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Waltheof[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Male Abt 1050 - 1076  (~ 26 years)


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  • Name Waltheof  
    Nickname Earl of Northumbria 
    Born Abt 1050 
    Address:
    Wallsend
    Wallsend
    England 
    Christened (Minor-1055) Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Christening (Minor-1055) Find all individuals with events at this location 
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    Christening (Minor-1055) Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christening (Minor-1055) Find all individuals with events at this location 
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    Christening (Minor-1055) Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christening 31 May 1076 
    Occupation Earl of Northumbria (Huntingdon and Northamptonshire) 1065, 1st Earl of Northumberland 1072, Last anglo-saxon Earl 
    Occupation Earl of Northampton Find all individuals with events at this location 
    unknown 
    Occupation Earl of Northumberland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    unknown 
    Occupation Earl of Huntingdon Find all individuals with events at this location 
    unknown 
    Residence England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died 31 May 1076 
    Address:
    St. Giles Hill,
    St. Giles Hill,, Hampshire
    England 
    Buried 31 May 1076  Crowland Abbey Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Crowland
    Crowland
    England 
    Notes 
    • {geni:about_me} ''Waltheof''' (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof_II,_Earl_of_Northumbria

      --------------------

      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      Early life
      He was the second son of Earl Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than him, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.


      First revolt
      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield.

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Godpatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.

      Waltheof had many enemies in the north. Amongst them were members of a family who had killed Waltheof’s maternal great-grandfather, Uchtred the Bold, and his grandfather Ealdred. This was part of a long-running blood feud. In 1074, Waltheof moved against the family by sending his retainers to ambush them, succeeding in killing the two eldest of four brothers.


      Second revolt and death
      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown in a ditch, but was later retrieved and was buried in the chapter house of Croyland Abbey.


      Cult of martyrdom
      In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpse was found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb.

      After a few years healing miracles began to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.


      Family and children
      In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.


      References
      Chronicle of Britain ISBN 1-872031-35-8
      Oxford DNB article: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28646?docPos=2
      Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines 98A-23, 130-25.
      This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
      --------------------
      WALTHEOF, son of SIWARD Earl of Northumbria & his wife Ælfled of Northumbria (-executed St Giles's Hill, Winchester 31 May 1076, bur Crowland Abbey[449]). His parentage is recorded by Roger of Hoveden[450]. Matthew of Paris specifies that he was the son of Siward, of Danish origin[451]. Snorre names “Earl Valthiof”, although stating that he was the son of “Earl Gudin Ulfnadson” and “Earl Ulf´s sister Gyda”[452]. He was installed as Earl of Huntingdon and Northamptonshire after Tostig Godwinson was banished in Oct 1065. Snorre recounts that “Earl Morukare and…Earl Valthiof” failed to prevent Harald III King of Norway after landing on the river Humber in 1066 in a battle “upon the Wednesday next Mathias´ day”, adding that “Earl Valthiof…fled up to the castle of York”[453]. Snorre also recounts that “Earl Valthiof” took part in the battle of Hastings and “escaped by flight”, seriously condensing his account of Waltheof´s subsequent career when he adds that King William “sent a message to Earl Valthiof that they should be reconciled” but that he was captured “at a heath north of Kastala-bryggia…put…in fetters and afterwards he was beheaded”[454]. Snorre´s narrative includes two fragments of a poem in praise of Waltheof, presumably written contemporarily with Waltheof´s life. Jonathan Allen suggests that Waltheof himself may have patronised an Icelandic skald (court poet) whose work was eventually passed through to Snorre, providing interesting evidence of the persistence of Scandinavian culture in England in the second half of the 11th century[455]. Florence of Worcester records that "Waltheofum Siwardi ducis filius" went with King William to Normandy 21 Feb [1067][456]. Orderic Vitalis records that, in 1069, Waltheof assisted the Danes in their attack on the Norman garrison at York, but that he was pardoned by the king who arranged Waltheof's marriage and restored him to his pre-conquest earldom[457]. Simeon of Durham records that "Waltheu the son of earl Siward…by Elfleda daughter of Earl Aldred" was installed as Earl of Northumberland after the earldom was confiscated from Gospatrick [in 1072][458]. Earl Waltheof joined the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford against King William in 1075, repented and asked for the king's pardon, but was tried at Westminster at Christmas 1075, imprisoned at Winchester and, after the trial resumed there, beheaded[459]. Florence of Worcester records that "comitumque Waltheofum" joined the conspiracy of William Earl of Hereford and Ralph Earl of Norfolk in [1074] but was tried and beheaded at Winchester the following year[460].

      m (1070) JUDITH de Lens, daughter of LAMBERT de Boulogne Comte de Lens & his wife Adelais de Normandie (1054-after 1086). Her marriage is recorded by Orderic Vitalis who calls her the king's "consobrina"[461]. A manuscript records that “Juditha comitissa…uxor Waldevi comitis Huntingdon, et neptis Gulielmi Conquestoris” founded Elstow priory[462]. Her parentage is further clarified by the foundation charter of Saint-Martin d´Auchy narrates the church´s foundation by “Guerinfrido qui condidit castellum…Albamarla” and names “Engueranni consulis qui filius fuit Berte supradicti Guerinfridi filie et Adelidis comitisse uxoris sue sororis…Willelmi Regis Anglorum” and “Addelidis comitissa supradicti Engueranni et supradicte Adelidis filia…Judita comitissa domine supradicte filia”[463]. The Vita et Passio Waldevi Comitis records that “Waldevus” married “rex Willelmus…neptem suam Juettam filiam comitis Lamberti de Lens, sororem…Stephani comitis de Albemarlia”[464]. Orderic Vitalis says Waltheof's marriage with Judith was arranged by King William "to strengthen the bonds of friendship" with her future husband[465]. She deposed against her husband when he was accused of involvement in the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford in 1075[466].

      Earl Waltheof & his wife had two children:

      1. MATILDA [Maud] of Huntingdon ([1071/74]-[23 Apr 1130/22 Apr 1131], bur Scone Abbey, Perthshire). Ingulph's Chronicle of the Abbey of Croyland records the marriage of Matilda eldest daughter of Judith and "Earl Simon[467]. Guillaume de Jumièges records that the eldest of the three daughters of Waltheof & his wife married "Simon de Senlis" and later "David frère de la seconde Mathilde reine des Anglais"[468]. Her parents are named by Orderic Vitalis[469]. Robert of Torigny records that the wife of "David [rex Scotiæ] frater [Alexandri]" was "filiam Gallevi comitis et Judith consobrini regis", naming "Symon Silvanectensis comes" as her first husband[470]. "Matilde comitisse, Henrico filio comitis…" witnessed the charter dated to [1120] under which "David comes filius Malcolmi Regis Scottorum" founded the abbey of Selkirk[471]. "Matildis comitissa…" witnessed inquisitions by "David…Cumbrensis regionis princeps", dated 1124, concerning land owned by the church of Glasgow[472]. m firstly ([1090]) SIMON de Senlis [St Lis], son of [RANULF "the Rich" & his wife --- (-Priory of La Charité-sur-Loire 1111). Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton de iure uxoris. m secondly (1113) DAVID of Scotland Prince of Cumbria, son of MALCOLM III "Caennmor/Bighead" King of Scotland & his wife Margaret of England ([1080]-Carlisle 24 May 1153, bur Dunfermline Abbey, Fife). Earl of Northampton and Huntingdon de iure uxoris. He succeeded his brother in 1124 as DAVID I King of Scotland.

      2. ADELISA of Huntingdon ([1073/76]-after [1126]). Her parentage is recorded by Orderic Vitalis, who also records her marriage and names her two sons and indicates she had "several daughters" without naming them[473]. Guillaume de Jumièges records that Judith daughter of Waltheof and his wife married "Raoul de Ternois"[474]. Ingulph's Chronicle of the Abbey of Croyland records the marriage of Alice younger daughter of Judith and "Rodolph de Tournay", her dowry being "the lordship of Wilchamstowe"[475]. She inherited Walthamstow, Essex[476]. m (1103) RAOUL de Tosny Seigneur de Tosny et de Conques, son of ROGER de Tosny & his wife Isabelle de Montfort (-(-[1126], bur Conques Saint-Pierre).

      http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISH%20NOBILITY%20MEDIEVAL.htm#AdelisaHuntingdondiedafter1126
      --------------------
      Unlike his contemporary and fellow resistance leader, Edric the Wild, the life of Waltheof is reasonably well documented. The youngest son of one of Canute’s Danish jarls, Siward, and Aefled, the daughter of the English Earl of Northumberland, he appears to have been prepared as a child for a life in the Church. This all changed when Siward, with the encouragement of King Edward the Confessor and the Witan, led an expeditionary force in 1054 to Scotland in support of Malcolm, son of Dunstan, King of Scots, against King Thorfinn Macbeth. In the resultant campaign Siward’s eldest son, Osbarn, was killed, thus leaving Waltheof at the likely age of 10, as Siward’s heir. Siward died from natural causes in 1055. The earldom was given to Tostig Godwinson as Waltheof was obviously too young to control a vital marcher region.

      For a variety of reasons, Northumberland revolted against Tostig in 1065 and the thegns demanded that the earldom be given to Morcar, brother of the Earl of Mercia, Edwin. The lower part of the earldom, what had been Middle Anglia, was passed to Waltheof and his title is now given sometimes as Earl of Huntingdon and sometimes that of Northampton. Given that the earldoms in England at that time were awarded on a combination of family mana and personal ability, this granting of a minor earldom to the young and inexperienced Waltheof can be seen as a wise and shrewd move.

      The young Earl’s involvement in the battles of 1066 is subject to much speculation. The reliable English sources are silent but various Icelandic sources contain garbled and, at times contradictory, story of him being involved in the battles of Fulford, Stamford Bridge and Hastings. Be that as it may, by late 1066 he had made his peace with William the Bastard and retained his earldom. This in itself suggests that he was not involved at Hastings, as William had proclaimed all who fought against him there traitors and their land confiscated. This presumptuous proclamation was made despite the fact that he had not being proclaimed King by the Witan until much later!

      Waltheof was one of the hostages, including Edwin, Morcar and Archbishop of Canterbury Stigand, taken to Normandy in 1067 and kept there till mid 1068. The North of England at this time was still out of William’s grasp, though he had appointed Copsi, a henchman of Tostig Godwinson, to rule in the absence of the hostage, Morcar. This may have been a very cunning move as the North then seethed with disputes between the various thegns appointed by King Harold, Earl Morcar and William the Bastard. Another unsettling element was the presence of Edgar Aetheling who had, after King Harold’s death, been declared King by the Witan. Over this fermenting brew of self-interest there hovered the vinegar fly of Gospatric, a descendent of the old Northumbrian kings and a cousin of the King of Scots. At an opportune moment Gospatric bought the earldom of Northumberland from the money hungry William.

      1068 saw the first uprising in Northumberland against the new Norman king, but the split leadership ensured it fizzled out before the flames of revolt could catch. 1069 and there were four uprisings in the area. Waltheof appears in the last and most important of them. The first uprising had been caused by the appointment of Robert of Comings as Earl of Northumberland to replace Gospatric, who had fled to Scotland when the previous year's risings had collapsed. The northerners had found it hard enough to accept a southerner such as Tostig as Earl, and they certainly didn’t want a Frenchman. They killed Robert and his whole force of 500-900 men (accounts vary) at Durham, allowing only one to escape and tell the tale. Encouraged by this the City of York revolted, slaying the Norman governor, but failing to take the newly erected castle. Eastertide and the whole North erupted, but William soon brought up an army and broke the Northumbrian force that was besieging York castle. However, it was the arrival of the Danish fleet in September 1069 that caused the Normans to suffer their heaviest defeat in the North.

      King Swegyn Astrithson of Denmark had a strong claim on the English throne. An appeal to him by the English to pursue that claim, and revenge his cousin, King Harold, had been made during William’s absence in Normandy in 1067. Ever cautious, Swegyn did not make a move until two years later. Even then he sent his brother, Asbjorn, to lead the fleet. It was an act that, rather than uniting the English behind one war leader, as they might have behind Swegyn, just added yet another strand to the cloth of confused leadership.

      Raiding the East Coast on their way North, the fleet of Danes and other elements met little success until they entered the River Humber. Here Waltheof and those who had fled earlier to Scotland, including Edgar Aetheling and Gospatric met them. The Anglo Danish force moved on York, which by this time now had two castles to keep it subservient to Norman wishes. On the arrival of the allies the Normans fired houses near the castles to clear their view and destroy any material that may have been used to fill the defensive ditches surrounding the castles. This act was done with the normal Norman delicacy, with the result that almost the entire city was burnt down! In the resultant fight the Norman garrisons left their castles to attack and then die at the hands of the allies. Waltheof’s exploits of beheading many of the Normans with his long axe as they came through the gates was recorded in sagas and remembered for years after.

      William’s reaction was immediate and he personally hastened North with a large army. With York having been burnt and unable to provide sustenance, the allied army broke up; the Danes to the Humber where they wintered over and the English to more northern parts of the earldom. This revolt and its tying down of William and so many of his military resources led to an explosion of uprisings elsewhere. William took what was left of York and began pursuing the scattered elements of English and Danes but very quickly he was obliged to turn his attention elsewhere, leaving lieutenants to meanwhile contain the northern revolt. But they were not up to the job.

      As a result of his men’s failure, William then had to move back North from his base at Nottingham, only to be blocked by the flooded River Aire. Despite this and constant harassment from the locals and the Danes, he continued to move North after one of his knights found a usable ford. York was still a devastation so, given his normal priorities, the first thing William did was rebuilt the castles. He then commenced to teach the Northumbrians what it meant to upset a Norman King by starting the harrowing of the North, killing anything animate and destroying anything not. Those who could fled. The wealthy fled to the North of the Earldom or Scotland, the rest to the Camp of Refuge at the Isle of Ely, where Hereward the Wake was defying the Normans. Few made it through the winter weather and their unburied corpses littered the countryside. Having lost their Northumbrian allies, the Danes allowed themselves to be bought off. Only Waltheof and a small number of followers fought on, holding out near Coatham on the coast. However, even they eventually saw the hopelessness of their situation and submitted to King William.

      It was after this that William, possibly trying to buy loyalty, married Waltheof to his own niece, Judith, in 1070. After behaving himself for 2 years, Waltheof was granted the Earldom of Northumberland as a replacement for the disgraced Gospatric. He also retained those lands he had held as Earl of Huntingdon, though it would appear he transferred the ownership of his personal holdings in the area to Judith, in the English manner of providing a wife with land of her own.

      A blot on Waltheof’s character now appeared in his renewing an old family feud that had its origins in 1016. Waltheof sent some of his huscarls to kill the brothers Carlson and their kin. He did this despite the fact that they, and Waltheof and his kin had earlier been fighting side by side against the Normans. Balancing this dark side of Waltheof’s character is his support of the Church, including the financing of several new foundations. He also played a part in the Church’s attempt to restore the northern lands that William had harrowed. Aldwin, Prior of Winchcombe, recruited two monks from Evesham, Elfwi and a former Norman knight, Reinfrid, to join him in establishing the Church’s presence in the harrowed land. They based themselves at Jarrow, and it was here that Waltheof granted them the Church at Tynemouth and all its lands. He also gave them his nephew Morcar, to be educated.

      From his being made Earl of Northampton in 1072 to 1075 Waltheof spent his time ruling his earldom, giving to the Church, begetting children and serving on a royal commission looking into the losses suffered by the Church at Ely.

      It was in 1075 that the half English - half Breton Ralf, Earl of East Anglia, married the sister of Roger Earl of Herefordshire and, at the wedding feast, began weaving the sticky web of intrigue that was to ensnare and prove fatal to Waltheof. Just what his involvement was will never be known. Some sources, such as the Anglo Saxon Chronicle and the Book of Hyde, indicate that he was intimately involved. Others, such as Orderic Vitalis and William of Malmesbury, claim that he refused to take part but had to swear an oath not to betray the plot.

      The desirability of their wishing to involve Waltheof, in what became known as the Revolt of the Earls, is easy to see. His lands in the Midlands would provide a corridor between those of Roger in the West and Ralf in the East, effectively cutting England in half. Waltheof must have quickly had second thoughts about being involved as, the day after the Bridal Ale, he rushed to London and confessed his share of guilt to Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc absolved him and advised him to go to Normandy and throw himself on William’s mercy. This Waltheof did, together with presenting some expensive gifts that he knew would appeal to William’s avarice.

      William made light of the matter, but had his agents in England move against the other two Earls. An Anglo-Norman force crushed Roger who then spent his remaining years a prisoner. Another Anglo-Norman force defeated Ralf and then penned him up in Norwich. From here Ralf went to Denmark, to gather reinforcements, whilst his new bride held the city. After three months Norwich was compelled to surrender, just before the arrival of the Danish fleet. After sporadic raiding, the Danes returned home, leaving Ralf to join his wife in Brittany and thenceforth continue his war against William.

      With the revolt now broken, William placed Waltheof under close arrest. The reason for this action is unknown, though some sources say that Waltheof was betrayed by his wife, Judith, William’s niece, who passed on information that she had been privy to. Waltheof was kept in close confinement for several months before he was sentenced by the King to be beheaded or treason.

      The execution took place on 31 May 1076 on St. Giles Hill, Winchester. After giving away his clothes to the poor, Waltheof’s last moments were spent in prayer. Feeling he was taking too long, the executioner drew his sword and struck just as Waltheof got to:

      "Lead us not into temptation." According to witnesses, the severed head was then heard in a clear voice to complete the prayer with: "but deliver us from evil. Amen"

      After lying in unconsecrated ground for a fortnight, Abbot Ulfkettle of Crowland, a foundation that Waltheof had been a patron of, asked for and was granted permission to take the body away for reburying. To his dying day, Archbishop Lanfranc insisted Waltheof was guiltless of the crime he had been accused of. It is also recorded that the English and Normans alike at William’s court were horrified at the King’s actions.

      One fate of traitors was the confiscation of all their possessions to the crown. In this case it didn’t happen. All of Waltheof’s personal holdings passed to his wife, Judith, who also continued to oversee the Earldom of Huntingdon. A consideration for a beloved niece? Or a reward for providing information on her husband that allowed William the Bastard to remove the last of the native English nobility from the scene?

      It was not long before the English began to treat Waltheof as a martyr in the ilk of St Edmund King and Martyr and miracles were soon being reported at his tomb. Waltheof may only have been a pseudo-Saint, more a symbol of a people’s suffering and longing, but his grandson, also Waltheof, was later canonised.

      Waltheof was a man who, in more peaceful times, would have been a national figure, and if needed, a powerful warrior. But he did not have the personality needed to lead the English resistance to the Norman Conquest. Often he failed to see the woods for the trees, and allowed his opportunities to be stolen from him.
      http://www.britannia.com/history/articles/waltheof.html

      From Wikipedia entry: "Last of the Anglo-Saxon earls, the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of Wm I, reputed for his physical strength but weak, unreliable in character, said to be devout, charitable, probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became Earl of Northumbria, possibly including the earldoms of Northampton and Huntingdon. After 1066 he submitted to Wm and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions, but then when Sweyn II invaded N England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to Wm after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton. The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ('Walleff'); 'In Hallam (Halun), one manor with its 16 hamlets, there are 29 carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an 'Aula' [hall or court]. There may have been about 20 ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith.' (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield. In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against Wm. He again repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to Wm, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death. He was beheaded on 31 May 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. Regarded by the English as a martyr, miracles were rumoured at his tomb in Crowland. The earldom of Northampton died with him and he would remain the last person to hold a Saxon-era title until the Earl of Wessex nearly a thousand years later. He was a son of Sigurd, Earl of Northumbria. In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland. One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d1159), abbot of Melrose.

      He was a son of Earl Siward of Northumbria, and, although he was probably educated for a monastic life, became earl of Huntingdon and Northumbria about 1065. After the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William the Conqueror; but when the Danes invaded the north of England in 1069 he joined them and took part in the attack on York, only, however, to make a fresh submission after their departure in 1070. Then, restored to his earldom, he married William's niece, Judith, and in 1072 was appointed Earl of Northampton. The Domesday Book (ordered to be prepared by William the Conqueror, and finally completed in 1086) mentioned Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 kmø] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield, in the county of South Yorkshire). In 1075 Waltheof joined the conspiracy against the king arranged by the earls of Norfolk and Hereford; but soon repenting of his action he confessed his guilt to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then to William, who was in Normandy. Returning to England with William he was arrested, and after being brought twice before the king's court was sentenced to death. On the 31st of May 1076 he was beheaded on St Giles's Hill, near Winchester. Weak and unreliable in character, Waltheof, like his father, is said to have been a man of immense bodily strength. Devout and charitable, he was regarded by the English as a martyr, and miracles were said to have been worked at his tomb at Crowland. The earl left three daughters, the eldest of whom, Matilda, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland. One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.
      (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I.
      Contents
      [show]

      * 1 Early life
      * 2 Family and children
      * 3 First revolt
      * 4 Second revolt and death
      * 5 Cult of martyrdom
      * 6 In popular culture
      * 7 References

      [edit] Early life

      Waltheof was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than he, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.
      [edit] Family and children

      In 1070 Waltheof married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three children, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny. Their son Uchtred Uchtred of Tynedale married Bethoc; daughter of Donald III, King of Scotland.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.
      [edit] First revolt

      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield)

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Gospatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.

      Waltheof had many enemies in the north. Amongst them were members of a family who had killed Waltheof’s maternal great-grandfather, Uchtred the Bold, and his grandfather Ealdred. This was part of a long-running blood feud. In 1074, Waltheof moved against the family by sending his retainers to ambush them, succeeding in killing the two eldest of four brothers.
      [edit] Second revolt and death

      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown in a ditch, but was later retrieved and was buried in the chapter house of Croyland Abbey.
      [edit] Cult of martyrdom

      In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpse was found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb.

      After a few years healing miracles were reputed to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.


      * Waltheof was portrayed by actor Marcus Gilbert in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
      * Waltheof is the subject of Juliet Dymoke's 1970 historical novel "Of the Ring of Earls"
      * Waltheof is a major character in Elizabeth Chadwick's 2002 historical novel "The Winter Mantle"

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof_II,_Earl_of_Northumbria


      --------------------
      From http://www.rpi.edu/~holmes/Hobbies/Genealogy/ps06/ps06_056.htm

      Made peace with *William the Conqueror and then openly rebelled. He was beheaded on a hilltop in full public view. This execution ended the reign of the Saxon noblemen. (Winston Churchill's "History of the English-speaking People")

      Waltheof, son of Siward the Dane, Earl of Northumberland, was married to the niece of William the Conqueror, Judith of Lens, in hopes the marriage
      would conciliate the powerful Saxon nobility after William conquered England. "Notwithstanding...he (Waltheof) entered into a conspirace against King William, was taken prisoner, and be headed at Winchester. He
      left as his heir, Maude who married Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Northumberland, Huntington, and Northampton.

      Waltheof II, Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton and Lord of Hallamshire, Wolthamstow and Toteenhard; married Lady Judith Lens who was the King's cousin and who founded the Nunnery of Elstow. {Cf. ID2151 - apparently there is a discrepancy in fathers; information for ID2614 from "Royal Ancestors of Magna Charta Barons," by Carr P. Collins, Jr., Dallas, 1959, p. 143 - not always reliable.} Waltheof II was beheaded on St. Giles' Hill near Winchester.

      References: [AR7],[PlantagenetA],[Talbot1],[RD500],[RFC],[CP], [ConverseA],[RoyalAAF]
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      He was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than him, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.

      In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I.

      Contents [hide]
      1 Early life
      2 Family and children
      3 First revolt
      4 Second revolt and death
      5 Cult of martyrdom
      6 In popular culture
      7 References

      [edit] Early life
      Waltheof was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than he, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.

      [edit] Family and children
      In 1070 Waltheof married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three children, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny. Their son Uchtred Uchtred of Tynedale married Bethoc; daughter of Donald III, King of Scotland.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.

      [edit] First revolt
      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield)

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Gospatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.

      Waltheof had many enemies in the north. Amongst them were members of a family who had killed Waltheof’s maternal great-grandfather, Uchtred the Bold, and his grandfather Ealdred. This was part of a long-running blood feud. In 1074, Waltheof moved against the family by sending his retainers to ambush them, succeeding in killing the two eldest of four brothers.

      [edit] Second revolt and death
      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown in a ditch, but was later retrieved and was buried in the chapter house of Croyland Abbey.

      [edit] Cult of martyrdom
      In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpse was found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb.

      After a few years healing miracles were reputed to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.

      [edit] In popular culture
      Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (April 2009)

      Waltheof was portrayed by actor Marcus Gilbert in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
      Waltheof is the subject of Juliet Dymoke's 1970 historical novel "Of the Ring of Earls"
      Waltheof is a major character in Elizabeth Chadwick's 2002 historical novel "The Winter Mantle"
      [edit] References
      Chronicle of Britain ISBN 1-872031-35-8
      Oxford DNB article
      This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
      Peerage of England
      Preceded by
      Cospatrick Earl of Northumbria
      1072 - 1075 Succeeded by
      William Walcher
      Preceded by
      New title Earl of Northampton
      1072 - 1076 Succeeded by
      Vacant
      Next held by:
      Simon I of St Liz
      Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof,_Earl_of_Northumbria"
      Categories: Earls in the Peerage of England | Earls of Northumbria | History of Sheffield | People from Sheffield | People executed under the Normans | People executed by decapitation | Executed English people | 11th-century executions | 1050 births | 1076 deaths
      --------------------
      Waltheof I was the earl of Northumbria (963-995), the son and successor of Osulf I. His name is Scandinavian and implies that he had Viking ancestors. It remained in his family when Earl Siward married his great-granddaughter and named his son Waltheof. This son of Siward became Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria. Nothing is known about Waltheof I's reign, despite its length.
      --------------------
      Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria
      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      (Redirected from Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria)
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.
      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions.
      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.
      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield.
      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. He again repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.
      He was beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. Regarded by the English as a martyr, miracles were rumoured at his tomb in Crowland.

      Family and children

      He was a son of Earl Sigurd, Earl of Northumbria.
      In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland.
      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.

      References

      Chronicle of Britain ISBN 1-872031-35-8
      Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines 98A-23, 130-25.



      Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton
      b. before 1035, d. 31 May 1076

      Father Siward Digera, Earl of Northumbria1,2,3 b. circa 980, d. 1055
      Mother Ælfflæd of Northumbria1,2
      Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton was the father of Maud of Huntingdon; eldest daughter and heiress of Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon, by Judith, niece of William the Conqueror.4 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton was younger, but only surving son of Siward, by his first wife Elfleda.2 Also called Waltheof Comes.3 He was born before 1035. He was the son of Siward Digera, Earl of Northumbria and Ælfflæd of Northumbria.1,2,3 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton was underage at the time of his father's death, leaving him unable to take over the earldom of Northumbria, in 1055.5 He became Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton on the banishment of Earl Tostig in October 1065.6 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton at England in October 1065.2,1,6 He was not known to have opposed the Conqueror in 1066.6 He was taken to Normandy in 1067.6 He joined the Danes in their descent on Yorkshire, distinguishing himself in the attack on the city of York in 1069.6 He was the successor of Gospatric fitz Maldred, Earl of Northumberland; Earl of northern Northumbria, beyond the Tees.7,8,1,9 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton married Judith "the Countess" de Lens, daughter of Lambert, comte de Boulogne and Adelaide de Normandie, in 1070.1,10,11 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton submitted himself, when the Danes left England, to William, and was restored to his Earldom of Huntingdon in January 1070.6 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton at England between January 1070 and 1076.6 He was became Earl of Northumberland after Gospatrick, following, at last, his father to the Earldom, but only to the northern portion of it, in 1072.2 Earl of northern Northumberland, beyond the Tees at England between 1072 and 29 April 1075.1,2 He was a witness where 1st Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk Ralph de Gaël entered into a conspiracy against King William with his brother-in-law, Roger, 2nd Earl of Hereford, in 1075 at spring or summer.12 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton witnessed the marriage of 1st Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk Ralph de Gaël and Emma of Hereford in 1075 at spring or summer, Exning, Suffolk, England; His 2nd.13,12 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton attended the wedding of Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk, and was enticed to join the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford to seize England for themselves in 1075 at spring or summer, Exning, Suffolk, England.10 He was a witness where Roger de Bréteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford entered into a conspiracy against King William with his brother-in-law, Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk, in 1075.12 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton repented his decision to rebel and taking Lanfranc's advice, went to Normandy and asked pardon of the King, who initially gave it, treating the matter lightly at the time.10 He was brought to trial on Christmas for joining the conspiracy on 25 December 1075 at Winchester, England.10 He imprisoned until the trial resumed in May 1076 at Winchester, England.10 He died on 31 May 1076 at St. Giles Hill, Winchester, Hampshire, England. Condemned and beheaded on the Feast of St. Petronella, for conspiring against the King William. s.p.m.2,14,10 He was the predecessor of Bishop of Durham Walcher of Durham; Earl of northern Northumberland, beyond the Tees.2 Waltheof Siwardsson, 1st Earl of Northumberland, Huntingdon and Northampton was buried in Lincolnshire, England. A fortnight later, the Abbot Ulfketel, at Judith's request, and by the King's permission, removed his body to Crowland, where it was honorably entombed. This place was hallowed ground, the burial place of St. Guthlac, to which Waltheof was a benefactor in life, and where, in death, he was said to have performed posthumous miracles.14,10 He was the predecessor of Simon de St. Liz I, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon; 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton.15
      Family
      Judith "the Countess" de Lens b. 1054/55
      Children
      Alice of Huntingdon+ b. c 1072?16,17
      Maud of Huntingdon+ b. 1072, d. 113018,19
      Citations
      [S1075] Translated and edited by Michael Swanton, ASC+, pg. 294.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, IX:705.
      [S1278] K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, pg. 223.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, VI:641.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, IX:703.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, VI:638.
      [S217] Transcribed by Colin Hinson, English Peerage (to 1790).
      [S484] Peter Townend, B:P, 105th, pg. 10-11 - Abergavenny.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, IX:704.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, VI:639.
      [S1032] K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Domesday People, pg. 286.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, VI:449.
      [S1075] Translated and edited by Michael Swanton, ASC+, pg. 210.
      [S1075] Translated and edited by Michael Swanton, ASC+, pg. 212.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, VI:640.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, XII/1:Tony:761/2.
      [S1278] K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, pg. 740.
      [S484] Peter Townend, B:P, 105th, Kings of Scotland, pgs. lxx-lxxv.
      [S215] Revised by others later George Edward Cokayne CP, IX:706.

      --------------------
      Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria, was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      Waltheof was our ancestor through two distinct descent lines--through his daughter Maud and his daughter Alice, each of whom was independently our ancestor.

      See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof_II,_Earl_of_Northumbria for considerably more information.

      Also see "My Lines"
      ( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p349.htm#i8095 )
      from Compiler: R. B. Stewart, Evans, GA
      ( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/index.htm )
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      He was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than him, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.

      In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.
      --------------------
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof%2C_Earl_of_Northumbria

      http://www.britannia.com/history/articles/waltheof.html
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.
      Early life

      Waltheof was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than he, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.
      Family and children

      In 1070 Waltheof married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three children, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny. Their son Uchtred Uchtred of Tynedale married Bethoc; daughter of Donald III, King of Scotland.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.
      First revolt

      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield.

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Gospatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.

      Waltheof had many enemies in the north. Amongst them were members of a family who had killed Waltheof’s maternal great-grandfather, Uchtred the Bold, and his grandfather Ealdred. This was part of a long-running blood feud. In 1074, Waltheof moved against the family by sending his retainers to ambush them, succeeding in killing the two eldest of four brothers.
      Second revolt and death

      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown in a ditch, but was later retrieved and was buried in the chapter house of Croyland Abbey.
      Cult of martyrdom

      In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpse was found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb.

      After a few years healing miracles were reputed to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.
      In popular culture
      * Waltheof was portrayed by actor Marcus Gilbert in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
      * Waltheof is the subject of Juliet Dymoke's 1970 historical novel "Of the Ring of Earls"
      * Waltheof is a major character in Elizabeth Chadwick's 2002 historical novel "The Winter Mantle"
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      *Early life*
      He was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than him, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.

      *First revolt*
      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield.

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Gospatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.

      Waltheof had many enemies in the north. Amongst them were members of a family who had killed Waltheof’s maternal great-grandfather, Uchtred the Bold, and his grandfather Ealdred. This was part of a long-running blood feud. In 1074, Waltheof moved against the family by sending his retainers to ambush them, succeeding in killing the two eldest of four brothers.

      *Second revolt and death*
      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown in a ditch, but was later retrieved and was buried in the chapter house of Croyland Abbey.

      *Cult of martyrdom*
      In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpse was found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb.

      After a few years healing miracles were reputed to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.

      *Family and children*
      In 1070 he married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another of whom, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.

      *In popular culture*
      Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (April 2009)
      * Waltheof was portrayed by actor Marcus Gilbert in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
      * Waltheof is the subject of Juliet Dymoke's 1970 historical novel "Of the Ring of Earls"
      * Waltheof is a major character in Elizabeth Chadwick's 2002 historical novel "The Winter Mantle"

      References
      * Chronicle of Britain ISBN 1-872031-35-8
      * Oxford DNB article
      * This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
      **********http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof,_1st_Earl_of_Northampton
      --------------------
      Waltheof (1050 – 31 May 1076), 1st Earl of Northumberland and 1st Earl of the Honour of Huntingdon and Northampton and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I.

      Early Life

      Waltheof was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than he, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.

      Family and children

      In 1070 Waltheof married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale. They had three children, the eldest of whom, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland, and another, Adelise, married the Anglo-Norman noble Raoul III of Tosny. Their son Uchtred of Tynedale married Bethoc; daughter of Donald III, King of Scotland.

      One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose.

      First revolt

      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069, Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield)

      In 1072, William expelled Gospatric from the earldom of Northumbria. Gospatric was Waltheof’s cousin and had taken part in the attack on York with him, but like Waltheof, had been pardoned by William. Gospatric fled into exile and William appointed Waltheof as the new earl.
    • Onthoofd op Saint Giles Hill.
    • Historical personage - see www.wikipedia.org

      Whether Waltheof was father or Judith was mother of Uchtred has not been p
      roven to this author's satisfaction.
    • Title & name; Waltheof II, Earl of Huntington.
    • AFN:????
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • 1 NAME Waltheof, Earl Of /Huntingdon And Northampton/
      2 GIVN Waltheof, Earl Of
      2 SURN Huntingdon And Northampton


      The last of the English Earls. Caught up in the Earls' Rebellion of 1075. Beheaded in 1076
    • AFN:????
    • EARL OF NORTHAMPTON & HUNTINGDON
    • received an earldom consisting of the shires of Huntingdon, Northampton, Bedford, Rutland, and Cambridge in 1065. He submitted to King William I the Conqueror in 1067 and, though he joined northern rebels in 1069, was restored to favour and allowed to marry William's niece Judith. Later he was drawn into a rebellion against William (1075), for which he was condemned for treason and executed [beheaded]."
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • [large-G675.FTW]

      In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford wereconspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof tojoin in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, whotreated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was broughtto trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. Whenthe trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St.Giles's Hill (I suppose this is in Winchester, which is where he wastried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son of Richard,but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud and Simon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford wereconspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof tojoin in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, whotreated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was broughtto trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. Whenthe trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St.Giles's Hill (I suppose this is in Winchester, which is where he wastried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son of Richard,but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud and Simon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
      [Custer February 1, 2002 Family Tree.FTW]

      [merge G675.FTW]

      In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford wereconspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof tojoin in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, whotreated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was broughtto trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. Whenthe trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St.Giles's Hill (I suppose this is in Winchester, which is where he wastried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son of Richard,but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud and Simon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.REFN: 1295
      [Mary Stewart.FTW]
      WALTHEOF II, EARL2 HUNTINGTON, (EARL) (Sigurd1) of Huntingdon, son of
      (1) Sigurd1, (Earl) and (B-2) Aelflaed, was born circ a 1046, and died on
      31 May 1076 in Winchester. He married in 1070, (GD-4) JUD ITH DE LENS of,
      Lens, France, EUROPE, daughter of (GD-2) Lambert of and (UB-9 ) Adelaide,
      (Countess) Boulogne, who was born in 1054. [1, 2]
      beheaded at Wi nchester
      Earl of Huntingdon, Northampton and Northumberland
      Children: + 3 i. MAUD OF3 Huntingdons, (COUNTESS) of Huntingdon, b. in
      1072; m. (1) (ABQ-1) SI MON DE ST. LIZ, (EARL) circa 1090; m. (2) (M-8)
      DAVID I THE SAINT, (KING) in 1113/4 in Scotland, EUROPE; d. on 23 April
      1130/1 in Scotland.
      + 4 ii. ALICE (ADELIZA) Huntingdons of Flamsted, Hertfordshire, England,
      b. circa 1085; m. (ADG-2) RALPH IV DE TOENI (DE CONCHES) in 1103 in
      England; d. after 1126.Ancestral File Number: V9VL-BD
    • In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Herefordwere conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticedWaltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled withthe King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075,Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being awitness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was foundguilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill (I suppose this is inWinchester, which is where he was tried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son ofRichard, but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud andSimon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • Waltheof, ref. nr. 23.06.2003 ES II-89, LMA III-599.6,56 Earl of Northampton and Northumberland, zoon van Siward. Hij trouwde met Judith de Lens.
    • He was beheaded.
    • He was beheaded.
    • BIOGRAPHY
      Waltheof is described as strong and of great repute as a warrior as well as pious. He had learnt the Psalter in his youth, was liberal to the clergy and the poor, and was a benefactor in particular in Jarrow and Crowland. The chief stain on his memory is his part in a family blood feud, for he ordered the murder of the sons of one Carl, who had killed Earl Ealdred, Waltheof's grandfather.

      In October 1065, when Toste Godwinson, earl of Northumberland and brother of the future King Harold II was banished, Waltheof became earl of Huntingdon and earl of Northumberland. He is not known to have opposed William the Conqueror in 1066, but in the following year he was taken to Normandy. In 1069 he joined the Danes in their descent on Yorkshire, distinguishing himself in the attack on the city of York. In January 1070 when the Danes left, he submitted himself to William the Conqueror, and was restored to his earldom and, in 1072, to his father's earldom of Northumberland.

      In 1070 Waltheof married Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert, comte de Lens and Adela of Normandy, comtesse d'Aumale, the sister of William 'the Conqueror', they had two daughters, both of whom would have progeny.

      While attending the wedding of Ralph de Gael, earl of Norfolk, at Exning in the spring or summer of 1075, Waltheof was enticed to join the conspiracy of the earls of Norfolk and Hereford to seize England for themselves. He quickly repented, and on Lanfranc's advice he went to Normandy and asked pardon of the king, who treated the matter lightly at the time; but at Christmas Waltheof was brought to trial at Westminster, his wife Judith being a witness. He was imprisoned at Winchester, and on the resumption of the trial in May he was condemned and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill on 31 May 1076, and hastily buried. 'And here Earl Waltheof was beheaded in Winchester on the Feast of St. Petronella; and his body was led to Crowland, and there he is buried.' (_The Worcester Manuscript_)

      A fortnight after Waltheof was beheaded, the Abbot Ulfketel, at Judith's request and by the king's permission, removed his body to Crowland, where it was honourably entombed. Many miracles are recorded as many regarded Waltheof as a saint.

      His widow, recorded in Domesday as 'Judith the Countess', held Huntingdon as dower. She is recorded as holding estates in many counties in 1086; most of them apparently gifts from the king her uncle. She founded the Nunnery of Elstow, near Bedford.
    • 1 NAME Waltheof, Earl Of /Huntingdon And Northampton/
      2 GIVN Waltheof, Earl Of
      2 SURN Huntingdon And Northampton


      The last of the English Earls. Caught up in the Earls' Rebellion of 1075. Beheaded in 1076
    • ! (1) Named in Visitation of Cornwall, Vivian ed., 1887, p.105
      (2) Royal Ancestors
    • notes on Waltheof Siwardson de Huntingdon
      http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=f242efba-69c4-4a11-acbd-c46b14dbc415&tid=10145763&pid=-347678743
    • notes on Waltheof Siwardson de Huntingdon
      http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=f242efba-69c4-4a11-acbd-c46b14dbc415&tid=10145763&pid=-347678743
    • 1 NAME Waltheof, Earl Of /Huntingdon And Northampton/
      2 GIVN Waltheof, Earl Of
      2 SURN Huntingdon And Northampton


      The last of the English Earls. Caught up in the Earls' Rebellion of 1075. Beheaded in 1076
    • GIVN Waltheof Earl
      SURN von Northumberland
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
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      PAGE Tree #1319
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      PAGE Tree #1319
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      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
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      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      DATE 9 SEP 2000
      TIME 13:17:57
    • GIVN Waltheof Earl
      SURN von Northumberland
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      DATE 9 SEP 2000
      TIME 13:17:57
    • Weis, p. 130: Earl of Huntingdon, Northampton and Northumberland; beheaded at Winchester, 31 May 1076.
    • Source #1: Frederick Lewis Weis, "Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700" - Seventh Edition, with additions and corrections by Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., assisted by Davis Faris (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1995), p. 108
    • For conspiring against the Normans, he was beheaded.

      ["Our Heritage", www.flemingmultimedia.com/Genealogy]
      In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford were conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill.
    • [Norvell.FTW]

      [Nix.FTW]

      [Nixon.ftw]

      In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford were conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill (I suppose this is in Winchester, which is where he was tried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, who married first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King of Scots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger. There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son of Richard, but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud and Simon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp. 638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • The county which gives designation to this earldom of Huntingdon was,according to Dr. Heylin, a thickly wooded forest until the reign of the 2nd Henry, when the timber was first cleared away; the chief town, from the celebrity of the forest as a chase, was called Huntingtown, which soon became abbreviated into Huntington, or Huntingdon. The Earldom of Huntingdom was conferred by William the Conqueror upon Waltheof (son of Syward, the Saxon Earl of Northumberland), who had m. the dau.of that monarch's sister, by the mother's side, Judith. He was also Earl of Northampton, and of Northumberland, but conspiring against the Normans, he was beheaded in 1073 at Winchester, leaving issue, Maud and Judith. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 467-8, St. Liz, Earls of Huntingdon]
      ----------
      Waltheof was the last of the Old English earls to survive under William I, his execution for treason in 1076 marking a significant stage inthe aristocratic and tenurial revolution which followed 1066. Youngerson of Siward, the Danish earl of Northumbria (1041-55) and Aelflaed,daughter of Aldred, earl of Northumbria, Waltheof received an earldomconsisting of the shires of Huntingdon, Bedford, Northampton, Rutland, and Cambridge in 1065. As one of the few English magnates not from the Godwin faction, he accepted and was accepted by William I, witnessing royal charters and remaining loyal to the new regime until 1069 when he joined with the Danes in their invasion of Northumbria. He was prominent in their capture of York, hoping, no doubt, to be restored tohis father's position. This opportunism is perhaps more characteristic of English magnate reactions to the political turmoil of 1065-70 than any supposed national feeling. However, the revolt and invasion were defeated by William's winter campaign of 1069-70. It is a measure of William's insecurity that when Waltheof submitted in 1070 he was restored to royal favour and, in 1072, added the earldom of Northumbria to his holdings. To bind him more tightly to the Norman dispensation, William gave him his niece Judith in marriage. But in 1075, Waltheof was implicated in the largely French revolt led by Ralph, earl of Norfolk, and Roger, earl of Hereford. Despite his lack of military action, his confession, apparent contrition and the support of Archbishop Lanfranc, Waltheof was executed on 31 May 1076.
      The king's motives are obscure. Waltheof was the only prominent Englishman to be executed in the reign. Perhaps his removal was part of William's justifiably nervous response to the problem of controlling Northumbria. It may have made sense to take the chance to remove a potential --- and proven --- focus of northern discontent. Yet Waltheof's heirs were not harried, one daughter, Matilda, marrying David I of Scotland (1042-53), and another Ralph IV of Tosny, a leading Norman baron.
      Waltheof is a significant reminder that the period around 1066 was transitional, with no necessarily definite beginnings or endings. Waltheof adapted to the new order, falling foul, it seems, of the ambitions and schemes of others, not least of parvenus Frenchmen. He married into the new elite, yet embodied the old. Heir to both English and Anglo-Danish traditions, it was he who completed one of the most celebratedof Anglo-Saxon blood-feuds. In 1016, Uchtred, earl of Northumbria wasmurdered by a northern nobleman called Thurbrand. He was, in turn, killed by Uchtred's son and successor, Ealdred, who was himself slain byThurbrand's son, Carl. Waltheof's mother was Ealdred's daughter and he avenged his great-grandfather and grandfather by massacring a number of Carl's sons.
      Waltheof was buried at Crowland Abbey where, as did many martyrs to royal policy in the middle ages, he found posthumous fame in a cult which, by the mid-twelfth century, was venerating him as a saint. Yet hiscareer in the north shows that not far beneath the measured tones of Norman propagandists or the efficient gloss of English bureaucratic procedures simmered the violence of Dark Age epic. [Who's Who in Early Medieval England, Christopher Tyerman, Shepheard-Walwyn, Ltd., London, 1996; Encyclopædia Britannica CD, 1997]
    • The county which gives designation to this earldom of Huntingdon was,according to Dr. Heylin, a thickly wooded forest until the reign of the 2nd Henry, when the timber was first cleared away; the chief town, from the celebrity of the forest as a chase, was called Huntingtown, which soon became abbreviated into Huntington, or Huntingdon. The Earldom of Huntingdom was conferred by William the Conqueror upon Waltheof (son of Syward, the Saxon Earl of Northumberland), who had m. the dau.of that monarch's sister, by the mother's side, Judith. He was also Earl of Northampton, and of Northumberland, but conspiring against the Normans, he was beheaded in 1073 at Winchester, leaving issue, Maud and Judith. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 467-8, St. Liz, Earls of Huntingdon]
      ----------
      Waltheof was the last of the Old English earls to survive under William I, his execution for treason in 1076 marking a significant stage inthe aristocratic and tenurial revolution which followed 1066. Youngerson of Siward, the Danish earl of Northumbria (1041-55) and Aelflaed,daughter of Aldred, earl of Northumbria, Waltheof received an earldomconsisting of the shires of Huntingdon, Bedford, Northampton, Rutland, and Cambridge in 1065. As one of the few English magnates not from the Godwin faction, he accepted and was accepted by William I, witnessing royal charters and remaining loyal to the new regime until 1069 when he joined with the Danes in their invasion of Northumbria. He was prominent in their capture of York, hoping, no doubt, to be restored tohis father's position. This opportunism is perhaps more characteristic of English magnate reactions to the political turmoil of 1065-70 than any supposed national feeling. However, the revolt and invasion were defeated by William's winter campaign of 1069-70. It is a measure of William's insecurity that when Waltheof submitted in 1070 he was restored to royal favour and, in 1072, added the earldom of Northumbria to his holdings. To bind him more tightly to the Norman dispensation, William gave him his niece Judith in marriage. But in 1075, Waltheof was implicated in the largely French revolt led by Ralph, earl of Norfolk, and Roger, earl of Hereford. Despite his lack of military action, his confession, apparent contrition and the support of Archbishop Lanfranc, Waltheof was executed on 31 May 1076.
      The king's motives are obscure. Waltheof was the only prominent Englishman to be executed in the reign. Perhaps his removal was part of William's justifiably nervous response to the problem of controlling Northumbria. It may have made sense to take the chance to remove a potential --- and proven --- focus of northern discontent. Yet Waltheof's heirs were not harried, one daughter, Matilda, marrying David I of Scotland (1042-53), and another Ralph IV of Tosny, a leading Norman baron.
      Waltheof is a significant reminder that the period around 1066 was transitional, with no necessarily definite beginnings or endings. Waltheof adapted to the new order, falling foul, it seems, of the ambitions and schemes of others, not least of parvenus Frenchmen. He married into the new elite, yet embodied the old. Heir to both English and Anglo-Danish traditions, it was he who completed one of the most celebratedof Anglo-Saxon blood-feuds. In 1016, Uchtred, earl of Northumbria wasmurdered by a northern nobleman called Thurbrand. He was, in turn, killed by Uchtred's son and successor, Ealdred, who was himself slain byThurbrand's son, Carl. Waltheof's mother was Ealdred's daughter and he avenged his great-grandfather and grandfather by massacring a number of Carl's sons.
      Waltheof was buried at Crowland Abbey where, as did many martyrs to royal policy in the middle ages, he found posthumous fame in a cult which, by the mid-twelfth century, was venerating him as a saint. Yet hiscareer in the north shows that not far beneath the measured tones of Norman propagandists or the efficient gloss of English bureaucratic procedures simmered the violence of Dark Age epic. [Who's Who in Early Medieval England, Christopher Tyerman, Shepheard-Walwyn, Ltd., London, 1996; Encyclopædia Britannica CD, 1997]
    • [Norvell.FTW]

      [Nix.FTW]

      [Nixon.ftw]

      In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford were conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticed Waltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled with the King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075, Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being a witness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was found guilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill (I suppose this is in Winchester, which is where he was tried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, who married first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King of Scots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger. There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son of Richard, but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud and Simon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp. 638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • Basic Life Information

      Born: abt. 1049

      Earl of Northumberland, he revolted against the Normans in 1075, though by this time the English population was pro-Norman.

      Marriage and Children

      Waltheof married Judith De Lens, Countess of Boulogne. They had the following children:
      Alice of Northumberland
      Matilda (Maud) of Huntington

      He was also married to Adelaide de Conteville.

      Death

      He was beheaded for treason in 1076.

      <http://fabpedigree.com/s090/f004534.htm>
    • Human Family Project
      URL: http://users.legacyfamilytree.com/NorthernEurope/f251.htm#f44157

      Husband Waltheof II Of Huntington, Earl Of Huntington-[157581]

      AKA: Waltheof Ii Of Huntington Earl Of Northumbria
      Born: 1046 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: 31 May 1076 at: Saint Giles Hill
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 3 May 2001 (25) #2 at:


      Father: Siward Fairbarin The Strong Arm Armstrong, Earl Of Northlumberland-[170647] (0978-1055)
      Mother: Aefflaed Of Bernicia, Countess Of Northlumbia-[170648] (0982- )

      SealP (LDS): Submitted 3 May 2001 (25) #2 Temple:


      Married: 1070 Place: Huntington, Hunts, England

      SealS (LDS): 27 Jan 1994 Temple: Los Angeles California


      Wife Judith De Lens, Countess Of Boulogne-[117073]

      AKA: Judith De Normandie
      Born: 1054 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: After 1086 at:
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 2 May 2001 (18) #3 at:


      Father: Lambert II De Bologne, Count Of Boulogne And Lens-[117072] (1022-1054)
      Mother: Adèle Or Adeliza De Normandie, Countess De Aumâle-[157954] (1029-1090)

      SealP (LDS): Submitted 2 May 2001 (18) #3 Temple:


      Events 1. Notes
      2. Notes

      Children 1 F Judith Or Alice De Huntington-[117079]

      Born: Abt 1066 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: After 1126 at:
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 3 May 2001 (25) #43 at:

      Spouse: Ralph III De Toeni, Sn De Conches-[123388] (Abt 1088-1126) Marr: Northumberland, Northumberland, England
      2 F Mrs. Of Northumbria-[124094]

      Born: Abt 1068 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: at:
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 3 May 2001 (25) #49 at:

      Spouse: Robert Fitz Richard, Steward, Baron Baynard-[123297] ( -1134) Marr: Dunmow, Essex, England
      3 M Eadulph Cudel Of Northumbria-[149695]

      Born: Abt 1070 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: at:
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 3 May 2001 (25) #19 at:


      4 F Maud Or Matilda Of Northumbria, Queen Of Scotland-[157268]

      AKA: Matilda (Maud) De Huntington
      Born: 1072 at: Huntington, Hunts, England
      Christened: at:
      Died: 1131 at: Scone, Perthshire, Scotland
      Buried: at:
      Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 2 May 2001 (16) #5 at:

      Spouse: Saint, David I Canmore, King Of Scotland-[157248] (1080-1153) Marr: 1113, Northumberland, Northumberland, England Bapt.(LDS): Submitted 2 May 2001 (16) #5 at: Spouse: Simon I De St. Liz, Earl Of Northampton-[117081] (Abt 1068-1111) Marr: 1090, Of, Northamptonshire, England Bapt.(LDS): 14 Oct 1992 at: OGDEN - Ogden Utah

      ==================================================

      FAIRBAIRN Genealogy
      URL: http://home.austarnet.com.au/dfgoonan/FAIRBAIRNpg.htm

      Fairbairn was supposed to derive from Fair (white, pale, handsome) and bairn (child), but this seems unlikely as surnames weren't granted to children.

      Another more likely theory has the surname derive from a Viking Prince named Siward “the Fair” BEORN (bear). He was also known as Siward Fairbairn “of the Strong Arm”. His father was Siward "Digira" whose father was Hringo, King of Upland who was also known as Earl Beorn (bear). The tales about Siward and his father were called “Fay Bairn” (fairy bear) and relate to Nordic legends.

      Siward "Digira" lived in England from about 995 until his death in 1056. King Edward “the Confessor” conferred the title of Earl of Northumbria (Northumberland) on the giant man.

      An enduring story tells of Siward’s encounter with Tostig, Earl of Huntington. Tostig apparently insulted Siward by throwing dirt on him when they met on a bridge. Siward had just left a meeting with King Edward and took no offence. They met again on the same bridge and this time Siward decapitated Tostig and carried his head to King Edward. Edward was so impressed that he awarded Siward the Earldom of Huntington in addition to Northumbria. (If Siward killed Tostig prior to 1056, then it would discredit sources that say that Tostig was defeated by his brother Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.)

      Siward’s sister married Duncan, King of Scots. Siward’s eldest son was Osberne “Bulax” who was killed in battle with “Macbeth” on 27th July 1054. Osberne was said to have married the daughter of Lady Godiva. Siward’s second son Waltheof married Juditha, a niece of William “the Conqueror” who helped Waltheof regain the title of Earl of Northumbria in 1069. Their friendship didn’t last long though as King William had Waltheof beheaded outside Westminster in 1076.

      Osberne “Bulax” had two sons named Siward Barn “the Red” and Siward Barn “the White” (Fairbarn). Siward “the White” became a refugee and fled to Scotland with Edgar “the Atheling” where he was greeted kindly by his cousin Malcolm III, King of Scots. Siward and Malcolm III set about driving the Normans out of Northumbria. During battle Malcolm III had his horse killed under him and was partially crippled. Siward Fairbairn fought his way to the armoured King, took him under his arm and fought his way to safety. For this bravery he was knighted Sir Armstrange and given lands and a castle on the Scottish border. It is from this Siward Fairbairn that the Armstrongs of Mangerton claim decent.
    • Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.

      He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became Earl of Northumbria, possibly including the earldoms of Northampton and Huntingdon.

      Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions.

      When Sweyn II invaded Northern England in 1069 Waltheof and Edgar Ætheling joined the Danes and took part in the attack on York. He would again make a fresh submission to William after the departure of the invaders in 1070. He was restored to his earldom, and went on to marry William's niece, Judith of Lens. In 1072, he was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield.

      In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. He again repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death.

      He was beheaded on May 31, 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. Regarded by the English as a martyr, miracles were rumoured at his tomb in Crowland.

      The earldom of Northampton died with him and he would remain the last person to hold a Saxon-era title until the Earl of Wessex nearly a thousand years later.
    • Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton
      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

      Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton (d. 1076) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls, remaining in England for a decade after the Norman conquest.

      He was a son of Earl Siward of Northumbria, and, although he was probably educated for a monastic life, became Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Northumberland about 1065. After the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William the Conqueror; but when Sweyn II of Denmark invaded Northern England in 1069 he joined him with Edgar Ætheling and took part in the attack on York, only, however, to make a fresh submission after their departure in 1070. Then, restored to his earldom, he married William's niece, Judith, and in 1072 was appointed Earl of Northampton.

      The Domesday Book (ordered to be prepared by William the Conqueror, and finally completed in 1086) mentioned Waltheof ("Walleff"); "'In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 km²] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [hall or court]. There may have been about twenty ploughs. This land Roger de Busli holds of the Countess Judith." (Hallam, or Hallamshire, is now part of the city of Sheffield, in the county of South Yorkshire).

      In 1075 Waltheof joined the conspiracy against the king arranged by the earls of Norfolk and Hereford; but soon repenting of his action he confessed his guilt to Archbishop Lanfranc, and then to William, who was in Normandy. Returning to England with William he was arrested, and after being brought twice before the king's court was sentenced to death. On the 31st of May 1076 he was beheaded on St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. Weak and unreliable in character, Waltheof, like his father, is said to have been a man of immense bodily strength. Devout and charitable, he was regarded by the English as a martyr, and miracles were said to have been worked at his tomb at Crowland.

      [edit]
      Family and children
      He was married 1070 with Judith of Lens, daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adeliza, Countess of Aumale and had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Matilda, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland. One of Waltheof's grandsons was Waltheof (d. 1159), abbot of Melrose. His creation of the earldom of Northampton, however, died with him, and he would remain the last to hold a Saxon-era title until the Earl of Wessex nearly a thousand years later.

      [edit]
      References
      This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.
    • He submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066; joined Danish invaders in the
      massacre of the French at York (1069); pardoned by William and married
      William's niece Judith; Earl in 1072; convicted of complicity in the plot for
      the Danish invasion of England and beheaded in 1076; Ancestor of all Scottish
      kings through a marriage of his daughter Matilda to David I.
    • [s2.FTW]

      [Brøderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #1241, Date of Import: May 8, 1997]

      !FULL TITLE WAS EARL OF HUNTINGDON[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #1241, Date of Import: May 8, 1997]

      !FULL TITLE WAS EARL OF HUNTINGDON
    • He submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066; joined Danish invaders in the
      massacre of the French at York (1069); pardoned by William and married
      William's niece Judith; Earl in 1072; convicted of complicity in the plot for
      the Danish invasion of England and beheaded in 1076; Ancestor of all Scottish
      kings through a marriage of his daughter Matilda to David I.
    • He submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066; joined Danish invaders in the
      massacre of the French at York (1069); pardoned by William and married
      William's niece Judith; Earl in 1072; convicted of complicity in the plot for
      the Danish invasion of England and beheaded in 1076; Ancestor of all Scottish
      kings through a marriage of his daughter Matilda to David I.
    • He submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066; joined Danish invaders in the
      massacre of the French at York (1069); pardoned by William and married
      William's niece Judith; Earl in 1072; convicted of complicity in the plot for
      the Danish invasion of England and beheaded in 1076; Ancestor of all Scottish
      kings through a marriage of his daughter Matilda to David I.
    • AFN: GG2G-N1
    • Earl of Northumbria, Huntingdon, Bedfordshire & Northampton.
      Ancestor of the Scottish kings through the marriage of his daughter Matilda to King David I.
      Son of Siward, the Danish Earl of Northumbria (1041-55), and Ælflaed of Bernica, daughter of Aldred, Earl of Northumbria.
      He murdered most of the sons of Carle, who had killed his grandfather.
      He became Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Northampton when Tostig was banished in October 1065. He is not known to have opposed the Conqueror in 1066, but was taken to Normandy the following year. In 1069 he joined the Danes in their descent on Yorkshire, distinguishing himself in the attack on the city of York. When the Danes left England he submitted himself to William, in January 1070, and was restored to his Earldom, and to his father's Earldom of Northumberland in 1072.
      While attending the wedding of Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk, at Exning in the spring or summer of 1075, he was enticed to join the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford to seize England for themselves. He quickly repented, and by Lanfranc's advice went to Normandy and asked pardon of the King, who treated the matter lightly at the time; but at Christmas Waltheof was brought to trial at Westmminster, his wife Judith being a witness, for treason for participating in a rebellion (in which he had no part) against William. He was imprisoned at Winchester, where on the resumption of the trial in May he was condemned and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill, 31 May 1076, and hastily buried .
      He was later venerated as a myrtar.
      - - Encyclopædia Britannica
    • [2043] WSHNGT.ASC file (Geo Washington Ahnentafel) # 2181318; or Huntingdon
    • became EARL OF HUNTINGDON and EARL OF NORTHAMPTON when Tostig was banished in October 1065. He is not known to have opposed the Conqueror in 1066, but was taken to Normandy the following year. In 1069 he joined the Danes in their descent on Yorkshire, distinguishing himself in the attack on the city of York. When the Danes left England he submitted himself to William, in January 1070, and was restored to his Earldom, and to his father's Earldom of Northumberland in 1072. While attending the wedding of Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk, at Exning in the spring or summer of 1075, he was enticed to join the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford to seize England for themselves. He quickly repented, and by Lanfranc's advice went to Normandy and asked pardon of the King, who treated the matter lightly at the time; but at Christmas Waltheof was brought to trial at Westmminster, his wife Judith being a witness. He was imprisoned at Winchester, where on the resumption of the trial in May he was condemned and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill, 31 May 1076, and hastily buried .
      He married, in 1070, Judith, daughter of Lambert, COUNT OF LENS, by Adelaide or Adeliz, sister of the Conqueror. He died as aforesaid, 31 May 1076, and a fortnight later the Abbot Ulfketel, at Judith's request and by the King's permission, removed his body to Crowland, where it was honourably entombed.(g) His widow, who as "Judith the Countess" is recorded in Domesday Book to have held estates in many counties in 1086, most of them apparently gifts from the King, her uncle, held Huntingdon in dower. She founded the Nunnery of Elstow, near Bedford. [Complete Peerage VI:638-40, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]
      [g] Many miracles are recorded, for Waltheof was by many regarded as a saint. An epitaph was written for the tomb by Orderic. Other epitaphs are in the Vita. He is described as strong in person and of great repute as a warrior, pious had learnt the psalter in his youth, was liberal to the clergy and the poor, and a benefactor in particular to Jarrow and Crowland. To the former he gave Tynemouth. The chief stain on his memory is his part in a family bloodfeud, for he ordered the murder of the sons of one Carl, who had killed Earl Ealdrcd, Walthcof's grandfather.
      The county which gives designation to this earldom of Huntingdon was, according to Dr. Heylin, a thickly wooded forest until the reign of the 2nd Henry, when the timber was first cleared away; the chief town, from the celebrity of the forest as a chase, was called Huntingtown, which soon became abbreviated into Huntington, or Huntingdon. The Earldom of Huntingdom was conferred by William the Conqueror upon Waltheof (son of Syward, the Saxon Earl of Northumberland), who had m. the dau. of that monarch's sister, by the mother's side, Judith. He was also Earl of Northampton, and of Northumberland, but conspiring against the Normans, he was beheaded in 1073 at Winchester, leaving issue, Maud and Judith. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 467-8, St. Liz, Earls of Huntingdon]
      Waltheof was the last of the Old English earls to survive under William I, his execution for treason in 1076 marking a significant stage in the aristocratic and tenurial revolution which followed 1066. Younger son of Siward, the Danish earl of Northumbria (1041-55) and Aelflaed, daughter of Aldred, earl of Northumbria, Waltheof received an earldom consisting of the shires of Huntingdon, Bedford, Northampton, Rutland, and Cambridge in 1065. As one of the few English magnates not from the Godwin faction, he accepted and was accepted by William I, witnessing royal charters and remaining loyal to the new regime until 1069 when he joined with the Danes in their invasion of Northumbria. He was prominent in their capture of York, hoping, no doubt, to be restored to his father's position. This opportunism is perhaps more characteristic of English magnate reactions to the political turmoil of 1065-70 than any supposed national feeling. However, the revolt and invasion were defeated by William's winter campaign of 1069-70. It is a measure of William's insecurity that when Waltheof submitted in 1070 he was restored to royal favour and, in 1072, added the earldom of Northumbria to his holdings. To bind him more tightly to the Norman dispensation, William gave him his niece Judith in marriage. But in 1075, Waltheof was implicated in the largely French revolt led by Ralph, earl of Norfolk, and Roger, earl of Hereford. Despite his lack of military action, his confession, apparent contrition and the support of Archbishop Lanfranc, Waltheof was executed on 31 May 1076.
      The king's motives are obscure. Waltheof was the only prominent Englishman to be executed in the reign. Perhaps his removal was part of William's justifiably nervous response to the problem of controlling Northumbria. It may have made sense to take the chance to remove a potential --- and proven --- focus of northern discontent. Yet Waltheof's heirs were not harried, one daughter, Matilda, marrying David I of Scotland (1042-53), and another Ralph IV of Tosny, a leading Norman baron.
      Waltheof is a significant reminder that the period around 1066 was transitional, with no necessarily definite beginnings or endings. Waltheof adapted to the new order, falling foul, it seems, of the ambitions and schemes of others, not least of parvenus Frenchmen. He married into the new elite, yet embodied the old. Heir to both English and Anglo-Danish traditions, it was he who completed one of the most celebrated of Anglo-Saxon blood-feuds. In 1016, Uchtred, earl of Northumbria was murdered by a northern nobleman called Thurbrand. He was, in turn, killed by Uchtred's son and successor, Ealdred, who was himself slain by Thurbrand's son, Carl. Waltheof's mother was Ealdred's daughter and he avenged his great-grandfather and grandfather by massacring a number of Carl's sons.
      Waltheof was buried at Crowland Abbey where, as did many martyrs to royal policy in the middle ages, he found posthumous fame in a cult which, by the mid-twelfth century, was venerating him as a saint. Yet his career in the north shows that not far beneath the measured tones of Norman propagandists or the efficient gloss of English bureaucratic procedures simmered the violence of Dark Age epic. [Who's Who in Early Medieval England, Christopher Tyerman, Shepheard-Walwyn, Ltd., London, 1996; Encyclopædia Britannica CD, 1997]
    • Title & name; Waltheof II, Earl of Huntington.
    • Notes for Waltheof II of Northumbria:

      Waltheof Earl of NorthumberlandEarl of Northumberland

      Ashley: Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon, beheaded outside Westminster inMay 1076. He was involved in a plot against William the Conqueroralong with Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk, and Roger de Breteuil. Therebellion failed. Earl Roger was imprisoned until he died; Earl Ralphleft the country, leaving his wife to defend Norwich Castle, and EarlWaltheof met the headsman. At the time of the rebellion, William I wasin France, but it was put down even before he could return to England."The Anglo-Saxon Chronicler wrote a little poem about the fate of theBretons concerned:

      `Some of them were blinded,

      Some of them were banished

      So all traitors to William

      Were laid low.

      Also called Waldeophus, Earl of Northumberland. He, along with Morkereand Eadwine (sons of Aelfgar) were defeated at York by the outlawTostig and his Norse ally, Harald Sigurdsson / Harald Haardrada. KingHarold subsequently defeated this force at Stamford Bridge, bothTostig and Harald being killed. But King Harold's loss of manysoldiers, coupled with hard marching to Hastings, contributed to hisdefeat by William I.

      Earl of Northampton, Huntingdon, and Northumberland, a supporter ofKing Harold and may have taken part in the Battle of Hastings. If so,he survived. He was 10 years old when his father died and the lands ofhis father, "the vast and turbulent northern province and the detachedshires of Northampton and Huntingdon," were given to Tostig, Harold'sbrother. Evidently Waltheof received Northamptonshire andHuntingdonshire after Tostig turned against his brother Harold.

      Sile Rice in her novel, The Saxon Tapestry, says (page 337), "And therebels Gospatric and Waltheof Siwardsson, a berserker in battle yetwanting of counsel when he had no axe to hand, had done homage (toWilliam I) in return for rewards." Which Gospatric she referring to?

      Page 343: Gospatric Snow and Waltheof Siwardsson have gone over to theNorman. And Waltheof Lack-Counsel...has married with the kinswoman ofWilliam Bastard and been granted not only his own lands but those ofCambridge and Lincoln..."

      Page 369-70: "It irked Ralf de Gael (RIN 2858) who had braved thearrows of Ely, to see the King (William I) hoard it all as he hoardedall the land, and gave it out in dribs and drabs as the whim took him.And so de Gael plotted with others both Breton and Norman, and one whojoined them in their folly was Waltheof Lack-Counsel. Hatched at aBridal-Ale, their rebellion, when begun in Cambridge, took but a fewdays to quash by the forces of Odo the Butcher (half brother ofWilliam I) and Geoffrey Mowbary, Bishop of Coutances. "Whereupon deGael and his fellow conspirators fled the country rather than faceWilliam's wrath, and Waltheof Siwardsson, accused of complicuty by hisNorman wife, was beheaded.

      "It was a relief to be rid of Waltheof, the last remaining EnglishEarl. 'Though those Saxon knaves have buried him at Croyland and nowvenerate him as a martyr,' said Ivo Tallebois."

      He was imprisoned and beheaded on St. Giles Hill. Buried at Crowland(sic).
    • Title & name; Waltheof II, Earl of Huntington.
    • 678319Waltheof, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton (1045- 1076) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls, remaining in England for a decade after the Norman conquest. He was a son of Earl Siward of Northumbria, and, although he was probably educated for a monastic life, became Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Northumberland about 1065. After the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William the Conqueror; but when Sweyn II of Denmark invaded Northern England in 1069 he joined him with Edgar theling and took part in the attack on York, only, however, to make a fresh submission after their departure in 1070. Then, restored to his earldom, he married William`s niece, Judith, and in 1072 was appointed Earl of Northampton. Domesday Book (made by order of King William and finally completed in 1086) mentions Waltheof ("Walleff"); "`In Hallam ("Halun"), one manor with its sixteen hamlets, there are twenty-nine carucates [~14 kmø] to be taxed. There Earl Waltheof had an "Aula" [ha
    • GIVN Waltheof Earl
      SURN von Northumberland
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      REPO @REPO80@
      TITL World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      AUTH Brøderbund Software, Inc.
      PUBL Release date: November 29, 1995
      ABBR World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
      Customer pedigree.
      Source Media Type: Family Archive CD
      PAGE Tree #1319
      DATA
      TEXT Date of Import: 25 Dez 1998
      DATE 9 SEP 2000
      TIME 13:17:57
    • Title & name; Waltheof II, Earl of Huntington.
    • Beheaded by William the Conqueror for conspiracy
    • Basic Life Information

      Born: abt. 1049

      Earl of Northumberland, he revolted against the Normans in 1075, though by this time the English population was pro-Norman.

      Marriage and Children

      Waltheof married Judith De Lens, Countess of Boulogne. They had the following children:
      Alice of Northumberland
      Matilda (Maud) of Huntington

      He was also married to Adelaide de Conteville.

      Death

      He was beheaded for treason in 1076.

      <http://fabpedigree.com/s090/f004534.htm>
    • In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Herefordwere conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticedWaltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled withthe King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075,Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being awitness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was foundguilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill (I suppose this is inWinchester, which is where he was tried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son ofRichard, but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud andSimon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • In the Spring and Summer of 1075, the Earls of Norfolk and Herefordwere conspiring to seize England for themselves, and they enticedWaltheof to join in. He quickly changed his mind, and reconciled withthe King, who treated the matter lightly, but at Christmas 1075,Waltheof was brought to trial, his wife (the King's niece) being awitness against him. When the trial resumed in May Waltheof was foundguilty and beheaded on St. Giles's Hill (I suppose this is inWinchester, which is where he was tried) on 31 May 1076.

      Waltheof and Judith had no sons and two known daughters, (1) Maud, whomarried first Simon de Saint Liz (Senlis) and second David I King ofScots, and (2) Judith or Alice, who married Ralph de Toni the younger.There may have been a third daughter who married a Robert son ofRichard, but this may be a confusion with a daughter of Maud andSimon.

      See the second edition of Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*, vol. VI, pp.638-640. The children are listed in note (f) on page 639.
    • The county which gives designation to this earldom of Huntingdon was,according to Dr. Heylin, a thickly wooded forest until the reign of the 2nd Henry, when the timber was first cleared away; the chief town, from the celebrity of the forest as a chase, was called Huntingtown, which soon became abbreviated into Huntington, or Huntingdon. The Earldom of Huntingdom was conferred by William the Conqueror upon Waltheof (son of Syward, the Saxon Earl of Northumberland), who had m. the dau.of that monarch's sister, by the mother's side, Judith. He was also Earl of Northampton, and of Northumberland, but conspiring against the Normans, he was beheaded in 1073 at Winchester, leaving issue, Maud and Judith. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 467-8, St. Liz, Earls of Huntingdon]
      ----------
      Waltheof was the last of the Old English earls to survive under William I, his execution for treason in 1076 marking a significant stage inthe aristocratic and tenurial revolution which followed 1066. Youngerson of Siward, the Danish earl of Northumbria (1041-55) and Aelflaed,daughter of Aldred, earl of Northumbria, Waltheof received an earldomconsisting of the shires of Huntingdon, Bedford, Northampton, Rutland, and Cambridge in 1065. As one of the few English magnates not from the Godwin faction, he accepted and was accepted by William I, witnessing royal charters and remaining loyal to the new regime until 1069 when he joined with the Danes in their invasion of Northumbria. He was prominent in their capture of York, hoping, no doubt, to be restored tohis father's position. This opportunism is perhaps more characteristic of English magnate reactions to the political turmoil of 1065-70 than any supposed national feeling. However, the revolt and invasion were defeated by William's winter campaign of 1069-70. It is a measure of William's insecurity that when Waltheof submitted in 1070 he was restored to royal favour and, in 1072, added the earldom of Northumbria to his holdings. To bind him more tightly to the Norman dispensation, William gave him his niece Judith in marriage. But in 1075, Waltheof was implicated in the largely French revolt led by Ralph, earl of Norfolk, and Roger, earl of Hereford. Despite his lack of military action, his confession, apparent contrition and the support of Archbishop Lanfranc, Waltheof was executed on 31 May 1076.
      The king's motives are obscure. Waltheof was the only prominent Englishman to be executed in the reign. Perhaps his removal was part of William's justifiably nervous response to the problem of controlling Northumbria. It may have made sense to take the chance to remove a potential --- and proven --- focus of northern discontent. Yet Waltheof's heirs were not harried, one daughter, Matilda, marrying David I of Scotland (1042-53), and another Ralph IV of Tosny, a leading Norman baron.
      Waltheof is a significant reminder that the period around 1066 was transitional, with no necessarily definite beginnings or endings. Waltheof adapted to the new order, falling foul, it seems, of the ambitions and schemes of others, not least of parvenus Frenchmen. He married into the new elite, yet embodied the old. Heir to both English and Anglo-Danish traditions, it was he who completed one of the most celebratedof Anglo-Saxon blood-feuds. In 1016, Uchtred, earl of Northumbria wasmurdered by a northern nobleman called Thurbrand. He was, in turn, killed by Uchtred's son and successor, Ealdred, who was himself slain byThurbrand's son, Carl. Waltheof's mother was Ealdred's daughter and he avenged his great-grandfather and grandfather by massacring a number of Carl's sons.
      Waltheof was buried at Crowland Abbey where, as did many martyrs to royal policy in the middle ages, he found posthumous fame in a cult which, by the mid-twelfth century, was venerating him as a saint. Yet hiscareer in the north shows that not far beneath the measured tones of Norman propagandists or the efficient gloss of English bureaucratic procedures simmered the violence of Dark Age epic. [Who's Who in Early Medieval England, Christopher Tyerman, Shepheard-Walwyn, Ltd., London, 1996; Encyclopædia Britannica CD, 1997]
    • Saint Waltheof
      http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=547ea1e9-9a89-420b-9287-206fffb1095d&tid=9125446&pid=-833671526
    Person ID I6000000005154005003  Ancestors of Donald Ross
    Last Modified 29 Feb 2020 

    Father Siward Biornsson, Earl of Northumbria,   b. Abt 1020, Northumberland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Mar 1055, York Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 35 years) 
    Mother Ælflæd,   b. Abt 1031,   d. Abt 1049, Abbey St Peters, Ghent, Belgium Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 18 years) 
    Married Abt 1038 
    Family ID F6000000001187719365  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Judith de Lens, Countess of Huntingdon,   b. Abt 1054, Lens, Artois, Flemish region, Holy Roman Empire (now Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France) Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1086, Lens, Artois, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 32 years) 
    Married 1070 
    Address:
    France
    France 
    Children 
     1. Matilda of Huntingdon, Countess of Huntingdon & Queen consort of Scotland,   b. 1072,   d. 23 Apr 1130  (Age 58 years)
     2. Adelisa de Huntington, of Northumbria,   b. Abt 1085, Clifford Castle, Clifford, Herefordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1126, Flamstead, Hertfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 41 years)
    Last Modified 14 Mar 2021 
    Family ID F6000000000387850203  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart