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Wulfric Spot
- Preferred Name: Wulfric Spot[1]
- Alternate Name: Wulfric Spott
- Gender: M
- Religion: founder of Burton Abbey with note: Cawley (2006) and Wikipedia agree that Wulfric Spott is the founder of Burton Abbey, but they depart where his parentage is concerned.
- Death: 22 OCT 1010 in Ipswich at LATI: N2.0628 LONG: E0.1585
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: with note: Description: High Reeve of Mercia
- FSID: G37K-NX6
- Birth: ABT 930 in Mercia, Heptarchy, England at LATI: N2.4379 LONG: E1.6496 with note: GEDCOM data
- Fact: with note: Description: Founded Burton Abbey
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: with note: Description: Earldorman of Mercia
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: with note: Description: Thane of Mercia
- Burial: ABT 1030 in England with note: GEDCOM data
- Nickname:
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Thegn; Earldorman Of Mercia
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: High Reeve of Mercia
- Notes:
=== Life Sketch ===
MOTHER: Wulfrun
Cawley's (2006) commentary sharply departs from that of Baxter (2007) and Wikipedia. He does not name Wulfrun as the mother of Wulfric Spot:
ii) WULFRIC "Spott" (-killed in battle Ipswich 22 Oct 1010, bur Burton). The Historia Fundatoris of Burton Monastery records its foundation by “Consul ac comes Merciorum dominus Wulfricus Spott regali propinquus prosapiæ” in 1004, adding that “eius conjux domina Elswitha” was buried there and that he was killed six years later "apud Gipiswich a Danis in bello…XI Kal Nov 1010" and was also buried in the monastery, where "fratre suo duce Alwino et comite Morkero cæterisque cognatis eius" were also buried[185]. The Annals of Burton record the foundation of the monastery in 1004 by “nobilis…Wlfricus cognomento Spot”[186]. The will of "Wulfric", dated to [1002/04], bequeathes property (among other bequests) to "…minre goddehter Morkares & Aldgythe…land æt Strættune"[187]. [Florence of Worcester names "Wlfricus Leofwini filius" among those killed at the battle of Ringmere near Ipswich 9 Apr, dated to 1010[188]. According to Freeman, Wulfric son of Leofwin was the same person as Wulfric "Spot" who founded Burton monastery[189]. However, the reconstruction of the supposed family of Wulfric "Spot" shows that it is likely that his father was Ælfric. The date of the battle in which Wulfric "Spot" was killed, according to the Historia Fundatoris of Burton monastery is different from the date of the battle of Ringmere as recorded by Florence of Worcester. Is it possible that the two reports are referring to different battles in which two different individuals were killed?] m ELSWITHA, daughter of --- (-bur Burton). The Historia Fundatoris of Burton Monastery records its foundation by “Consul ac comes Merciorum dominus Wulfricus Spott regali propinquus prosapiæ” in 1004, adding that “eius conjux domina Elswitha” was buried there[190].
(a) daughter . The will of "Wulfric", dated to [1002/04], bequeathes property to "…minre earman dehter…landes æt Elleforda &…æt Aclea", with Ælfhelm appointed her guardian[191]. "
Wulfric Spot's will
Ælfhelm's brother, Wulfric Spot, left a will written in Old English, which provides many of the details we know about Ælfhelm. For instance, it gives the names of his two sons, Wulfheah and Ufegeat.[12] It dates to between 1002 and 1004, and survives in a 12th-century manuscript.[13]
Wulfric granted the lands "between the Ribble and the Mersey, and in the Wirral" to Ælfhelm and his son Wulfheah, on condition that they each pay Burton Abbey 3,000 shad at shad season.[14] Wulfric left Ælfhelm Rolleston (Staffordshire), Harlaston (Staffordshire), and Conisbrough (Yorkshire), the last on condition that he gave Burton one third of the fish there.[14] Wulfheah received Barlaston (Staffordshire), Marchington (Staffordshire), and Alvaston (Derbyshire), while Ælfhelm's other son Ufegeat was given Norton (Derbyshire) "in the hope that he may be a better friend and supporter of the monastery [of Burton]".[14] Ælfhelm is asked to protect Burton Abbey and the possessions of Wulfric's daughter.[15]
Death and legacy
Little else is recorded about Ealdorman Ælfhelm's career before his death.[16] Notice of the latter, with the blinding of his two sons, comes in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which related under the year 1006:
In this year Archbishop Ælfric died and Bishop Ælfheah succeeded him to the archiepiscopal see. In the same year Wulfgeat was deprived of all his property, and Wulfheah and Ufegeat were blinded and Ealdorman Ælfhelm killed.[17]
The Worcester Chronicle, which for this period consists of entries taken from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle supplemented with extra information, gives an expanded saga-like version of this account, attributing Ælfhelm's death to Eadric Streona:
The crafty and treacherous Eadric Streona, plotting to deceive the noble ealdorman Ælfhelm, prepared a great feast for him at Shrewsbury at which, when he came as a guest, Eadric greeted him as if he were an intimate friend. But on the third or fourth day of the feast, when an ambush had been prepared, he took him into the wood to hunt. When all were busy with the hunt, one Godwine Porthund (which means the town dog) a Shrewsbury butcher, whom Eadric had dazzled long before with great gifts and many promises so that he might perpetrate the crime, suddenly leapt out from the ambush, and execrably slew the ealdorman Ælfhelm. After a short space of time his sons, Wulfheah and Ufegeat, were blinded, at King Æthelred’s command, at Cookham, where he himself was then staying.[18]
https://www.revolvy.com/topic/%C3%86lfhelm,%20Ealdorman%20of%20York&item_type=topic
=== Source: RC 22. Earldorman in Mercia. Fou ===
Source: RC 22. Earldorman in Mercia. Founded Burton Abbey. Ruled as High Reeve inNorthern Mercia. He made a will, leaving his lands to his brother Alfholm, his son Wulfech and his daughter Eadgyth.
Family 1: AElfwara of Merica Æthelsdotter of York, b. 946 in Mercia, England d. 31 AUG 1028 in Mercia, England
Sources:
- Title: Baxter, S. (2007). The Earls of Mercia: Lordship and Power in Late Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford: Oxford University Press. eBook
Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=W6ESDAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA301&dq=AElfthryth%20of%20Tamworth&pg=PA301#v=onepage&q&f=true;
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