The House Of Godwin Flashcards
Who did Earl Godwin marry and what 2 things did this give him?
Gyrtha, the daughter of a Danish earl which gave him danish allies, 9 children
Who was Edith Godwin?
Godwin’s eldest daughter who married King Edward
Who was Swein Godwinson?
Godwin’s eldest son who should have taken over the title of Earl of Wessex but he kidnapped a nun and was exiled from the family. Died when walking barefoot to Jerusalem as sorrow for his sins
Who was Harold Godwinson?
He became Earl of Wessex when Godwin died, he was the Kings deputy and he had control of both the army and a lot of land
Who was Tostig Godwinson?
He was the Earl of Northumbria until 1065 which gave the family power in the north
Who was Garth Godwinson?
Became the Earl of East Anglia
Who was Leofwine Godwinson?
Became the Earl of an area in the midlands
How much money did the Godwinson brothers make from their land?
£8500 a year
How much money did the king make?
£6600 a year
What did Harold and Tostig do between 1055 and 1063?
Led a series of military campaigns to end violence caused by rebellious local princes
Who were Harold’s two wives?
Edith Swan-neck and Edith of Mercia
What did Harold embassy involve in 1064?
He took an oath over relics, renewing the Kings promise to William of the English throne
What does the Bayeux Tapestry do after Harold’s embassy?
Leaps forward to Edwards death and Harold’s coronation, showing that Harold broke a sacred oath
What happened in October 1065?
The thegns of Yorkshire rebelled against Tostig and occupied York, Morcar became Earl of Northumbria and Tostig was exiled
How was Godwin close to King Edward? 4 ways
Godwin was at the centre of government under both King Cnut and King Edward. Supported King Edward when he became King in 1042. His daughter Gyrtha married King Edward. Edward gave Godwin privileges and spoke highly of him so this opinion was shared throughout the country
When did Godwin die and who succeeded him as Earl of Wessex (richest earldom in England)?
- Harold Godwinson
In what year were the Godwinson brothers significantly more powerful than Edward?
1065
Why were the Godwinson’s the most powerful family in England? 4 reasons
Family connection to King, military control, land ownership, Danish allies
How did the Godwinsons have so much military power?
King Edward relied on them to build an army because they were Lords over hundreds of thegns and also they were Earls who could call upon their peasants to fight for them whenever necessary and has 2500-3000 housecarls
How was Harold Godwinson a military prowess?
He was in charge of defending England’s coastlines which made him more important than other earls and showed that Edward trusted him and valued him highly as England was often a target for foreign threats and did not have many castles as defence
How did the Godwinsons prove to be successful in their military role?
In 1062 Tostig and Harold helped King Edward defeat a potential threat when the Welsh King Lleweyn had been supporting enemies of Edward. Tostig and Harold attacked and killed the Welsh King and sent his head to Edward. As a reward, Harold became ‘sub regulus’ meaning king’s deputy and was put in charge of the army
How did the Godwins have Danish allies?
Earl Godwin (head of family) married Gytha (daughter of a Danish Earl)
Why did the Godwins land ownership make them powerful? 4 points
The more land you had, the more valuable you were during this time period. They earned more money than the King who was at the top of the hierarchy, Godwin’s sons controlled each of the main earldoms in England, they were so rich that they could afford to buy more land
As earl over the whole of the north (Northumbria), what was Tostig’s duty?
Defend the North against Scottish invaders and defend the North East coast against Danish and Norwegian raiders
Why was Tostig never accepted in the North? 3 reasons
People were suspicious of him because he was an outsider from the South. When they challenged him he dealt with them heavy-handedly which made him less popular. Also he spent a lot of time away from Northumbria at King Edward’s court
When and how did thegns in Yorkshire rebel against Tostig?
In October 1065 they occupied York, killed Tostig’s officials and called for a new earl -they wanted Morcar, the brother of Earl of Mercia
How did King Edward and Harold respond to the rebellion against Harold? 4 points
Tostig asked Harold to send troops to get the area back under control but Harold and other advisors of the King decided Tostig was to blame for the rebellion because he had killed 2 nobles that he didn’t trust, King tried to raise an army but Harold did not obey his command so the King had to agree Tostig was to blame, they replaced Tostig as Earl of Northumbria with Morcar, Tostig was exiled
Why might Harold have betrayed his brother?
The King was getting old so Harold wanted to clear away anyone who might challenge him for the throne -he saw Tostig as a rival
How did Tostig respond when he was exiled? 2 points
Accused Harold of encouraging the rebellion against him, tried to raid the coast around the east of England but earls Edwin and Morcar defeated him
Why was Northumbria a difficult area for Tostig to control?
Tostig was expected to collect taxes and maintain peace but a lot of Vikings settled in the area and they had different laws and customs than the English. Viking area was known as Danelaw
