Æthelflæd of Damerham
Encyclopedia
Æthelflæd, known as Æthelflæd of Damerham to distinguish her from other women of the same name, was the second wife of King Edmund I of England
.
Æthelflæd was a daughter of ealdorman
Ælfgar, probably the ealdorman of Essex
. Her mother's name is not recorded. She had at least one brother and at least one sister, Ælfflæd (died circa
1002). Ælfflæd was married to Byrhtnoth
, who probably succeeded her father as ealdorman of Essex. Bryhtnoth was killed at the Battle of Maldon
in 991. Æthelflæd and Ælfflæd were Ælfgar's heirs at his death, some time between 946 and 951 based on the dating of his will, S1483.
Æthelflæd married Edmund in 944 following the death of his first wife Ælfgifu, mother of the future kings Eadwig and Edgar
. She and Edmund are not known to have had any children, and Edmund was killed in 946, leaving Æthelflæd as a wealthy widow. Records of Ely Cathedral
, to which she, her sister, and her brother-in-law, were generous benefactors, say that she remarried with an ealdorman named Æthelstan. There were several ealdormen of that name active in the reign of Edmund's brother and successor Eadred, and it most likely that Æthelflæd married the man known as Æthelstan Rota
, but it may be that she married Æthelstan Half-King
.
Æthelflæd's will survives, S1494, and this, and thus her death, is dated to between 962, and more probably 975, and 991. In addition to gifts to Ely, this endows Glastonbury
, Canterbury
, Bury
, and the family monastery of Stoke-by-Nayland
.
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...
.
Æthelflæd was a daughter of 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...
Ælfgar, probably the ealdorman of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Her mother's name is not recorded. She had at least one brother and at least one sister, Ælfflæd (died circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1002). Ælfflæd was married to Byrhtnoth
Byrhtnoth
Byrhtnoth was a 10th century Ealdorman of Essex. His name is composed of Old English beorht and noth ....
, who probably succeeded her father as ealdorman of Essex. Bryhtnoth was killed at the Battle of Maldon
Battle of Maldon
The Battle of Maldon took place on 10 August 991 near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Aethelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat...
in 991. Æthelflæd and Ælfflæd were Ælfgar's heirs at his death, some time between 946 and 951 based on the dating of his will, S1483.
Æthelflæd married Edmund in 944 following the death of his first wife Ælfgifu, mother of the future kings Eadwig and Edgar
Edgar of England
Edgar the Peaceful, or Edgar I , also called the Peaceable, was a king of England . Edgar was the younger son of Edmund I of England.-Accession:...
. She and Edmund are not known to have had any children, and Edmund was killed in 946, leaving Æthelflæd as a wealthy widow. Records of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, to which she, her sister, and her brother-in-law, were generous benefactors, say that she remarried with an ealdorman named Æthelstan. There were several ealdormen of that name active in the reign of Edmund's brother and successor Eadred, and it most likely that Æthelflæd married the man known as 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...
, but it may be that she married Æthelstan Half-King
Æthelstan Half-King
Æthelstan , commonly called Æthelstan Half-King, was Ealdorman of East Anglia and the leading member of a very prominent Anglo-Saxon family. Æthelstan became a monk at Glastonbury Abbey in 957.-Origins and career:...
.
Æthelflæd's will survives, S1494, and this, and thus her death, is dated to between 962, and more probably 975, and 991. In addition to gifts to Ely, this endows Glastonbury
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
, Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, Bury
Bury St. Edmunds Abbey
The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England. Its ruins lie in Bury St Edmunds, a town in the county of Suffolk, England.-History:...
, and the family monastery of Stoke-by-Nayland
Stoke-by-Nayland
Stoke by Nayland in the English county of Suffolk, lies close to the border with Essex in what is sometimes referred to as Constable Country. It contains a church, St Mary, part of the Deanery of in the Diocese of Chelmsford...
.