Chapter IX

THE REIGN OF EADWARD FROM THE RETURN OF GODWINE TO THE DEATH OF EADWARD
THE ÆTHELING. 1052–1057.

Character of the period; little direct connexion
between English and Norman affairs 307–308

§ 1. _The Return and Death of Godwine._ 1052–1053.
1052 General regret at the absence of Godwine; he
receives invitations to return 308–310
Eadward gathers a fleet at Sandwich to oppose
Godwine 310
Ravages of Gruffydd of North Wales; his victory near
Leominster 311–312
Godwine petitions for his restoration; embassies of
foreign princes on his behalf; his restoration is
refused 312–313
Godwine determines on a return by force; estimate of
his conduct 313–315
Harold and Leofwine sail from Dublin and enter the
Bristol Channel 315
The people of Somersetshire and Devonshire ill
disposed towards them; probable grounds for their
hostility 316
Harold’s landing and victory at Porlock; estimate of
his conduct 316–319
June 22 Godwine sets sail; his first appearance off the
English coast 319–320
Both fleets dispersed by a storm; Godwine returns to
Bruges 320–321
Godwine sails the second time to Wight; meeting of
Godwine and Harold; they sail eastward together 321–322
Zeal in their cause shown by the men of Sussex,
Surrey, Kent, and Essex 322–323
They enter the Thames and sail towards London 323
Sept. 14 Godwine reaches Southwark; London declares for him 323–324
The King hastens to London with an army 324–325
Godwine before London; zeal of his followers and
lukewarmness of the King’s troops 326–327
Godwine demands his restoration; Eadward hesitates 328
The indignation of Godwine’s men restrained by the
Earl 328–329
Embassy of Stigand; hostages exchanged; and matters
referred to a Gemót on the morrow 329
Godwine and Harold land 329
Fears of the King’s Norman favourites; general
flight of the foreigners 329–331
Robert and Ulf cut their way out of London; the
Sept. 15 _Mycel Gemót_ assembles without the walls of
London; its popular character 332–333
Godwine at the Gemót; he supplicates the King and
speaks to the people 333–334
Votes of the Assembly; acquittal and restoration of
Godwine; outlawry of Archbishop Robert and many
other Normans; “Good law decreed for all folk” 335–337
Personal reconciliation between Godwine and the King 337
Restoration of Eadgyth 337–338
Absence of Swegen; his pilgrimage to Jerusalem 338
Sept. 29 He dies in Lykia 338
Disposal of Earldoms; restoration of Harold;
Earldoms of Ralph and Odda 339
The vacant Bishopricks; relations between Church and
State 339–340
Stigand appointed to Canterbury; his doubtful
ecclesiastical position; handle given to the
Normans by Robert’s expulsion 340–344
1053–1067 Wulfwig succeeds Ulf at Dorchester 344
1053–1067 Leofwine Bishop of Lichfield; Leofwine and Wulfwig
seek consecration beyond sea 344
1051–1070 William of London retains his Bishoprick 345–346
Normans allowed to remain or return; some of them
probably restored after Godwine’s death; Osbern of
Richard’s Castle 346–348
Estimate of Godwine’s conduct; his illness 348
1052–1053 Christmas Gemót at Gloucester 348
Jan. 5, Rhys ap Rhydderch beheaded and his head brought to
1053 Eadward 349
1053–1066 Arnwig resigns the Abbey of Peterborough; succession
and administration of Leofric 349–350
1053 Easter Gemót at Winchester 350
April 12 Godwine taken ill at the King’s table 350
April 15 His death and burial; gifts of his widow Gytha 350–352
General grief of the nation; true estimate of
Godwine’s character 352–354

§ 2. _From the Accession of Harold to the Earldom of the West-Saxons to
his first War with Gruffydd._ 1053–1056.
Nature of the succession to Earldoms; different
positions of Mercia and Northumberland and of
Wessex and East-Anglia 354–355
Reasons for retaining the West-Saxon Earldom 355–356
Easter, Harold Earl of the West-Saxons; Ælfgar Earl of the
1053 East-Angles; character of Ælfgar and his sons 356–357
Probable restoration of Bishop William and other
Normans 358
Position of the Normans in Eadward’s later days;
political office forbidden, but court office
allowed; Eadward’s later policy thoroughly English 358–359
Different positions of Godwine and Harold with
regard to the foreigners 359–360
Christmas, Ecclesiastical appointments; Leofwine of Lichfield
1053–1054 and Wulfwig of Dorchester 361
1053–1082 Æthelnoth Abbot of Glastonbury 361
1053–July Bishop Ealdred holds the Abbey of Winchcombe with
17, 1054 his See 361–362
Welsh inroad at Westbury 362
1054 Macbeth in Scotland; Siward’s expedition against
him; Macbeth’s alliance with Thorfinn 362–364
July 27 Siward defeats Macbeth; Malcolm declared King of
Scots; legends about Siward 364–365
1054–1058 The war continued by Macbeth; his final defeat and
death 365–366
1058 Ephemeral reign of Lulach; Malcolm King over all
Scotland 366
Erroneous popular conception of the war with Macbeth 366
1054 State of the royal family; position of Ralph; of the
descendants of Eadmund Ironside 367–370
The Ætheling Eadward invited to England; import of
the invitation 370–372
July Embassy of Ealdred and Ælfwine to the Emperor Henry;
Ealdred’s long stay at Köln 372–374
Death of Osgod Clapa 374
1055 Death of Earl Siward; his foundation at Galmanho;
his son Waltheof 374–375
March Tostig appointed Earl of the Northumbrians; novelty
of the appointment; its doubtful policy 375–379
Character and government of Tostig; his personal
favour with Eadward; legends about him and Harold 379–383
Tostig’s sworn brotherhood with Malcolm 384–385
March 20 Banishment of Ælfgar 385–386
Ælfgar hires ships in Ireland; he ravages
Herefordshire in alliance with Gruffydd 386–388
October 24 Battle near Hereford; defeat of the English through
the innovations of Earl Ralph 388–390
Gruffydd and Ælfgar sack and burn Hereford 390–392
Harold sent against the Welsh; comparison of his
earlier and later Welsh campaigns 393–394
Harold restores and fortifies Hereford 394–395
Christmas Peace of Billingsley; general mildness of English
1055–1056 political warfare 395
Ælfgar restored to his Earldom 396
Feb. 10, Death of Æthelstan Bishop of Hereford; invasion of
1056 Magnus and Gruffydd 396–397
March Short and warlike episcopate of Leofgar of Hereford;
27–June 16 his death in battle; character of the war with
Gruffydd 397–398
1056–1060 Ealdred holds the See of Hereford with that of
Worcester 398
1056 Gruffydd reconciled to Eadward; his oath of homage;
he is mulcted of his lands in Cheshire 398–400
Cooperation of Harold, Leofric, and Ealdred 400–401

§ 3. _From Harold’s first Campaign against Gruffydd to the Deaths of
Leofric and Ralph._ 1055–1057.
Christmas Ecclesiastical affairs; Hermann of Ramsbury tries to
1055–1056 annex the Abbey of Malmesbury to his Bishoprick;
his scheme hindered by Harold 401–405
1056–1058 Hermann retires to Saint Omer; he returns and unites
the Sees of Ramsbury and Sherborne 405–406
August 31, Death of Earl Odda
1056 407

1056–1071 Æthelric of Durham resigns his See; succession of
his brother Æthelwine 407–408
1057 The Ætheling Eadward comes to England; his intended
succession to the Crown; his death 408–410
Probable reasons why he never saw the King 410–412
Surmise of Sir F. Palgrave that Harold caused his
death; its injustice 412–414
Death of Heaca, Bishop of the South-Saxons; Æthelric
succeeds 414
August 31 Death of Earl Leofric; fate of Godgifu 414–415
Dec. 21 Death of Earl Ralph; his possible pretensions to the
Crown 415–416
Christmas Redistribution of Earldoms; Ælfgar Earl of the
1057–1058 Mercians; marriage of his daughter Ealdgyth with
Gruffydd 416
Herefordshire added to Harold’s Earldom; Harold the
son of Ralph 417
Gyrth Earl of the East-Angles and of Oxfordshire;
policy of detached shires 418
Leofwine Earl of Kent, Essex, &c.; London not under
any Earl 419
1058–1065 The House of Godwine at its highest point of
greatness 419–420
Harold’s prospects of the Crown 420
Position of Harold; effects of Eadward’s promise to
William; the candidates of the patriotic party,
first the Ætheling, then Harold 420–422
Quasi-royal position of Harold; probably no formal
act, but a general understanding in his favour 424–427
Harold chief ruler of England 427