Eadric (Ædric) ( fl. 942–949) was a tenth-century ealdorman of

Wessex la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...

. He was the youngest of four sons of

Æthelfrith Æthelfrith (died c. 616) was King of Bernicia from c. 593 until his death. Around 604 he became the first Bernician king to also rule the neighboring land of Deira, giving him an important place in the development of the later kingdom of Nor ...

, an ealdorman in

Mercia la, Merciorum regnum , conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Mercia , common_name=Mercia , status=Kingdom , status_text=Independent kingdom (527–879) Client state of Wessex () , life_span=527–918 , era= Heptarchy , event_start= , date_start= , ...

, and his wife Æthelgyth. From 946 until his death in 949 Eadric was the second most senior ealdorman in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, surpassed only by his brother

Æthelstan Half-King Æthelstan Half-King (fl. 932 – 956) was an important and influential Ealdorman of East Anglia who interacted with five kings of England, including his adopted son King Edgar the Peaceful. Many of Æthelstan's close relatives were also involved i ...

Biography

Eadric was born to

, an ealdorman who ruled territory in southern and eastern

, and his wife Æthelgyth, who came from a family with considerable wealth that owned land in Buckinghamshire. Eadric was the youngest of four brothers, the other three being Ælfstan,

, and Æthelwold, all four of whom were made ealdormen between 925 and 950. Hart 2004 Ælfstan, the eldest brother, succeeded to his father's ealdordom upon the death of his father around 915, though he died in 934. Æthelstan Half-King was made Ealdorman of East Anglia in 932, though his jurisdiction also included

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popu ...

and parts of

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

. Æthelwold was granted an ealdordom in 940, ruling over

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and neighbouring counties including

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

. Eadric was the last of the four brothers to be granted an ealdordom, ruling over central Wessex from 942 onwards.

Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

, p. 182 He succeeded a man named Ælfhere as ealdorman. Hart 1973, p. 108 By about 945 Eadric and his two surviving brothers between them controlled over half the kingdom. Lapidge et al., p. 58 Beginning in 943 Æthelstan is listed first among the king's ealdormen when witnessing charters, indicating his premier position. Æthelwold is listed second and Eadric is listed between third and sixth depending on the particular charter. Æthelwold died in 946, leaving land in Sussex and on the

Berkshire Downs The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in South east England split between the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. They are part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The western parts of the downs ...

to Eadric. A later charter by King

Eadred Eadred (c. 923 – 23 November 955) was King of the English from 26 May 946 until his death. He was the younger son of Edward the Elder and his third wife Eadgifu, and a grandson of Alfred the Great. His elder brother, Edmund, was killed try ...

details land at these same two places to be given to Eadric, though it is not known whether this refers to new land or is simply of a confirmation of the land left to Eadric by his brother. Following Æthelwold's death Eadric is listed second only to his brother Æthelstan when witnessing royal charters. Eadric died in 949 and was succeeded as ealdorman by Æthelsige. It is possible that Eadric was the father of

Æthelweard (historian) Æthelweard (also Ethelward; d. ), was an ealdorman and the author of a Latin version of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' known as the ''Chronicon Æthelweardi''. He was a kinsman of the royal family, being a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon King Æth ...

, if true then he had at least four children, the others being Æthelweard's siblings Ælfweard, Ælfgifu and Ælfwaru. This identification rests on Ælfgifu's possession of the estate of Risborough, which had belonged to Eadric's mother, Æthelgyth. Ælfgifu is often identified with Ælfgifu, wife of Eadwig, and that queen's documented mother, Æthelgifu, would then be Eadric's wife.

Notes

Citations

Sources

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eadric Anglo-Saxon ealdormen 9th-century English people Year of birth unknown 949 deaths