Ealdgyth Mercia (abt. 1041 - aft. 1070)

Born about 1041 in Mercia

Ancestors

Wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn — married 1055 in Wales

Wife of Harold Godwinson (Wessex) of England — married about 1064 in England

Descendants

Aelfgar, their only known child, was of age in 1051, was Earl of East Anglia in 1053, Earl of Mercia in 1057, was banished in 1058, and died shortly after 1062. He married Aelfgifu, and they had three known sons, Eadwine, Morkere, and Burchand (whose issue is unknown) as well as daughter Aldgyth. ^[1]

Biography

1042 Birth and Parents

Ealdgyth of Mercia (b. c. 1042 - d. after 1070 in exile).^[2][3]

Ealdgyth's Birth about 1041. Wolcott suggests that it may have been a sister of Aelfgar who had been married to Hywel, and a daughter of Aelfgar (Ealdgyth) who was Gruffudd's widow. Ealdgyth would have been born c. 1041 and only in her early 20's when she remarried Harold. ^[4]

She was the daughter of:

• Father: Ælfgar, earl of Mercia ^[5]
• Mother: Ælfgifu, (disputed) dau. of Morcar m. (ante 1002/4) Ealdgyth

Edith or Ealdgyth, was the daughter of Aelfgar, who became Earl of East Anglia in 1053 and Earl of Mercia in 1057, dying shortly after 1062. Aelfgar was accused of treason in 1055, thereupon joining the Norsemen and Gruffudd ap Llywely of Wales against the English, but he made with peace with Harold. ^[6]

Her grandfather, Leofric, who died in Bromley, Staffordshire, 31 August 1057, was founder of the church of Coventry, was of record as thegn from 1005, "dux" from 1026, and as Earl of Mercia by 1032. He married by 1030, possibly as her second husband, Godfifu, the "Lady Godiva" of legend, who was born about 1010, sister of Thorold of Buckingham, the Sheriff of Lincolnshire. While she was of an old noble family, her ancestry is uncertain. ^[1]

Edith or Ealdgyth, was the daughter of Aelfgar, who became Earl of East Anglia in 1053 and Earl of Mercia in 1057, dying shortly after 1062. ^[6]

Wolcott emphasizes that while many suppose that Aeldgyth was the same lady Gruffudd had taken from Hywel in 1041, the chronology does not fit. The lady widowed in 1063 bore 2 sons to Harold before 1066, but the lady taken from Hywel would have been in her mid or late 40's by then.^[4]

First Marriage to Gruffudd

Gruffudd married, first, about 1057, as her first husband, Edith (or Ealdgyth Ealgyth Aldgyth), daughter of Aelfgar (of Elgar), King of Mercia, son of Leofric, son of Leofwine, the earl of Mercia who died before 1032. Her grandmother was Lady Godiva. ^[1]

Edith married, about 1057, Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. ^[6]

After his first wife Nest died, probably in childbirth, Gruffudd married Ealdgyth about 1055 . The marriage of Gruffudd and Eadgyth would have been about 1055 when Gruffudd and Aelfgar were known to be allies. ^[4]

The number of Ealdgyth's children with Gruffydd is also in some dispute. While Nesta is her daughter, there is some uncertainty about the mother of Maredudd and Idwal.^[7]

m.1(c. 1050 or 1056/7) Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales (d. 1063).^[2] Issue: 1 proven:

• (unproven) Maredudd "Meredith" ap Gruffydd (d. 1068 or later; or 1070).^[7]

• (unproven) Idwal ap Gruffydd (d. 1068 or 1070).^[7]

• Nesta.[1]

m. Osbern FitzRichard

For Boyer, Gruffudd married, first, about 1057, as her first husband, Ealdgyth Mercia, (or Edith, Ealgyth, Aldgyth) born 1042 in Mercia, daughter of Aelfgar (or Elgar), King of Mercia, son of Leofric, son of Leofwine, the earl of Mercia who died before 1032. Eadgyth's grandmother was Lady Godiva. ^[1]

Boyer observes that Aelfgar, Ealdgyth's father, was of age in 1051 (therefore born before 1030), was Earl of East Anglia in 1053, Earl of Mercia in 1057, was banished in 1058, and died shortly after 1062. He married Aelfgifu, and they had three known sons, Eadwine, Morkere, and Burchand (whose issue is unknown) as well as daughter Ealdgyth. ^[1]

According to Benoit de Sainte More, a later French writer (see Chroniques Anglo Norm, 1:178), his wife Ealdgyth (Edith) was devoted to him. (DNB, B:749). ^[1]

Second Marriage to Harold

Harold II, Duke of the English (later King of the English), married Ælfgar's daughter Eadgyth of Mercia, after he killed her husband Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, ... in a "vicious campaign against the Welsh prince."^[5][8]

While Harold is said to have had the majority of his children with (Edith Swanneshals), he only had one or two sons with Ealdgyth of Mercia ... that were born after his death.^[5][2]

m.2 (1064 / early 1066 York) Harold, Earl of Wessex.^[5][2] Issue: 1 or 2

• Harold (b. Dec 1066 Chester [posthumous] - d. after 1098),[2] twin?

• (unproven) Ulf (d. after 1087), twin?

She married second, about 1064, Harold II, Earl of East Anglia, who became King of England and was slain at Hastings in 1066. ^[1]

1070 Exile and Death

After the death of her second husband, Ealdgyth lived in exile somewhere "on the continent," and died some time after 1070.^[2]

1086 Domesday Listing

Listed in Domesday in 1086, she had been in turn Queen of Wales and Queen of England. ^[1]

Issue

There are differences among scholars regarding the mothers of Gruffydd's children. Carl Boyer ^[1] asserts that all or most of the children are children of Gruffydd and Eadgyth, which would give them later birth years. Darrell Wolcott, on the other hand, claims that all but one of the children were born to Gruffudd's first wife Nest, the daughter of Olaf/Amlaib, son of Sitric Silkbeard, ^[4] and the youngest child was by Eadgyth. The listings here follow Wolcott.

1. Cynyn, born about 1029, an unacknowledged and base-born child, would apparently be Gruffudd's first. An early source says that while Cynfryd (born about 1015) ferch Rhirid Mawr (born about 980) was a hostage, she had a son by Gruffudd before later marrying Trahaearn ap Maelog Dda (born about 995). Cynyn is attributed to Gruffudd by Cynfryd (b c1015) ferch Rhirid Mawr:^[4] Rhiryd Mawr of Caerwedros had been required to give his daughter as a hostage to Llewelyn ap Seisyll about 1022 and that lady was still being held by interim king Cynfyn ap Gwerystan (at whose manor Gruffudd lived after his father died^[9]). Wolcott believes that a teenaged Gruffudd seduced the young lady who likely took the resulting child with her when she was later released to marry Trahaearn. The child was never acknowledged by Gruffudd as his legitimate son. ^[4] Following her marriage to Trahearn, Cynfyn then had a child Brochwel, born about 1030, by Trahaearn.
2. Owain, was born about 1039^[4] since the Brut recorded the death of Owain ap Gruffudd ten years before 1049. Owain would have been the first born to Gruffudd and his wife Nest. No such man (who could have died in 1059) is found among Peter Bartrum's charts or indexes, nor is such a man identified by any of the standard histories of Wales. But Kari Maund (the brilliant Welsh historian who quit academia to become the noted writer Kari Sperring) makes Owain another brother of Ithel and Maredudd. ^[10] Wolcott agrees with her identification; this Owain was clearly a man of importance since the Brut does not cite obituaries for ordinary men. We further think he was the eldest son of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn whose early death around age 20 was mentioned by the Brut author since he had been the favored heir to the powerful king. We would thus date his birth near 1039.
3. Ithel was born about 1041 to Gruffudd and Nest. Ithel and Maredudd died in 1069 at the hands of Rhiwallon and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. ^[11] Boyer shows Ithel as achild of Gruffudd and Edith. ^[1]
4. Maredudd was born about 1043, also a child of Gruffudd and Nest, and died in 1069 after fleeing the battlefield. ^[11] Boyer states is child of Gruffudd and Edith. ^[1]
5. Nest [I], was born about 1050. Gruffudd also had a daughter, Nest, who married Trahaearn ap Caradog. ^[12]

This man, in 1075, succeeded Bleddyn ap Cynfyn as king of Powys, and probably also king of Gwynedd. ^[13] Born c. 1035, Trahaearn had sons Owain and Llywarch (among others) who were born c. 1065/1070. These dates point to c. 1050 as the birthdate of Nest, with the marriage taking place shortly after Gruffudd's death in 1063.

1. Nest [II] ferch Gruffydd, was born about 1056 (Wolcott) ^[4] or in Rhuddlan 1059 (Boyer). ^[1]

^[14] Nest [II] married about 1070 (possibly) Osbern fitz Richard. Wolcott notes that the husband of "this c. 1056 Nest is widely cited by modern authors as the Norman man, Osbern fitz Richard. There are, however, no ancient or even medieval manuscripts which confirm that marriage." ^[4] Wolcott's dating of the birth of the second Nest places her as a daughter of Gruffudd and Ealdgyth. It is known that this second Nest was the mother of a daughter, also named Nest, who married the Norman knight Bernard Newmarch. ^[15] The husband of this c. 1056 Nest is widely cited by modern authors as the Norman man, Osbern fitz Richard. There are, however, no ancient or even medieval manuscripts which confirm that marriage. The identification is made by inference alone. The 1086 Domesday Book for Warwickshire notes that Binley (located just east of Coventry) was held by the Cathedral Priory, and that 3 hides of that land had been acquired from Osbern. And before the Conquest, those 3 hides were held by Ealdgyth wife of Gruffudd. One assumes, but cannot be certain, that Osbern had owned the land "et uxor" as the husband of the heiress daughter of Ealdgyth. This assumption is strengthened a bit by a c. 1100/20 entry in the Cartulary of Worchester Cathedral Priory wherein Hugh fitz Osbern confirms a grant made by his father "for the souls of his father Osbern and his mother Nest". Accordingly, the wife of Osbern was named Nest ferch "unknown". ^[4] By assuming such a marrriage, the other sources we mentioned above seem to dovetail. Ealdgyth (the daughter of Earl Aelfgar) owned some land in Binley, Warwickshire. She married Gruffudd ap Llewelyn and had a daughter named Nest, her only child by him. After the death of Ealdgyth (sometime after 1066), this land descended to her daughter Nest. Nest married Osbern c. 1070 and he, likely late in life, gave it to the Cathedral Priory in Coventry. Of course, there are other ways in which Osbern might have acquired that land and other ladies named Nest he might have married. Thus, we label the marriage as quite possible but unproven. Nest [II] would have been yet a child when her father was killed in 1063, and likely married at age 14 c. 1070^[4] Richard le Scrob/Scrope, born about 1010, built Richard's Castle in Herefordshire about 1048 as a baron of King Edward the Confessor. He was the father of Osbern who married Nest [II] born about 1056. Osbern held Stanage in Herefordshire according to the 1086 Domesday Book. Nest [II], the wife of Osbern, was probably, but not certainly, a daughter of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn. They had a son, Hugh, who about 1110, confirmed to the monks of Worchester Priory, his father's grant of Boraston and the church at Dodderhill "for the souls of his father, Osbern, and his mother, Nest." She is not further identified. It was common for a son to confirm grants made by his father when the father died. ^[4]

1. 1. Nest (c1071) m c1085 the Norman knight Bernard Newmarch^[4] Nest, b. c. 1056, m Osbern Fitz Richard of Richard's Castle, Herefordshire. Boyer states is child of Gruffudd and Edith. ^[1]
2. Idwal, d. 1070 is stated by Boyer to be a child Gruffudd and Edith. ^[1] This conflicts with Wolcott's statement that the only child of Gruffudd and Edith was Nest [II]

Sources

Citations and Notes

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13} Carl Boyer. Medieval Welsh Amncestors of Certain Americans. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. "Rhodri Mawr". p. 287
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Weir, 2011
3. ↑ alias: Edith; Eadgyth (Ashley, 2008); Wikipedia: Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12} Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Ashley, 2008
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Carl Boyer, III. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. By the author. Santa Clarita, California, 2004. "Mercia", page 259.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Cawley (2006), states that the mother of Maredudd (d. 1068 or later) and Idwal (d. 1068 Mechain in battle) is UNKNOWN, but Weir (2011), seems certain that they are the sons of Ealdgyth of Mercia.
8. ↑ Wikipedia: Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar
9. ↑ Llewelyn ap Seisyll died 1023 (#Dictionary)
10. ↑ K.L. Maund, "Ireland, Wales and England in the Eleventh Century", 1991, p. 63, 137 Cited by Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn Accessed Jan 6, 2018. jhd
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} In 1069 Ithel and Maredudd brought a kingship claim to the battlefield at Mechain against Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn, who was aided by his younger brother, Bleddyn. In the battle, Ithel was slain as was Rhiwallon. Maredudd fled the field and was pursued by Bleddyn into the mountains, where he subsequently died of thirst and exposure to the elements. Wolcott believes Ithel, being the primary target, was the one who was staking the claim, and that one had to be aged 28 to do so. Maredudd would have been younger and fled the battlefield in order to stake a claim later. Wolcott therefore believes that Ithel turned 28 in 1069 and his younger brother came to the Mechain battle to support his claim. Thus we would date the birth of Ithel ap Gruffudd to the year 1041, with Maredudd being born a year or two later. Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn Accessed Jan 6, 2018. jhd
12. ↑ Dwnn ii, 107; LB 7. Cited by Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn Accessed Jan 6, 2018. jhd
13. ↑ The first cousin of Trahaearn, Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon ap Gwyn, may have originally ruled in Gwynedd after Bleddyn's death in 1075, but was killed later that same year. Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn Accessed Jan 6, 2018. jhd
14. ↑ WikiTree's profile for this second daughter named Nest, by Ealdgyth, has that she was born in 1059
15. ↑ Gerald's "Journey through Wales", Book 1, Chapter 2. Cited by Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies. The Consorts and Children of Gruffudd ap Llewelyn Accessed Jan 6, 2018. jhd

Bibliography

See also:

• Ashley, Mike (2008). A Brief History of British Kings and Queens, pp. 47-50. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press Book Publishers. Print.
• Cawley, C. (2006). Medieval Lands v.4. Fmg.ac.[3][4][5]
• Weir, A (2011). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books. eBook. 9781446449110.