The Road To 1066: Edward vs Godwin (feat History with Hilbert)

He had been in exile for many years in Normandy, but would return to England as king. Edward the Confessor now had to face the duties of being king. Would he lead England into a golden age or set England into crisis? Hey guys, it's Hilbert. Just letting you all know that I uploaded the first part of this series up on my channel looking at the rise and fall of the North Sea Empire. So don't forget to check it out if you're interested in the first steps on the road to 1066. But that's enough for me, and I'll give you all back to carry on with the rest of the story of Edward the Confessor. Thanks, Hilbert. How did he get through that window? After the death of the previous King, Hearth Canoe, Edward arrived in England in 1042 and was proclaimed king with the help of a powerful English Earl, Godwin. It's not to say Godwin and Edward were friends, as Godwin had previously betrayed Edward's brother, Alfred, by blinding him and shortly afterwards he died. Edward was reluctant to accept Godwin's help in succeeding to the throne, but he had a lack of knowledge of England and virtually no power base. Edward was crowned in 1043, but loyalty to the ancient house of Wessex had been eroded by the period of Danish rule, so effective rule meant keeping on good terms with leading earls. The structure of Anglo-Saxon England society placed the king at the top above everyone else. Below him were Anglo-Saxon earls who owned earldoms, and they had great influence. Below earls came thanes, who protected the earl's lands and held land of their own by royal charter. At the bottom of the hierarchy were peasants, and even worse were serfs or slaves, who had no rights at all. In helping Edward succeed to the throne, Godwin and his family gained even greater power. Edward had to marry Godwin's daughter Edith, and many others within the Godwin family gained earldoms. They held great power, but in the north there was a distinct Anglo-Scandinavian culture. There were two earldoms in the north, Mercia, which was ruled by Leothric, and Northumbria, which was ruled by Seward. A new threat had emerged from Norway, and it came from King Magnus. Bayon's elder brother Swain II of Denmark was hoping for help in his battle with Magnus for control of Denmark. Edward rejected Godwin's demand that he sent aid to Swain, but still commanded a fleet just in case. It was only Magnus's death that saved England from attack and allowed Swain to take the Danish throne. In the Middle Ages, religion played a very important role in people's lives, and a king was often seen as chosen by God. So Edward had a lot of say in the appointing of bishops and archbishops. In 1050, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edsig, died and had to be replaced. Æthelric, a relative of Godwin, was chosen by the monks of Canterbury to succeed him. However, Edward instead appointed his close Norman friend, Robbers of Jumiege. Edward invited his former brother-in-law, Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, as a guest in 1051. Upon his arrival in Dover, his men got into a quarrel with the locals, and some people were killed. It should be noted Eustace and Godwin were on shaky terms, as Godwin had recently married his son, Tostig, to the daughter of Eustace's rival, the Count of Flanders. Edward ordered Godwin as Earl of Wessex to punish the townspeople by harrying, but Godwin refused as he did not want to destroy his own land and get unpopular with his people. Godwin raised an army against the king, and Robert of Jumiege convinced Edward Godwin was plotting to kill him. Edward summoned his two northern earls, Seawood and Leofric, for support, but neither side was willing to fight and risk civil war. Godwin's army was not willing to fight the king, and his family's position was weakened. When called upon by the king for his actions, he fled to Ireland, while other members of his family fled to Flanders. However, Godwin returned the next year. He attacked the isle of White River Fleet and sailed up the Thames. He gained a lot of support and demanded the re-establishment of his earldom, for him and his family. He also ordered the banishment of Archbishop Robert, and most Normans at court. Crucially, Edward's army refused to fight, and the northern earls gave him no backing, so Edward had to accept Godwin's demands. Godwin was declared innocent of all charges, and the fleeing French were outlawed. A man named Stigund became Archbishop to replace Robert, who was accepted by all parties. Godwin was restored as Earl of Wessex, Harold gained East Anglia, and Edith was brought back to court. Godwin did not live long to see his success, as he died of a stroke while dining with the king in 1053. Harold Godwinson was then given the earldom of Wessex, and Alfgar, the son of Leofric, was given East Anglia. In 1054, Seawood went to war against the Scottish King Macbeth. This was possibly ordered by Edward, or Seawood's own choice. Seawood died a year later, and his surviving son was only a boy, so Tostig Godwinson was given Northumbria. In addition, Alfgar was outlawed, and East Anglia was given to Geerth, Godwin's fourth son. Alfgar could be considered as a rather wild character. After losing his earldom, he allied himself with the ruler of Wales, Gruffydd af Llywelyn. They led an army into the earldom of Hereford, defeated Ralph of Mance in battle, and sacked the city. In 1057, Ralph of Mance and Leofric died, and Alfgar returned and took Mercia by force. Harold soon took Ralph of Mance's lands for his own, and Godwin's youngest son was given an earldom in the southwest. The death of key northern earls and lack of suitable replacements meant that Edward was increasingly forced to give precedence to members of the Godwin family. So by the end of 1057, the Anglo-Saxon earldoms looked like this. It can be said that the return of the Godwins actually stabilised and strengthened the kingdom, notably in the defence of England. Between 1058 and 1062, it seems there was largely a period of peace, as there was little recorded by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. There were several pilgrimages undertaken. Tostig made a pilgrimage to Rome, and Bishop Eldred journeyed to Jerusalem, leaving Hereford and Worcester undefended for six months. Although it should be noted, Harold Godwinson continued to keep watch from Hereford. Alfgar behaved more responsibly, and Tostig's lands were raided by Malcolm of Scotland while he was absent. Gruffydd began raiding into Mercia again, which was a really bad idea. Harold and his brother Tostig then conducted a campaign in Wales. Harold raided with a fleet along the coast of South Wales from Bristol, while Tostig invaded from the north. This proved remarkably successful, and they captured Gruffydd's castle in spring 1063. Gruffydd managed to escape into the mountains of Snowdonia, as the Godwins ravaged lands around his strongholds. He was later killed by his own men, who delivered his head to Edward. The Welsh sued for peace, and acknowledged the king's overlordship, gave hostages, and agreed to pay customary dues. As the Welsh Chronicle puts it, Harold's victories in Wales gave him immense stature as a warrior, and was undoubtedly an effective leader of men. It wasn't all great for the Godwins, as in October of 1065, a rebellion against Tostig broke out in Northumbria. This was in response to Tostig's harsh rule as an earl, and the fact he was never popular to begin with. The Vita Eduardi, a very pro-Godwins source, says he repressed the Northumbrian nobility with the heavy yoke of his rule because of their misdeeds. The rebels chose the new earl, Mawcar, who was the brother of Edwin of Mercia. Harold by this point was negotiating on Edward's behalf, because he was slowly dying, and he does not seem to support his brother at all. Edward had no children, and therefore no successor, and by the winter of 1065, he was very ill. So who would succeed him? Throughout Edward's rule, the problem of succession was always important, and it is unclear why Edward never had any children. With the Godwins exile in 1051, it is said that Edward invited William to his court and promised him the throne. William was a distant cousin of Edward, but it is unclear whether this actually happened. In 1057, Edward became aware that his nephew was still alive. This was Edward the son of Edmund Ironside, and he was summoned to court to potentially take up his place as heir to the throne. The returning exile died in uncertain circumstances shortly after his arrival in England, leaving Edgar a six-year-old child, who was now the last surviving male member of the royal dynasty, apart from the king. His six-year-old grand-nephew's position was not necessarily the best choice, when other more powerful potential contenders had their eye on England. Another claimant was Harold Hardrada, the king of Norway, whose claim was based on an agreement that had been made with Half Canoon. In the months before his death, Edward fell into a coma. Harold Godwinson, Edith and the Archbishop of Canterbury were present when he regained consciousness, but he was still delirious. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts a dying King Edward touching the hands of Harold, and English sources justify this as Harold's appointment to the throne. The Norman account of William of Poitiers states Harold had sworn fealty to Duke William in 1065, when he had made a trip to Normandy, making an oath in front of holy relics. Despite all this, on Edward's death, Harold was declared king, as he was the only contender in England, and was very popular with the witten who appointed kings. Although becoming king does not mean you will stay king, as we'll find out in the next episode. Edward's reign was one of peace, rising wealth, and a favourable climate. There were a lot of pilgrimages, Edward maintained an English army and navy, and there were no foreign wars. One important part of Edward's reign is his use of the writ, and this created a foundation for the English army. The writ was a record-keeping of land. Messages were sent to shires to say lands had been traded, and for every five hides of land, a single fully equipped soldier had to be provided. Edward managed to see the completion of Westminster Abbey, where he was buried. He was the only monarch to ever become a saint, and was the patron saint of England until St. George. Although there were several problems and disagreements, Edward's rule was prosperous and peaceful, but his unclear decisions on succession and influence from Normandy may have been the catalyst for the bloodbath of 1066.