Cyneweard of Laughern
Encyclopedia
Cyneweard of Laughern or simply Cyneweard (died 1079 x 1086) was a mid-11th century Anglo-Saxon
thegn
and sheriff
in Worcestershire
, England
. Probably the son of Æthelric Kiu and grand-nephew of Wulfstan Lupus, Archbishop of York (1003–1023), he was one of the leading nobles of the county at the Norman Conquest of England
. On the death of Edward the Confessor
he held lands in Gloucestershire
and Warwickshire
as well as Worcestershire.
A vassal
of the bishops of Worcester, he was sheriff in the county until 1069. He lost this after the arrival of Urse d'Abetot
, and it was Urse and his brother Robert Despenser who deprived Cyneweard and his family of many of their holdings in the region. Cyneweard's other holding were taken by this family after his own death, which occurred sometime between 1079 and 1086.
, and it is probable that all references are to Cyneweard of Laughern. From the evidence in Domesday, Cyneweard held under the Bishop of Worcester
half a hide
at Laughern, five hides at Wyre Piddle
, two hides at Elmley Castle
, and along with his probable vassal Ulfkil, a manor of three hides at Hanley
.
In Warwickshire
Cyneweard possessed, along with a thegn named Beorhtric, six hides at Stretton-on-Fosse
. In Gloucestershire
, he held a manor of two hides at Duntisbourne Abbots
, and in the same county in the vill of Coates
he held one of three manors; his manor was worth one hide, with another one-hide manor being held by Beorhtric, and a third manor worth half a hide being held by a thegn named Leofwine. It is likely that Cyneweard held in 1066 the five hide manor of Duntisbourne Abbots later given by the mother of Roger de Lacy
to Gloucester Abbey
.
, who himself became Bishop of Worcester (1033–1038); it is likely that they had another son called Æthelric, as Hemming
describes Æthelric and Beorhtheah as brothers.
Historian Ann Williams
argued that, on the evidence land-holdings, Cyneweard was the son of this Æthelric. This argument has been accepted by other historians, such as the historian of the earldom of Mercia, Stephen Baxter. A thegn
named Godric is known directly to have been the son of this Æthelric too, and thus Cyneweard's brother. They had a sister named Eadgyth, who became a nun and was still living in 1086.
Beorhtheah used his position as bishop to lease to his brother Æthelric, Cyneweard's probable father, manors at Alton, Himbleton
, Lower Wolverton and Whittington
. Æthelric complemented the family's landholdings by receiving more leased land from his brother's successor Lyfing
, bishop of Worcester with a little interruption from 1038 or 1039 until 1046. This included Elmley Castle held by Cyneweard in 1066, as well as Armscote
, Bentley-in-Holt and Hill Croome
. These bishops leased out other lands to other members of this family, meaning that in 1066 Cyneweard was a leading member of a kin-group, closely related to the famous bishop, strongly entrenched and dominant in the region. Not associated (unlike some thegns in the region) with the family of the Earl of Mercia
, Williams describes Cyneweard and his kindred as "in the mouvance of the bishops of Worcester just as much if not more than the king".
of Worcester. Records are poor, and it is unclear when he obtained this position, but he probably held it until the arrival of the Norman knight Urse d'Abetot
in 1069. He had survived the Norman Conquest of England
in 1066, and however he lost this position to Urse in 1069 (it is not known), he was still alive in 1072 when he witnessed a charter [as Kineward de Lauro] of Robert de Stafford
. He was the last Anglo-Saxon
sheriff of the county.
He probably survived for sometime after that, as he was present at a plea
between the church of Worcester and Evesham Abbey
regarding the estates of Bengeworth
and Hampton heard at an unknown date between 1079 and 1083. These manors were held by Evesham but Worcester claimed them as part of the triple hundred of the Oswaldslow
. The suit was between Bishop Wulfstan (II) of Worcester and Walter, Abbot of Evesham
, and Cyneweard's appearance was made, along with other Worcestershire notables, in order to substantiate Wulfstan's claim, a claim to which Abbot Walter yielded.
According to Hemming, after Cyneweard's death his manors of Laughern and Elmley Castle were seized by Urse d'Abetot's brother Robert Despenser. This must have occurred before 1086, when it was recorded in Domesday Book that they were in Robert's possession. Cyneweard's brother Godric had lost his land at Alton to William fitz Osbern
sometime in or before 1071, the year of William's death, though despite this Godric was still alive in 1086.
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
and sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
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...
. Probably the son of Æthelric Kiu and grand-nephew of Wulfstan Lupus, Archbishop of York (1003–1023), he was one of the leading nobles of the county at the Norman Conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. On the death of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
he held lands in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
as well as Worcestershire.
A vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of the bishops of Worcester, he was sheriff in the county until 1069. He lost this after the arrival of Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot was a Norman as well as a medieval Sheriff of Worcestershire and royal official under Kings William I, William II and Henry I...
, and it was Urse and his brother Robert Despenser who deprived Cyneweard and his family of many of their holdings in the region. Cyneweard's other holding were taken by this family after his own death, which occurred sometime between 1079 and 1086.
Domesday estates in 1066
Cyneweard's name was uncommon in Anglo-Saxon England. It occurs only seven times in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, and it is probable that all references are to Cyneweard of Laughern. From the evidence in Domesday, Cyneweard held under the Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
half a hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
at Laughern, five hides at Wyre Piddle
Wyre Piddle
Wyre Piddle is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It is on the River Avon, near where that river is joined by the Piddle Brook - between Evesham and Pershore...
, two hides at Elmley Castle
Elmley Castle
Elmley Castle is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, in England, United Kingdom. It is located on the north side of Bredon Hill 4 kilometres south east of Pershore in the local government district of Wychavon.- Amenities and history :...
, and along with his probable vassal Ulfkil, a manor of three hides at Hanley
Hanley, Worcestershire
Hanley is a civil parish in the district of Malvern Hills in the county of Worcestershire, England....
.
In Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
Cyneweard possessed, along with a thegn named Beorhtric, six hides at Stretton-on-Fosse
Stretton-on-Fosse
Stretton-on-Fosse is a small village and civil parish with fewer than 200 houses, most built of Cotswold stone or locally-made red brick, situated on the Warwickshire-Gloucestershire border on the fringe of the Cotswold Hills.-History:...
. In Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, he held a manor of two hides at Duntisbourne Abbots
Duntisbourne Abbots
Duntisbourne Abbots is a village and civil parish located in the English county of Gloucestershire.Duntisbourne Abbots forms part of the Cotswold District...
, and in the same county in the vill of Coates
Coates, Gloucestershire
Coates is a village situated in Gloucestershire, England. It is around 5 km or 3 miles west of Cirencester and close to Cirencester Park, part of the Bathurst Estate. It is the nearest village to the source of the river Thames at Thames Head, and it is close to the course of the Foss Way or Fosse...
he held one of three manors; his manor was worth one hide, with another one-hide manor being held by Beorhtric, and a third manor worth half a hide being held by a thegn named Leofwine. It is likely that Cyneweard held in 1066 the five hide manor of Duntisbourne Abbots later given by the mother of Roger de Lacy
Roger de Lacy
Roger de Lacy, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, a Marcher Lord on the Welsh border.- Lineage :He was son of Walter de Lacy , a retainer of William fitzOsbern. Roger was a castle builder, particularly at Ludlow Castle....
to Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey was a Benedictine abbey for monks in the city of Gloucester, England. The abbey was founded about 1022 and was dedicated to Saint Peter. It is recorded that the abbey lost about a quarter of its complement of monks in 1377 due to the Black Death.In 1540, the abbey was dissolved by...
.
Background
Cyneweard was probably the son of Æthelric Kiu, a relative of Wulfstan (nicknamed "Lupus"), Archbishop of York (1003–1023) and Bishop of Worcester (1003–1016). Archbishop Wulfstan's sister Wulfgifu had married a Worcester thegn named Wulfric. It is known that Wulfgifu (presumably with Wulfric) had a son named BeorhtheahBeorhtheah
Beorhtheah also was a medieval Bishop of Worcester.His family was a wealthy family from Worcester. He had previously been Abbot of Pershore, and was consecrated in 1033. He died on 20 December 1038.-References:...
, who himself became Bishop of Worcester (1033–1038); it is likely that they had another son called Æthelric, as Hemming
Hemming (monk)
Hemming was a monk, author and compiler in medieval England from around the time of the Norman Conquest of England. He was a senior brother at Worcester Cathedral Priory, and his significance derives from the monastic cartulary attributed to him.Hemming's name is Scandinavian, which may mean...
describes Æthelric and Beorhtheah as brothers.
Historian Ann Williams
Ann Williams (historian)
Ann Williams is an English medievalist, historian and author. Before retiring she worked at the Polytechnic of North London, where she was Senior Lecturer in Medieval History. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a Research Fellow at the University of East Anglia...
argued that, on the evidence land-holdings, Cyneweard was the son of this Æthelric. This argument has been accepted by other historians, such as the historian of the earldom of Mercia, Stephen Baxter. A thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
named Godric is known directly to have been the son of this Æthelric too, and thus Cyneweard's brother. They had a sister named Eadgyth, who became a nun and was still living in 1086.
Beorhtheah used his position as bishop to lease to his brother Æthelric, Cyneweard's probable father, manors at Alton, Himbleton
Himbleton
Himbleton is a village in Worcestershire, England. It lies about south-east of Droitwich and north-east of Worcester. There is an Anglican church, dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene ....
, Lower Wolverton and Whittington
Whittington, Worcestershire
Whittington is a small village near Worcester close to Junction 7 of the M5 motorway, bounded by the motorway and the main Evesham to Worcester A44 trunk road, in the District of Wychavon...
. Æthelric complemented the family's landholdings by receiving more leased land from his brother's successor Lyfing
Lyfing of Winchester
Lyfing of Winchester , also known as Livingus or Lifing, was an Anglo-Saxon prelate who served as Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of Crediton and Bishop of Cornwall.-Life:...
, bishop of Worcester with a little interruption from 1038 or 1039 until 1046. This included Elmley Castle held by Cyneweard in 1066, as well as Armscote
Armscote
Armscote is a small village, some three miles north of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, England. It is located a mile off the A429 which is the modern line of the Fosse Way Roman road....
, Bentley-in-Holt and Hill Croome
Hill Croome
Hill Croome is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.. Historically a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, according to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 169....
. These bishops leased out other lands to other members of this family, meaning that in 1066 Cyneweard was a leading member of a kin-group, closely related to the famous bishop, strongly entrenched and dominant in the region. Not associated (unlike some thegns in the region) with the family of the Earl of Mercia
Earl of Mercia
Earl of Mercia was a title in the late Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Danish, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. During this period the earldom covered the lands of the old Kingdom of Mercia in the English Midlands....
, Williams describes Cyneweard and his kindred as "in the mouvance of the bishops of Worcester just as much if not more than the king".
Career
It is clear from a document dating to 1079 x 1089 that Cyneweard held, at an earlier date, the position of sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Worcester. Records are poor, and it is unclear when he obtained this position, but he probably held it until the arrival of the Norman knight Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot was a Norman as well as a medieval Sheriff of Worcestershire and royal official under Kings William I, William II and Henry I...
in 1069. He had survived the Norman Conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, and however he lost this position to Urse in 1069 (it is not known), he was still alive in 1072 when he witnessed a charter [as Kineward de Lauro] of Robert de Stafford
Robert de Stafford
Robert de Stafford was a Norman nobleman, the builder of Stafford Castle in England. He may or may not be the same as Robert de Tosny Lord of Belvoir or of the Robert de Tosny who was son of Raoul II of Tosny ; primary evidence is lacking to determine his parentage, according to Cawley...
. He was the last Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
sheriff of the county.
He probably survived for sometime after that, as he was present at a plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
between the church of Worcester and Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
regarding the estates of Bengeworth
Bengeworth
Bengeworth is a locality adjoining Evesham in Worcestershire, England. In 1887 it had a population of 1,311. Today it has a school and an Anglican church....
and Hampton heard at an unknown date between 1079 and 1083. These manors were held by Evesham but Worcester claimed them as part of the triple hundred of the Oswaldslow
Oswaldslow (hundred)
The Oswaldslow was a hundred in the English county of Worcestershire, which was named in a supposed charter of 964 by King Edgar the Peaceful . It was actually a triple hundred, composed of three smaller hundreds...
. The suit was between Bishop Wulfstan (II) of Worcester and Walter, Abbot of Evesham
Abbot of Evesham
The Abbot of Evesham was the head of Evesham Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Worcestershire founded in the Anglo-Saxon era of English history. The succession continued until dissolution of the monastery in 1540:-List:...
, and Cyneweard's appearance was made, along with other Worcestershire notables, in order to substantiate Wulfstan's claim, a claim to which Abbot Walter yielded.
According to Hemming, after Cyneweard's death his manors of Laughern and Elmley Castle were seized by Urse d'Abetot's brother Robert Despenser. This must have occurred before 1086, when it was recorded in Domesday Book that they were in Robert's possession. Cyneweard's brother Godric had lost his land at Alton to William fitz Osbern
William Fitz Osbern
William Fitz Osbern may refer to:* William Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford , Norman magnate and friend of William the Conqueror* William Fitz Osbern , leader of popular revolt in London 1196...
sometime in or before 1071, the year of William's death, though despite this Godric was still alive in 1086.