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Edith of Wessex Abbess of Tamworth



Family 1: Sihtric Cáech ua Ímair King of Northumbria,    b. BEF 875 in Dublin, Ireland    d. 927 in Northumbria, England
Sources:
  1. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: Royal Index, University of Hull, England, Internet, Internet, www.dcs.hull.ac.uk
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2332880681
  2. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith, Princess Of Wessex Abbess of Pellesworth -
    Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3243695014
  3. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2015760046
  4. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: Ball.FTW, Not Given
    Note: Source Media Type: Other
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222794
  5. Title: Sitric Cáech From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Note: Sitric Cáech or Sihtric Cáech or Sigtrygg Gále,[nb 1] (Old Norse: Sigtryggr, Old English: Sihtric, died 927) was a Hiberno-Scandinavian Viking[nb 2] leader who ruled Dublin and then Viking Northumbria in the early 10th century. He was a grandson of Ímar and a member of the Uí Ímair. Sitric was most probably among those Vikings expelled from Dublin in 902, whereafter he may have ruled territory in the eastern Danelaw in England. In 917, he and his kinsman Ragnall ua Ímair sailed separate fleets to Ireland where they won several battles against local kings. Sitric successfully recaptured Dublin and established himself as king, while Ragnall returned to England to become King of Northumbria. In 919, Sitric won a victory at the Battle of Islandbridge over a coalition of local Irish kings who aimed to expel the Uí Ímair from Ireland. Six Irish kings were killed in the battle, including Niall Glúndub, overking of the Northern Uí Néill and High King of Ireland.[nb 3] In 920 Sitric left Dublin for Northumbria, with his kinsman Gofraid ua Ímair succeeding him as king in Dublin. That same year Sitric led a raid on Davenport, Cheshire, perhaps as an act of defiance against Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons. In 921 Ragnall ua Ímair died, with Sitric succeeding him as King of Northumbria. Though there are no written accounts of conflict, numismatic evidence suggests there was a Viking reconquest of a large part of Mercia in the following few years. An agreement of some sort between the Vikings of Northumbria and the Anglo-Saxons was achieved in 926 when Sitric married a sister of Æthelstan, perhaps Edith of Polesworth. Sitric also converted to Christianity, though this did not last long and he soon reverted to paganism. He died in 927 and was succeeded by his kinsman Gofraid ua Ímair. Sitric's son Gofraid later reigned as king of Dublin, his son Aralt (Harald) as king of Limerick, and his son Amlaíb Cuarán as king of both Dublin and Northumbria. Background The ruling Vikings of Dublin were expelled from the city in 902 by a joint force led by Máel Finnia mac Flannacán, overking of Brega and Cerball mac Muirecáin, overking of Leinster.[4] Those Vikings that survived the capture of the city split into different groups; some went to France, some to England, and some to Wales.[5] Archaeological evidence suggests Dublin remained occupied in the years immediately following this expulsion, perhaps indicating only the ruling elite were forced to leave.[6] However, Viking raids on Irish settlements continued, and in 914, a large Viking fleet travelled to Waterford.[7] The arrival of this fleet marked the re-establishment of Viking rule over parts of Ireland, and was followed by more Vikings settling in Limerick the following year.[8] The main historical sources for this period are the Norse sagas and the Irish annals. Some of the annals, such as the Annals of Ulster, are believed to be contemporary accounts, whereas the sagas were written down at dates much later than the events they describe and are considered far less reliable. A few of the annals such as the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland and the Annals of the Four Masters were also compiled at later dates, in part from more contemporary material and in part from fragments of sagas.[9] According to Downham, "apart from these additions [of saga fragments], Irish chronicles are considered by scholars to be largely accurate records, albeit partisan in their presentation of events".[10] Biography Sitric is presumed to have left Dublin with the rest of the ruling Vikings in 902.[11] Coins dating from the period bearing the legend "Sitric Comes" (Earl Sitric), and the mintmark "Sceldfor" (Shelford), have been found as part of the Cuerdale Hoard, perhaps indicating that he ruled territory in the eastern Danelaw during his exile from Ireland.[12] The Anglo-Saxons conquered all of the Danelaw south of the Humber by 918, but there is no mention of Earl Sitric in English sources, suggesting he was no longer ruling there at the time.[13] The earliest mention of Sitric in the Irish Annals is in 917 when he and Ragnall, another grandson of Ímar, are described as leading their fleets to Ireland.[14] Sitric sailed his fleet to Cenn Fuait in Leinster, and Ragnall sailed his fleet to Waterford. Niall Glúndub, overking of the Northern Uí Néill, saw these Vikings as a threat, and he marched an army south to repel them. The Vikings fought against the men of the Uí Néill at Mag Femen in County Tipperary and claimed victory, though only through timely reinforcement by Ragnall and his army.[15] This was followed by another at the Battle of Confey (also known as the Battle of Cenn Fuait), against Augaire mac Ailella, overking of Leinster, who died in the battle. Augaire's death marked the end of effective opposition to the Vikings' return to Ireland. Sitric led his men on a triumphant return to Dublin, where he established himself as king, while Ragnall returned to England and soon became King of Northumbria.[14] According to Downham, the departure of Ragnall and his contingent of warriors may have emboldened Niall Glúndub to try to expel the Uí Ímair from Ireland once again.[16] In 919 Niall led a coalition of northern Irish kings south to Dublin. The forces of Sitric and Niall met near Islandbridge in modern-day County Dublin (dated 14 September by the Annals of Ulster).[17] The resulting Battle of Islandbridge was an overwhelming victory for Sitric and his forces, with Niall falling in battle alongside one of his kinsmen. Five other kings, and a kinsman of the ruler of the Southern Uí Néill, also died fighting against Sitric's army.[nb 4][16] In 920 the Annals of Ulster report that Sitric left Dublin "through the power of God". Sitric travelled to Northumbria where he assumed the kingship of Northumbria, succeeding his kinsman Ragnall who died the following year.[19] Sitric was followed as King of Dublin by his brother or cousin Gofraid ua Ímair.[nb 5][11] In 920 Ragnall had submitted to Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons. That same year, following his departure from Dublin, Sitric led a raid in Davenport, Cheshire, in violation of the terms of submission agreed between Ragnall and Edward.[20] Smyth has suggested that this was an act of defiance by Sitric, indicating to Edward that he would not submit to him like Ragnall.[21] Neither the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle nor Æthelweard's Chronicon makes mention of Sitric in the years 921–924, between his installation as King of Northubmria and the death of Edward the Elder.[22] However, there are coins in existence which were minted at Lincoln during the period that bear Sitric's name.[23] These are an important piece of evidence since they suggest Sitric ruled a large area south of the Humber, a claim contradicted by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which says that all the 'Danes' in Mercia (i.e., south of the Humber) submitted to Edward in 918.[24] These coins might indicate Viking reconquest of a large area in the years 921–924, which if it did happen went unremarked upon by the Chronicle. Edward's control of Mercia likely stretched the kingdom's resources to breaking point, allowing Sitric to exploit the ill-will towards Edward that existed among the populace there, with Edward being unable to effectively oppose Sitric. Downham suggests that the silence of the Chronicle might be due to Edward's failing power in the latter years of his reign, and its tendency to only record successes and not failures. His death in 924 is not recorded by a number of important Frankish, Welsh and Irish annals, suggesting a fall in importance and standing from the zenith of his power in 920.[22] Edward the Elder's successor, Æthelstan, met with Sitric at Tamworth in 926.[25] The Chronicle does not mention the reason for the meeting, but it reports that an unnamed sister of Æthelstan was married to Sitric. Several years previously, in 918, Æthelstan's predecessor had used a royal marriage to bring Mercia under Wessex control. According to Smyth, the fact the marriage between Sitric and Æthelstan's sister occurred at the old Mercian royal centre at Tamworth reinforces the suggestion that this marriage was supposed to perform a function similar to the one in 918.[26] The agreement reached at Tamworth seems to have necessitated Sitric's conversion to Christianity, though he soon reverted to paganism.[27] Sitric died the following year and was succeeded by his kinsman Gofraid ua Ímair.[28] The Annals of Ulster describe his death: Sitric, grandson of Ímar, king of the dark foreigners and the fair foreigners, died at an immature age.[29] Family In the annals Sitric is sometimes identified by the use of one of his epithets, or by the use of "ua Ímair", meaning "grandson of Ímar", but never with a patronymic. As such, it is not possible to identify which of the three known sons of Ímar (Bárid, Sichfrith or Sitriuc) – if any – was the father of Sitric. One possible reason for the lack of a patronym might be that Sitric was the child of a son of Ímar who never ruled Dublin, or who spent most of his time outside Ireland, thus making Sitric's legitimacy to rule Dublin dependent on the identity of his grandfather, not his father. Another possibility is that Sitric was a grandson of Ímar through a daughter, again with his right to rule dependent on his grandfather.[19] Sitric's kinsmen Ímar, Ragnall, Amlaíb and Gofraid are the other known grandsons of Ímar identified by the use of "ua Ímair". All except for Amlaíb ruled as either King of Dublin or King of Northumbria at one time or another.[30] The Annals of Clonmacnoise mention two sons of Sitric, Auisle and Sichfrith, falling at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.[31] Another son, Aralt, ruled as King of Limerick for an unknown length of time until his death in battle in 940. Sitric's son Amlaíb Cuarán (d. 981) reigned twice each as King of Dublin and King of Northumbria, and may have been the basis of ...
    Page: An agreement of some sort between the Vikings of Northumbria and the Anglo-Saxons was achieved in 926 when Sitric married a sister of Æthelstan, perhaps Edith of Polesworth. ~ Edward the Elder's successor, Æthelstan, met with Sitric at Tamworth in 926.[25] The Chronicle does not mention the reason for the meeting, but it reports that an unnamed sister of Æthelstan was married to Sitric. Several years previously, in 918, Æthelstan's predecessor had used a royal marriage to bring Mercia under Wessex control. According to Smyth, the fact the marriage between Sitric and Æthelstan's sister occurred at the old Mercian royal centre at Tamworth reinforces the suggestion that this marriage was supposed to perform a function similar to the one in 918. ~ Sitric married an unnamed sister of Æthelstan in 926.[25] Historians generally describe her as Æthelstan's only full sister, but Maggie Bailey points out that this rests on the late testimony of William of Malmesbury, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle makes no such distinction when recording her marriage to Sitric.[35] William did not know her name, but traditions first recorded at Bury St Edmunds in the early twelfth century identify her as Saint Edith of Polesworth. The truth of his identification is debated, but regardless of her name it is likely that she entered a nunnery in widowhood. According to some late sources, such as the chronicler John of Wallingford, Amlaíb Cuarán was the son of Sitric and this West Saxon princess.[37]
  6. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Eadgyth -
    Author: British Kings & Queens; Mike Ashley {1998}, Page number: 31
    Note: Source Media Type: Book
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742389
  7. Title: Aethelwulf, King of Wessex, in Burke's The Royal Families of England, Scotland and Wales, pg. Part 1, x, xi, xii [See document in the Memories section]
    Author: Burke's The Royal Families of England, Scotland and Wales, pg. Part 1, x, xi, xii
    Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/140282261;
    Note: Aethelwulf, King of Wessex, in Burke's The Royal Families of England, Scotland and Wales, pg. Part 1, x, xi, xii [See document in the Memories section]
    Page: Aethelwulf, King of Wessex, in Burke's The Royal Families of England, Scotland and Wales, pg. Part 1, x, xi, xii [See document in the Memories section]
  8. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Princess Edith Wessex [Abbess Pellesworth] -
    Author: 13143.GED, Not Given
    Note: Source Media Type: Other
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222793
  9. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire - birth-name: Edith Of England
    Author: media.type.Ancestry.com, One World Tree (sm), Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, n.d.
    Note: birth-name: Edith Of England birth-name: Edith Of England aka-name: Edith Eadgyth aka-name: Edith Abbess England aka-name: Eadgyth Off Gloucestershire birth: 0897; England birth: 0897; England birth: 0896; England birth: 0897; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0937; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0937; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0930; Gloucestershire, England death: death: birth-name: Edith Of England birth-name: Edith Of England aka-name: Edith Eadgyth aka-name: Edith Abbess England aka-name: Eadgyth Off Gloucestershire birth: 0897; England birth: 0897; England birth: 0896; England birth: 0897; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0937; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0937; Tamworth, Staffordshire, England death: 0930; Gloucestershire, England death: death:
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244466516
  10. Title: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Part 3: A.D. 920 - 1014 Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #17
    Publication: Name: http://mcllibrary.org/Anglo/part3.html;
    Note: A.D. 925. This year died King Edward at Farndon in Mercia; and Elward his son died very soon after this, in Oxford. Their bodies lie at Winchester. And Athelstan was chosen king in Mercia, and consecrated at Kingston. He gave his sister to Otho, son of the king of the Old-Saxons. St. Dunstan was now born; and Wulfhelm took to the archbishopric in Canterbury. This year King Athelstan and Sihtric king of the Northumbrians came together at Tamworth, the sixth day before the calends of February, and Athelstan gave away his sister to him.
    Page: Indicates that in 925 King Athelstan made an alliance with Sihtric King of the Northumbrians and that "Athelstan gave away his sister to him" Is referencing the marriage of Edith (1/2 sister of King Athelstan) to Sihtric King of the Northumbrians
  11. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith Princess Of Wessex (Abbess Of Pellesworth) -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2015760046
  12. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy - in Chapter 8. Norse Kings of Dublin, Sihtric Cáoch, grandson of Ivar
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/IRELAND.htm#SihtricYorkdied927;
    Note: Chapter 8. NORSE KINGS A. KINGS of DUBLIN The following [five] persons are recorded as grandsons of Imar, but it is not known whether they were sons of one or more of the sons of Ivar who are shown above, or sons of other unrecorded sons or daughters, nor whether all [five] were brothers or first cousins: 1. IVAR [Imar] (-killed 904). The Annals of Ulster record the death in 904 of "Imar grandson of Imar” killed by “the men of Foirtriu”[1208]. 2. RÆGNALD (-921). King of York. 3. GUTHFRITH (-934). King of Dublin; sons: a) OLAF Guthfrithson (-end 940) [his sons were: SIHTRIC "Caman" (-after 960) and GUTHFRITH (-963)], b) HALFDAN (-killed in battle Cluain na Cruimther 28 Dec 926), c) BLACAIR (-killed in battle 948), d) RÆGNALD Guthfrithson (-after 944) 4. [NIEL (-killed in battle 914). Simeon of Durham records that "King Niel was slain by his brother Sihtric" in 914[1251]. This reference is puzzling. It may refer to the death of Niall Glundubh King of Ireland, which is dated to 919 in Irish sources[1252]. However, no relationship with Sihtric is identified. “Niel” would seem to be an Irish rather than a Norse name.] 5. SIHTRIC "Caoch" (-[926/27]). The Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar landed with his fleet at Cenn Fuait on the coast of Laigin” and “Ragnall grandson of Imar with his second fleet moved against the foreigners of Loch dá Chaech” in 917[1253]. King of Dublin: the Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar” defeated “Niall son of Aed king of Ireland…in the battle of Cenn Fuait” in 917 and that he “entered Ath Cliath” in the same year[1254]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar abandoned Ath Cliath” in 920[1255]. He invaded Mercia in 920 with an army from Dublin, destroying Davenport in Cheshire[1256]. Simeon of Durham records that "King Sihtric stormed Devonport" in 920[1257]. He succeeded his [first cousin] in 921 as SIHTRIC King of York. He proposed an alliance to Æthelstan King of Wessex, which was sealed in 926 by his marriage to King Æthelstan's sister. The Annals of Ulster record the death in 927 of "Sitriuc grandson of Ímar, king of the dark foreigners and the fair foreigners…at an immature age"[1258]. The comment relating to his age is difficult to explain. Assuming that the birth date of Sihtric´s son Olaf is correctly estimated to [900] as shown below, it is likely that Sihtric would have been in his forties or early fifties when he died. Simeon of Durham records the death of "Sihtric king of the Northumbrians" died in 926[1259]. The Annals of the Four Masters record the death in 925 of “Sitric son of Imhar lord of the Dubhghoill and Finnghoill”[1260]. The Annals of Clonmacnoise record in 922 the death of "Sittrick o´Himer prince of the new and old Danes"[1261]. Florence of Worcester records the death of "Northanhymbrorum rex Sihtricus", undated but dateable to [926/27] from the context[1262]. m firstly ---. The name of Sihtric's first wife is not known but the fact of this earlier marriage is dictated by the chronology of his son Olaf. m secondly (Tamworth 30 Jan 926) EADGYTH of Wessex, daughter of EDWARD I “the Elder” King of Wessex & his first wife Ecgwynn ([895/902]-, bur Tamworth). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "King Athelstan [gave] Sihtric king of Northumbria…his sister in marriage" at Tamworth 30 Jan 925[1263]. The Book of Hyde names "Athelstanum…et Elfredum et Edgytham" as the children of King Eadweard "ex concubina Egwynna", specifying that Eadgyth married "Sirichio regi Northanhymbrorum" and was buried at Tamworth[1264]. Her marriage was arranged to seal the alliance which Sihtric King of York proposed to her brother. After her husband's death, she became a nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire in 927, transferring to Tamworth Abbey, Gloucestershire where she was elected Abbess. Later canonised as St Edith of Polesworth or St Edith of Tamworth, her feast day is 15 or 19 July[1265]. King Sihtric & his first wife had four children: a) OLAF [Amlaib] ([900]-Iona [978/80]). [The Annals of Clonmacnoise record in 922 that "Maceilgi with the sons of Sittrick tooke Dublyn on Godfrey"[1266]. The source does not name Sihtric´s sons who were involved in this campaign.] His parentage is confirmed by Simeon of Durham who records that "the son of Sihtric named Onlaf reigned over the Northumbrians" in 941 but was driven out in 943[1267]. He was accepted as King of York by the Northumbrians in 927. King of Dublin. - see below. b) SIGFRITH (-killed in battle Brunanburh 937). The Annals of Clonmacnoise record in 931 "Sithfrey and Oisle ye 2 sones of Sithrick" among those killed by the Saxons "on the plaines of Othlyn"[1268], identified as Brunanburh, dated to 937 in other sources. c) ASL (-killed in battle Brunanburh 937). The Annals of Clonmacnoise record in 931 "Sithfrey and Oisle ye 2 sones of Sithrick" among those killed by the Saxons "on the plaines of Othlyn"[1269], identified as Brunanburh, dated to 937 in other sources. d) GUTHFRITH (-[951/52]). The Annals of the Four Masters record that “Godfrey son of Sitric with the foreigners of Ath-cliath” plundered “churches of Meath” in 949[1270]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Gothfrith son of Sitriuc with the foreigners of Ath Cliath” plundered churches in 951[1271]. King of Dublin: the Chronicon Scottorum records in 951 that "Gothfrith son of Sitruic took Ath Cliath and plundered Cenannas and…he died in a short time"[1272].
    Page: Identifies 1st wife of SIHTRIC "Caoch" King of Dublin and King of York as the mother of : OLAF [Amlaib] ([900]-Iona [978/80], SIGFRITH (-killed in battle Brunanburh 937), ASL (-killed in battle Brunanburh 937), and GUTHFRITH (-[951/52]). NAME IS NOT KNOWN and died or was set aside before 30 Jan 926 when Sihtric married Eadgyth of Wessex, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex.
  13. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: 401017.ftw, Not Given
    Note: Source Media Type: Other
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222796
  14. Title: Edith of Polesworth From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_of_Polesworth;
    Note: Saint Edith of Polesworth (also known as Editha or Eadgyth; d. ?c.960s [1]) is an obscure Anglo-Saxon abbess associated with Polesworth (Warwickshire) and Tamworth (Staffordshire) in Mercia. Her historical identity and floruit are uncertain. Some late sources make her a daughter of King Edward the Elder, while other sources claim she is the daughter of Egbert of Wessex. Her feast day is 15 July. Identity Edith (Ealdgyth) is included in the first section of the late Old English saints' list known as Secgan, which locates her burial place at Polesworth.[2] The question of St Edith's historical identity is fraught with difficulties. As sister to a West-Saxon king The tradition which was written down at the monastery of Bury St Edmunds in the 12th century and was later re-told by Roger of Wendover (d. 1236) and Matthew Paris (d. 1259) asserts that she was a sister of King Æthelstan, who gave her in marriage to Sihtric Cáech, a hiberno-scandinavian King of southern Northumbria and Dublin. It then suggests that the marriage was never consummated. When Sihtric broke his side of the agreement by renouncing the Christian religion and died soon thereafter, she returned south and founded a nunnery at Polesworth, not far from the Mercian royal seat at Tamworth, spending the rest of her life as a devout nun and virgin.[2][3] The story appears to take its cue from an earlier source, the D-version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which confirms that on 30 January 926 King Æthelstan married his sister to Sihtric (d. 927) and attended the wedding feast at the Mercian royal centre of Tamworth. The Chronicle, however, gives no name. Reporting on the same event in the early part of the 12th century, William of Malmesbury identified her as a daughter of Edward the Elder and Ecgwynn, and therefore a full-blooded sister to Æthelstan, but says that he was unable to discover her name in any of the sources available to him.[4] A variant version of the Bury tradition, which locates her burial place at Tamworth rather than Polesworth, identifies this Edith as a daughter of Ælfflæd, Edward's second wife, and hence Æthelstan's half-sister.[5][6] However, another late source drawing upon earlier material, the early 13th-century Chronicle of John of Wallingford, names Sihtric's wife Orgiue.[3][7] These late, contradictory statements have garnered a mixed response from modern historians. Some scholars favour Roger's identification or at least the possibility that her name was Eadgyth/Edith.[5][8] Alan Thacker, for instance, states that "given the strong Mercian connections of Æthelstan himself, it is not at all unlikely that such a woman, if repudiated, should have ended her days in a community in the former heartlands of the Mercian royal family. Perhaps, like Æthelstan, she had been brought up at the Mercian court.".[5] Barbara Yorke, however, argues that the name Eadgyth is unlikely to belong to two of Edward's daughters at the same time, the other being a daughter by Ælfflæd.[2] A slightly earlier if largely legendary source which potentially casts some light on traditions surrounding St Edith is Conchubran's Life of Saint Modwenna, a female hermit who supposedly lived near Burton-on-Trent. The text, written in the early 11th century, mentions a sister of King Alfred by the name of Ite, a nun who served as the saint's tutor and had a maidservant called Osid. Although an Irish nun called St Ita was active in the 7th century, Ite's name has been interpreted as "almost certainly a garbling of Edith"[5] and that of Osid a rendering of Osgyth.[9] As early Mercian saint Yorke prefers to identify the historical figure of Edith with an earlier namesake instead. The saint's inclusion in Secgan, grouped as she is with other early saints buried near rivers, may be taken as evidence for the hypothesis that she was a Mercian saint who flourished in the 7th or 8th century.[10] According to Alan Thacker, on the other hand, the entry in Secgan may also be a later addition, along with at least two other items which seem to reflect interests peculiar to Æthelstan's time.[5] Later traditions The saint is commemorated in a number of churches around the Midlands, the most notable of these being Polesworth Abbey and the Collegiate Church of Tamworth, which bears her name. Other churches dedicated to St. Edith include Church Eaton in Staffordshire, Amington Parish Church (in Tamworth), St Edith's Church in Monks Kirby, Warwickshire as well as a number of churches in Louth, Lincolnshire.
  15. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Princess Edith Wessex [Abbess Pellesworth] -
    Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222797
  16. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R) (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998) www.familysearch.org, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2275260680
  17. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire - birth: about 0910; England, United Kingdom
    Author: Ancestral File.LDS Church. Family History Library.
    Note: birth: about 0910; England, United Kingdom death:
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2198868384
  18. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith, Princess Of Wessex -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2941801618
  19. Title: Edward the Elder From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Elder#Marriages_and_children;
    Note: Marriages and children Edward had about fourteen children from three marriages.[e] He first married Ecgwynn around 893.[84] Their children were: Æthelstan, King of England 924–939[19] A daughter, perhaps called Edith, married Sihtric, Viking King of York in 926, who died in 927. Possibly Saint Edith of Polesworth[85] In c. 900, Edward married Ælfflæd, daughter of Ealdorman Æthelhelm, probably of Wiltshire.[17] Their children were: Ælfweard, died August 924, a month after his father; possibly King of Wessex for that month[86] Edwin, drowned at sea 933[87] Æthelhild, lay sister at Wilton Abbey[88] Eadgifu (died in or after 951), married Charles the Simple, King of the West Franks, c. 918[89] Eadflæd, nun at Wilton Abbey[88] Eadhild, married Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks in 926[90] Eadgyth (died 946), in 929/30 married Otto I, future King of the East Franks, and (after Eadgyth's death) Holy Roman Emperor[91] Ælfgifu, married "a prince near the Alps", perhaps Louis, brother of King Rudolph II of Burgundy[92] Edward married for a third time, about 919, Eadgifu, the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent.[93] Their children were: Edmund I, King of England 939–946[79] Eadred, King of England 946–955[79] Eadburh (died c. 952), Benedictine nun at Nunnaminster, Winchester, and saint[94] Eadgifu, existence uncertain, possibly the same person as Ælfgifu[95]
    Page: Edward had about fourteen children from three marriages.[e] He first married Ecgwynn around 893.[84] Their children were: Æthelstan, King of England 924–939[19] A daughter, perhaps called Edith, married Sihtric, Viking King of York in 926, who died in 927. Possibly Saint Edith of Polesworth[85]
  20. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#EadgythMSihtricYorkdied927;
    Note: EADGYTH ([895/902]-, bur Tamworth). The Book of Hyde names "Athelstanum…et Elfredum et Edgytham" as the children of King Eadweard "ex concubina Egwynna", specifying that Eadgyth married "Sirichio regi Northanhymbrorum" and was buried at Tamworth[1655]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "King Athelstan [gave] Sihtric king of Northumbria…his sister in marriage" at Tamworth 30 Jan 925[1656]. Her marriage was arranged to seal the alliance which Sihtric King of York proposed to her brother. After her husband's death, she became a nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire in 927, transferring to Tamworth Abbey, Gloucestershire where she was elected Abbess. Later canonised as St Edith of Polesworth or St Edith of Tamworth, her feast day is 15 or 19 July[1657]. m (Tamworth 30 Jan 926) as his second wife, SIHTRIC "Caoch" Danish King of York, son of --- (-[926/27]).
  21. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith Princess Of Wessex (Abbess Of Pellesworth) -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2676700743
  22. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: 13143.GED, Not Given
    Note: Source Media Type: Other
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222793
  23. Title: Ecgberht, King of Wessex, in the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
    Publication: Name: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#EcgberhtWessexA;
    Note: ECGBERHT, son of EALHMUND Under-King of Kent & his wife --- ([769/80]-4 Feb or [Jun] 839, bur Winchester Cathedral). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Egbert succeeded to the kingdom of Wessex" after the death of Beorhtric in 802, in a later passage describing him as Ecgberht as son of Ealhmund, and in another passage which setting out his complete ancestry from his son Æthelwulf King of Wessex[1466]. According to the Chronicle, Ecgberht was expelled from England in 789 by King Beorhtric after he unsuccessfully challenged Beorhtric's succession[1467]. It may be significant that "England" rather than "Wessex" is specified in this passage of the Chronicle. Ecgberht's father was king of Kent around this time, and it is possible that the expulsion was from Kent, maybe a consequence of his father being deposed as Kentish king. According to William of Malmesbury, Beorhtric was allied with Offa King of Mercia at this time. He explains that Ecgberht had sought refuge with King Offa after his expulsion by King Beorhtric, but that the latter bribed Offa for Ecgberht's surrender and was offered Offa's daughter in marriage in return[1468]. Ecgberht sought refuge at the Frankish court until [792][1469]. Under-King in Kent in [796][1470]. On Beorhtric's death, he established himself in 802 as ECGBERHT King of Wessex, rebelling against Mercian overlordship. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that he ravaged the Britons of Dumnonia (Cornwall) 815[1471]. He defeated Beornwulf King of Mercia in 825 at Ellendun [=Wroughton, Wiltshire], which marked the end of Mercian ascendancy. King Ecgberht immediately sent his son Æthelwulf with a large army into Kent, which submitted to him along with Surrey, Sussex and Essex. East Anglia, in revolt against Mercia, turned to Ecgberht for protection[1472]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Ecgberht conquered Mercia in 829[1473], taking the title rex Merciorum, from evidence provided by a limited number of coins[1474], but lost control of Mercia again in 830. He exacted tribute from Eanred King of Northumbria in 829. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that the first Danish raiders landed at Sheppey in 835 and King Ecgberht was defeated by Viking invaders at Carhampton in 836[1475], but defeated the Vikings at Hingston Down, Cornwall in 838[1476], which is probably when Cornwall was integrated into Wessex. "Ægberhtus rex occidentalium Saxonum" granted land at Canterbury to "Ciaba clericus", jointly with "Æthelwulfi regis filii mei", by charter dated 836[1477]. "Æthelwulf rex Cancie" was co-grantor of land in Kent with "Egberthus rex occident Saxonum pater meus" by charters dated [833/39] and 838 respectively[1478]. Despite his successes, he does not seem to have claimed overlordship over all the southern English or referred to himself as king of England. He is listed as eighth bretwalda in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle[1479], supplementing the original list given by Bede. William of Malmesbury records that King Ecgberht died "after a reign of thirty-seven years" and was buried at Winchester[1480]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Ecgberht died in 839[1481]. m ([789/92]) REDBURGA, daughter of ---. The primary source which confirms her marriage has not yet been identified. According to Weir, she is said to have been "sister of the king of the Franks", who at the time was Charles I, later Emperor "Charlemagne", but her identity is uncertain[1482]. The primary source on which this is based has not been identified. If her origin was Frankish, King Ecgberht presumably married her during his exile at the Frankish court between [789/792]. King Ecgberht had two children: 1. ÆTHELWULF ([795/810]-13 Jan 858, bur Winchester). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle names Æthelwulf as son of Ecgberht[1483]. He succeeded his father 839 as ÆTHELWULF King of Wessex. - see below. 2. EADGYTH (-Polesworth Abbey ----, bur Polesworth Abbey). A manuscript of Polesworth Monastery records that “sancta Editha sorore regis Athulphi” was a nun at the abbey[1484]. Another manuscript which narrates the foundation of Polesworth Monastery in more detail, but is stated in Dugdale’s Monasticon to date from 1640, records that “Egbrycht the king had on son…Arnulfe and a dowhtur…Edith”, and that the latter was made abbess[1485].
    Page: Ecgberht, King of Wessex, in the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy ~http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#EcgberhtWessexA [See document in the Memories section]
  24. Title: Eadgyth daughter of Eadweard the Elder IN The Henry Project: The Ancestors of King Henry II of England
    Publication: Name: https://fasg.org/projects/henryproject/data/edwar001.htm;
    Note: Eadweard (Edward) "the Elder" King of the West Saxons, 899-924. King of the Mercians, ca. 918-924. Eadweard witnesses a Kentish charter of Ælfred the Great as king in 898 ["Eadweard rex" Cart. Sax., 2: 220 (#576)]. When Ælfred died in October 899, he was succeeded by his son Eadweard (Edward) "the Elder" ["Her gefor Ælfred ... & þa feng Eadweard his sunu to rice." ASC(A) s.a. 901 (orig. 900) ("Here died Alfred ... And then Edward, his son, succeeded to the kingdom." ASC(Eng), 91-2); ASC(E) s.a. 901; "Huic filius successit Eadwardus, cognomento Senior" John Worc., s.a. 901 (1: 117)]. Eadweard was crowned on Whitsunday, 8 June 900 ["Successor equidem tum monarchiæ Eaduuerdus post filius supra memorati regis coronatur ipse stemate regali a primatis electus pentecostes in die, ..." Æthelweard, 50-1]. Eadweard's reign was marked by continued progress against the Danes, in cooperation with his sister Æthelflæd and her husband Æthelred, leader of the Mercians. When Æthelflæd died in 918, her daughter Ælfwynn was deprived of control in Mercia [ASC(C) s.a. 918, 919 (Mercian Register)].When Eadweard died in 924 [see below], he was succeeded by his son Æthelstan, perhaps after a short reign by his son Ælfweard [see below]. Eadweard's nickname of "the Elder" is not contemporary, but was assigned later to distinguish him from the two other Anglo-Saxon kings of that name. [For the chronology of Eadweard's reign, see Angus (1938); Wainwright (1945); Vaughan (1954)] Date of death: 17 July 924. Place of death: Farndon, Mercia. Place of burial: Winchester. Spouses (and concubine): (1) Ecgwynn. Hrotsvith of Gandersheim states that king Æthelstan's mother was of low birth ["Altera sed generis mulier satis inferioris." Gesta Oddonis, line 82, MGH SS 4: 321]. John of Worcester and William of Malmesbury state that she was of high birth [FlW a. 901; Lib. Monast. Hyde, 111-2."Ex muliere nobilissima Ecgwyna ..." John Worc., s.a. 901 (1: 117); "... Ecgwyn, foemina nobilissima, ..." ibid., 1: 274; "... ex Egwinna illustri foemina ..." Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 126 (1: 136-7)], but then William relates a fanciful story that makes her a daughter of a shepherd ["opilionis filia" Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 139 (1: 155)]. (2) m. bef. 901, Ælfflæd, d. 918, daughter of ealdorman Æthelhelm. Ælfflæd appears in a charter of Eadweard in 901 ["Eadward rex. Ealhswið mater regis. Elffled conjux regis." Cart. Sax. 2: 234 (#589)]. The death of Ælfflæd is noted by Annales Cambriae, two years after the death of Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr ["Aelfled regina obiit." AC s.a 917 ("Edfled", B; "Edelflet", C)]. Since Anarawd appears to have died in 916 [CS s.a 915=916], the death of Ælfflæd most probably occurred in 918 rather than 917. [The date 917 is editorial, and has no manuscript authority.] Based on a statement of Hrotsvith of Gandersheim, it has been suggested that Ælfflæd was a descendant of king Osweald of Bernicia (d. 642) [see below under her daughter Eadgyth]. Ælflæd's father Æthelhelm has sometimes been identified as the known son of king Æthelred I of that name, but there appears to be nothing to support this beyond the coincidence of the name. (3) Eadgifu, d. aft. 966, daughter of Sigehelm, ealdorman of Kent. Children: By Ecgwynn: Æthelstan, d. 27 October 939, king of Wessex and Mercia (king of England) 924×5-939. According to most of his charters which show a regnal year, Æthelstan appears to have dated his reign from a point which started somewhere between 25 December 924 and 26 January 925 [see above under Eadweard's date of death]. Since Eadweard had died the previous July, this suggests a longer than average succession period, which may have included a short reign in Wessex by Æthelstan's brother Ælfweard [Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 139 (1: 156); see below under Ælfweard]. According to a dubious charter, Æthelstan was crowned on 4 September 925 [Cart. Sax. 2: 317 (#641)]. He died on 27 October 939 and was succeeded by his brother Eadmund ["Her Æþelstan cyning forðferde on .vi. kl. Nov. ymbe .xl. wintra butan anre niht þæs þe Ælfred cyning forþferde; & Eadmund æþeling feng to rice. & he wæs þa .xviii. wintre. & Æþelstan cyning rixade .xiiii. gear & .x. wucan." ASC(A) s.a. 941 (orig. 940) (".xli." altered to ".xl.") ("Here King Athelstan passed away on 27 October, 40 years all but a day after King Alfred passed away. And the ætheling Edmund succeeded to the kingdom; and he was then 18 years old. King Athelstan ruled 14 years and 10 weeks." ASC(Eng), 110); "Her Æðelstan cyning forðferde. & feng Ædmund to rice his broðor." ASC(E) s.a. 940; "Strenuus et gloriosus rex Anglorum Æthelstanus, decimo sexto regni sui anno, indictione XIV., vi. kal. Novembris, feria IV., apud Glawornam e vita decessit, et ad Maidulfi urbem delatus, honorifice est tumulatus; cui frater suus Eadmundus, XVIIIº. ætatis suæ anno, in regnum successit." John Worc., s.a. 940 (1: 132-3); "27 [Oct.] Obitus Æþelstani regis." Lib. Vit. Hyde, 272; AU s.a. 938=939; on 939 as the year of Æthelstan's death, see Beaven (1917); Vaughan (1954)]. By Ecgwynn or Ælfflæd: NN (Eadgyth?), d. Pollesbury, 15 July; m. 925×6, Sitric (Sigtryggr), d. 927, king of Dublin and York. ["Her Æþelstan cyning & Sihtric Norðhymbra cyng heo gesamnodon æt Tameweorðþige. iii. k. Februarius. & Æþelstan his sweostor him forgeaf." ASC(D) s.a. 925 ("Here King Athelstan and Sihtric, king of Northumbria, assembled at Tamworth on 30 January, and Athelstan gave him his sister." ASC(Eng), 105); "Strenuus et gloriosus rex Anglorum Æthelstanus sororem suam, cum magno honore et gloria, Northhymbrorum regi Sihtrico, Danica stirpe progenito, in matrimonium dedit." John Worc., s.a. 925 (1: 130); ibid., 1: 117, 274; Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 126 (1: 136)] Since ASC(D) and John Worc. place the death of Sitric in the next year after the marriage (s.a. 926) and he actually died in 927 [AU s.a. 926=927], the marriage might belong to 926. Roger of Wendover states that she remained a virgin and lived in Pollesbury until her death on 15 July of an unknown year ["Ethelstanus, rex Anglorum, Eathgitam, sororem suam, Sithrico Danica natione progenito, Northanhumbrorum regi, matrimonio honorifice copulavit; ... Sancta itaque puella, virginitate sibi reservata, apud Pollesberiam ... usque ad finem vitæ suæ ...perseveravit; transiit autem post laudibilis vitæ cursum ex hoc mundo ibidem idibus Julii, ..." Rog. Wendover, s.a. 925 (1: 386); thanks to Todd Farmerie for pointing out this reference]. She is called Eadgyth by Ralph de Diceto ("Eadchida"), Roger of Wendover, and the Book of Hyde [see the Commentary section below]. The main reason for doubting the name (other than the late sources) would be that Eadweard already had another well documented daughter named Eadgyth. By Ælfflæd: MALE Ælfweard, d. prob. August 924, king of Wessex? MALE 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]. Other children: Eadflæd, Eadgifu (Ottogeba), Æthelhild, Eadhild, Eadgyth, Ælfgifu or Ealdgyth (Adiva), Eadburh, Eadmund I, Eadred, Eadgifu
    Page: Identifies a daughter of Eadweard (Edward) "the Elder" and his 1st wife Ecgwynn. Her name is uncertain but is believed to be Eadgyth, sister of Æthelstan Married Sitric (Sigtryggr) king of Dublin and York in 925/926 and widowed in 927 States marriage was not consummated, remained a virgin and lived in Pollesbury until her death on 15 July of an unknown year.
  25. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith Princess Of Wessex (Abbess Of Pellesworth) -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2041640822
  26. Title: Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy
    Author: Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy: By Alison Weir. Page 12
    Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=7nZ90l1_IzAC&q=Ecgwynn#v=onepage&q=Sitric&f=false;
    Note: Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy By Alison Weir Page 12 King Edward, known as 'the Elder' married firstly : Egwina Issue of marriage: 1 King Athelstan 2 Alfred (may have died young) 3 St Edith She married Sihtric Coach, King of Northumbria (d 927), on 30 January, 925/6, at Tamworth, Statffordshire. After her widowhood, she became a nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire, in 927. That same year, she was transferred to Tamworth Abbey, Gloucestershire, where she was immediately elected Abbess. She died in c. 927. After her death, she was canonised, and her Feast Day in 15 July.
  27. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire -
    Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R) (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998) www.familysearch.org, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2275140727
  28. Title: 13th-century Chronicle by John of Wallingford
  29. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy; Kings of Wessex 802-944 Eadweard, son of Alfred 872-924
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#EadgythMSihtricYorkdied927;
    Note: Eadgyth was Eadwead's third daughter by his third wife- 3. EADGYTH ([895/902]-, bur Tamworth). The Book of Hyde names "Athelstanum…et Elfredum et Edgytham" as the children of King Eadweard "ex concubina Egwynna", specifying that Eadgyth married "Sirichio regi Northanhymbrorum" and was buried at Tamworth[1655]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "King Athelstan [gave] Sihtric king of Northumbria…his sister in marriage" at Tamworth 30 Jan 925[1656]. Her marriage was arranged to seal the alliance which Sihtric King of York proposed to her brother. After her husband's death, she became a nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire in 927, transferring to Tamworth Abbey, Gloucestershire where she was elected Abbess. Later canonised as St Edith of Polesworth or St Edith of Tamworth, her feast day is 15 or 19 July[1657]. m (Tamworth 30 Jan 926) as his second wife, SIHTRIC "Caoch" Danish King of York, son of --- (-[926/27]).
    Page: Identifies SIHTRIC "Caoch" Danish King of York as marrying as his 2nd wife Eadgyth, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex. This tells us that there was a 1ST WIFE that died or was set aside before 30 Jan 926.
  30. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Glocestershire Edith Abbess of Glocestershire - Individual or family possessions: Family genealogies: birth-name: Edgyth, Princess of England & Queen of Northumbria
    Author: Memorabilia
    Note: Individual or family possessions: Family genealogies: birth-name: Edgyth, Princess of England & Queen of Northumbria
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2042921944
  31. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith, Princess Of WESSEX ABBESS OF PELLESWORTH -
    Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244062838
  32. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Edith Princess Of Wessex (Abbess Of Pellesworth) -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2680860794
  33. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Abbess of Pellesworth Edith, Princess of Wessex -
    Author: Family History Library archive record (family group sheet)
    Note: Source: Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings & Nobles, Eng. 104, p. 342, 343; The Royal Line of Succession, A16A225, p. 5, 6; Keiser und Koenig Hist., Gen. Hist. 25 pt. 1, p. 96, 97; Hist of the Anglo-Saxons, Eng. 36 v. 1, p. 362-371 (Gen. Soc. - HEC) Submitter: Sanford A. Johnson
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244547632
  34. Title: Ecgwynn From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (her mother)
    Author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecgwynn
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecgwynn;
    Note: Ecgwynn or Ecgwynna (fl. 890s), was the first consort of Edward the Elder, later King of the English (reigned 899–924), by whom she bore the future King Æthelstan (r. 924–939), and a daughter who married Sihtric Cáech, Norse king of Dublin, Ireland, and Northumbria. Extremely little is known about her background and life. Not even her name is given in any sources until after the Norman Conquest. The first to record it is William of Malmesbury, who presents it in Latinised guise as Egwinna and who is in fact the principal source for her existence. According to William of Malmesbury, Æthelstan was thirty years old when he became king in 924, which would mean that he was born around 894 and Ecgwynn's marriage to Edward the Elder took place in about 893.[2][3] By this time, Edward had reached majority and one of his priorities would have been to secure the continuation of Alfred's line.[4] No sources report what became of Ecgwynn afterwards, though two events are directly relevant. First, William writes that on King Alfred's instigation, Æthelstan was sent to be raised at the Mercian court of his aunt Æthelflæd.[5] Second, it is known that by 901, Edward had taken to wife Ælfflæd, a daughter of ealdorman Æthelhelm.[6] The reason for this decision is unclear. It may simply have been that Ecgwynn was no longer alive in 899 and that it was therefore only natural that Edward looked for another bride.[3] It is also possible that Edward's first marriage was thought to lack the political import that was needed to buttress his position as king of the English.[7] Alfred may have been responsible for arranging the first marriage and so his death in 899 would have afforded Edward and his counsellors room to follow a different course. An anonymous daughter The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that King Æthelstan married his sister to Sihtric Cáech (died 927), king of Northumbria, and that the nuptials were celebrated at the Mercian royal centre at Tamworth on 30 January 926.[9] William notes that she was Ecgwynn's daughter, but was unable to discover her name in any of the sources available to him.[1] It is only later sources which offer suggestions, whose value remains uncertain. Roger of Wendover (died 1236) and Matthew Paris (died 1259) thought that she was the St Edith (Eadgyth) who according to the Old English saints' list known as Secgan, was buried at the nunnery of Polesworth (Warwickshire), not far from Tamworth.[10] Another late source drawing upon earlier material, the early 13th-century Chronicle of John of Wallingford, names Sihtric's wife Orgiue, possibly for Eadgifu or Eadgyth,[11] and claims that their son was Olaf king of Northumbria, i.e. Amlaíb Cuarán.[12] These data have garnered a mixed response from modern historians. Some scholars favour Roger's identification or at least the possibility that her name was Eadgyth,[13] while Barbara Yorke argues that the name Eadgyth is unlikely to belong to two of Edward's daughters, the other being a daughter by Ælfflæd, and prefers to identify Edith of Polesworth with an earlier namesake. Family background Ecgwynn's own family background and social status cannot be identified with any certainty. What little evidence there is appears in the main to be coloured by a controversy which surrounded Æthelstan's succession, contested as it probably was by supporters of Edward's sons by Ælfflæd. Succession William of Malmesbury claims that Alfred had intended the throne to go to Æthelstan, and to give ceremonial expression to his grandson's status as successor, personally invested him with a cloak, belt and sword.[2] Moreover, Alfred is said to have ensured his education at the Mercian court of his aunt Æthelflæd.[5] A Latin acrostic poem, possibly contemporary (c. 893/4 x 899), in which a young Æthelstan appears to be addressed as future ruler, would seem to lend credence to the idea that Æthelstan's eligibility for kingship was already acknowledged in the 890s.[15] However, Edward may have entertained other plans when his second wife Ælfflaed had borne him sons. While his intentions are unknown, it appears to have been Ælfweard, Edward's eldest son by Ælfflæd, who on 17 July 924 succeeded his late father in Wessex, while the Mercians chose Æthelstan for their king. By some mishap, Ælfweard died within a month and Wessex was ceded to Æthelstan, who thereby obtained his father's entire kingdom. His accession in Wessex, however, met with considerable resistance. One indication of this is that his coronation at Kingston upon Thames was delayed until 4 December the following year (925).[16] William notes explicitly that "a certain Ælfred" at Winchester opposed the succession on grounds that Æthelstan was a concubine's son and hence an illegitimate son.[17] Such allegations seem to have served the interests of a royal contender, especially Edwin, Ælfflæd's eldest surviving son.[16] In a royal charter for a thegn (minister) called Ælfred, Edwin subscribes as cliton "ætheling", witnessing after Æthelstan, which implies that he was recognised as his heir to the throne.[18] The circumstances of his death in 933 suggest that any peaceful understanding which may have existed between the half-brothers had come to an end. The Annals of St. Bertin compiled by Folcuin the Deacon note laconically that Edwin, "driven by some disturbance in his kingdom," attempted to sail to the continent, but was caught in a storm and drowned. Status The written and oral sources consulted by William of Malmesbury for his accounts of Æthelstan's parentage seem to reflect the political stances which polarised during these succession struggle(s).[20] To begin with, there is the account favoured by William himself. Possibly paraphrasing from a non-contemporary Latin poem in praise of Æthelstan, he describes Ecgwynn as “a distinguished woman” (illustris femina) and John of Worcester follows suit, giving the similar description "a very noble woman" (mulier nobilissima).[21] William was also aware of rumours (though he rejected them) that Æthelstan's mother was a concubine, as propagated by “a certain Ælfred” who headed a group opposed to the succession.[17] By the early 12th century, such rumours had given rise to fully-fledged popular traditions which reduced her to a low-born mistress, if still one of noble appearance. William cites an anecdote about Æthelstan's conception which he overheard from popular song (cantilena) and to which he gave only little credence himself. One day, when out of old affection, Edward the Elder visited his former nurse (nutrix), a reeve's wife, he met a beautiful shepherd's daughter who had been raised like a noblewoman. Edward slept with the unnamed girl, who bore him the future king called Æthelstan.[22] These slurs may represent a later development of stories in favour of Ælfflæd's sons, but there is evidence to suggest that the status difference between Edward's first two wives had been an issue at an earlier stage.[23] A distant but near-contemporary poet writing in the 960s, Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim, tells that Æthelstan's mother was lower in status (generis satis inferioris) than Ælfflæd, whose daughter Eadgyth married Otto I.[24] Since she wrote her Life in praise of Otto I, Eadgyth and their descendants, presumably based on sources sympathetic to the latter, not a small degree of bias may be assumed.[6] On the other hand, if Ecgwynn had been set aside in favour of Ælfflæd, then the political importance of the latter's family may have played a large part.[7] Further near-contemporary evidence comes only indirectly by inference from later kinsmen whose precise connectedness is impossible to specify. According to his first biographer, Dunstan was related to a certain Æthelflæd, a lady of royal rank who was herself a niece of King Æthelstan, to Bishop Ælfheah of Winchester, to Bishop Cynesige of Lichfield, and to various men at court (including his brother Wulfric).[25] Dunstan's father Heorstan, who lived near the “royal island” of Glastonbury, cannot be shown to have been a prominent figure in the kingdom, although sources for Edward's reign are notoriously scanty.[26] Since Æthelstan, Dunstan and Heorstan all share the rare onomastic element -stan, it has been tentatively suggested that they derived their kinship through Ecgwynn.
    Page: Identifies a daughter of Edward the Elder and his 1st wife/consort Ecgwynn whose name is not known with certainty but that has been identified by various sources as Edith/Orgiue/Eadgifu/Eadgyth. This daughter, sister of King Æthelstan, was given in marriage by her brother to Sihtric Cáech, king of Northumbria. They married 30 January 926 at the Mercian royal center at Tamworth. Identifies her as possibly the mother of Olaf king of Northumbria, i.e. Amlaíb Cuarán.
  35. Title: SAINT EDITH, ABBESS OF POLESWORTH - Orthodox Christianity
    Publication: Name: https://orthochristian.com/95686.html;
    Note: Early England can be proud of having around forty holy abbesses, most of whom were of royal origin. One of them is St. Edith (also Editha, Eadgyth) who became Abbess of Polesworth in central England. One of the earliest testimonies for the veneration of this saint is the eleventh-century “List of Resting Places of Anglo-Saxon Saints,” commonly known as Secgan, which mentions that St. Edith’s relics rest at Polesworth Convent. Let us recall her life. Unfortunately, there is no reliable information on this saint’s ties of kinship (that would make her different from other female saints of royal blood). Thus, according to a tradition recorded in the twelfth century at Bury St. Edmunds and later recounted by the famous chronicler Matthew Paris (c.1199-1259), St. Edith was a sister of Athelstan (895-939) who effectively became the first ruler of all England. If that is true, then her father was King Edward the Elder (c.870-924), King of Wessex and son of the saintly King Alfred the Great. Another source, the historian William of Malmesbury, early in the twelfth century, confidently wrote of this saint as “daughter of King Edward the Elder and his wife Ecgwynna”. If this was so, then she was truly a sister of King Athelstan, but William refers to no sources confirming that one of King Edward’s daughters was called Edith (it should be said that the period of reign of Edward the Elder and Athelstan is very sparsely covered by written sources). The Bury St. Edmunds tradition goes on to relate that in 925 in the city of York, King Athelstan gave his sister Edith in marriage to the Danish king of South Northumbria named Sitric Caech (Northumbria was then a part of the Danelaw—the territories in the north and east of England in which Danish laws and customs were observed from the late ninth century until the Norman Conquest). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions the same event, but under the year 926 rather than 925, and it does not provide the name of the King’s sister. According to other and less genuine traditions, St. Edith was a sister of the Holy Right-Believing King Edgar the Peaceful and so the aunt of St. Edith of Wilton—in this case she must have lived at least twenty years later and could not have married Sitric. Despite the discrepancies concerning this saint’s ties of kinship, all the sources agree on what followed afterwards. Sitric died the following year after marrying Edith. Shortly before his death he renounced Christianity and reverted back to pagan idols. Meanwhile, Edith, who had wished to serve God from her infancy and in spite of her brief marriage had remained a virgin, on becoming a widow at once took monastic vows. For the monastic life the holy virgin Edith chose the convent at Polesworth, which was located in woodland in what is now Warwickshire. One of the first abbesses of that convent had been St. Modwenna (seventh century; feast: July 5/18) who had also lived as anchoress at Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. It is worth mentioning that St. Edith, like many of her kinswomen of royal origin, had rejected a life of luxury and the good things of this world, and decided to devote her life to the service of God in fasting and prayer. Like many other early British saints, St. Edith chose an austere life of seclusion, becoming a real anchoress. The dense forests of Warwickshire served her as a desert. According to some sources, St. Edith lived as an anchoress for many years, gaining the ability to perform miracles. Through her intercessions many were healed, particularly from eye diseases. With time St. Edith became Abbess of Polesworth where she was the beloved mentor of her sisters, noted for her almsgiving and kindness. It was there that she reposed in the Lord, probably around the year 960. The saint was interred in the monastic church of Polesworth, and later a portion of her relics was translated to the monastic church of the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire not far from Polesworth, which is close to the Warwickshire/Staffordshire border. The veneration of St. Edith in both Polesworth and Tamworth continued for many centuries. The history of Polesworth village and its convent is interesting. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was a tiny village in the kingdom of Mercia. Founded in the seventh century in the valley of the River Trent, Mercia grew into the largest early English kingdom and the most influential after Wessex. It gained a special importance under King Offa (ruled 757-796), but after his death, Mercia was invaded by King Egbert of Wessex (d. 839) in 825 and supremacy gradually passed to Wessex. According to a legend, once Egbert and his army were in an area of Mercia where they could not find a spring or water basin. They sent a scout who found a small river called the Anker near the wood on which bank the village Polesworth lay. Thanking God for His mercy, Egbert vowed to build a monastery in this area. Though this place already had a small community of nuns in honor of the Mother of God, by that time it was probably in decline. Egbert’s son called Aethelwulf rebuilt the nunnery whose main church stood on the site of the north aisle of the present church. As the convent was situated in the depths of the Forest of Arden, its timber was used for building. During the pagan Viking raids on England, when many monastic sites fell victim to the Danes, Polesworth Convent remained unscathed together with the village due to its location in the forest. Monastic life at Polesworth prospered for many years until the bloody Reformation. In 1090-1139 the convent was rebuilt and considerably enlarged. The new stone convent comprised the main church (part of which survives to this day), a gatehouse (also survives to this day), the dwellings for nuns, an infirmary for the sick, a smithy and a bakery. A school was attached to the convent that received many pupils, including members of noble families. This school was known not only in England, but in continental Europe as well; it was called “The English School”. The convent possessed large gardens in which nuns grew vegetables and medicinal plants. The nunnery also had watermills which were even used by the local villagers. For many years nuns bred fish in the fishponds. Life at Polesworth continued the traditions which had been practiced under the Holy Abbess Edith: the nuns clothed and fed the poor, gave them alms, cured the sick, accommodated travelers, gave lodging to strangers, cared for all those who sought their aid and cordially received guests, both rich and poor. There were many cases of miracles in this church through the prayers of St. Edith, along with cases of her posthumous apparitions. For example, in the first half of the twelfth century, Sir Robert Marmion, a local magnate who was grabbing the lands of Warwickshire, once expelled the nuns from Polesworth to Oldbury several miles away, and thus Polesworth Convent was briefly deserted. Soon after that, when Robert was sleeping in his bed after a lavish party, St. Edith appeared before him, hit him with the edge of her staff in his side and strictly (though she had been very meek) ordered him to return the sisters to Polesworth and warned him that if he refused he would die a wicked death. Frightened, Robert at once allowed the nuns to come back to Polesworth. continues...
  36. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy; Danish Kings of York 919-927
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#_Toc389126254;
    Note: F. DANISH KINGS OF YORK 919-927 The following three individuals are recorded in the sources as grandsons of Imar, but it is not known whether they were brothers. 1. RÆGNALD, grandson of IMAR, son of --- (-921) 2. GUTHFRITH, grandson of IMAR, son of --- (-934) 3. SIHTRIC "Caoch", grandson of IMAR, son of --- (-[926/27]). The Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar landed with his fleet at Cenn Fuait on the coast of Laigin” and “Ragnall grandson of Imar with his second fleet moved against the foreigners of Loch dá Chaech” in 917[1165]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar” defeated “Niall son of Aed king of Ireland…in the battle of Cenn Fuait” in 917 and that he “entered Ath Cliath” in the same year[1166]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Sitriuc grandson of Imar abandoned Ath Cliath” in 920[1167]. He invaded Mercia in 920 with an army from Dublin, destroying Davenport in Cheshire[1168]. Simeon of Durham records that "King Sihtric stormed Devonport" in 920[1169]. He succeeded his first cousin in 921 as SIHTRIC King of York. He proposed an alliance to Æthelstan King of Wessex, which was sealed in 926 by his marriage to King Æthelstan's sister. The Annals of Ulster record the death in 927 of "Sitriuc grandson of Ímar, king of the dark foreigners and the fair foreigners…at an immature age"[1170]. Simeon of Durham records the death of "Sihtric king of the Northumbrians" died in 926[1171]. The Annals of the Four Masters record the death in 925 of “Sitric son of Imhar lord of the Dubhghoill and Finnghoill”[1172]. Florence of Worcester records the death of "Northanhymbrorum rex Sihtricus", undated but dateable to [926/27] from the context[1173]. m firstly ---. The name of Sihtric's first wife is not known but the fact of this earlier marriage is dictated by the chronology of his sons. m secondly (Tamworth 30 Jan 926) EADGYTH of Wessex, daughter of EDWARD I “the Elder” King of Wessex & his first wife Ecgwynn ([895/902]-, bur Tamworth). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "King Athelstan [gave] Sihtric king of Northumbria…his sister in marriage" at Tamworth 30 Jan 925[1174]. The Book of Hyde names "Athelstanum…et Elfredum et Edgytham" as the children of King Eadweard "ex concubina Egwynna", specifying that Eadgyth married "Sirichio regi Northanhymbrorum" and was buried at Tamworth[1175]. Her marriage was arranged to seal the alliance which Sihtric King of York proposed to her brother. After her husband's death, she became a nun at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire in 927, transferring to Tamworth Abbey, Gloucestershire where she was elected Abbess. Later canonised as St Edith of Polesworth or St Edith of Tamworth, her feast day is 15 or 19 July[1176]. King Sihtric & his first wife had four children: a) OLAF [Amlaib] Sihtricsson ([900]-Iona [978/80]). He was accepted as OLAF King of York by the Northumbrians in 927 after the death of his father, and was supported by his uncle Guthfrith who came from Dublin. However, Æthelstan invaded Northumbria and expelled Olaf who joined his father's former associates in Ireland[1177]. Florence of Worcester records that "Northhymbrenses" chose "regem Northmannorum Anlafum" as king, undated but dateable to [941] from the context[1178]. Siimeon of Durham records that "the son of Sihtric named Onlaf reigned over the Northumbrians" in 941 but was driven out in 943[1179]. He lost the territories gained by Olaf Guthfrithson to Edmund King of Wessex in 942, and he was driven out of York and deposed in favour of his cousin Rægnald. He returned to Northumbria in 944, reasserting himself as king in opposition to Rægnald, but he was expelled by Edmund King of Wessex later that year[1180]. Simeon of Durham records that King Edmund expelled "king…Anlaf the son of Sihtric and [king] Reignold the son of Guthferth" from Northumbria in 944[1181]. Florence of Worcester records that Eadmund King of Wessex expelled "duos reges, Anlafum regis…Sihtrici filium, et Reignoldum Guthferthi filium" from Northumbria, undated but dateable to [944] from the context[1182]. He returned to York once more in 949, expelling King Erik "Blodøks/Blood-axe", but was finally driven out in his turn by Erik in 952. King of Dublin 941/43, 945/49 and 953/981. - KINGS of DUBLIN. b) other children: see KINGS of DUBLIN.
    Page: Identifies 1st wife of SIHTRIC "Caoch" King of York (and before that King of Dublin) as the mother of OLAF [Amlaib] (900-Iona 978/80), and 3 other children not named in this record. NAME IS NOT KNOWN and died or was set aside before 30 Jan 926 when Sihtric married Eadgyth of Wessex, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex.
  37. Title: Wikipedia article on Saint Edith of Polesworth
    Author: See webpage cited
    Publication: Name: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_of_Polesworth;
    Note: Wikipedia article
    Page: Vital information
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