Morcar of Northumbria
Encyclopedia
Morcar (died 1087) was the son of Ælfgār
(earl of Mercia
) and brother of Ēadwine
. He was himself the earl of Northumbria
from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Copsi.
In 1065, the Northumbrians revolted against their Earl Tostig, who was replaced by Morcar and declared an outlaw. In 1066 Tostig invaded Mercia, after mounting raids further south, but was repulsed by Edwin and Morcar and fled to Scotland
. Later in the year he returned to Northumbria with the army of King Harald III Hardrada of Norway. Morcar and Edwin resisted and inflicted heavy losses on the invaders, but suffered a severe defeat at the Battle of Fulford
.
After the death of Harold Godwinson
at the Battle of Hastings
, Edwin and Morcar threw their support behind the Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed king, but they failed to muster an effective military response to the invading forces of William of Normandy and soon submitted. In 1068 they raised a revolt in Mercia, but rapidly capitulated when William advanced against them.
Though they were pardoned, they again turned against William early in 1071. Edwin was soon betrayed and killed, while Morcar joined the rebellion, initiated by the Abbot of Ely and tactically organized by Hereward the Wake
, against William the Conqueror at the Isle of Ely
(FNQ chapter XX). When the island was opened to the Normans, Morcar was captured and imprisoned. He remained in captivity until William's death in 1087, when the dying king ordered the release of all his prisoners. After a brief period at liberty, Morcar was again imprisoned by William Rufus
and died in captivity.
Morcar has been portrayed by Noel Johnson
in the two-part BBC
TV play Conquest (1966), part of the series Theatre 625
, and by Simon Rouse
in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990). He is mentioned in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
when the mouse
attempts to dry itself and other characters by reciting a dry example of English history.
Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
(earl of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
) and brother of Ēadwine
Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's death in 1062...
. He was himself the earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of...
from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Copsi.
In 1065, the Northumbrians revolted against their Earl Tostig, who was replaced by Morcar and declared an outlaw. In 1066 Tostig invaded Mercia, after mounting raids further south, but was repulsed by Edwin and Morcar and fled to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Later in the year he returned to Northumbria with the army of King Harald III Hardrada of Norway. Morcar and Edwin resisted and inflicted heavy losses on the invaders, but suffered a severe defeat at the Battle of Fulford
Battle of Fulford
The Battle of Fulford took place at the village of Fulford, near York in England on 20 September 1066, when King Harald III of Norway - also known as Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar. Tostig was Harold Godwinson's...
.
After the death of Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
, Edwin and Morcar threw their support behind the Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed king, but they failed to muster an effective military response to the invading forces of William of Normandy and soon submitted. In 1068 they raised a revolt in Mercia, but rapidly capitulated when William advanced against them.
Though they were pardoned, they again turned against William early in 1071. Edwin was soon betrayed and killed, while Morcar joined the rebellion, initiated by the Abbot of Ely and tactically organized by Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake , known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England....
, against William the Conqueror at the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
(FNQ chapter XX). When the island was opened to the Normans, Morcar was captured and imprisoned. He remained in captivity until William's death in 1087, when the dying king ordered the release of all his prisoners. After a brief period at liberty, Morcar was again imprisoned by William Rufus
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
and died in captivity.
Morcar has been portrayed by Noel Johnson
Noel Johnson
Noel Johnson was an English actor.He was the radio voice of Dick Barton special agent on BBC radio and Dan Dare pilot of the future over Radio Luxembourg....
in the two-part BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV play Conquest (1966), part of the series Theatre 625
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production and transmission being in the higher-definition 625-line...
, and by Simon Rouse
Simon Rouse
Simon Rouse is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Superintendent Jack Meadows in the long-running ITV police drama The Bill....
in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990). He is mentioned in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
when the mouse
Mouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Mouse is a fictional character in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He appears in Chapter II "The Pool of Tears" and Chapter III "A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale" ....
attempts to dry itself and other characters by reciting a dry example of English history.