staffordshire, 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...
, and western Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Ealdorman of southern Northumbria
Ælfhelm begins witnessing charters as dux, i.e. 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 994. He was thought by historian 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:...
to have been the same as Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE)
Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England is a major research project based at King's College London in the Department of History and the Centre for Computing in the Humanities, and at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge.From 2000, PASE has been funded by the...
"Ælfhelm 15", who witnesses charters as minister, i.e. 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...
, from 982 to 990. Charter appearances earlier, during the reign of Edgar the Peaceable, are possible, but it is impossible to show definitively that earlier thegns with the name Ælfhelm are the same as the future ealdorman of southern Northumbria, the latter only being positively identifiable by his title, dux.
Ælfhelm's apparent promotion in 994 is thought by some historians, for instance Richard Fletcher, to have been due to the Scandinavian attack on Northumbria in 993. Under the year 993, 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...
relates that Vikings had invaded Northumbria and sacked Bamburgh
Bamburgh
Bamburgh is a large village and civil parish on the coast of Northumberland, England. It has a population of 454.It is notable for two reasons: the imposing Bamburgh Castle, overlooking the beach, seat of the former Kings of Northumbria, and at present owned by the Armstrong family ; and its...
, whereupon the southern English raised an army:
Bamburgh was sacked and much booty was captured there, and after that the army came to the mouth of the Humber and did great damage there, both in LindseyFletcher speculated that Ælfhelm's predecessor Thored, who disappeared from the records at this time, was removed from office and replaced by Ælfhelm by King Æthelred II as a result of his failure against the Scandinavians. Another historian, William Kapelle, believed Thored was removed because of his Scandinavian descent, an argument based on the Worcester Chronicles claim, added to the text borrowed from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, that Fræna, Godwine and Frythegyst fled because "they were Danish on their father's side".LindseyLindsey was a unit of local government until 1974 in Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it...
and in Northumbria. Then a very large English army was collected, and when they should have joined battle, the leaders Fræna, Godwine and Frythegyst, first started the flight.
Wulfric Spot's will
Ælfhelm's brother, Wulfric Spot, left a willWill (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
written in Old English, which provides many of the details we know about Ælfhelm. For instance, it gives the names of his two sons, Wulfheah and Ufegeat. It dates to between 1002 and 1004, and survives in a 12th-century manuscript.
Wulfric granted the lands "between the Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
and the Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, and in the Wirral" to Ælfhelm and his son Wulfheah, on condition that they each pay Burton Abbey 3,000 shad
Shad
The shads or river herrings comprise the genus Alosa, fish related to herring in the family Clupeidae. They are distinct from others in that family by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers. The several species frequent different areas on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea....
at shad season. Wulfric left Ælfhelm Rolleston
Rolleston on Dove
Rolleston on Dove, also known simply as Rolleston, is a village in Staffordshire, England near Burton upon Trent. It is probably best known for its one-time resident Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fascists. His coat of arms are still displayed in the local working men's club...
(Staffordshire), Harlaston
Harlaston
Harlaston is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about north of Tamworth. There is an Early English church, dedicated to St Matthew, and a public house, the White Lion....
(Staffordshire), and Conisbrough
Conisbrough
Conisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at...
(Yorkshire), the last on condition that he gave Burton one third of the fish there. Wulfheah received Barlaston
Barlaston
Barlaston is a village and civil parish in the borough of Stafford in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is roughly halfway between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the small town of Stone. According to the 2001 census the population of the parish was 2,659.-History:The old parish church of...
(Staffordshire), Marchington
Marchington
Marchington is a small village in East Staffordshire, England. It lies between the towns of Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. Marchington has a small shop, a first school, two churches and two pubs...
(Staffordshire), and Alvaston
Alvaston
Alvaston is a suburb and ward of Derby, England. Alvaston is situated on the A6, three miles south-east of Derby city centre. It is bordered to the north by the wards of Derwent, Chaddesden and Spondon, to the east is the City Centre, to the south are Sinfin and Chellaston and to the west the...
(Derbyshire), while Ælfhelm's other son Ufegeat was given Norton (Derbyshire) "in the hope that he may be a better friend and supporter of the monastery [of Burton]". Ælfhelm is asked to protect Burton Abbey and the possessions of Wulfric's daughter.
Death and legacy
Little else is recorded about Ealdorman Ælfhelm's career before his death. Notice of the latter, with the blinding of his two sons, comes in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which related under the year 1006:In this year Archbishop Ælfric died and Bishop Ælfheah succeeded him to the archiepiscopal see. In the same year Wulfgeat was deprived of all his property, and Wulfheah and Ufegeat were blinded and Ealdorman Ælfhelm killed.The Worcester Chronicle, which for this period consists of entries taken from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle supplemented with extra information, gives an expanded saga-like version of this account, attributing Ælfhelm's death to Eadric Streona
Eadric Streona
Eadric Streona was an ealdorman of the English Mercians. His name a loose translation of the Anglo-Saxon "the Grasper." Streona is historically regarded as the greatest traitor of the Anglo-Saxon period in English history....
:
The crafty and treacherous Eadric Streona, plotting to deceive the noble ealdorman Ælfhelm, prepared a great feast for him at ShrewsburyThis material in the Worcester Chronicle seems to have been part of a lost sagaShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
at which, when he came as a guest, Eadric greeted him as if he were an intimate friend. But on the third or fourth day of the feast, when an ambush had been prepared, he took him into the wood to hunt. When all were busy with the hunt, one Godwine Porthund (which means the town dog) a Shrewsbury butcher, whom Eadric had dazzled long before with great gifts and many promises so that he might perpetrate the crime, suddenly leapt out from the ambush, and execrably slew the ealdorman Ælfhelm. After a short space of time his sons, Wulfheah and Ufegeat, were blinded, at King Æthelred’s command, at CookhamCookhamCookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
, where he himself was then staying.
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
about Eadric Streona, not extant but used by various surviving 11th- and 12th-century sources. Kapelle thought Ælfhelm's murder, conducted without King Æthelred's displeasure, was the result of suspect loyalty in the face of Scandinavian invasions.
The sources appear to indicate that Ælfhelm's successor was Uhtred of Bamburgh, the first magnate in decades to govern northern and southern Northumbria together. The text known as De obsessione Dunelmi
De obsessione Dunelmi
De obsessione Dunelmi , is a historical work written in the north of England during the Anglo-Norman period, almost certainly at Durham, and probably in either the late 11th- or early 12th-century.-Provenance:...
("On the siege of Durham"), relates that Uhtred took power after defeating a Scottish invasion.
As well as his two sons Ælfhelm left a daughter, Ælfgifu of Northampton, by a woman named Wulfrun; Ælfgifu's territorial appellation is taken as further evidence that Ælfhelm had territory in the eastern Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
. She is perhaps more famous than her father, because at some time between 1013 and 1016 she married Cnut, son of Sweyn Forkbeard, future King of the English. Her son was Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot was King of England from 1037 to 1040. His cognomen "Harefoot" referred to his speed, and the skill of his huntsmanship. He was the son of Cnut the Great, king of England, Denmark, and Norway by Ælfgifu of Northampton...
, King of the English.