NameWaltheof II Earl of Northumbria
OccupationEarl of Northumbria
MotherAelfflaed
Notes for Waltheof II Earl of Northumbria


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltheof_II,_Earl_of_Northumbria


Waltheof (1050-31 May 1076), Earl of Northumbria and last of the Anglo-Saxon earls. He was the only English aristocrat to be formally executed during the reign of William I. He was reputed for his physical strength but was weak and unreliable in character.
He was the second son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria. His mother was Aelfflaed, daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, son of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria. In 1054, Waltheof’s brother, Osbearn, who was much older than him, was killed in battle, making Waltheof his father’s heir. Siward himself died in 1055, and Waltheof being far too young to succeed as Earl of Northumbria, King Edward appointed Tostig Godwinson to the earldom.
He was said to be devout and charitable and was probably educated for a monastic life. In fact, around 1065 he became an earl, governing Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Following the Battle of Hastings he submitted to William and was allowed to keep his pre-Conquest title and possessions. He remained at William’s court until 1068.
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