Misplaced Pages

#224775

49-738: Morcar and his brother Ēadwine, now Earl of Mercia, assisted the Northumbrian rebels to expel Tostig Godwinson . In October 1065 the Northumbrians chose Morcar as earl at York . He at once satisfied the people of the Bernicia by making over the government of the country beyond the River Tyne to Osulf of Bamburgh, the eldest son of Eadwulf IV of Bamburgh , the Bernician earl whom Siward had slain in 1041. Marching southwards with

98-466: A different family. He would need to be able to win the support of the Northumbrian nobles, but also work closely with Edward himself and help to integrate this distant earldom into the larger English political structure. Leofric's son Ælfgar, Earl of East Anglia , seems to have been hopeful that he would win the prize, and possibly some unknown member of the ancient ruling house of Bernicia had

147-544: A large share of the cost, and provided at his own expense sixty vessels for the conveyance of the troops across the channel. Furthermore, his eldest son and heir fought bravely at Hastings as noted in several contemporary records. As a result, Roger's elder sons were rewarded generously with lands in England, and both eventually were made English earls by the sons of the Conqueror. Wace's statement may therefore cast doubt on

196-571: A loyal friend. William, however, committed him to the custody of Roger de Beaumont , who kept him closely imprisoned in Normandy. When the king was on his deathbed in 1087, he ordered that Morcar should be released, in common with others whom he had kept in prison in England and Normandy, on condition that they took an oath not to disturb the peace in either land. He was not long out of prison, for William Rufus took him to England, and on arriving at Winchester put him in prison there. Nothing further

245-536: A new low point when, in 1063 or 1064, he had two of them, Gamal son of Orm and Ulf son of Dolfin, murdered while they were visiting him under safe-conduct. A third noble, Gospatric son of Uhtred, was likewise murdered at Christmas 1064, either at Tostig's instigation or at that of his sister Edith . The dissident faction in Northumbria now knew that their grievances could not be ended by compromise, but only by more extreme measures. On 3 October 1065, while Tostig

294-617: Is known about him, and it is therefore probable that he died in prison. Morcar has been portrayed by Noel Johnson in the two-part BBC TV play Conquest (1966), part of the series Theatre 625 , and by Simon Rouse in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990). He is a significant character in Man With a Sword by Henry Treece , where he and Hereward the Wake are shown becoming allies and friends in spite of some past clashes. He

343-686: Is mentioned in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland when the Mouse attempts to dry itself and other characters by reciting a dry example of English history, this inclusion in Carroll's book is made interesting as he was distantly related to both Morcar and Edwin. (Martin Gardner, The Annotated Alice, Clarkson Potter, New York (1960), pp 46-7.) Duke Morcar was also the subject of a Fake history documentary by

392-551: The Godwinsons , became Earl of East Anglia in his stead. This move, together with the creation of new minor earldoms and substantial redrawing of borders at Ælfgar's expense, left him possessed of a smaller Mercia than his father had ruled, while all the rest of England was held, under the king, by the Godwinsons, and principally by the brothers Harold and Tostig. The Vita Ædwardi Regis , an anonymous Latin life of Edward

441-671: The YouTuber GamesonHardMode. Northumbrian Revolt of 1065 The Northumbrian Revolt of 1065 was a rebellion in the last months of the reign of Edward the Confessor against the earl of Northumbria , Tostig Godwinson , brother of Harold Godwinson , Earl of Wessex . Tostig, who had been earl since 1055, is said to have provoked his nobles to rise against him by his harsh administration of justice, raising of tax levels, frequent absences from his earldom, and murder of several political opponents. In October 1065

490-620: The Anglo-Saxon kingdom apart", and some historians, such as Frank Stenton and Kelly DeVries have believed that the removal of Northumbria from the holdings of the Godwin family seriously weakened the ability of the English kingdom under Harold to resist attack. Others, however, such as N. J. Higham and Tom Licence hold the contrary opinion that it was in Harold's interests to further

539-563: The Confessor written at about the time of the Norman Conquest , includes a description of Tostig's appearance and character. It calls him strong, brave, handsome and graceful, open-handed, especially with gifts to the Church, trustworthy, faithful to his wife, secretive, shrewd, not rash, capable of restraint, but generally vigorous and unwearying in pursuing his purposes, sometimes to the point of overzealousness in confronting evil. He

SECTION 10

#1732773226225

588-557: The Danish (i.e., Norman) family". The explanation for his exalted position appears to be that as an older cousin who had never rebelled against the young Duke, he was part of the kinship group of noblemen that William relied upon in governing Normandy and fighting-off frequent rebellion and invasions. The historian Frank McLynn observed that William relied heavily on relatives on his mother's side, namely his half-brothers Bishop Odo and Robert, and brothers-in-law, and on relatives descended from

637-463: The Duchess Gunnor's sisters, since his own paternal kin had proved unreliable. Wace , the 12th-century historian, wrote that: "At the time of the invasion of England, Roger was summoned to the great council at Lillebonne , on account of his wisdom; but he did not join in the expedition as he was too far advanced in years". Although Roger could not fight, he did not hesitate in contributing

686-575: The Duchy. He was also feudal lord of Pont-Audemer , a settlement built around the first bridge to cross the River Risle upstream of its estuary, shared with the River Seine . Roger was nicknamed La Barbe (Latinised to Barbatus ) (i.e. "The Bearded"). Planché described him as "the noblest, the wealthiest, and the most valiant seigneur of Normandy, and the greatest and most trusted friend of

735-489: The Northumbrians' demands, promised that their old laws would be restored, loaded Tostig with precious gifts, and sent him into exile. It was to be his last public act. A contemporary source, the Vita Ædwardi Regis , tells us that the king "protested to God with deep sorrow that he was deprived of the due obedience of his men in repressing the presumption of the unrighteous; and he called down God's vengeance upon them". Such

784-463: The ambitions of the brothers Edwin and Morcar, whose sister Ealdgyth he at some unknown date married and whose alliance he thereby gained. Roger de Beaumont Roger de Beaumont (c. 1015 – 29 November 1094), feudal lord (French: seigneur ) of Beaumont-le-Roger and of Pont-Audemer in Normandy , was a powerful Norman nobleman and close advisor to William the Conqueror . Roger

833-646: The citizens to raise one or the other of them to the throne. They concurred in the election of Edgar the Ætheling but, disappointed of their hope, left the city with their forces and returned to the north, believing that the Conqueror would not advance so far. Before long, however, they met William of Normandy either at Berkhamsted , or more probably at Barking, after his coronation. William accepted their submission, received from them gifts and hostages, and they were reinstated. The Conqueror carried Morcar and his brother with him into Normandy in 1067, and after his return kept them at his court. In 1068, they withdrew from

882-405: The court, reached their earldoms, and rebelled against William. They were supported by a large number both of English and Welsh; the clergy, the monks, and the poor were strongly on their side, and messages were sent to every part of the kingdom to stir up resistance. Morcar's activity may perhaps be inferred from the prominent part taken in the movement by York. It seems probable, however, that Edgar

931-613: The defence of the south coast against the threat from Normandy. For contemporary observers, in particular the Vita Ædwardi Regis and the C recension of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , the Northumbrian Revolt and the rift between Tostig and Harold set in motion the events which culminated in the Norman Conquest . In modern times, Michael John Key has called Tostig's anger at his brother "the fuse that would blow

980-517: The deposition of Tostig he tried and failed to raise his own army against them. On Harold's advice, he finally gave in to their demands and recognised Morcar. Tostig was sent into exile in Flanders , from where, disgusted at what he saw as his brother's betrayal, he shortly afterward raided the English coast, finally dying in arms against him at the Battle of Stamford Bridge . The Northumbrian Revolt

1029-587: The earl rather than the king, it may have been intended to defray Tostig's own expenses, such as those incurred by his campaigning in Wales. He is also reported by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to have become unpopular because he "robbed God", a mysterious phrase whose precise meaning can only be guessed at since he was a conspicuously pious and generous son of the Church. Another sore point was his administration of justice in this lawless province, which

SECTION 20

#1732773226225

1078-450: The king of Scots, Malcolm Canmore . Malcolm initially launched a series of cross-border raids into Northumbria, but Tostig countered them peacefully, helping to negotiate a treaty between England and Scotland which was sealed by an oath of blood brotherhood between himself and Malcolm. This peace did not entirely hold. There was a major Scottish raid into Northumbria in 1061, and Malcolm may have invaded and annexed Cumbria some time in

1127-529: The old earl Siward, but the choice of Morcar ensured the support of Mercia. Morcar and Edwin were both young men, sons of the recently deceased Ælfgar, earl of Mercia; they are known to have been considered rivals to Tostig, perhaps ever since he took up the earldom. The Northumbrian rebels moved south, gathering along the way reinforcements from Nottinghamshire , Derbyshire and Lincolnshire . Men identified, rightly or wrongly, as belonging to Tostig's party were slaughtered wherever they were found, whether in

1176-475: The period 1058 to 1061, though it is also possible that this happened after Tostig's death. Tostig nevertheless felt able to frequently absent himself from his earldom, sometimes attending the king's court, sometimes his personal estates in Wiltshire , on one occasion collaborating with his brother Harold in an invasion of Wales, and on another making a pilgrimage to Rome . During these absences Northumbria

1225-659: The possibility of Roger being depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry feasting at Hastings. However it is possible that he crossed the Channel so he could continue to act as a valued member of the Duke's council, perhaps giving advice on military tactics, yet stayed well behind the line of battle at headquarters. Roger married c. 1048, Adeline of Meulan (c. 1014-1020 - 8 April 1081), the daughter of Waleran, Count de Meulan, and Oda de Conteville. Their surviving children were: Roger

1274-411: The rebellion himself, but this Harold denied on oath. It is impossible now to be sure whether Harold actually had any involvement or not, but Tostig never forgave his brother. Harold was sent to negotiate with the rebels, and the rebels asked him to intercede for them with the king and induce him to accept their choice of Morcar as earl. When Harold returned south on this mission they proceeded to harry

1323-428: The rebellion, but no army responded to his call. The difficulty of mobilising in unseasonably wintry weather was used as an excuse for this, but the underlying problem was that no-one relished the prospect of a civil war. When the king's chief men simply refused to obey him, and when Harold, his greatest earl, advised him to abandon Tostig's cause, he realized that he had no further options. On 27 October he acceded to

1372-607: The rebels entered Northumbria's capital, York , killed Tostig's men, looted his treasury, renounced their allegiance to Tostig and proclaimed Morcar , brother of Edwin, Earl of Mercia , as their new earl. They then marched south to Northampton , causing much devastation in Yorkshire and the North Midlands as they went, and joining forces with the army of Mercia . The king sent his chief earl, Harold Godwinson, to negotiate with them, and when they refused to compromise on

1421-404: The rebels, Morcar gathered into his forces the men of Nottingham, Derby, and Lincoln, members of the old Danish confederacy of towns , and met Ēadwine, who was at the head of a considerable force at Northampton . There the brothers and their rebel army considered proposals for peace offered to them by Earl Harold Godwinson . Negotiations continued at Oxford , where, the Northumbrians insisting on

1470-419: The recognition of Morcar, Harold yielded on the 28th, and Morcar's election was legalised. On the death of Edward the Confessor , Morcar professedly supported Harold, but the people of his earldom were dissatisfied. Harold visited York, the seat of Morcar's government, in the spring of 1066, and overcame their disaffection by peaceful means. In the summer, Morcar joined his brother Edwin in repulsing Tostig, who

1519-409: The region around Northampton, killing many, taking others prisoner, and burning barns and houses. The king sent messengers telling them that he would redress all valid grievances so long as they halted their devastation and relied instead on legal process. The rebels responded with a pre-condition that the king must first depose and exile Tostig. The king summoned his army to assemble, hoping to crush

Morcar - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-605: The same ambition, while Harold, Earl of Wessex, was lobbying for his younger brother, Tostig. When the king's council, the Witan , was convened on 19 March, Ælfgar was taken out of the running by being accused of treason and sentenced to outlawry , and Northumbria was assigned to Tostig. Ælfgar was soon reinstated in East Anglia , and when his father died in 1057 he was allowed to succeed him in Mercia , though Gyrth , another of

1617-628: The spring of 1066 he raided various parts of the English coast from the Isle of Wight up to the Humber , before linking up with Harald Hardrada's invasion force in September 1066. Thereafter he shared the Norwegian king's fortunes, dying with him at Stamford Bridge on 25 September, in a battle which did much to deplete the forces of its victor, Tostig's brother Harold, and to divert his attention from

1666-649: The streets of York and Lincoln or in the villages, fields and waterways. Upon reaching Northampton they were joined by Edwin with a large Mercian army which included also some Welsh troops. The king responded by calling his counsellors to join him at Britford in Wiltshire, from where they moved in October to Oxford . The advice they gave him was conflicting and intemperate. Some thought Tostig had brought this crisis on himself by his harsh government. Tostig blamed his brother Harold, accusing him of having plotted

1715-469: The three main Northumbrian factions (based around the house of Bamburgh, the see of Durham , and the Yorkshire nobility) he benefited from being seen as neutral. Perhaps also the fact that Tostig had a Danish mother would have helped him to understand the mixed Anglo-Saxon and Danish culture of Northumbria. One of the major problems facing Tostig was the defence of his province against aggression from

1764-434: The three main noble families, Harold Godwinson controlling the south of England, Siward the north, and Leofric and his son Ælfgar the centre. This state of affairs came to an end when Siward, Earl of Northumbria died in 1055, presenting Edward with a difficult choice of successor. Siward's elder son had already died in battle, and the younger one was still a child, so the successful candidate would have to come from

1813-504: The use of that port's revenues and knights. Mercenaries in large numbers joined forces with him there, possibly including Hereward the Wake . His movements in the next few months are uncertain, but there are reports of his having visited William II , Duke of Normandy, Swein Estrithson , King of Denmark, and Harald Hardrada , King of Norway, in search of allies who might help him regain his position in England by force. Certainly, in

1862-407: Was a particular favourite with the king. When he took up his new position he was probably still in his mid-twenties, and the task that faced him was formidable. Northumbria was a turbulent, feud-ridden, and lawless province far distant from his own native Wessex, and its nobles may have resented having a southerner placed over them, though it is also possible that having no connection with any of

1911-468: Was away hunting with the king, Edward the Confessor, in Wiltshire, a force of 200 warriors led by three thegns named Gamelbearn, presumably a relative of the murdered Gamal, Dunstan son of Æthelnoth and Glonieorn son of Heardwulf, entered York with the support of its citizens, stormed Tostig's house and there killed two of his housecarls (household troops). The following day they massacred some 200 of his supporters and seized his treasury, still full as it

1960-467: Was capably governed by Tostig's deputy, Copsi , but it nevertheless started to become restive while its earl was elsewhere. One major source of tension between Tostig and the Northumbrian thanes was his imposition of a tribute seen by them as being unjust and excessive. This may have been an attempt to bring the local tax-levels, historically very low, more into line with those in the rest of England; or, since one third of such tributes were retained by

2009-568: Was his grief, continues the Vita , that he fell sick and grew progressively worse. This sickness, which can probably be identified as a series of strokes, ended with his death in January 1066 and the accession to the English throne of his nominated successor, Harold. Tostig, together with his family and household, accepted the hospitality of his brother-in-law, Baldwin V, Count of Flanders , who made him his deputy in Saint-Omer and gave him

Morcar - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-435: Was made between them and the king, and William, it is said, was about to send them to prison, but they escaped secretly from the court. After wandering about for a while, keeping to wild country, they separated, and Morcar joined the insurgents in the Isle of Ely , and remained with them until the surrender of the island. Morcar, it is said, surrendered himself on the assurance that the king would pardon him and receive him as

2107-429: Was nominally the head of the rebellion, and that he was specially upheld by the Bernician district under Gospatric . Morcar and his brother were not inclined to risk too much; they advanced with their men to Warwick, and there made submission to the Conqueror, were pardoned, and again kept at court, the king treating them with an appearance of favour. On their defection, the rebellion came to nothing. In 1071, some mischief

2156-457: Was of the gold and silver collected by his reeves in the latest round of tax-gathering. The whole thegnage of Yorkshire, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , now rose in revolt. The rebels declared Tostig an outlaw and named Morcar , brother of the Edwin, Earl of Mercia , as their new earl. Native Northumbrian candidates for the post had been available to them, notably Waltheof , son of

2205-503: Was ravaging the Mercian coast. When, however, Tostig and his ally Harald Hardrada invaded Northumbria in September, Morcar evidently was not ready to meet them; it was not until York was threatened that, having then been joined by Edwin, he went out against them with a large army. The two earls were defeated at Fulford Gate near York in a fierce battle in which, according to a Norse authority, Morcar seems to have been prominent. York

2254-439: Was seen as harsh. Robbers could be killed or mutilated and their property confiscated; indeed, some alleged that his profits from this last measure were his main motive for pursuing wrongdoers. There is some indication that he introduced laws from Wessex in an attempt to stamp out the Northumbrian tradition of blood feuds , though he ended up embroiled in such feuds himself. Tostig's relations with discontented thegns reached

2303-419: Was seen at the time, and is still often seen, as the first stage in the destabilising of the English kingdom that led up to the Norman Conquest . During the first part of the reign of Edward the Confessor, from 1042 to 1055, much of his power was shared with his nobles, of whom the most important were the earls of Wessex , Mercia and Northumbria. By the end of this period there was a balance of power between

2352-533: Was son of Humphrey de Vieilles (who was a grand-nephew of the Duchess Gunnor of Normandy) by his wife Albreda de la Haye Auberie. He was thus a second cousin once removed of William the Conqueror . His Norman feudal lordship had its caput and castle at Beaumont-le-Roger , a settlement situated on the upper reaches of the River Risle , in Normandy, about 46 km SW of Rouen , the capital of

2401-475: Was surrendered, and Harold Godwinson had to march in haste to save the north by the Battle of Stamford Bridge . Ungrateful for this deliverance, Morcar and his brother held back the forces of the north from joining Harold in the defense of the kingdom against the Normans. After the Battle of Hastings , Morcar and his brother arrived at London, sent their sister Ealdgyth , Harold's widow, to Chester , and urged

#224775