Family of Edmund II + and Ealdgyth + ALGITHA

Husband:	Edmund II + (989-1016)
Wife:	Ealdgyth + ALGITHA (986-1016)
Children:	Edward + (1016-1057)
Marriage	1015	Malmsbury, Wiltshire, England

Husband: Edmund II +

Name:	Edmund II +
Sex:	Male
Nickname:	Ironside
Father:	Aethelred +* (968-1016)
Mother:	Alfflaed + GUNNARSDOTTIR (968-1002)
Birth	0989	Wessex, England
Occupation	frm 23 Apr 1016 to 30 Nov 1016 (age 26-27)	King of England
Title		King of England
Death	30 Nov 1016 (age 26-27)	London, Middlesex, England
	Cause: murdered by Edric Streaon, Earl of Mercia, husband of Edgyth, daughter of Ethelred II, the Unready He had been seriously wounded at Ashingdon, and his continued fighting had not improved his health. Nevertheless his death, just one month later, still shocked the Saxon nation. There was talk of murder and the weight of evidence supports this. Later rumours of a particularly nasty disembowelling whilst on the privy have never been disproved.

Wife: Ealdgyth + ALGITHA

Name:	Ealdgyth + ALGITHA
Sex:	Female
Father:	-
Mother:	-
Birth	0986	Wessex, England
Death	1016 (age 29-30)

Child 1: Edward +

Note on Husband: Edmund II +

Betrayed by ealdorman Edric when Canute invaded England, Edmund struggled unsuccessfully to reunite the country. Finally a division was arranged whereby Canute took the north and Edmund the south. He reigned only from his father's death 04-23-1016 to his own death (possibly by foul play) 11-30-1016. His wife, Ealgyth, was widow of Sigeferth, son of Earngrim.

 

Murdered by Edric Streon, Earl of Mercia, husband of Edgyth, daughter of Ethelred II the Unready

 

His two older brothers died before his father, so he was elected

king by the Witan and crowned in London. He was known as "Ironside" for

his courage.

He devoted his short reign to defending his inheritence against the

ravages of the Viking, Cnut. In this he was severly hampered by the

ignoble behavior of one of his father's favorites, Edric Streona,

"Grasper". On one battlefield Edric mounted a hill and held up a severed

head, saying it was Edmund's. The King removed his helmet to show himself

alive, and then violently hurled his spear at Edric, which, glancing off Edric's shield, pierced two soldiers standing beside him.

 

Defeat at the Battle of Ashington, Essex, forced him to make terms

with Cnut and they agreed to divide the kingdom between them, Cnut taking

the north and Edmund the south.

He was treasonably slain a few days later. He had gone to the

outhouse in the middle of the night, where Edric's son, on his father's

orders, had concealed himself in the pit. He stabbed the King twice from

beneath, with a sharp dagger, and, leaving the weapon fixed in his

bowels, made his escape. Thus the King perished after a reign of one

year, and he was buried at Glastenbury, near his Grandfather Edgar.

Edric then presented himself to Cnut, and saluted him , and said,

"Hail, thou who art sole King of England!" and explained to him what had

taken place. Cnut replied, "For this deed I will exalt you, as it merits,

higher than all the nobles of England!" He then commanded that Edric

should be beheaded and his head placed upon a pole on the highest

battlement of the Tower of London.

 

 

The son of King Ethelred II the Unready (reigned 978-1016), Edmund defied his father's orders by marrying (1015) the widow of one of the Danish lords then occupying English territory. Nevertheless, when Canute invaded England later in 1015, Edmund raised an army in northern England and ravaged regions that would not rally to his cause.

 

Upon Ethelred's death (April 1016), a small number of councillors and citizens of London proclaimed Edmund as their ruler, but a larger body of nobles at Southampton declared for Canute. Edmund then launched a series of offensives against his rival. He recovered Wessex and relieved London of a siege before being decisively defeated by Canute at Ashington, Essex, on October 18. In the ensuing peace settlement, Edmund retained Wessex, while Canute held the lands north of the River Thames. After Edmund died (probably of natural causes), Canute became sole ruler of England.

 

 

 

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Edmund was the second son of Athelred (II) and became the heir to the throne after the eldest son, Athelstan, fell in battle some time in 1014. Edmund had already done his share of fighting, and had proved himself valiant, but once the heir he became even more determined. Angered at the weakness of his father, who had already been expelled from England by Swein in 1013, only to return a few months later promising to rule strongly and wisely, Edmund carved out his own plan to recover England. There was some respite during 1014 when Cnut left England to gain the throne of Denmark, though Athelred used that time to exact retribution from those he believed had betrayed him. One of these was Sigeferth, a thane of East Anglia, who had been amongst the first to submit to Swein when he landed at Gainsborough in August 1013. Sigeferth was executed and his widow, Edith, imprisoned at Malmesbury. Edmund rescued Edith and married her. This action gained the support of the Danelaw of Mercia and the north, but divided Britain, with Athelred retaining support in the south. When Canute returned to England in September 10 15 only Edmund's army was prepared. Athelred's men would not fight unless led by the king but he was seldom available (he was increasingly ill) and his own ealdormen were always on the verge of desertion. Athelred died in April 1016 and Edmund was promptly declared king. There was no time for celebrations. Edmund and Canute's armies clashed at five major battles during the year. The outcome was rarely decisive, both sides claiming victory. Edmund succeeded in holding London against Canute's siege and he probably would have defeated the Danes at Sherstone had not one of his ealdormen (the ever-traitorous Eadric of Shropshire) tricked the Saxons into believing Edmund was dead. Canute defeated Edmund at Ashingdon, in Essex, on 18 October, but by this time both sides were battle-wear-y. One further engagement was fought near Deerhurst in Gloucester, at which point both parties agreed to negotiate. At the Treaty of Olney, signed at the end of October, Canute was granted Mercia and Northumbria, and Edmund remained in Wessex. Edmund returned to London. He had been seriously wounded at Ashingdon, and his continued fighting had not improved his health. Nevertheless his death, just one month later, still shocked the Saxon nation. There was talk of murder and the weight of evidence supports this. Later rumours of a particularly nasty disembowelling whilst on the privy have never been disproved. With his death Canute soon convinced the English to accept him as king. Edmund's sons were despatched from England, and other young Saxon princes were transferred to places of safety. Only one of them, Edmund's son Edward (the father of Edgar Atheling), would return.