Æthelmund, an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

noble, was

Ealdorman Ealdorman (, ) was a term in Anglo-Saxon England which originally applied to a man of high status, including some of royal birth, whose authority was independent of the king. It evolved in meaning and in the eighth century was sometimes applied ...

Hwicce Hwicce () was a tribal kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. According to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', the kingdom was established in 577, after the Battle of Deorham. After 628, the kingdom became a client or sub-kingdom of Mercia as a result of th ...

in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. He was killed in 802 at the Battle of Kempsford by Ealdorman

Weohstan Weohstan, Wēohstān or Wīhstān (Proto-Norse *'' Wīha stainaz'', meaning "sacred stone", non, Vésteinn and ''Wǣstēn'') is a legendary character who appears in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem ''Beowulf'' and scholars have pointed out that he also ...

and the levies of West Saxon Wiltshire.Williams, Smyth & Kirby, ''A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain'' (1991), pp. 24 Æthelmund's predecessors had been kings, but he was a subject of the

King of Mercia The Kingdom of Mercia was a state in the English Midlands from the 6th century to the 10th century. For some two hundred years from the mid-7th century onwards it was the dominant member of the Heptarchy and consequently the most powerful of the ...

. However, in one source, the 14th century ''Chronicon Vilodunense'' or Chronicle of Wilton Abbey, he is referred to as "King of the March". Hence he may have also assumed the title of like his predecessors.

Family

Æthelmund was the son of Ingeld, an Ealdorman from the reign of Æthelbald of Mercia. Æthelmund is believed to have married Ceolburh (d. 807), who is recorded by

John of Worcester John of Worcester (died c. 1140) was an English monk and chronicler who worked at Worcester Priory. He is usually held to be the author of the ''Chronicon ex chronicis''. ''Chronicon ex chronicis'' The ''Chronicon ex chronicis'' is a world wi ...

as an abbess of

Berkeley, Gloucestershire Berkeley ( ) is a market town and parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Berkeley between the east bank of the River Severn and the M5 motorway. The town is noted for Berkeley Castle, where the impriso ...

. They had at least one son named Æthelric.

Charter Evidence

Æthelmund is attested in several Mercian and Hwiccian charters in the late 8th century, all thought to reference the same person. In 770

Uhtred of Hwicce Uhtred was the King of Hwicce, jointly with Eanberht and Ealdred. In 757 Eanberht, Uhtred, and Ealdred, granted land to Bishop Milred, and in 759 to Abbot Headda. In 770 Uhtred issued a charter to his thegn Æthelmund Æthelmund, an Angl ...

issued a charter to his thegn Æthelmun

Later, between 793 and 796

Earldorman Æthelmund witnessed a charter of Offa of Mercia, Offa, King of Mercia. In 796

Ecgfrith Ecgfrith ( ang, Ecgfrið) was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings in England, including: * Ecgfrith of Northumbria, died 685 * Ecgfrith of Mercia Ecgfrith was king of Mercia from 29 July to December 796. He was the son of Offa, one of the m ...

, King of Mercia and Offa's son, granted land to Æthelmund, now styled ''princeps'

He seems to have been succeeded as Ealdorman of the Hwicce by his son Æthelric, who issued a charter in 80

in which he gave land to his mother, Ceolburh, presumably Æthelmund's widow.

Battle of Kempsford and his death

War appears to have been aggravated by the death of the pro-Mercian

Beorhtric of Wessex Beorhtric (meaning "magnificent ruler"; also spelled Brihtric) (died 802) was the King of Wessex from 786 to 802, succeeding Cynewulf. During his rule, however, his wife and father-in-law had most of the power. Early life The names of his pa ...

in 802. According to the ''ASC'', Æthelmund rode south the same day Egbert succeeded to the throne,Dorothy Whitelock, ''English historical documents: c. 500 - 1042, Second Edition'' (1979), pp. 183 crossing the river at Cymeresford but was met by Weohstan, Ealdorman of the Wiltshire, with a host numbering in the hundreds. In the following battle, both the leaders were killed but victory rested with the men of Wiltshire. In 1670 a number of spearheads and iron bits were dug up in a field known as "the Battlefield" near Kempsford, which has led to speculation that this was the site of battle. After his death, Ealdorman Æthelmund was taken to

Deerhurst Abbey St Mary's Priory Church, Deerhurst, is the Church of England parish church of Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, England. Much of the church is Anglo-Saxon. It was built in the 8th century, when Deerhurst was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. I ...

near

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Ri ...

for burial.

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aethelmund Anglo-Saxon ealdormen Anglo-Saxon warriors 8th-century English people Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Family

Charter Evidence

Battle of Kempsford and his death

See also

Notes

External links