Person Page - 10243

     Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England was born between 942 and 944.² He was the son of Eadmund I, King of England and Ælfgifu (?)³ He married, secondly, Wulfthryth (?)³ He married, firstly, Æthelflæd 'the Fair' (?), daughter of Ordmær, Ealdorman and Ealda (?), between 961 and 962.² He married, thirdly, Ælfthryth (?), daughter of Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon, between 964 and 965.² He died on 8 July 975 at Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.⁴ He was buried at Glastonbury Abbey, Glastonbury, Somerset, England^G.⁴
     He gained the title of King Eadgar of Northumbria and Mercia in 958.¹ He succeeded as the King Eadgar of England on 1 October 959.¹ He was crowned King of England on 11 May 973 at Bath Abbey, Bath, Somerset, England^G. This ceremony did not occur earlier as St. Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury, would not agree to crown Edgar until he amended his way of life.²
     Edgar was the younger brother of Edwy the previous king. Dunstan, who had been exiled by Edwy, was recalled and appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Dunstan organised an elaborate coronation for Edgar at Bath and afterwards had a powerful influence on the King. Edgar associated himself closely with the Church and his reign was peaceful and the country was well organised, having a common system of weights, measures and coinage. The courts of justice functioned well and both education and literature flourished. In 973 all the lesser kings, including the Welsh princes, promised allegiance and eight of them made a symbolic gesture by rowing a barge with the King at the helm upon the River Dee. This was a golden era.

     Ælfthryth (?) was born circa 945 at Lydford Castle, Devon, England^G.² She was the daughter of Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon. She married, firstly, Æthelwold, Ealdorman of East Anglia, son of Æthelstan, Ealdorman, between 962 and 963.³ She married, secondly, Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England, son of Eadmund I, King of England and Ælfgifu (?), between 964 and 965.² She died circa 17 November 1002 at Wherwell Abbey, Hampshire, England^G.³
     She was also known as Alstrita (?)² She was also known as Elstrudis (?)³ From 11 May 973, her married name became Queen Elfrida of England.³ She was a nun circa 986 at Wherwell Abbey, Hampshire, England^G.³

     Æthelflæd 'the Fair' (?) was the daughter of Ordmær, Ealdorman and Ealda (?)¹ She married Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England, son of Eadmund I, King of England and Ælfgifu (?), between 961 and 962.¹ She died between 962 and 964.¹

     St. Edward 'the Martyr', King of England was born between 962 and 963.¹ He was the son of Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England and Æthelflæd 'the Fair' (?)² He died on 18 March 978 at Corfe Castle, Devon, England^G, murdered by his step-mother, Queen Elfrida, without issue.³ He was buried at Wareham Abbey, Dorset, England^G.³ He was buried at Shaftesbury, Dorset, England^G.⁴
     He succeeded as the King Edward of England on 8 July 975.¹ He was crowned King of England in 975 at Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England^G.¹
     Edward the Martyr was Edgar's eldest son but was only about 12 years old when he came to the throne and was crowned by Dunstan. In 976 there was a famine causing great hardship. In 978 the chief councillors of state were assembled on an upper floor of a building in Calne, Wiltshire, when the floor collapsed. All were injured except Dunstan who had been standing on a beam. In the same year Edward decided to visit his step-mother, Elfrida, at Corfe and whilst there she had him murdered so that her son Ethelred would be King. His tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage. Later, he was made a Saint, the annual celebration being held on March 18th, the anniversary of his death.

     Ordmær, Ealdorman married Ealda (?)¹
     He gained the title of Ealdorman (?)

     Edmund Atheling (?) was born circa 965.² He was the son of Eadgar 'the Peaceful', King of England and Ælfthryth (?)¹ He died between 970 and 972.² He was buried at Romsey Abbey, Romsey, Hampshire, England^G.²

     Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon was born at Devon, England^G.¹ He died in 971 at Devon, England^G.¹
     He gained the title of Ealdorman of Devon.

     Eadmund I, King of England was born in 922 at Wessex, England.¹ He was the son of Eadweard I, King of Wessex and Eadgifu (?)² He married, firstly, Ælfgifu (?) circa 940.¹ He married, secondly, Æthelflæd (?), daughter of Ælfgar, Ealdorman of the Wilsaetas, circa 946.¹ He died on 26 May 946 at Pucklechurch, Bristol, England^G, murdered, by an outlaw named Liofa.¹ He was buried at Glastonbury, Somerset, England^G.
     Eadmund I, King of England also went by the nick-name of Edmund 'the Elder' (?) He succeeded as the King Eadmund I of England on 27 October 939.¹ He was crowned King of England on 29 November 939 at Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England^G.¹
     Edmund was the half-brother of Athelstan and was only 18 years old on his accession. When Vikings from Ireland invaded, the Archbishop of Canterbury arranged a treaty between them and the English and this divided the country. Later Edmund defeated these Vikings and regained the lost territory. Edmund had allies in the Welsh princes and together they laid waste to Strathclyde. Edmund was warlike and an effective monarch. An interesting story about Edmund concerns Dunstan, who in later years became Archbishop of Canterbury. Edmund and Dunstan were good companions but treacherous courtiers wrongly discredited Dunstan and he was so upset that he contemplated leaving the country he loved so much. Just afterwards, the year was 943, he and Edmund were out riding at Cheddar when Edmund's horse reared up and bolted towards the cliffs of the Gorge. When all seemed lost, the thought struck Edmund of the evil done to Dunstan by the courtiers. He struggled and managed to regain control of his horse and thus avoid the cliffs. He called Dunstan and straightway rode with him to Glastonbury and immediately appointed his good friend as Abbot there.

     Ælfgifu (?) married Eadmund I, King of England, son of Eadweard I, King of Wessex and Eadgifu (?), circa 940.² She died between 944 and 946 at Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset, England^G.²
     She was also known as Edgira (?)³

     Eadwig, King of England was born between 941 and 943.³ He was the son of Eadmund I, King of England and Ælfgifu (?)⁴ He married Ælfgifu (?), daughter of Æthelgifu (?), between 955 and 956.³ He and Ælfgifu (?) were divorced after 956 on the grounds of consanguinity.⁴ He died on 1 October 959 at Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England^G.³ He was buried at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.³
     Eadwig, King of England also went by the nick-name of Edwy 'the Fair' (?)³ He succeeded as the King Eadwig of England on 23 November 955.³ He was crowned King of England circa 26 January 956 at Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England^G.³
     Eadred, the previous king, had no children and upon his death the elder son, Edwy or Eadwig, of his brother Edmund was chosen as King. Edwy was only 15 years old at the time. In 956 Edwy exiled Dunstan, the previous king's chief minister. Edwy gave land to a number of monasteries including Bampton Church in Oxford and Southwell Minster, York. (A minster was the church of a monastery). Edwy married Elfgifu but this was annulled by order of Archbishop Odo of Canterbury because they were too closely related. Elfgifu was then put to death.