General Notes

Four years after the death of Magnus and the removal for the time being of the threat from Norway, England was brought to the verge of Civil War. This affair, commonly called the English revolution of 1051, arose from an incident which occurred in Dover, while Eustace, Count of Boulogne, was on his way home with his retinue from a visit to Edward.
According to a Canterbury writer, one of Eustace's men adopted a truculent manner in his demands for quarters of one of the men of Dover. The man of Dover was wounded and slew his attacker, whereupon a general melee broke out and some 20 men were killed on each side.
Eustace and those of his followes who survived returned to Edward and told him, 'but only in part', what had happened. Edward, it is alleged, accepted Eustace's version of the incident and ordered Godwine, in whose earldom Dover lay, to ravage the town, but Godwine refused to obey the order.
At this time Godwine and his family seemed to be in an extremely powerful position in the country. (His daughter, Edith, had been married to Edward for 6 years.)
King Edward summoned an assembly to meet in Gloucester on September 8 to del with Godwine's refusal to obey his king's command. Before the assembly met Godwine called out the men of his own earldom and bade Swein and Harold to do likewise. These 3 mustered a large army about 15 miles from Gloucester and made ready to attack the king if he were not ready to hand over Eustace and his men (who had started the problem).
Edward gathered troops from other countries. They were ready to attack Godwine if Edward so ordered 'but some men thought that it would be great folly were they to come together in battle, because wellnight all the noblest in England were in one or other of the 2 hosts'.
A compromise was reached whereby hostages were to be given by both sides and a further meeting of the assembly was to be held in London later the same month. Edward increased his military strength in the time, and by the time the assembly met, Godwine's supporters, though still numerous, were out-numbered and began to fall away before the growing strength of their opponents.
Godwine himself with his wife and 3 of his sons went to Bruges. Two other sons went to Ireland and his daughter (Edith), the queen, was committed to the care of an abbess. They were all restored within 12 months. (Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England, by P. Blair, 1959, 1977)

Eustace II took a leading part in the Norman conquest of 1066 against England; he is always mentioned with William the Conqueror. At the Battle of Hastings it was Eustace who rescued the Conqueror, when William, in the midst of the enemy, had his third horse slain under him. Eustace II was later struck between the shoulders by a powerful blow, which caused blood toflow from his nose and mouth. Eustace owned the great manor of Tring in Hertfordshire, England. (The Ancestry & Life of Godfrey of Bouillon, by J. Andressohn, 1947)

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Ancestry/David Weaver