Ælfwine Haroldsson
Encyclopedia
Ælfwine Haroldsson or Ælfwine was most probably an illegitimate son of King Harold Harefoot
of England
. He was probably born during the early 1030s, either in Scandinavia or after 1035 in England. He appears in an early twelfth-century cartulary from the monastery of Sainte Foi at Conques
in Aquitaine as Alboynus (a cognate of Ælfwine), alongside the records that he was born in London and was the son of a King Heroldus (a Latinised version of Harold) and one Alveva ("Ælfgifu" Latinised). It is also noted that he arrived in Conques in 1060 on pilgrimage and persuaded the local authorities to rebuild the church and make him prior. W. H. Stevenson showed the only chronologically plausible candidate for his father is King Harold Harefoot. With Harold Harefoot's sudden death on 17 March 1040 Ælfwine was most likely left in his otherwise unknown mother's care, or even that of his powerful and influential grandmother Ælfgifu of Northampton, who may be the Ælfgifu of the record mistakenly named as his mother, rather than grandmother. He did not lay any claim to the throne of England. Little is known about him, but he is thought to have died in the 1070s or 1080s. He was the grandson of Cnut the Great.
Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot was King of England from 1037 to 1040. His cognomen "Harefoot" referred to his speed, and the skill of his huntsmanship. He was the son of Cnut the Great, king of England, Denmark, and Norway by Ælfgifu of Northampton...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was probably born during the early 1030s, either in Scandinavia or after 1035 in England. He appears in an early twelfth-century cartulary from the monastery of Sainte Foi at Conques
Conques
Conques is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Geography:The village is located at the confluence of the Dourdou and Ouche rivers. It is built on a hillside and has classic narrow Medieval streets. As a result, large vehicles cannot enter the historic town centre but must...
in Aquitaine as Alboynus (a cognate of Ælfwine), alongside the records that he was born in London and was the son of a King Heroldus (a Latinised version of Harold) and one Alveva ("Ælfgifu" Latinised). It is also noted that he arrived in Conques in 1060 on pilgrimage and persuaded the local authorities to rebuild the church and make him prior. W. H. Stevenson showed the only chronologically plausible candidate for his father is King Harold Harefoot. With Harold Harefoot's sudden death on 17 March 1040 Ælfwine was most likely left in his otherwise unknown mother's care, or even that of his powerful and influential grandmother Ælfgifu of Northampton, who may be the Ælfgifu of the record mistakenly named as his mother, rather than grandmother. He did not lay any claim to the throne of England. Little is known about him, but he is thought to have died in the 1070s or 1080s. He was the grandson of Cnut the Great.
Sources
- Tim Bolton, "Reign of King Harold Harefoot", The Literary Encyclopedia, 5 May 2006.
- Appears in some sources stating he is King Harold HarefootHarold HarefootHarold Harefoot was King of England from 1037 to 1040. His cognomen "Harefoot" referred to his speed, and the skill of his huntsmanship. He was the son of Cnut the Great, king of England, Denmark, and Norway by Ælfgifu of Northampton...
's son.