Eadgyth (Wessex) Mercia (abt. 995 - 1042)

Born about 0995 in England

Ancestors

Died 1042 at about age 47 in Mercia, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Eadgyth was the daughter of Æthelred the Unready and his first wife Ælfgifu.^[1][2]

Eadgyth married Eadric Streona,^[1] possibly in 1009.^[2]

Eadric Streona was killed on Cnut's orders in 1017.^[3] Eadgyth may have subsequently remarried, her possible second husband being Thorkell, known as "Havi" or "the Tall", who was one of the leaders of the Danish forces in the period from 1009 to 1016, but this is very far from certain: there is no direct source for this, just a reference in the chronicle of John of Worcester (formerly attributed to Florence of Worcester) that Thorkell had a wife called "Edgitha", with no identification of who she was.^[2] If she did marry Thorkell, she was probably the mother of his two sons, one of whom was called Harald.^[4]

Research Notes

Disambiguation

There are several Ediths in this period who need to be distinguished:

• Eadgyth, born Wessex, 808, died 871. Saint. Edith of Polesworth. Sourced FMG. Daughter of King Ecgbert of Wessex and Redburga. Sister of Athelwulf, Ceowulf and Athelstan. Buried Polesworth Abbey. Partially fits Holy Edith Legend but legend has only brother Arnulf.
• Edith of Polesworth born 895. Daughter of Eadward of Wessex. 12 Siblings. Partially fits Holy Edith Legend but Marriage to Sitric is a separate story.
• Edith born 905 in Wessex. Daughter of Athelstan. Married Reynbourne de Wallingford (fictional person), part of Guy of Warwick legend.
• Saint Edith of Wilton, born 961, Kemsing, Kent. Daughter of King Edward the Confessor and Aethelflaed. Sister of Edward and Aethelred. Sainted after death in 984. Saint Edith of Wilton.
• Aelgifu, born 990, Wessex. Also called Edith. Daughter of Aethelred and Aelgifu. 16 Siblings. Married Uhtred of Northumbria, Mother of Aelgifu of Dunbar. Died Mercia. Sister of Edith.
• Edith of England, born 0995, daughter of Aethelred, born 986, and Aelgifu, born 988, wife of Edric of Mercia. 16 siblings. No children. Sister of Aelgifu.
• Eadgyth Godwinsdottir, born 1020, daughter of Godwin, wife of Edwin the Confessor. Restored Wilton Abbey.
• Eadgyth (Edith) (born before 993), married 1 Eadric Streona, ealdorman of Mercia, and possibly 2 Thorkell the Tall.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Simon Keynes for 'Æthelred II [Ethelred; known as Ethelred the Unready]', print and online 2004, revised online 2009
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Charles Cawley. 'Eadgyth', entry in "Medieval Lands" database (accessed 12 May 2021)
3. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Simon Keynes for 'Eadric [Edric] Streona', print and online 2004, revised online 2007
4. ↑ Charles Cawley. 'Thorkell "Havi/the Tall" (-killed in battle 1039)', entry in "Medieval Lands" database (accessed 12 May 2021)

• Wikipedia: Eadric Streona