Person Page - 1658

     Randver (?) died circa 770.¹
     GAV-34 EDV-34 GKJ-35.

; Ashley (p. 738) notes that Randver's reign was possibly during the 750's and that the relationship between Randver and Ivar Halfdansson is not clear. He calls Randver "son of a ruler of Russia".¹

     Ivarr "the Boneless" (?) King of Dublin and York died in 873; Baldwin cites: AU = The Annals of Ulster to A.D. 1131, edited by S. Mac Airt and G. Mac Niocaill (Dublin, 1984), also available (without English translation) at the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) website (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/).^1,2
      ; Per Baldwin:
     "Ímar (Old Norse Ivarr), king of Dublin (& York?), d. 873 [AU] [He was the historical prototype of the Ivar the Boneless of the Icelandic sagas, which, however, cannot be trusted to give any historical information about him. The only certain information about him is given in the Irish annals during the period 856-873, and his possible role as king of York, though reasonably likely, is disputed by some.]
AU = The Annals of Ulster to A.D. 1131, edited by S. Mac Airt and G. Mac Niocaill (Dublin, 1984), also available (without English translation) at the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) website (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/)."² GAV-31 EDV-34. Ivarr "the Boneless" (?) King of Dublin and York was also known as Ímar (?) King of Dublin and York.²

; Per Baldwin:
     "Some would place the legendary Ragnarr Loðbrók (a figure of the Icelandic sagas and of the Danish pseudohistorian Saxo) in this position [father of Ivarr]. However, Ragnarr Loðbrók is a figure of legend, not history, and the historically documented genealogy ends with Ivarr (#1088)."² He was King of Dublin: [Ashley, p. 459] IVARR the BONELESS Jorvik, 866-73; Dublin, 871-3. Ivarr was purportedly the son of the Danish hero Ragnar Lodbrok and brother of HALFDAN. The two brothers had allied with OLAF THE WHITE, the Norwegian king of Dublin as early as 857, using Dublin as a base for plundering the coasts of Ireland and Britain. From 864 Ivarr and Halfdan began campaigning across Britain. They had brought together what became known as the "Great Army" or "the Host", which was a formidable and almost invincible fighting machine. They invaded East Anglia in 865, and used it as their base. In 866, following the death of their father in a raid on York, Ivarr and Halfdan invaded Deira. Their victory was immediate and the last English kings of Deira were killed. Ivarr set up EGBERT (I) as his client king in Bernicia, but with his army now partly based in York, Ivarr was regarded as the power (if not the king) in that region. Over the next five years Ivarr and Halfdan continually harried the east coast of England. In the winter of 869 EDMUND of East Anglia attempted to stop them and was killed. In 871 Olaf the White returned to Norway and Ivarr took the opportunity to return to Dublin and claim the kingship. By the time he left Britain most of eastern England, from the Tees to the Thames was under Danish control. He left Halfdan in charge of the Great Army. On his death in 873 Ivarr was remembered as king of all the Scandinavians in Britain and Ireland. He also founded a dynasty that ruled Dublin (and for a period York) for the next two hundred years. between 871 and 873.¹

     Halfdan Ragnarson (?) King of Jorvik (York) died in 877.¹
     He was King of Jorvik: [Ashley, pp. 459-460] HALFDAN RAGNARSON Jorvik, 873-7. Halfdan, the brother of IVARR THE Boneless, took control of the "Great Army" in 871 and was effectively ruler of the Northumbrian Danes from that time. He returned to York in 872 to quell a revolt led by RICSIG, who had taken control in Bernicia. From that time the "Great Army" remained based in York. In 875, Halfdan combined his force with the "Summer Army" under GUTHRUM, and invaded Mercia, overthrowing king BURGRED at Repton and installing a client ruler CEOLWULF. Halfdan now controlled almost all the eastern half of England from the Tees to the Thames. However, in Halfdan's eyes the real jewel was the control of Dublin. Later in 875, he crossed Scotland, inflicting what damage he could upon the Picts, and upon reaching Dublin slew Eystein, the son of OLAF THE WHITE, who had been installed as king. Although Halfdan proclaimed himself king of Dublin, he was soon ejected by the Norse and he made his way back to York. It is at that time that the real kingdom of Jorvik may be said to commence, as Halfdan parcelled out land to his supporters who settled down to farm. Halfdan, however, was restless. He was a true warrior king. In 877 he sought to raise an army again to conquer Dublin. However this time many of his men were tired of battle and wished to settle and raise families. One record suggests that Halfdan was exiled from York. It was thus with a much smaller army that he ventured back across Scotland. He reached Ireland but was killed by the Norse at the battle of Strangford Lough. His dejected warband sought to return to York across Scotland where they were confronted by the army of CONSTANTINE (I), who was killed in the conflict. After Halfdan's death the Danes of Jorvik seemed content to be ruled by EGBERT (II) of Bernicia, and it was not until 883 that a new Danish king, GOTHFRITH, was elected. between 873 and 877.¹

     Ivar II (?) King of Dublin died in 904.¹

     Sigfrid (?) King of Dublin died in 888.¹

     Guthorm (?) died in 890.¹

     Gothfrith (?) King of Dublin died in 934.¹

     Olaf Gothfrithson (?) King of Dublin died in 941.¹
     He was King of York, Kind of Dublin: [Ashley, pp. 463-464] OLAF GOTHFRITHSON Dublin, 934-41; York and the Five Boroughs 939-41. This ruler should not be confused with another Olaf Gothfrithson, an earlier king of Dublin who was known as OLAF THE WHITE. Olaf was the son of Gothfrith, king of Dublin, and nephew of RAGNALL and SITRIC, kings of York. His father had tried unsuccessfully to gain York in 927 and had been expelled by ATHELSTAN. Olaf doubtless kept up the hope of recovering the kingdom. Generally he emerges as a better commander and tactician than his father, despite his youth. Within three years of succeeding him as king of Dublin, he had achieved what had always eluded his father - the conquest of the rival Viking settlements along the east coast of Ireland, so as to become the king of a confederacy of Norse towns centred on Dublin. He was probably little more than eighteen at this time. He now had a strong power base from which to launch his campaign on York. In the autumn of 937 his fleet sailed for Britain. He succeeded in raising support from his allies in Scotland (CONSTANTINE II) and Strathclyde (Owen III), and this vast army moved down the east coast of Britain to enter York. From there Olaf marched south into Mercia where he met the English army under Athelstan at Brunanburh, believed to be near Nottingham. This was one of the decisive battles of the Saxon period for had Olaf won, it would have shifted the Scandinavian-Saxon balance in England and Olaf would have had an opportunity to take overall command. As it was Athelstan's victory was complete; the Scandinavian, British and Scottish forces were devastated and Olaf only just escaped to his boat with his life. He sailed back to Scotland and eventually to Dublin to rethink his tactics. Within two years Athelstan was dead, and Olaf immediately embarked on another invasion, even though winter was approaching. In November 939 he again successfully took York. Here he readily received the support of the Northumbrian witan, including Wulfstan, the archbishop of York, who accompanied Olaf on his march south into Mercia. Athelstan's brother EDMUND was only eighteen and, though already a seasoned warrior, was not the equal of his predecessor. Edmund besieged Olaf at Leicester but the king escaped. Eventually a truce was agreed between the two young kings with the aid of Wulfstan and Oda, archbishop of Canterbury. As a result Olaf became king not only of York but also of the Five Boroughs of Danish Mercia - Leicester, Lincoln, Stamford, Nottingham and Derby. His kingdom stretched across middle and northern England and across the Irish sea, including Man, to the confederate Viking towns of eastern Ireland. For a king then scarcely twenty-one it was a remarkable achievement. Had he lived longer he might have established himself more in the folk-memory of Britain, but he was killed the following year during a raid on Bernicia and Lothian, seeking the submission of the Northumbrian church. Despite his youth Olaf had married twice, first to a daughter of Constantine II, and secondly the daughter of Ormr, an Anglo-Danish earl in York. He had two sons who survived into their twenties but who died in Ireland. He was succeeded by his cousin OLAF SITRICSON. between 934 and 941.¹

     Blacar (?) King of Dublin died in 948.¹

     Ragnall II Gothfrithson (?) King of York was born circa 920.¹
Ragnall II Gothfrithson (?) King of York died in 945.¹
     He was King of York, [Ashley, pp. 465-466] RAGNALL (II) GOTHFRITHSON York, 943-5. Ragnall was the son of Gothfrith, king of Dublin, and nephew of RAGNALL (I). He had probably been in York since his brother, OLAF, had regained Northumbria in 939. He is not likely to have been an older brother of Olaf's, which suggests that he was born around 920 or 921. In 943, after his cousin OLAF SITRICSON was expelled for refusing to accept Christianity, Ragnall was accepted as king. He was probably brought to power more by the authority of Wulfstan, archbishop of York, who had taken on the role of a northern king-maker, than necessarily by the general acceptance of the Scandinavians of York. There was a lapse of some months before Ragnall "made his peace" (as the chroniclers recorded) with EDMUND of Wessex, to whom he submitted late in that year, when he was also baptized. Olaf Sitricson retired to the hills of Strathclyde and during 944 and 945 no doubt plotted to recover the kingdom. Although there is no record, it is possible that some conflicts occurred between the two factions at this time, and it may have been this that prompted Edmund to bring his forces to bear upon the Norse kings. In 945 he attacked York and in the conflict that followed Ragnall was killed. between 943 and 945.¹

     Sigurd Hjort Helgasson (?) King of Ringerike married Thyrni Haraldsdatter (?), daughter of Harold Klak (?) of Jutland.³

     GAV-34 EDV-34.

     GAV-35 EDV-35 GKJ-36.

     Athelstan (?) King of Kent was born circa 800.¹
Athelstan (?) King of Kent died circa 852.^1,2
      ; Athelstan, Subregulus of Kent, Essex, Sussex and Surrey, +ca 851; m.NN.² He was King of Kent: [Ashley, p. 226] ATHELSTAN ruled 839-c52. The ASC records that on the death of EGBERT, Wessex passed to his son ATHELWOLF, while Kent (which included Essex and Sussex) passed to his son Athelstan. The phrasing is ambiguous and some authorities regard this Athelstan as the eldest son of Athelwolf. That is possible, though as Athelwolf's marriage is usually dated to 830, Athelstan would have been nine years old, and it is very unlikely that a king would entrust the command of such vulnerable territories to an infant, even as a token of future inheritance. Athelwolf may have married earlier, but the more likely interpretation of the ASC is that Athelstan was a younger son of Egbert's, perhaps born around the year 800, and thus in his late thirties. There is a suggestion that this Athelstan may previously have reigned in East Anglia from 825 and, though this cannot be proved, it would make sense. In 851 Athelstan and his ealdorman Ealhere, met a Danish fleet off the coast of Sandwich in Kent, and won. The Danes were the masters of the sea, and to defeat them in a naval battle was a remarkable achievement. Athelstan is not mentioned again after this battle, though there is no suggestion that he died in the conflict. He probably died a year or two later. between 839 and 852.¹

     Athelweard (?) Subregulus of Kent died in 850.²

     Athelwold (?) King of Kent/York was born in 868.^1,2
Athelwold (?) King of Kent/York died in 902; killed at the battle of the Holm.^1,2
      ; Ethelwald, King of York (901-902), pretender to the throne of Wessex, *ca 868, +k.a.Battle of the Holm 902; m.NN, professed nun.² He was King of Jorvik: [Ashley, p. 461] ATHELWOLD Jorvik, 899-902; East Angles, 902. Athelwold was the son of ATHELRED (I) of the West Saxons and believed himself the true heir to the throne of Wessex. He had been born in 868 and had been too young to succeed when his father died in 871. After the death of his uncle ALFRED in October 899, Athelwold made a bid for the throne. He seized the royal manor at Wimborne where he was besieged by the soldiers of the new king, EDWARD (THE ELDER), but Athelwold escaped under cover of darkness and outran the levies, escaping into Northumbria. He must have arrived soon after the death of SIGFRID and, somewhat surprisingly, he was accepted by the Northumbrians - Danes and Angles alike - as their king. Athelwold soon found his position challenged by a dispossessed Danish prince, CANUTE, who landed at Cleveland, but Athelwold drove him back. However Canute was more successful on his second attempt and was accepted by the Danes as their king. It is not clear whether Athelwold remained king of the Northumbrian Angles during this period, but he almost certainly remained in the area. Canute was assassinated within the year, and although the record is silent on the matter, it raises the question of Athelwold's involvement. Athelwold was intent upon raising an army to regain his kingdom. At some stage he left Northumbria - it is not clear when - for by 902 he was amongst the Danes of East Anglia. It is possible he brought with him an army of Northumbrian Danes and joined forces with ERIC of East Anglia. Athelwold succeeded in bending the East Saxons to his will. In 902 Athelwold and Eric led a confederate army across the Thames to raid and plunder Wessex. Edward's army pursued Athelwold back into East Anglia without success, but just as Edward disbanded his army Athelwold made a surprise attack. The battle of the Holm, as recorded in the ASC, was long and bloody, and though the Danes regarded it as their victory, both their king and Athelwold were killed. between 899 and 902.¹

     Aethelglyth/Aelswitha (?) of Mercia married Aethelhelm (?) Ealdorman of Wiltshire, son of Aethelred I (?) King of Wessex and Wilfrid (?).^1,3,4,2

      ; Per Med Lands:
     "ÆTHELHELM (-[12] Jun 897). "Æthelhel[m] dux" subscribed an undated charter of King Alfred, named first in the list of subscribers before the king's nephew and son[591]. Ealdorman of Wiltshire. "Ethelhelm comes Wiltunensium" carried the alms of Alfred King of Wessex to Rome in 887[592]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in [886/87] "ealdorman Æthelhelm took the alms of the West Saxons and of king Alfred to Rome"[593]. King Alfred granted "Æthelhelm comes" land at North Newnton, Wiltshire by charter dated 892[594]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 893 "ealdorman Æthelred and ealdorman Æthelhelm and ealdorman Æthelnoth" besieged and later defeated the Danes "at Buttington on Severn shore"[595]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the death in 897 "nine nights before midsummer" of "Æthelhelm ealdorman of Wiltshire"[596].
     "m ÆLSWITHA, daughter of ---. The primary source which confirms her marriage has not yet been identified.
     "Æthelhelm & his wife had [two] children:
Med Lands cites: GAV-34 EDV-34 GKJ-35.

     Athelflaed (?) married Aethelweard "The Historian" (?) Thegn in Sussex, Ealdorman in Wessx, son of Eadric (?) Ealdorman and Aethelgifu (?).¹

     EDV-31 GKJ-32.

     Eadgyth Swanneshals "Swan-neck" (?) was born circa 1025.³
      ; Per Weis: “Harold II "Godwinson," b. abt. 1022, slain in Battle of Hastings 14 Oct. 1066, Ealdorman of East Anglia, succ. father 1053 Ealdorman of Wessex, King of England 1066 )succeeded Edward the Confessor); m., as 2nd husb., Edith (176A-4), wid. of Grufydd I Ap Llywelyn (176-2), Prince of North Wales. By Ealdgith (Edith) "Swansneck", his "handfast wife" (non-Christian mar.), before he m. Edith of Mercia, he had with others ... Gytha of Wessex" (1B-24.)⁴
; Per Med Lands:
     "HAROLD, son of GODWIN Earl of Wessex & his wife Gytha of Denmark ([1022/25]-killed in battle Hastings 14 Oct 1066, bur [Waltham Abbey]). His parentage is confirmed in several places in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle[2046]. He was created Earl of the East Angles, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1044 by King Edward "the Confessor". King Edward granted him part of the earldom of his brother Svein, after the latter was outlawed following his seduction of the Abbess of Leominster. After joining his father's threatened armed rebellion against the king in 1051, he fled to Ireland with his brother Leofwine[2047]. He returned from Ireland the following year and joined forces with his father[2048]. Harold was appointed to succeed his father as Earl of Wessex in 1053, his own earldom of the East Angles passing to Ælfgar son of Leofric Earl of Mercia[2049]. He led the counter-offensive against Gruffydd ap Llywellyn Prince of Wales in 1063, in reprisal for Welsh raids[2050]. On a mission to France in [1064], he was captured by Guy [de Ponthieu] Comte d'Abbeville and imprisoned at Beaurain. Guillaume II Duke of Normandy, Guy's suzerain, secured Harold's release, possibly in return for the latter's acknowledgement of Duke Guillaume as successor to the English throne, the event being recorded in the Bayeux tapestry. Guillaume of Jumièges records that “Edwardus Anglorum rex” had already sent “Rodbertum Cantuariorum archipræsulem” to Normandy to recognise Duke Guillaume as his heir, and that the king sent “Heraldum” as his representative to finalise the affair, that Harold landed at Ponthieu and was captured by “Widonis Abbatisvillæ comitis”, from whom Duke Guillaume rescued him and brought him back to Normandy where he swore allegiance to the duke, who retained “adolescentem Vulnotem fratrem eius” as hostage[2051]. According to Eadmer[2052], the reason for Harold's visit to Normandy was to negotiate the release of his brother Wulfnoth and nephew Haakon, both of whom had been held hostage there since 1051. In spite of earlier promises to Duke Guillaume, on his deathbed King Edward "the Confessor" bequeathed the kingdom to Harold. The choice was unopposed at court and Harold succeeded as HAROLD II King of England, crowned 6 Jan 1066. It is unclear whether there was a meeting, formal or informal, of a council to consider the matter, or whether members of such council took part in some form of election as it might be recognised today. There would probably have been little need for formality as the succession was presumably a foregone conclusion. Duke Guillaume branded Harold a perjurer and appealed to Pope Alexander II for support. After receiving a papal banner in response to this request, the duke gathered a sizable army during Summer 1066 ready for invasion. In response to the invasion by his brother Tostig and Harald III "Hardråde" King of Norway (who also claimed the throne of England), King Harold marched northwards and defeated the invaders at Stamford Bridge 25 Sep 1066. Harold returned south, but meanwhile Duke William's army had set sail from Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme 28 Sep. King Harold hastily reassembled his army to meet this second invasion at Hastings 14 Oct 1066, where he was killed. The Chronique de Normandie, based on le Roman de Rou, records that King Harold II was killed at Hastings by "un chevalier…Robert fils Herveis"[2053]. According to the Waltham Chronicle written some time after 1177, King Harold's body was identified on the battlefield by his mistress Eadgyth Swanneshals and taken to Waltham for burial[2054]. William of Malmesbury also says that King Harold was buried at Waltham, though by his mother[2055].
     "Betrothed ([1064]) to ADELISA de Normandie, daughter of GUILLAUME II Duke of Normandy & his wife Mathilde de Flandre ([1055]-7 Dec, 1066 or after). Guillaume of Jumièges records that Duke Guillaume betrothed “Heraldum” to “Adelizam filiam suam” after rescuing Harold from “Widonis Abbatisvillæ comitis” and bringing him back to Normandy[2056]. Orderic Vitalis records the betrothal of Adelaide and Harold, listing her after Agatha and before Constance in his description of the careers of the daughters of King William[2057] (although in another passage he names Agatha as the daughter who was betrothed to Harold[2058]). The sources are contradictory concerning the name of the daughter betrothed to Harold, as well as the timing of her death. The only near certainty is that it would presumably have been the oldest available daughter who was betrothed to Harold. Matthew of Paris does not name her but lists her fourth among the daughters of King William, while distinguishing her from the fifth daughter betrothed to "Aldefonso Galiciæ regi"[2059]. Guillaume de Jumièges records that the (unamed, but named Adelisa in an earlier passage) daughter who was betrothed to Harold was the duke’s third daughter and that she died a virgin although she was of an age to marry[2060]. Orderic Vitalis says that Adelaide "a most fair maiden vowed herself to God when she reached marriageable age and made a pious end under the protection of Roger of Beaumont"[2061]. The daughter betrothed to Harold was alive in early 1066, according to Eadmer of Canterbury[2062] who says that Duke Guillaume requested King Harold, soon after his accession, to keep his promise to marry his daughter. This is contradicted by William of Malmesbury[2063], who says that her death before that of Edward "the Confessor" was taken by King Harold II as marking absolution from his oath to Duke Guillaume. She died as a nun at Préaux[2064]. The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "VII Id Dec" of "Adeliza filia regis Anglorum", stating that her father made a donation for her soul[2065]. The necrology of Saint-Nicaise de Meulan records the death of "Adelina filia regis Anglorum", undated but listed among deaths at the end of the calendar year[2066].
     "m ([1064/early 1066]) as her second husband, EALDGYTH of Mercia, widow of GRUFFYDD ap Llywellyn Prince of Gwynedd and Powys, daughter of ÆLFGAR Earl of Mercia & his first wife Ælfgifu. Florence of Worcester’s genealogies name "regina Aldgitha, comitis Ælfgari filia" as mother of King Harold’s son "Haroldum"[2067]. Orderic Vitalis records that "Edwinus…et Morcarus comites, filii Algari…Edgivam sororem eorum" married firstly "Gritfridi…regis Guallorum" and secondly "Heraldo"[2068]. In a later passage, the same source names her “Aldit”[2069]. Her parentage and marriage with King Harold are confirmed by Florence of Worcester who records that "earls Edwin and Morcar…sent off their sister Queen Elgitha to Chester" after the battle of Hastings[2070]. There is no source which pinpoints the date of Ealdgyth’s second marriage. Freeman suggests that the absence of any reference to his queen in the sources which record the circumstances of Harold’s accession and coronation may indicate that his marriage took place afterwards[2071]. If Harold's son Ulf was legitimate (see below), the marriage would have taken place in the earlier part of the date range which is shown above.
     "Mistress (1): EADGYTH "Swanneshals [Swan-neck]", [daughter of --- & his wife Wulfgyth] (-after 1066). A mid-12th century manuscript concerning the foundation of Waltham abbey names "Editham cognomento Swanneshals" as "cubicularia" of King Harold when recording that she recovered the king’s body for burial after the battle of Hastings[2072]. The later Vita Haroldi records that "a certain woman of a shrewd intelligence, Edith by name" recovered the king’s body from the battlefield, chosen to do so "because she loved him exceedingly…[and] had been frequently present in the secret places of his chamber"[2073]. The only source so far identified which refers to an earlier document which names Eadgyth is the history of the abbey of St Benet, Holme, written by John of Oxnead in 1292, which records donations to the abbey, confirmed by King Edward in 1046, including the donation by "Edgyue Swanneshals" of "Thurgertone" (Thurgarton, Norfolk)[2074]. The fact of this donation is confirmed by the corresponding charter of King Edward, reproduced in Dugdale’s Monasticon[2075], which refers to the donation of "ecclesiam de Thurgartun cum tota villa" but omits the name of the donor. Barlow suggests that Eadgyth may have been "Ealdgyth" who is named in the will of her mother "Wulfgyth", dated to [1042/53], who bequeathed land "at Stisted, Essex to her sons Ælfketel and Ketel…at Saxlingham, Norfolk and Somerton, Suffolk to her daughters Gode and Bote, at Chadacre, Suffolk and Ashford to her daughter Ealdgyth, and at Fritton to Earl Godwin and Earl Harold"[2076]. The connection between Wulfgyth’s family and St Benet’s, Hulme is confirmed by the testament of "Ketel" (named in his mother’s will quoted above), dated to [1052/66], which includes bequests of land to the abbey[2077]. However, Ketel’s testament names his two sisters Gode and Bote, who are also named in their mother’s will, but does not name "Ealdgyth", suggesting that the latter may have predeceased her brother. None of the sources so far identified suggests, even indirectly, that Eadgyth "Swanneshals" was the mother of the seven illegitimate children of King Harold who are shown below, but this has been assumed to be the case in secondary sources.
     "[Mistress (2): --- (-after 1086). Domesday Book records "quædam concubina Heraldi" as holding three houses in Canterbury[2078]. It is not known whether this unnamed person was the same as Eadgyth "Swanneshals".] "
Med Lands cites:

; Per Genealogics:
     “Eadgyth Swannesha was born about 1025. Also known as Edith Swanneschals or Edith the Fair, she is best known as the consort of King Harold II of England. She is also commonly known as Edith Swanneck (or Swan-Neck), but this comes from a historical misinterpretation that her nickname represented Old English swann hnecca, 'swan neck'. She is sometimes confused with Ealdgyth (Edith) of Mercia, daughter of Alfgar 'the Saxon', ealdorman of Mercia, and Harold's queen consort.
     “Eadgyth Swannesha bore Harold several children and was his common law wife (according to Danish law, by a civil 'handfast' marriage) for over 20 years. Though she was not considered Harold's wife by the Church, there is no indication that the children she bore by Harold were treated as illegitimate by the culture of the time. In fact, one of Harold and Eadgyth's daughters, Gytha of Wessex, was addressed as 'princess' and was married to the grand duke of Kiev, Vladimir Monomakh.
     “Though King Harold II is said to have lawfully married Edith of Mercia, widow of the Welsh ruler Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, king of Deheubarth, whom he had defeated in battle, that marriage in the spring of 1066 is seen by most modern scholars as one of political convenience. Mercia and Wales were allied against England, and the marriage gave the English claim in two very troublesome regions, and also gave Harold a marriage deemed 'legitimate' by the clergy, unlike his longtime common law marriage with Eadgyth Swannesha.
     “Eadgyth Swannesha was remembered in history and folklore chiefly because it was she who identified Harold's body after the Battle of Hastings. The body was horrifically mutilated after the battle by the Norman army of William the Conqueror, and, despite pleas by Harold's mother for William to surrender Harold's body for burial, the Norman army refused, even though Harold's mother offered Harold's weight in gold. It was then that Eadyth Swannesha walked through the carnage of the battle so that she might identify Harold by markings on his chest known only to her. It was because of Eadgyth's identification of Harold's body that Harold was given a Christian burial by the monks at Waltham Abbey.
     “Eadgyth Swannesha is thought to have died about 1086.”.³

Reference: Genealogics cites: The Lineage and Ancestry of H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Edinburgh, 1977, Paget, Gerald. I 8.³

; This is the same person as ”Edith the Fair” at Wikipedia.⁶ She and Harold II Godwinson (?) King of England were associated;
Poss. his 1st wife. His "mistress" per Med Lands, 'children by" per Genealogics", "his 'handfast wife' (non-Christian mar.)" per Weis.^7,5,1,4,3

     John Conyers 3rd Lord Conyers was born in 1524.¹ He married Lady Maud Clifford, daughter of Henry Clifford KG, 11th Lord Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland and Lady Margaret Percy, before 28 October 1539.^1,3

John Conyers 3rd Lord Conyers died on 30 June 1557; dspms.^1,2
      ; JOHN CONYERS, 3rd LORD (Baron) CONYERS; b c 1524; served Siege of Leith in war against Scots 1544, ktd there, Warden W Marches and Govr Carlisle temp EDWARD VI and Warden E Marches and Govr Berwick temp MARY; m by 28 Oct 1539 Maud, dau of 1st Earl of Cumberland (see DE CLIFFORD, B), and dspms 30 June 1557, having had, with two sons (dsp & vp, so that the Barony of Conyers fell into abeyance between the surv daus and subsequently their representatives):
1a Anne; m Anthony Kempe, of Slindon, Sussex, and had an only s:
1b Henry; dsp
2a Elizabeth; m Thomas Darcy (d 6 Nov 1605), Lt Tower of London, 2nd s of Sir Arthur Darcy (see DARCY DE KNAYTH, B), and d 6 June 1572, leaving:
1b Conyers Darcy (Sir), 4th LORD (Baron) CONYERS, for whom see further below
3a Katherine; m John Atherton, of Atherton, Lancs; their issue became extinct on the death sp 13 July 1644 of their gdau Anne, w of Sir William Pennyman, 1st and last Bt
4a Margaret; d unm, presumably vp.¹


; JOHN CONYERS, 3rd LORD (Baron) CONYERS; ktd 11 May 1544; m by 28 Oct 1539 Maud, dau of 1st Earl of Cumberland (see DE CLIFFORD, B), and d 30 June 1557, when the Barony of Conyers fell into abeyance between his surv daus and their descendants, having had issue (with three other daus who either dsp or had issue who themselves dsp within at most two generations.) He was 3rd Lord (Baron) Conyers.¹

     Elfwynn (?) of Mercia was born circa 904.²
Elfwynn (?) of Mercia died after 919.²

     Alfred (?) died; died young.¹ He was born between 893 and 894.⁴
Alfred (?) died in 901.⁴
      ; According to The Henry Project: "Ælfred. (probably a mistake for Ælfweard)
     "The Book of Hyde mentions a supposed son by Ecgwynn who was crowned in his father's lifetime ["Inclitus igitur ac devotissimus rex Edwardus, dictus Senior, sex habuit filios, quorum quatuor extiterunt sceptrigeri. Ex nobili foemina, Egwyna nomine, Athelstanum habuit et Elfredum. Elfredus, quem pater præ cæteris paternali amore dilexit, ipsomet sceptrigerante, exemplo beati David regis, qui Domino super omnia gratias egit eo quod meruit seipso superstite filium suum in solio paterno residentem videre, inunctus in regem ac coronatus est. Sed idem Elfredus non multo post superfuit. Moriebatur enim antequam pater suus naturæ functus sit munere." Lib. Monast. Hyde, 113]. He does not appear in any of the earlier sources, and is probably a mistake for Ælfweard. As was pointed out by Todd Farmerie, there is a charter supposedly signed by an "Elfred, filius regis" which may explain the Book of Hyde's error [Lib. Monast. Hyde, 114-6; also #S366, Sawyer (1968), 161; Cart. Sax. 2: 251 (#598); probably a mistake for Ælfweard, cf. Lib. Monast. Hyde, 98-101; #S365, Sawyer (1968), 161; Cart. Sax. 2: 249 (#597)]."
Bibliography
** Cart. Sax. = Walter de Gray Birch, ed., Cartularium Saxonicum, 4 vols. (1885-99).
** Lib. Monast. Hyde = Edward Edwards, ed., Liber Monasterii de Hyda: a Chronicle and Chartulary of Hyde Abbey, Winchester, 455-1023 (Rolls Series 45, London, 1866).
** Sawyer (1968) = P. H. Sawyer, Anglo-Saxon Charters. An Annotated List and Bibliography (London, 1968).³

     Eadwine (?) Sub-king of Kent was born circa 902.¹
Eadwine (?) Sub-king of Kent died in 933; drowned while crossing to Flanders.^1,2
Eadwine (?) Sub-king of Kent was buried in 933 at St. Bertin's Abbey, Flanders, (Belgium (now).^1,2
      ; According to The Henry Project: "Eadwine, d. 933, under-king?
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that he died at sea in 933 ["Her adranc Ædwinw æðeling onsæ." ASC(E) s.a. 933]. Simeon of Durham states that this was at the order of Æthelstan ["Rex Ethelstanus jussit Eadwinum fratrem suum submergi in mare." Sim. Durh., Hist.Regum, c. 83, s.a. 933 (2: 93); similarly, c. 107 (2: 124)]. William of Malmesbury makes Æthelstan indirectly at fault in Eadwine's drowning [Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 139 (1: 156)]. Folcwine, a near contemporary who has the most detailed account of Eadwine, confirms that Eadwine (whom he calls "rex") was a brother of Æthelstan, states that his body washed up in Flanders and was buried at Saint-Bertin [Folcwine, Gesta Abbatum S. Bertini Sithiensium, c. 107, MGH SS 13: 629]. John of Worcester makes Eadwine a son of Eadweard by Eadgifu [John Worc., 1: 117, 274]. Plummer explains Folcwine's description of Eadwine as "rex" by suggesting that he was under-king of Kent [Plummer, notes to ASC, 2: 137-8]."⁵ He was sub-king of Kent: [Ashley, p. 226] EDWIN sub-king of Kent, c920-33. There is a suggestion that Edwin was made the sub-king of Kent by his father EDWARD THE ELDER. He was his oldest surviving legitimate son (born about the year 902), if we accept the belief (not necessarily proven) that his half-brother ATHELSTAN was illegitimate. Granting him the kingship of Kent was recognizing him as the heir to the throne. Since he did not succeed, we may assume that Edwin was content in his own kingdom and did not wish to rule England. Nevertheless Athelstan may have regarded him as a potential problem or, perhaps in later years (if we assume the date of his death is properly recorded and not an error for 923) he became a threat. 'He drowned at sea while crossing to Flanders and there was a strong rumour that the boat had been made unseaworthy at Athelstan's orders. Edwin's body was recovered and buried at St Bertin's Abbey in Flanders. between 920 and 933.¹

     Eadflaed (?) died circa 963.²
Eadflaed (?) was buried circa 963 at Wilton Abbey, Wilton, Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Wiltshire, England.²
      ; According to The Henry Project: "Eadflæd, fl. 937, nun, bur. Wilton. [Wm. Malmes., c. 126 (1: 137) (see below); R. Diceto, Abbreviationes Chronicorum, s.a. 900 (1: 140-1)] She is named in a charter of Æthelstan dated 937 ["Quapropter ego Æþelstanus . nodante Dei gratia basileos Anglorum et et eque totius Britannie ... pro redemptione piaculorum meorum necnon et germanitatis méé . Eadflede ..." Cart. Sax. 2: 420-1 (#714, AD937)]."
Bibliography
** Cart. Sax. = Walter de Gray Birch, ed., Cartularium Saxonicum, 4 vols. (1885-99).
** R. Diceto = William Stubbs, ed., Radulfi de Diceto Decani Lundonensis Opera Historica - The Historical Works of Master Ralph de Diceto Dean of London, 2 vols. (Rolls Series 68, London 1876).
** Wm. Malmes, Gesta Pont. = N. E. S. A. Hamilton, ed., Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi de Gestiis Pontificum Anglorum ** libri quinque (Rolls Series 52, London, 1870).
** Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum = William Stubbs, ed., Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi De gestis regum Anglorum. libri quinque; Historiæ Novellæ libri tres, 2 vols. (Rolls series 90, 1887-9).

; Elfleda, a nun at Winchester, +ca 963, bur Wilton Abbey, Wiltshire.² She was a nun.^1,2,3 Eadflaed (?) was also known as Elfleda (?)^1,2 Eadflaed (?) was also known as Eadflæd (?)^4,3 She was living in 937.⁴

     GAV-29.

; This is the same person as ”Rorans” at The Henry Project.


According ot The Henry Project: "All that is known of Rorans appears in a letter written 1055×1067 by her great-grandson Gervais, archbishop of Reims, to Éven, abbot of St. Mélaine. Gervais referred to Rorans as "avia mea" in one place, where "avia" is evidently to be interpreted as "ancestor" rather than "grandmother", since Gervais later refers to his father Hamon as her "nepos" through a son ("... nepoti suo, quem de filio suscepit, nomine Haimoni, patri scilicet meo ..."). From this letter, we know that Rorans had Argentré as a dowry, which passed to her grandson Hamon. [Cart. Château-du-Loir 8-9]"¹

      ; Ethelfleda, Abbess of Romsey, Hampshire, +?, bur Romsey.² Ethelfleda (?) was a nun.¹

      ; According to The Henry Project: "Æthelhild, a lay sister, bur. Wilton.
     [Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 126 (1: 137) (see below); R. Diceto, Abbreviationes Chronicorum, s.a. 900 (1: 140-1, see below)] David Kelley has suggested that Æthelhild was married to a certain Ælfsige [Kelley (1989), 85; see also Wood (2004), 452]. A certain Ælfsige and Æthelhild appear as parents of an Ælfwine who received a grant from bishop Æthelwold of Winchester in 975×8 ["Ælfwinum filium Ælfsige et Æðelhildam matrem ipsius" Codex Dipl. Sax. 6: 206 (#1347); see also "Æþelhild coniunx Ælfsini comitis" Lib. Vit. Hyde, 58; Searle (1899), 395]. However, no convincing reason was offered why the Æthelhild who was wife of Ælfsige should be identified with the Æthelhild who was daughter of Eadweard the Elder."
Bibliography
** Kelley (1989) = David H. Kelley, "The House of Aethelred", in Lindsay L. Brook, ed., Studies in Genealogy and Family History in Tribute to Charles Evans On the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday (Association for the Promotion of Scholarship in Genealogy, Occasional Publication No. 2, Salt Lake City, 1989), 63-93.
** Lib. Vit. Hyde = Walter de Gray Birch, Liber Vitae: Register and Martyrology of New Minister and Hyde Abbey Winchester (London, 1892).
** R. Diceto = William Stubbs, ed., Radulfi de Diceto Decani Lundonensis Opera Historica - The Historical Works of Master Ralph de Diceto Dean of London, 2 vols. (Rolls Series 68, London 1876).
** Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum = William Stubbs, ed., Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi De gestis regum Anglorum. libri quinque; Historiæ Novellæ libri tres, 2 vols. (Rolls series 90, 1887-9).
** Wood (2004) = Michael Wood, "Anglo-Saxon Pedigrees Annotated", Foundations 1 (2004): 269-274, 375-385, 445-457.⁶

; Ethelhilda, a lay sister or recluse at Romsey Abbey, Hampshire, +?, bur Wilton Abbey, Wiltshire.² Ethelhilda (?) was a nun.¹

     Adiiva (?) married Boleslaw II "the Pious" (?) Duke of Bohemia, son of Boleslav I "the Cruel" (?) Duke of Bohemia and Biogata (?) von Stockow.^1,3,2

Adiiva (?) died in 1005.²
     ; According to The Henry Project:
     "Conjectured son-in-law (long chronology, unconvincing): Boleslav II, d. 7 February 999, duke of Bohemia.
     "The theory that Adiva married Boleslav II of Bohemia was reported in a 1965 article by Bernard Orna [Orna (1965); thanks are due to Peter Stewart for sending a copy of the article, and to Todd Farmerie, for earlier giving an outline], who attributed the hypothesis to Dr. Pavel Radom?rský of the National Museum in Prague. The author describes and gives an illustration of a Bohemian coin having a figure of a woman and an inscription which reads "+V+DIV?+V" around the circumference of the coin. Since letters on coins were frequently upside-down or backwards during that period, Orna states that Radom?rský would see the inscription as reading "ADIVEA", with the first and last "V" representing an "A". Thus, the coins would supposedly name Eadweard's daughter Adiva, further identified with Boleslav's queen Emma/Hemma (d. 1006), who is known from the chronicler Cosmas [Cosmas, Chron. Boemorum, i, 33, MGH SS 9: 55; obit. at ibid., i, 39, s.a. 1006, p. 62] and from coins [Fiala (1889), 16]. This last identification is made on the strength of the supposition that Elfgifa (i.e., Ælfgifu) was the English form of Emma (Elfgifa having previously been given as the English form of Adiva's name). However, even though there was a queen who was known as both Ælfgifu and Emma (Emma of Normandy, wife successively of Æthelred II and Cnut), the names Emma and Ælfgifu are not interchangeable in general. Also, as noted above, identifying Ælfgifu as the English form of Adiva's name requires an emendation of William of Malmesbury. The known Anglo-Saxon features of some of the coinage of Boleslav II suggests some sort of connection between England and Bohemia during the late tenth century [see Fiala (1889), 13-15, showing a number of coins of Boleslav II in the type of Æthelred II], but even if that connection was a royal marriage, there seems to be no convincing reason to place it in the generation of Eadweard's children. Indeed, the chronology of this theory seems rather long, especially if Boleslav is being suggested as the husband of Adiva, who, as noted above, almost certainly married before 940. Boleslav II succeeded his father Boleslav I as duke on 15 July 967 [Cosmas, Chron. Boemorum, i, 21, MGH SS 9: 48], and did not die until 7 February 999 [ibid., i, 33, MGH SS 9: 56]. Thus, his floruit seems rather late for a supposed husband of Adiva, although too little is known about his birthdate to rule out the relationship on this basis alone. Thus, the evidence for this relationship seems very weak."⁴

; Per Med Lands:
     "Duke Boleslav has been suggested as the possible husband of Ælfgifu of Wessex, daughter of Edward "the Elder" King of Wessex & his second wife Ælfleda ---. Hroswitha of Gandersheim describes her as "Adiva … younger in years and likewise inferior in merit" [to her older sister Eadgyth, whom she accompanied to Germany to provide an alternative choice of bride for Otto of Germany[42]. According to William of Malmesbury, she married "a certain Duke near the Alps"[43], who has not been identified. It seems improbable chronologically that her husband could have been Duke Boleslav. Although the duke's birth date is not known, his younger brother Strakhvas was born 28 Sep 929[44]. It therefore seems unlikely that Boleslaw could have been born much earlier than 925 at the earliest, whereas Ælfgifu was probably born in the range [910/15] assuming that she was of marriageable age when she went to Germany with her sister.] "
Med Lands cites:

     Gisela (?) of Lotharingia married Count Theodoricus (?)^1,2

     GAV-33.

     Aelfgar (?) Ealdorman in Devon was buried in 962 at Wilton, Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Wiltshire, England.²
Aelfgar (?) Ealdorman in Devon died in 962 at Devonshire, England.²
      ; Per Med Lands:
     "ÆLFGAR (-in Devonshire 962, bur Wilton). "Ælfgar dux" subscribed charters of King Eadred in 945, 946, 951 and of King Eadwig in 956[7]. Ealdorman ["in"] Devon. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the death in 962 of "Ælfgar the king's kinsman…in Devonshire" and his burial at Wilton[8]. The will of "Ælfgar" dated to [946/51] bequeaths estates at Cockfield, Ditton, Lavenham and Baythorn to "my daughter Æthelflæd", estates at Eleigh to "my younger daughter [unnamed] for her life and after her death to Brihtnoth", an estate at Heybridge to "Ælfwold" (no relationship with the testator specified), land "which Aeulf held" to "Æthelgar" (no relationship with the testator specified), and a reference to the soul of "Æthelweard" (no relationship with the testator specified)[9].
     "m ---. The name of Ælfgar's wife is not known"
Med Lands cites:

     Saint Eadburh/Edburga (?) was born circa 922.²
Saint Eadburh/Edburga (?) died on 15 June 960.^1,2
      ; St.Edburga, a nun at Nunnanminster Abbey, *ca 922, +Nunnanminster 15.6.960, bur Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire.² She was a nun.¹