Æthelmund, an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

noble, was

Ealdorman Ealdorman ( , )"ealdorman"
''Collins English Dictionary''. was an office in the Government ...

Hwicce Hwicce () was a kingdom in Anglo-Saxons, 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 ...

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

Kempsford Kempsford is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, about south of Fairford. RAF Fairford is immediately north of the village. The parish, which includes the hamlets of Whelford, Horcott, and Dunfield, had a population around ...

by Ealdorman Weohstan 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 Æthelbald (also spelled Ethelbald or Aethelbald; died 757) was the King of Mercia, in what is now the English Midlands from 716 until he was killed in 757. Æthelbald was the son of Alweo and thus a grandson of King Eowa. Æthelbald came to th ...

. 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 now usually held to be the author of the . Works John of Worcester's principal work was the (Latin for "Chronicle from Chronicles") or ...

as an abbess of

Berkeley, Gloucestershire Berkeley ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stroud (district), 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 t ...

. 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 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, 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 List of monarchs of Wessex, King of Wessex from 786 to 802, succeeding Cynewulf of Wessex, Cynewulf. During his rule, however, his wife and father-in-law had most ...

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 near

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at ...

for burial.

Notes

External links

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

Family

Charter evidence

Battle of Kempsford and his death

See also

Notes

External links