General Notes

REFN: 9277AN
Godwin (sometimes Godwine and sometimes known as Godwin of Wessex) (c. 10
01 – April 15, 1053), was one of the most powerful lords in England und
er the Danish king Canute the Great and his successors. Canute made him t
he first Earl of Wessex. Godwin was the father of Harold II and of Edi
th of Wessex, wife of Edward the Confessor.
Godwin's father was probably Wulfnoth Cild, Cild being a nickname (c.983-1
015) who was Thegn of Sussex, although later documents describe his fath
er as a churl. Wulfnoth was a sixth generation descendant of King Ethelr
ed of Wessex, the elder brother of Alfred the Great. His descendants we
re passed over in the royal succession, but became prominent nobles in t
he kingdom. Wulfnoth led a section of the royal fleet into piracy a
nd as a consequence had his lands forfeited, and was exiled. It was le
ft to his young son, Godwin, to improve the family fortunes after his fath
er's death in 1014. The patrilineal descent of Godwin from a King of Wess
ex is still being researched, however, and should not be taken as certai
n. In his day, Earl Godwin was seen as very much of a new man, who had be
en "made" by two advantageous marriages to Danish noblewomen.
Godwin was a major supporter of Edmund Ironside, the son of King Aethelr
ed the Unready. While Edmund was in rebellion against his father, Canute a
nd his army invaded England. Edmund was killed, along with many of his sup
porters, but Godwin survived and pledged his loyalty to Canute. He befrien
ded Canute's brother-in-law, Earl Ulf, and became one of Canute's advisor
s, accompanying him to Denmark to suppress a rebellion there. By 1018 he w
as an earl, becoming Earl of the West Saxons in about 1019. In 1022 he mar
ried Thyra Sveinsdóttir, Canute's sister. She died soon afterwards witho
ut issue, but Godwin continued to gain prestige and by 1023 he was the mo
st powerful earl in England.
On November 12, 1035, Canute died. His kingdoms were divided among three r
ival rulers. Harold Harefoot, Canute's illegitimate son by Aelgifu of Nort
hampton, seized the throne of England. Harthacanute, Canute's legitimate s
on by Emma of Normandy, reigned in Denmark. Norway rebelled under Magnus t
he Noble. In 1037, the throne of England was reportedly claimed by Alfr
ed of Wessex, younger son of Emma of Normandy and Ethelred the Unready a
nd half-brother of Harthacanute. Godwin is reported to have either captur
ed Alfred himself or to have deceived him by pretending to be his ally a
nd then surrendering him to the forces of Harold Harefoot. Either way Alfr
ed was blinded and soon died at Ely.
On March 17, 1040, Harold Harefoot died and Godwin supported the accessi
on of his half-brother Harthacanute to the throne of England. When Harthac
anute himself died (June 8, 1042), Godwin finally supported the claim of h
is half-brother Edward the Confessor to the throne. Edward was another s
on of Emma and Ethelred, having spent most of the previous thirty yea
rs in Normandy. His reign restored the native royal house of Wessex to t
he throne of England.
Despite his alleged responsibility for the death of Edward's brother Alfre
d, Godwin secured the marriage of his daughter Edith (Eadgyth) to Edwa
rd in 1045. As Edward drew advisors, nobles and priests from his former pl
ace of refuge in a bid to develop his own power base, Godwin soon became t
he leader of opposition to growing Norman influence. After a violent cla
sh between the people of Dover and the visiting Eustace II, Count of Boulo
gne, Edward's new brother-in-law, Godwin was ordered to punish the peop
le of Dover (as he and Earl Leofric had done in Worcester, in Leofric's o
wn earldom). This time, however, Godwin refused, choosing to champion h
is own countrymen against a (visiting) foreign ruler and his own king. Edw
ard rightly saw this as a test of power, and managed to enlist the suppo
rt of the other earls Earl Siward from Northumbria and Earl