Ealhhelm
Encyclopedia
Ealhhelm was an Anglo-Saxon
nobleman and ealdorman
in Mercia
of West Saxon origins.
It was in the reign of Edmund
, circa
940, that Ealhhelm was appointed as an ealdorman. He shared authority in Mercia with others, including Æthelstan Rota
, Æthelmund, and another Æthelstan. The division is presumed to have been on a geographical basis. Ealhhelm and his family appear to have been connected with south-western Mercia, the former kingdom of the Hwicce
, which corresponded approximately with the boundaries of the diocese of Worcester
. Ealhhelm may have held the lands formerly belonging to Evesham Abbey
as these are said to have been seized by one Alchelmus in the time of King Edmund. A kinsman of Ealhhelm named Wulfric—probably the father of Ealhhelm's daughter-in-law—who later received part of the Evesham lands, may be identified with the brother of Saint Dunstan
.
Ealhhelm ceases to sign charters around 951 in the reign of King Eadred. The date of his death is not recorded. Ælfhere
and Ælfheah, the sons of Ealhhelm, were ealdormen and significant figures later in the 10th century. Ealdorman Ælfric Cild
was his son-in-law.
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
nobleman and ealdorman
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
in Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
of West Saxon origins.
It was in the reign of Edmund
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
, circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
940, that Ealhhelm was appointed as an ealdorman. He shared authority in Mercia with others, including Æthelstan Rota
Æthelstan Rota
Æthelstan was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. He served as an Ealdorman in southern Mercia in the reigns of Kings Eadwig and Edgar. He is referred to as Æthelstan Rota in one charter, and is so known to distinguish him from Æthelstan Half-King, and another Æthelstan Æthelstan (floruit 940–970) was...
, Æthelmund, and another Æthelstan. The division is presumed to have been on a geographical basis. Ealhhelm and his family appear to have been connected with south-western Mercia, the former kingdom of the Hwicce
Hwicce
The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England. The exact boundaries of their kingdom are uncertain, though it is likely that they coincided with those of the old Diocese of Worcester, founded in 679–80, the early bishops of which bore the title Episcopus Hwicciorum...
, which corresponded approximately with the boundaries of the diocese of Worcester
Anglican Diocese of Worcester
The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time...
. Ealhhelm may have held the lands formerly belonging to Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
as these are said to have been seized by one Alchelmus in the time of King Edmund. A kinsman of Ealhhelm named Wulfric—probably the father of Ealhhelm's daughter-in-law—who later received part of the Evesham lands, may be identified with the brother of Saint Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
.
Ealhhelm ceases to sign charters around 951 in the reign of King Eadred. The date of his death is not recorded. Ælfhere
Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia
Ælfhere was ealdorman of Mercia. His family, along with those of Æthelstan Half-King and Æthelstan Rota, rose to greatness in the middle third of the 10th century. In the reign of Edward the Martyr, Ælfhere was a leader of the anti-monastic reaction and an ally of Edward's stepmother Queen Dowager...
and Ælfheah, the sons of Ealhhelm, were ealdormen and significant figures later in the 10th century. Ealdorman Ælfric Cild
Ælfric Cild
Ælfric Cild was a wealthy Anglo-Saxon nobleman from the east Midlands, ealdorman of Mercia between 983 and 985, and possibly brother-in-law to his predecessor Ælfhere...
was his son-in-law.