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Godwin (sometimes Godwine) (c.1001 - April 15, 1053), was one of the most powerful lords in England under the Danish king Canute the Great and his successors. Canute made him the first Earl of Wessex. Godwin was the father of Harold II and of Edith of Wessex, wife of Edward the Confessor.
Biography
Godwin was a seventh generation descendant of King Ethelred of Wessex (c. 837-871). Ethelred was succeeded by his younger brother Alfred the Great because his own son Aethelhelm of Wessex (c. 870-927) was still a minor at the time of his death. Aethelhelm was later granted lands by his uncle but was never able to claim the throne. His daughter Elfleda of Wessex (c.890-918) however became Queen consort to King Edward the Elder (c.871-924).
Her brother Aethelfrith of Wessex (c.900-927) lived the life of a common landlord. His son Eadric of Wessex was granted possession of Washington in the South Downs of West Sussex. His own son Aethelwerd of Wessex (c.930-998) is known as "the Historian". Aethelmar Cild (c.960-1015), son of the later, was a benefactor of Eynsham Abbey. His son was Wulfnoth Cild (c.983-1015) who was Thegn of Sussex but is otherwise obscure. Godwin was son to Wulfnoth.
Around 1014, Godwin was first married to Thyra Sveinsdóttir, daughter of Sweyn I , King of Denmark, Norway and England. Thyra however died in 1018. Her death apparently did not prevent her brother Canute from creating Godwin Earl of Wessex during the same year.
In 1019, Godwin was married again to Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, granddaughter of the legendary Viking Styrbjörn Starke and great-granddaughter to Harold Bluetooth. The marriage resulted in the birth of at least twelve children:
- Driella of Wessex (c. 1019)
- Edith of Wessex, (c. 1020 - December 19, 1075), queen consort of Edward the Confessor
- Sweyn Godwinson, Earl of Mercia (c. 1021 - 1052). At some point he declared himself an illegitimate son of Canute the Great but this is considered to be a false claim.
- Harold II of England (c. 1022 - October 14, 1066)
- Gungilda of Wessex, a nun (c. 1024 - 1080)
- Ylgiva of Wessex (c. 1025)
- Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria (c. 1026 - September 25, 1066).
- Ydgiva of Wessex (c. 1028)
- Gyrth Godwinson (c. 1032 - October 14, 1066)
- Leofwine Godwinson , Earl of Kent (c. 1035 - October 14, 1066)
- Wulfnoth Godwinson (c. 1036 - 1087)
- Ylfgar of Wessex (c. 1038)
On November 12, 1035, Canute died. His kingdoms were divided among three rival rulers. Harold Harefoot, illegitimate son by Aelgifu of Northampton, usurped the throne of England. Harthacanute, legitimate son by Emma of Normandy, reigned in Denmark. Norway rebelled under Magnus the Noble. On 1037, the throne of England was reportedly claimed by Alfred of Wessex, son of Emma of Normandy and Ethelred the Unready and half-brother of Harthacanute. Godwin is reported to have either captured Alfred himself or to have deceived him by pretending to be his ally and then surrendering him to the forces of Harold Harefoot. Either way Alfred was blinded and soon died.
On March 17, 1040, Harold Harefoot died and Godwin supported the accession of Harthacanute to the throne of England. When Harthacanute himself died (June 8, 1042), Godwin supported the claim of his half-brother Edward the Confessor to the throne. Edward was another son of Emma and Ethelred, having spent most of the previous thirty years in Normandy. His reign restored the native royal house of Wessex to the throne of England. Despite his alleged responsibility for the death of Edward's brother Alfred, Godwin secured the marriage of his daughter Edith (Eadgyth) to Edward in 1045. Godwin soon became the leader of opposition to growing Norman influence as Edward drew advisors, nobles and priests from his former place of refuge.
Exiled from the kingdom in September 1051 for refusing to punish the people of Dover for a violent clash with the visiting Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, Godwin returned the following year with an armed force, compelling Edward to restore his earldom.
On April 15, 1053, Godwin died. His son Harold succeeded him as Earl of Wessex, an area then covering roughly the southernmost third of England. Harold later succeeded Edward the Confessor and became King of England in his own right.
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