Ancestors van Gijs en Frank Edelbroek » AElfgivu Thored's dochter van York (± 970-1002)

Personal data AElfgivu Thored's dochter van York 

[mogelijke dochter],

• She was born about 970.
• She died in the year 1002.
• A child of Thored Gunnarson of Oslacson

Household of AElfgivu Thored's dochter van York

She is married to Ethelred II 'Unread' van Engeland.

They got married about 985.

Child(ren):

1. Edmund II 'Ironside' van Engeland  ± 990-1016 

Notes about AElfgivu Thored's dochter van York

[zie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86lfgifu_of_York,
..,
AElfgifu of York (fl. c. 970 – 1002) was the first wife of AEthelred the Unready (r. 968–1016), by
whom she bore many offspring, including EDMUND Ironside. It is most probable that she was a
daughter of Thored, earl of southern Northumbria.,
..,
Identity and background,
Her name and paternity do not surface in the sources until sometime after the Conquest. The first
to offer any information at all, Sulcard of Westminster (fl. 1080s), merely describes her as
being “of very noble English stock” (ex nobilioribus Anglis), without naming her, while in the
early 12th century, William of Malmesbury has nothing to report. All primary evidence comes from
two Anglo-Norman historians. John of Worcester, in a chronicle which is thought to rely on
earlier material compiled c. 1100, tells that AEthelred's first wife was AElfgifu, daughter of
the nobleman AEthelberht (comes Agelberhtus) and the mother of Edmund, AEthelstan, Eadwig and
Eadgyth. Writing in the 1150s, Ailred of Rievaulx had reason to identify AEthelred's first wife
as a daughter of earl (comes) Thored and the mother of Edmund, though he supplies no name. Ailred
had been seneschal at the court of King David I of Scotland (r. 1124–53), whose mother Margaret
descended from King Æthelred and his first wife. Although his testimony is late, his proximity to
the royal family may have given him access to genuine information.,
..,
Problem of fatherhood,
These two accounts are irreconcilable at the point of ascribing two different fathers to
AEthelred's first wife (in both cases, Edmund's mother). One way out of it would be to assume the
existence of two different wives before the arrival of Queen Emma, AEthelred's Norman wife,
although this interpretation presents difficulties of its own, especially as the sources envisage
a single woman. Historians generally favour the view that John of Worcester was in error about
the father's name, as AEthelberht's very existence is under suspicion: if Latin comes is to be
interpreted as a gloss on the office of ealdorman, only two doubtful references to one or two
duces (ealdormen) of this name can be put forward that would fit the description. All in all, the
combined evidence suggests that AEthelred's first wife was AElfgifu, the daughter of Earl Thored.
This magnate is likely to have been the Thored who was a son of Gunnar and earl of (southern)
Northumbria.,
..,
Marriage and offspring,
Based largely on the careers of her sons, AElfgifu's marriage has been dated approximately to the
(mid-)980s. Considering Thored's authority as earl of York and apparently, the tenure of that
office without royal appointment, the union would have signified an important step for the
West-Saxon royal family by which it secured a foothold in the north. Such a politically weighty
union would help explain the close connections maintained by AElfgifu's eldest sons Edmund and
AEthelstan with noble families based in the northern Danelaw.,
..,
The marriage produced six sons, all of whom were named after AEthelred's predecessors, and an
unknown number of daughters. The eldest sons AEthelstan, Ecgberht, Eadred and Edmund first attest
charters in 993, while the younger sons Eadwig and Edgar first make an appearance in them in 997
and 1001 respectively. Some of these sons seem to have spent part of their childhood in fosterage
elsewhere, possibly with AEthelred's mother AElfthryth.,
..,
The only aetheling to become king was Edmund Ironside, whose brief reign came to an end when Cnut
won a series of victories and so conquered England (1016). AEthelred gave three of his daughters
in marriage to ealdormen, presumably in order to secure the loyalties of his nobles and so to
consolidate a defence system against Viking attacks.,
..,
Sons,
- AEthelstan (born before 993, d. 1014),
- Ecgberht (born before 993, d. 1005),
- Edmund (II) Ironside (born before 993, d. 1016),
- Eadred (d. 1012 x 1015),
- Eadwig (born before 997, exiled and killed 1017),
- Edgar (born before 1001, d. 1012 x 1015),
..,
Daughters,
- Eadgyth (born before 993), married Eadric Streona, ealdorman of Mercia.,
- Ælfgifu, married ealdorman Uhtred of Northumbria.,
- (possibly) Wulfhild, who married Ulfcytel (Snillingr) (d. 1016), apparently ealdorman of East
Anglia.,
- possibly an unnamed daughter who married the AEthelstan who was killed fighting the Danes at
the Battle of Ringmere in 1010. He is called AEthelred's aðum, meaning either son-in-law or
brother-in-law.] Ann Williams, however, argues that the latter meaning is the appropriate one and
refers to AEthelstan as being AElfgifu's brother.,
- possibly unnamed daughter, who became abbess of Wherwell.,
..,
Life and death,
Unlike her mother-in-law, AElfthryth, AElfgifu was not anointed queen and never signed charters.
She did, however, make at least some impression on the contemporary record. In a will issued
between 975/980 and 987, the thegn Beorhtric and his wife bequeathed to their “lady” (hlaefdige)
an armlet worth 30 gold mancuses and a stallion, calling upon her authority to oversee the
implementation of the arrangements set out by will.] In a will of later date (AD 990 x 1001), in
which she is addressed as “my lady” (mire hlaefdian), the noblewoman AEthelgifu promised a
bequest of 30 mancuses of gold.] Just as little is known of ÆAEfgifu's life, so the precise date
and circumstances of her death cannot be recovered. In any event, she appears to have died by
1002, possibly in childbirth, when AEthelred took to wife Emma, daughter of Count Richard of
Rouen, who received or adopted her predecessor's Anglo-Saxon name, AElfgifu.],

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Timeline AElfgivu Thored's dochter van York

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