Person Page - 1645

     Harald Maddadsson Jarl of Orkney, Earl of Caithness married Gormflaeth/Hvarlod (?) of Moray, daughter of Malcolm mac Heth Earl of Ross and Unknown (?),
; his 2nd wife.^5,3,6 Harald Maddadsson Jarl of Orkney, Earl of Caithness married Afraig/Alfreka/Aufrika (?) of Fife, daughter of Duncan I "Dhonnchad" Macduff Mormaer (Earl) of Fife,
;
Her 1st husband; his 1st wife.^2,3,7 Harald Maddadsson Jarl of Orkney, Earl of Caithness was born circa 1133.⁸
Harald Maddadsson Jarl of Orkney, Earl of Caithness died circa 1206.⁸
     EDV-26. Harald Maddadsson Jarl of Orkney, Earl of Caithness was also known as Harald II Gamli "the Old" Maddadsson Earl of Orkney.^5,3,9 He was Earl of Orkney: [Ashley, pp. 454-455] HARALD II GAMLI (THE OLD) earl of Orkney 1139-1206. Harald was the longest serving earl of Orkney, although he was only six when RAGNALD III made him earl at the urging of the bishops of Orkney and Dunkeld. He was the son of Madach, earl of Atholl, whose wife Margaret was the sister of HARALD I, thus making Harald the grandson of HAAKON. Harald joined Ragnald on a trip to Norway in 1148, where Harald was confirmed in his earldom by king Inge. When Ragnald left on his crusade to Palestine in spring 1151 Harald, then aged 18, was left in full authority, supported by his first cousin (once removed) Thorbiorn. No sooner had Ragnald departed than Harald's cousin, ERLEND (III), the son of Harald I, claimed his share of the earldom. This dispute lasted for several years and in 1154 Erlend defeated Harald and ejected him from the earldom. Harald retained his share of the earldom of Caithness, however, and used this as his base in his unsuccessful attempts to regain the Orkneys. When Ragnald returned from his pilgrimage in 1155, he was initially supportive of Erlend until Erlend failed to return Ragnald's own share of the Orkneys. Ragnald then combined forces with Harald and, after a long struggle during the summer and autumn of 1156, with the advantage shifting from side to side, deposed Erlend and killed him. Ragnald was himself murdered two years later, leaving Harald the sole earl from August 1158.
For the next twenty years Harald ruled alone. He was evidently a popular ruler, as he was remembered by the sagamen as "a mighty chief, one of the strongest of men", but he was also hard-hearted as can be seen by his subsequent treatment of Earl HARALD III. Matters soured towards the end of his earldom. In 1194 Sigurd Magnusson used Orkney as the base for his insurrection against Sverre, the king of Norway. After Sigurd was killed, Harald was summoned to Norway to atone for allowing Sigurd to operate from Orkney. Harald was pardoned but he had to pay considerable fines and taxes to Sverre and was deprived of the Shetlands. In 1197 Harald encouraged his son, Thorfinn, to invade Moray, and this prompted WILLIAM THE LYON of Scotland to invade Caithness where he captured Harald and held him in prison. He was eventually restored to Orkney after Thorfinn surrendered himself. It was soon after this that he came into conflict with Harald III. Although he was the grandson of Ragnald III, who had always been kind and helpful to Harald the Old, Harald would not accept Harald the Young as his partner in the earldom. The dispute lasted for perhaps three years. Eventually Harald the Young prepared an invasion fleet but he was outfoxed by Harald the Old, who descended on his younger namesake and killed him at the Battle of Wick in 1198. Harald thereupon occupied Caithness. This angered William of Scotland, who confiscated Caithness and passed it in fief to RAGNALD Godredsson of Man. Harald recovered it in 1201, causing William to send his army north again. This time Harald reached terms with William, which meant him paying a quarter of his revenues on the lands over to the king. He agreed, because just at this same time Sverre of Norway had died, and Harald apparently refused to pay his fines to Norway thereafter. Harald died in 1206 aged about seventy-three. He had married twice and had eleven children. His eldest surviving son (since Thorfinn had died in 1202 and Haakon was killed in battle in Ireland in 1170), Henry, became earl of Ross, whilst the earldom of Orkney was shared between DAVID and JOHN. between 1139 and 1206.⁸

     William III (?) Prince of Orange & Stadholder, King of England was born on 4 November 1650 at The Hague, Netherlands.^1,2 He married Mary II (?) Queen of England and Scotland, daughter of James II (?) King of England and Anne Hyde, on 4 November 1677 at St. James's Palace, England.^3,2

William III (?) Prince of Orange & Stadholder, King of England died on 8 March 1702 at Kensington Palace, London, City of London, Greater London, England, at age 51.^1,2
     He was Prince of Orange & Stadholder between 1672 and 1702.¹ He was King of England and Scotland between 1689 and 1702.^1,2

     Margaret de Burgh married Sir Richard de Clare 5th Earl of Hertford, 5th Earl of Gloucester, son of Sir Gilbert de Clare 7th Earl of Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, 4th Earl of Gloucester and Isabel Marshal.^1,2,3

Margaret de Burgh died in 1237.¹

     Giselle (?) de France married Rollo (Ganger Rolf, Rollon) "The Viking" (?) Duke of Normandy, son of Ragnvald I "The Wise" Eysteinsson (?) 1st Earl of Orkney, Jarl of More and Ragnhild (Hiltrude) Hrolfsdotter (?), in 912.^5,1

Giselle (?) de France died in 919.¹
      ; Leo van de Pas cites: Burke's Guide to the Royal Family London, 1973 , Reference: 310.¹

     Marguerite (?) de Flandre was born between 1268 and 1270.¹⁰ She married Alexander Dunkeld (?) of Scotland, son of Alexander III "the Glorious" (?) King of Scots and Margaret (?) Princess of England, on 15 November 1282 at Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland,
;
Her 1st husband.^{1,5,2,10,3,7,4,11} Marguerite (?) de Flandre married Reinald I (?) Graaf van Gelre en Zutphen, son of Otto II or III (?) Count of Gueldres and Zutphen and Philippa de Dammartin comtesse de Gueldres, on 3 July 1286 at Namur
;
Her 2nd husband; his 2nd wife.^{12,2,3,7,13,4}
Marguerite (?) de Flandre died in 1330; Leo van de Pas says d. ca 1328; Racines et Histoire says d 1331.^1,5,2,7
Marguerite (?) de Flandre was buried in 1330 at Graefenthal Abbey, Kleve, Kreis Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; From Find A Grave:
     BIRTH     unknown
     DEATH     1331
     Daughter of Guy de Flandre Count of Namur and Isabelle de Luxembourg.
     Family Members
     Parents
          Guy I de Flandre-Dampierre 1225–1305
          Isabelle de Luxembourg unknown–1298
     Spouses
          Alexander Dunkeld 1264–1284 (m. 1282)
          Rainald I von Geldern 1255–1326 (m. 1286)
     Siblings
          Jean de Namur 1267–1330
          Isabel De Dampierre De Fiennes 1283–1323
     Half Siblings
          Robert de Bethune 1247–1322
          Jean de Flandre-Dampierre 1250–1292
          Marguerite de Flandre-Dampierre 1251–1285 (m. 1273)
     BURIAL     Graefenthal Abbey, Kleve, Kreis Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
     Created by: Lutetia
     Added: 21 Dec 2014
     Find A Grave Memorial 140283939.¹⁴
     Reference: Genealogics cites: Marguerite (?) de Flandre was also known as Marguerite de Flandre-Dampierre.¹⁴

; Per Med Lands:
     "MARGUERITE de Flandre (-after 17 Oct 1327, maybe 1331?). The Liber Pluscardensis records the marriage at Roxburgh in 1279 of "Alexander filius Alexandri tercii et…Margaretæ sororis Edwardi Langschankiæ regis Angliæ" and "filiam comitis Flandreæ"[721]. The Extracta ex Cronicis Scocie records the marriage "apud Roxburgh…dominica proxima post festum Martini" of "Alexander filius regis Alexandri" and "filiam comitis Flandrie" and the celebration which lasted 15 days, adding that she returned to Flanders after her husband died[722]. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records that "Rennolt…grave van Gelre" married secondly "dye dochter van dye grave van Flanderen", naming her "Mergreta" in a later passage[723]. The contract of marriage between "Renauls cuens de Ghelre et dus de Lemburgh" and "Guyon conte de Flandre et marchis de Namur et…dame Ysabel se feme…et noble damoisel Margherite fille dou conte et delle contesse devant ditte" is dated 21 Apr 1286[724]. Pope John XXII permitted "nobili mulieri Margarete relicte quondam Raynaldi comitis Gelrensis" to choose her own confessor, dated 17 Oct 1327[725]. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records that "dye gravinne van Gelre, Mergreta dochter van Flanderen" died in 1321 [incorrect date, should be 1331?] and was buried "toe Groenendaell"[726].
     "m firstly (Roxburgh 1279 or 15 Nov 1282) ALEXANDER Prince of Scotland, son of ALEXANDER III "the Glorious" King of Scotland & his first wife Margaret of England (Jedburgh, Roxburghshire 21 Jun 1264-Lindores Abbey, Fife 28 Jan 1283, bur Dunfermline Abbey, Fife).
     "m secondly (Namur 3 Jul 1286) as his second wife, REINALD I Graaf van Gelre, son of OTTO II Graaf van Gelre & his second wife Philippa de Dammartin (-9 Oct 1326)."
Med Lands cites:
; Per Med Lands:
     "REINALD van Gelre, son of OTTO II Graaf van Gelre & his second wife Philippa de Dammartin ([1255]-Montfort 9 Oct 1326, bur Grafenthal). The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop names "Rennolt" as the son of "Otto…grave van Gelre" and his second wife "Philippa, de grave van Syntpols dochter"[1109]. He succeeded as REINALD I Graaf van Gelre. "Theodericus comes Cliuensis" confirmed an alliance with "Reynaldus comes Gelrensis sororius noster" by charter dated 29 Dec 1277[1110]. "Reynaldus…comes Gelrensis dux Limburgensis et Irmengardis…comitissa et ducissa" granted privileges to Duisburg by charter dated 22 Mar 1279 (O.S.)[1111]. Rudolf I King of Germany granted "totam Friseam…Oestvrieslant" to "Reynaldo comite Gelrie", with the exception of the parts held by "comitem de Hollandia", by charter dated 29 Jul 1290[1112]. "Reynaldus comes Gelrensis" donated property to "cloester tsGrevendaell", for the souls of "pater suo domino Ottone quondam comite Gelrensi…matris sue domine Philippe et uxorum suarum domine Yrmegardis et domine Margarete comitissarum Gelrensium", by charter dated 20 May 1301[1113]. Heinrich VII King of Germany granted territory "inter Arnhem et Novamagium per Bethuam aggerem" to "Reynaldi comitis Gelrie" by charter dated 19 Sep 1310[1114]. The fact that Reinald’s son issued charters in his own name, which do not specify the consent of his father, suggests that Graaf Reinald I may have been incapacitated in some way towards the end of his life and relinquished his powers in favour of his son. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records the death "op sonte Dionisius" in 1326 of "Rennolt…grave van Gelre"[1115].
     "m firstly ([1276]) ERMENGARD Dss of Limburg, daughter of WALERAN IV Duke of Limburg & his first wife Jutta von Kleve (-Jun 1283, bur Grafenthal). The Oude Kronik van Brabant names "Ermgardis…filia…Henrici ducis Lymburgensis" as wife of "Reynaldus comes Ghelrie"[1116]. After her father's death, her succession to Limburg was disputed by her first cousin Adolf V Graf von Berg, who sold his rights to Jean Duke of Brabant[1117]. "Reynaldus…comes Gelrensis dux Limburgensis et Irmengardis…comitissa et ducissa" granted privileges to Duisburg by charter dated 22 Mar 1279 (O.S.)[1118]. "Rudolphus…Romanorum rex" invested "ducissæ Limburgensis, uxoris…Reinoldi comitis Gelriæ,…patris sui…heres unica" with "ducatum Limburgensem" by charted dated 19 May 1282[1119]. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records that "Rennolt…grave van Gelre" married "hertig Walerams Limborrich’s dochter" who was childless, died 9 Jun 1290 and was buried "toe Groennendaell"[1120].
     "m secondly (Namur 3 Jul 1286) as her second husband, MARGUERITE de Flandre, widow of ALEXANDER Prince of Scotland, daughter of GUY de Dampierre Count of Flanders & his second wife Isabelle de Luxembourg (-after 17 Oct 1327, [1331?]). The Liber Pluscardensis records the marriage at Roxburgh in 1279 of "Alexander filius Alexandri tercii et…Margaretæ sororis Edwardi Langschankiæ regis Angliæ" and "filiam comitis Flandreæ"[1121]. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records that "Rennolt…grave van Gelre" married secondly "dye dochter van dye grave van Flanderen", naming her "Mergreta" in a later passage[1122]. The contract of marriage between "Renauls cuens de Ghelre et dus de Lemburgh" and "Guyon conte de Flandre et marchis de Namur et…dame Ysabel se feme…et noble damoisel Margherite fille dou conte et delle contesse devant ditte" is dated 21 Apr 1286[1123]. Pope John XXII permitted "nobili mulieri Margarete relicte quondam Raynaldi comitis Gelrensis" to choose her own confessor, dated 17 Oct 1327[1124]. The Kronik van Arent toe Bocop records that "dye gravinne van Gelre, Mergreta dochter van Flanderen" died in 1321 [incorrect date, should be 1331?] and was buried "toe Groenendaell"[1125]."
Med Lands cites:

     Gui/Wido (?) Bishop of Soissons died circa 970.^1,2
     He was Bishop of Soissons between 937 and 970 at Soissons, France (now).^1,2

     Wilfrid (?) married Aethelred I (?) King of Wessex, son of Aethelwulf (?) King of Wessex and Osburh/Osburga (?), between 867 and 868.^1,2

     GAV-31 EDV-31 GKJ-31. Wilfrid (?) was also known as Wulfrida (?)³

     Aethelswitha (?) married Burgred (?) King of Mercia in March 853.^1,2

Aethelswitha (?) died in 888 at Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France (now); died while on a pilgrimage to Rome.²
Aethelswitha (?) was buried in 888 at Pavia, Provincia di Pavia, Lombardia, Italy.²

     Burgred (?) King of Mercia married Aethelswitha (?), daughter of Aethelwulf (?) King of Wessex and Osburh/Osburga (?), in March 853.^1,2

Burgred (?) King of Mercia died in 874 at Rome, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy (now).²
Burgred (?) King of Mercia was buried in 874 at St. Mary's Church, Rome, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy (now).²

     GAV-33 EDV-34 GKJ-33.

     Eadgyth (Edith) (?) was nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire, England.¹

     Cuthburh (?) married Aldfrith (?) King of Northumbria.²

     Athelburh (?) married Ina/Ine (?) King of Wessex, son of Cenred (?).¹

     Oswald (?) died in 730.¹

     Caedwalla (?) King of Wessex and Kent was King of Wessex: [Ashley, pp. 307-308] CAEDWALLA West Saxons, 685-8; Kent 686-8. Caedwalla's name is an anglicized form of the Celtic CADWALLON: CADWALADR, son of the Welsh prince of that name, had died only a few years before. To be named after someone who so recently had sought to destroy the Northumbrian kingdom suggests a very strong British connection in Caedwalla's parentage. The ASC gives his descent from CERDIC and though in many instances such connections are suspicious, Caedwalla's may be true, since CERDIC was also probably British. Caedwalla's father, Cenberht, had been a sub-king of CENWEALH'S who had died during WULFHERE'S advance into Wessex in 661. Caedwalla was two years old then and living in refuge with the remnants of his family in the great Forest of the Weald. He is likely to have been one of the claimants who sought to regain territory after the death of Cenwealh, and was expelled by CENTWINE around the year 680. Caedwalla was now a king without a kingdom and became notorious for his roving war-band of mercenaries which plundered the border territories of Wessex and Mercia. Although he was a pagan and remained so until his final years, he seems to have befriended Bishop Wilfrid who had come to Sussex in 680 and established a monastery at Selsey. Thereafter Caedwalla would use the excuse of the church, and as defender of Christianity, in his later purges, particularly of the Isle of Wight. It is likely that Caedwalla became involved in the feud between EADRIC of Kent and his uncle HLOTHHERE, as Caedwalla doubtless saw this as an opportunity to manipulate power. In early 685 Caedwalla's war-band descended on Sussex, laying the land to waste and killing its king ATHELWALH. He was driven out by two dukes, BERTHUN and Andhun.
At this time CENTWINE abdicated and retired to a monastery. It is not certain that Caedwalla forced him to abdicate, but Caedwalla seized the opportunity and was proclaimed king. Other sub-kings still ruled, but there is no record that they showed any opposition to Caedwalla who, probably by sheer force, held the position of power. He used this to oppose the Mercian menace which had killed his father, driven him into exile and usurped the West Saxon lands in the east. In the summer of 686 he returned to Sussex, killed Berthun and placed the kingdom under West Saxon control. His warband swept through into Kent, defeated Eadric and took control. Caedwalla placed his brother MUL in charge as king of Kent (he may also have had this authority over the South Saxons, though that is not recorded). He then invaded the Isle of Wight, killed their king ARWALD, allowed the two younger princes to be converted to Christianity and then executed them. Caedwalla was intent upon wiping out the Jutes of Wight and embarked upon a campaign of slaughter, which he saw as a war of Christianity against the pagans. At this stage he had determined to become baptized but had still not officially accepted the Christian faith. During this campaign Caedwalla was severely wounded, but this did not stop him returning to Kent to exact revenge for his brother whom the Kentish people had burned to death. His injury seemed mortal, and late in 688 he abdicated the throne in order to undertake a pilgrimage to Rome. He was baptized by Pope Sergius on Easter Day 689, and died ten days later on 20 April. He was buried in Rome.
Caedwalla was a complex character and far more than the "bloodthirsty young heathen" he has been described. He clearly was sympathetic to the Christian faith, for all that he used it to further his own ends, and he was recognized for his faith by many of the church leaders, including Wilfrid and Eorcenwald, the bishop of London. He endowed the church with land on the Isle of Wight, founded the monastery at Farnham in Sussex and supported monasteries elsewhere in Wessex, Kent and even Essex. He was the most powerful ruler in southern England since CEAWLIN, and it was due to his conquests that Wessex became the third power in the land, after Northumbria and Mercia. This power base was developed by INE. between 685 and 688.¹ He was King of Kent between 686 and 688.¹

     Mul (?) died in 687.¹
     He was King of Kent: [Ashley, p. 221] MUL ruled 686-7. Mul was the brother of the West Saxon king and conqueror CAEDWALLA. As a usurper Mul was not accepted by the Kentish people and, at the earliest opportunity, they rose up in revolt. Mul and his companions were driven into a building near the church at Canterbury which was set on fire, and Mul burned to death. between 686 and 687.¹

     Ceolwulf (?) died in 611.¹
     He was King of the West Saxons: [Ashley, pp. 302-303] CEOLWULF West Saxons, 594-611. Ceolwulf's ancestry is unclear from the variant references in the ASC. Allowing for the possibility that there was more than one Ceolwulf, he is described variously as the brother of CEOL, the son of CUTHA (which may be Cuthwine or Cuthwulf) and the son of CYNRIC. Although the genealogists strive to show a descent from CERDIC, this may not have been the case. After the overthrow of CEAWLIN and the brief reign of the usurper CEOL, it is possible that Ceolwulf regained the kingdom through a show of strength. If he was the son of Cutha, his father would have been a renowned soldier whose son would have been a welcome leader of the Gewisse. The ASC is not too certain about Ceolwulf's activities. He seems to have fought against everyone, including the Picts and the Scots: the annalists may here have confused this Ceolwulf with later rulers of Mercia and Northumbria. We have already conjectured that Cerdic may have been involved in battles against the Picts sixty years earlier, but it is a much harder to imagine Ceolwulf active in the north at a time when he was struggling to consolidate his territories in the south. The one possible solution to this may relate to the Pictish king NECHTAN, who also came to rule Strathclyde and possibly part of Rheged. It is just possible that some of Nechtan's troops reached as far south as Chester and that Ceolwulf's forays along the Welsh border took him this far north. He would certainly have been fighting the Angles of Mercia at this stage under PYBBA, and Pybba may even have called upon British or Pictish support as his son later called upon assistance from the Welsh. The one clearly recorded battle of Ceolwulf's is against the South Saxons in 607. He is not identified as the victor, and we may assume that this formed part of the advance of the South Saxons towards the West (see CISSA). Ceolwulf was succeeded by CYNEGILS. between 594 and 611.¹

     Cynegils (Cynglis) (?) died in 643.¹
     He was King of the West Saxons: [Ashley, pp. 303-304] CYNEGILS or CYNGLIS West Saxons, 611-43. Cynegils's exact ancestry is unclear but it seems likely that he was the son (or nephew) of CEOLWULF and grandson of CUTHA. The confusion over his pedigree has caused some commentators to suggest that there were two Cynegils, which may also account for the length of his reign, though the latter may be explained if Cynegils was young when he was elected leader. Cynegils is shown as fighting alongside Cwichelm in 614, and Cwichelm is elsewhere identified as Cynegils's son, but this is probably a false attribution. Cwichelm may even have been older than Cynegils and seems to have been a joint king of the Gewisse, probably ruling a separate grouping to the north of the Thames, where Cynegils ruled to the south. The battle of 614 was at Beandun, a site as yet unidentified, though Bindon, near Axmouth on the Devon-Dorset border, has been suggested. The scale of this victory was immense - the ASC records that over two thousand Welsh [British] were killed, and it is probable that the Celts of Dumnonia were supported by contingents from Wales (see TEWDWR). If Bindon is the correct location then it must have given the Saxons firm control over Dorset and probably Somerset. We can imagine that for the next few years Cynegils and Cwichelm fought to consolidate their victory along the borders of Dumnonia across the whole south-west peninsula and along the Severn Valley. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire was probably wholly Saxon by 625, and Cwichelm evidently had greater designs on territory to the north and east. It was probably his forces, or those of another group of the Gewisse, that attacked the East Saxons south of London in 623, killing the sons of SAEBERT. In 626 Cwichelm despatched a thane to assassinate EDWIN of Northumbria. He was unsuccessful, and Edwin sent a punitive army which devastated parts of Wessex and killed a number of war leaders. This must have weakened Cwichelm's defenses for in 628 he and Cynegils were defeated by PENDA of Mercia at the Battle of Cirencester, and thereafter the territory around Gloucester and Cirencester passed into Mercian hands. For the time being Cynegils and Cwichelm had to be satisfied with their territories in the south. In 634 Pope Honorius I despatched a new envoy to Britain. This was Birinus. It has never been fully explained why he was sent when the missionaries who had arrived with Augustine were still present. Possibly the Pope felt they needed additional support, as their efforts were concentrated in the south-east. Birinus came to the West Saxons and found that the Christian faith had not reached them at all. The date of this mission may be a few years later, because OSWALD of Northumbria was present when Birinus baptized Cynegils, and Oswald is unlikely to have left Northumbria in 634 or 635 within only a few months of regaining his kingdom. Oswald married Cynegils's daughter Cyneburh, and it may have been a condition of that marriage that Cynegils become a Christian. It is possible, of course, that Oswald himself requested Birinus in order to learn more about the Roman church - Oswald was already a Christian convert from his years of exile on Iona. The wedding and his conversion probably took place around 639 or 640 rather than 635. Cwichelm, it seems, was not converted until the following year (636 or 641) the same year in which he died. Cynegils gave Birinus land at Dorchester, south of Oxford, demonstrating that at this stage he still commanded land north of the Thames which was not yet subject to Mercia. Conversion did not happen all at once. Cuthred, Cwichelm's son, who probably succeeded his father as king of northern Wessex, was not converted until 639 (643?), whilst CENWEALH, who succeeded Cynegils, was not converted until much later. Cynegils's reign marked the start of the transition for the Gewisse from a group of roving war-bands to an established kingdom. between 611 and 643.¹

     Saint Aldhelm (?) Bishop of Sherborne was born circa 639.²
Saint Aldhelm (?) Bishop of Sherborne died in 709.²
      ; St. Aldhelm - Abbot of Malmesbury and Bishop of Sherborne, Latin poet and ecclesiastical writer (c. 639-709). Aldhelm, also written Ealdhelm, Ældhelm, Adelelmus, Althelmus, and Adelme, was a kinsman of Ine, King of Wessex, and apparently received his early education at Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, under an Irish Christian teacher named Maildubh. It is curious that Malmesbury, in early documents, is styled both Maildulfsburgh and Ealdhelmsbyrig, so that it is disputed whether the present name is commemorative of Maildubh or Ealdhelm, or, by "contamination," possibly of both (Plummer's "Bede," II, 310). Aldhelm himself attributes his progress in letters to the famous Adrian, a native of Roman Africa, but formerly a monk of Monte Cassino, who came to England in the train of Archbishop Theodore and was made Abbot of St. Augustine's, Canterbury. Seeing, however, that Theodore came to England only in 671, Aldhelm must then have been thirty or forty years of age. The Saxon scholar's turgid style and his partiality for Greek and extravagant terms have been traced with some probability to Adrian's influence (Hahn, "Bonifaz und Lul," p. 14). On returning to settle in Malmesbury our Saint, probably already a monk, seems to have succeeded his former teacher Maildubh, both in the direction of the Malmesbury School, and also as Abbot of the Monastery; but the exact dates given by some of the Saint's biographers cannot be trusted, since they depend upon charters of very doubtful authenticity. As abbot his life was most austere, and it is particularly recorded of him that he was wont to recite the entire Psalter standing up to his neck in ice-cold water. Under his rule the Abbey of Malmesbury prospered greatly, other monasteries were founded from it, and a chapel (ecclesiola), dedicated to St. Lawrence, built by Aldhelm in the village of Bradford-on-Avon, is standing to this day. (A. Freeman, "Academy," 1886, XXX, 154.) During the pontificate of Pope Sergius (687-701), the Saint visited Rome, and is said to have brought back from the Pope a privilege of exemption for his monastery. Unfortunately, however, the document which in the twelfth century passed for the Bull of Pope Sergius is undoubtedly spurious. At the request of a synod, held in Wessex, Aldhelm wrote a letter to the Britons of Devon and Cornwall upon the Paschal question, by which many of them are said to have been brought back to unity. In the year 705 Hedda, Bishop of the West Saxons, died, and, his diocese being divided, the western portion was assigned to Aldhelm, who reluctantly became the first Bishop of Sherborne. His episcopate was short in duration. Some of the stone-work of a church he built at Sherborne still remains. He died at Doulting (Somerset), in 709. His body was conveyed to Malmesbury, a distance of fifty miles, and crosses were erected along the way at each halting place where his remains rested for the night. Many miracles were attributed to the Saint both before and after his death. His feast was on May the 25th, and in 857 King Ethelwulf erected a magnificent silver shrine at Malmesbury in his honour.

"Aldhelm was the first Englishman who cultivated classical learning with any success, and the first of whom any literary remains are preserved" (Stubbs). Both from Ireland and from the Continent men wrote to ask him questions on points of learning. His chief prose work is a treatise, "De laude virginitatis" ("In praise of virginity"), preserved to us in a large number of manuscripts, some as early as the eighth century. This treatise, in imitation of Sedulius, Aldhelm afterwards versified. The metrical version is also still extant, and Ehwald has recently shown that it forms one piece with another poem, "De octo principalibus vitiis" (On the eight deadly sins"). The prose treatise on virginity was dedicated to the Abbess and nuns of Barking, a community which seems to have included more than one of the Saint's own relatives. Besides the tractate on the Paschal controversy already mentioned, several other letters of Aldhelm are preserved. One of these, addressed to Acircius, i.e. Ealdfrith, King of Northumbria, is a work of importance on the laws of prosody. To illustrate the rules laid down, the writer incorporates in his treatise a large collection of metrical Latin riddles. A few shorter extant poems are interesting, like all Aldhelm's writings, for the light which they throw upon religious thought in England at the close of the seventh century. We are struck by the writer's earnest devotion to the Mother of God, by the veneration paid to the saints, and notably to St. Peter, "the key-bearer," by the importance attached to the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and to prayer for the dead, and by the esteem in which he held the monastic profession. Aldhelm's vocabulary is very extravagant, and his style artificial and involved. His latinity might perhaps appear to more advantage if it were critically edited. An authoritative edition of his works is much needed. To this day, on account of the misinterpretation of two lines which really refer to Our Blessed Lady, his poem on virginity is still printed as if it were dedicated to a certain Abbess Maxima. Aldhelm also composed poetry in his native tongue, but of this no specimen survives. The best edition of Aldhelm's works, though very unsatisfactory, is that of Dr. Giles (Oxford, 1844). It has been reprinted in Migne (P.L., LXXXIX, 83 sqq.) Some of his letters have been edited among those of St. Boniface in the "Monumenta Germaniae" (Epist. Aevi Merovingici, I).²

     Cyneburh (?) married Oswald (?) King of Northumbria.²

     Oswald (?) King of Northumbria married Cyneburh (?), daughter of Cynegils (Cynglis) (?).¹

Oswald (?) King of Northumbria died on 5 August 642.¹

     Cenwealh (?) King of Wessex married Seaxburh (?) Queen of the West Saxons in 645.²

Cenwealh (?) King of Wessex died in 672.¹
     He was King of the West Saxons: [Ashley, pp. 304-305] CENWEALH West Saxons, 643-5; 648-72. The son and successor of CYNEGILS. His name means "bold (or keen) Welshman", which suggests his mother was British. The "keenness" was reflected in his later actions. He was a headstrong youth, as he refused to accept conversion to the Roman Christian faith under Birinus who had come as missionary to the West Saxons in or after the year 634. Cenwealh had also been married to the sister of PENDA of Mercia, probably as part of a political alliance during the late 630s. However, early into his reign, probably about the year 645, Cenwealh abandoned his wife in favour of another. This infuriated Penda who sent an army against Cenwealh and drove him out of the kingdom. He fled into exile in East Anglia where he subsequently accepted Christianity from the devout Anglian king ANNA. Cenwealh was restored to his kingdom after three years, though what he did to make amends to Penda is not recorded. Though it is not stated who ruled Wessex during his exile, it was likely to be CUTHRED, the son of Cwichelm. In 648 Cenwealh gave Cuthred three thousand hides of land (between 300 and 450 square miles) at Ashdown (on the Berkshire Downs), probably by way of compensation. Now that Cenwealh had converted to Christianity, he wished to promote it amongst the West Saxons. When Birinus died in 650, Cenwealh invited the Frankish monk Agilbert to take over the see at Dorchester. Unfortunately Agilbert did not know the Saxon language and Cenwealh, ever impatient, got fed up trying to understand him, and in 660 he created a new diocese at Winchester, appointing Wine as the bishop. Agilbert had not been consulted over this and so left Wessex. Wine also fell out with Cenwealh sometime before 670 and entered into negotiations with WULFHERE of Mercia to buy the see of London. Wessex was thus without a bishop. Cenwealh appealed to Agilbert, who was now bishop of Paris, and though Agilbert refused to return he sent his nephew Leuthere. These episodes demonstrate that Cenwealh was an impulsive, impatient man, with strong passions once his mind was made up, but with little regard for the consequences.
Throughout the latter part of his reign Cenwealh was increasingly over-shadowed by Mercia, which grew in power and encroached upon former West Saxon territory. It seems that after his exile Cenwealh had needed to re-establish his authority for in 652 he is recorded as fighting at Bradford-on-Avon, possibly against the British of Dumnonia, though the Welsh under MORGAN MWYNFAWR were also involved. One chronicler referred to this battle as a civil war suggesting Cenwealh was defending himself against other West Saxons, which is quite a possibility considering what happened after his death. The battle seems to have been indecisive, and we can imagine that his control over his territories was weakened. However he recovered and in 658 was victorious over the British at Penselwood, driving them back across the river Parret into Somerset. Three years later he defeated them again at Postbury, so that by 661 he could claim to have regained controlled over Somerset. However, by that same year, Wulfhere controlled all of the lands to the north of the Thames, possibly including the abbey at Dorchester, which is why Cenwealh created a new one at Winchester. Cuthred is recorded as dying in 661, the same year that Wulfhere invaded his territory at Ashdown, and it is likely that Cuthred died in the conflict. Another sub-king, Cenberht, also died in 661. By the end of 661 Wulfhere's army had invaded as far as the Isle of Wight which he took from the West Saxons and gave to the South Saxons. It has been suggested that these events were not all telescoped into one year but the result of a series of incursions by Wulfhere, but it is certain that by the mid-660s Cenwealh's territory had been seriously reduced by Wulfhere and his authority limited. Although he still remained on good terms with a number of kings and church officials, particularly in Northumbria, when Cenwealh died he left a kingdom weaker than when he came. As a result the government of the kingdom fractured under a number of sub-kings, whilst Cenwealh's queen, SEAXBURH, endeavoured to maintain control. between 643 and 672.¹

     Seaxburh (?) Queen of the West Saxons married Cenwealh (?) King of Wessex, son of Cynegils (Cynglis) (?), in 645.¹

     Seaxburh (?) Queen of the West Saxons was Queen of the West Saxons, [Ashley, pp. 305-306] SEAXBURH Queen of the West Saxons, 672-3. Seaxburh is unique in being the only queen regnant identified in the Saxon regnal lists. These exceptional circumstances are not explained in the annals and need some consideration. She was the widow of CENWEALH and, unless he married again, we must assume that she was the wife he took in the year 645 when he abandoned his first wife, the sister of PENDA. She was probably in her late forties at least when he died, possibly older. Bede records that on the death of Cenwealh, sub-kings assumed control and divided the kingdom up amongst themselves until reunited by CENTWINE ten years later. The regnal lists however do not identify multiple kings, and it is not necessarily correct to state that the four kings named between Cenwealh and INE necessarily ruled concurrently. The picture painted is more one of civil strife, common in many Saxon kingdoms, of rival claimants fighting over the throne. It is probable that in these circumstances Seaxburh endeavoured to hold together some form of central power with the support of Leuthere, the bishop of Winchester. There were any number of athelings (princes) in Wessex at this time aspiring for kingship. Amongst the more powerful were Cenred, the father of INE, who seems to have had territory in or around Dorset, Cenfus, the father of AESCWINE, who ruled somewhere in northern Wessex, and Baldred who ruled for many years in parts of Somerset. How long Seaxburh survived is not recorded, but Aescwine seems to have usurped authority after a year. It is strange that no children are recorded to Cenwealh and Seaxburh, and they may have had none, but it is possible that Seaxburh remained as regent for an infant son, who may have died or been killed by one of the rival claimants. Seaxburh's death is not recorded, but she probably retired to the monastery at Winchester. between 672 and 673.¹

     Centwine (?) King of Wessex married Eangyth (?)¹

     Centwine (?) King of Wessex was King of the West Saxons: [Ashley, pp. 306-307] CENTWINE West Saxons, 676-85. Centwine is identified as a son of CYNEGILS and brother of CENWEALH, and if so he must have been in his forties when he claimed rulership of the West Saxons. This may seem a little too old for one who was regarded as a strong king by bishop Aldhelm, and who was victorious in battle, but it is about the right age for one who eventually abdicated and became a monk perhaps ten years later. In truth Centwine's origins are uncertain. If he was one of the many sub-kings who, according to Bede, divided the kingdom between them after Cenwealh's death, then he was the one who united the kingdom again, as Aldhelm recognized him as the king of the West Saxons. Aldhelm recalls three major victories of Centwine's, though over whom he does not state. The ASC records only one, in 682, when Centwine "drove the British as far as the sea", which probably means a major campaign into Devon. Another victory may have been against his rival CAEDWALLA, who was driven into exile probably around the year 680. Although Bede makes no reference to Centwine, the king had connections at the Northumbrian court through his wife Eangyth, the niece of EORCENBERT of Kent. Her sister, Eormenburh, was the wife of EGFRITH of Northumbria. Eormenburh's hatred of Bishop Wilfrid meant that when he was expelled from Northumbria, Eangyth convinced Centwine not to allow him into Wessex, and he found his way instead to Sussex where ATHELWALH granted him land at Selsey. Centwine is believed to have had at least two children: the abbess Eadburh (known affectionately as Bugga) who later went on a pilgrimage to Rome, and a son Oshere, who died some time before 720. Centwine was a great benefactor of the church, especially Glastonbury Abbey, and retired (willingly or by force is not clear) to become a monk in his final years. It has been suggested that he was related to St Aldhelm, who might have been his brother. between 676 and 685.¹