Earl of East Anglia
The Earls of East Anglia were rulers of the former Kingdom of East Anglia between the 10th and 12th centuries. They were instituted after the death of Guthrum II the last Danish King of East Anglia, and the submission of the kingdom to King Edward of Wessex in 917.
Anglo-Saxon Ealdormen of East Anglia
In 917 the East Anglian Danes had accepted Edward as king. It is not clear who replaced Guthrum II as the local ruler, but it is probable that the Ealdorman Æthelfrith of south east Mercia may have been granted authority over the newly restored area by Edward[1]. He died in c.927[2] and was succeeded by his son, Æthelstan Half-King, a very powerful ruler who ruled an extensive territory and witnessed numerous charters from 932[3], and who established a ruling dynasty after him.
Canute the Great's conquest meant he had to divide the Kingdom of England into easily manageable regions, and he appointed Thorkell the Tall the Earl of East Anglia in 1017. There is scant evidence of these earls after Thorkell and his family were outlawed by Canute in 1021, only to be pardoned again in 1023. It is unlikely that his son Harald Thorkellson succeeded him as he is only described as the king's hostage[4] or fosterson[5] in England.
Anglo-Danish and Norman Earls
Anglo-Saxon rule of England was restored with the accession of King Edward the Confessor in 1042. Subsequent earls included Ælfgār who was outlawed successively in 1055 and 1058, but pardoned each time[6].
After Ralph's failed plot to murder William the Conqueror (known as the Revolt of the Earls), the king subsequently splits East Anglia into smaller estates including Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge. The Earldom ceased to exist after Roger Bigod, who was the last to be styled Earl of East Anglia[7], although in practice he was appointed Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, and sometimes known as the 1st Earl of Norfolk. His son Hugh Bigod was entitled only as Earl of Norfolk.
List of ealdormen and earls
| Anglo-Saxon ealdormen and earls of East Anglia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Citation(s) | Notes |
| 930 | 931 | Ælfred | [8] | |
| 932 | 956 | Æthelstan Half-King | [8] | |
| 957 | 962 | Æthelwald | [8] | |
| 962 | 992 | Æthelwine | [8] | |
| 993 | 1002 | Leofsige | [8] | He is also Ealdorman in Essex[8] |
| 1004 | 1016 | Ulfcytel Snillingr | [8] | |
| 1017 | 1021 | Thorkell the Tall | [8] | |
| ? c. 1026 | 1044 or 1045 | Osgot Clapa * | [8] | * Uncertain[8] |
| 1044 or 1045 | 1051 | Harold Godwinson | [8] | |
| 1051 | 1052 | Ælfgar | [8] | |
| 1052 | 1053 | Harold Godwinson | [8] | |
| 1053 | 1057 | Ælfgar | [8] | |
| 1057 | 1066 | Gyrth Godwinson | [8] | |
| Norman earls of East Anglia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Citation(s) | Notes |
| 1067 | 1069 | Radulf the Staller | [8] | |
| c. 1069 | 1071 | Radulf de Gael | [8] | |
| 1075 | c. 1093 | Alan the Red | [8] | Alan, count of Brittany, held the lands of the old East Anglian earldom without inheriting the title[8] |
References
- ^ Walker, Ian W. Mercia and the making of England Sutton 2000 ISBN 0-7509-2131-5 p130
- ^ Aemyers Genealogy: Earl Athelfrith Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ Prosopography of Anglo Saxon England: Æthelstan Half-King Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ Danish Nobility: Family of Thorkell the Tall Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ Lavelle, Ryan The use and abuse of hostages in later Anglo-Saxon England Early Medieval Europe, Vol 14 Iss 3, p269–296
- ^ Domesday Book: East Anglia, Algar, Earl of Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ Rootsweb: Bigod Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Cyril Hart, The Danelaw, London (1992), p. 195, table 5.2