The Rise of the Godwins (AQA GCSE History)

Summary

The Godwins first rose to power under the reign of King Cnut. By the time Edward the Confessor came to the throne in 1043, they were the most powerful family in England. The power and influence led to tensions with the King and caused the Godwins to be exiled from England after a rebellion in 1051. They soon returned and by the time of Edward the Confessor’s death in 1066, Godwin’s sons held several key roles in England.

Who were the Godwins?

• After the King, the Godwins were the most powerful family in Anglo-Saxon England

  • The family grew in importance when the Viking King Cnut overthrew King Aethelred and ruled in England between 1016 and 1035

• Cnut divided the part of England he ruled into four earldoms: Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia and Wessex

  • Godwin was not a Viking but Cnut trusted him and appointed him Earl of Wessex

• When Cnut died in 1035, his son Harefoot and then Harthacnut had brief reigns

  • When Harthacnut died in 1042, he was succeeded by Edward - the son of Aethelred

• Edward the Confessor was crowned King in 1043

• During the many changes in the kings of England, the Godwins maintained their importance and power 

  • To secure the support and loyalty of this powerful family, King Edward married Earl Godwin’s daughter Edith in 1045

The Godwin’s control of England

• Wessex was the largest and most important earldom in England 

  • The Godwins controlled land in the south of England that stretched from Norfolk to Cornwall 

  • The land brought them enormous wealth but they were also strategically important areas to control

  • The lands in the south were key in the defence against invasions from France

  • The lands in the west were important for launching attacks against Wales 

Godwin’s exile & death

• The power and wealth of the Godwins rivalled that of the King

  • Edward hoped marriage to Godwin’s daughter would guarantee his loyalty and support but in 1051 the Godwins rebelled against him

  • The rebellion was defeated with the aid of the Duke of Normandy and the earls of Northumbria and Mercia

  • Edward exiled the Godwins from England

• Alarmed by the growing influence of the Normans in Edward’s court, the Witan asked the Godwins to come back

  • Less than a year after their departure, they arrived back in England with an army so large that Edward was unable to prevent their return

• By the time Godwin died in 1053, his family had restored its power and influence

  • His sons all became important figures in their own right and, as they were Godwin’s children, had the surname Godwinson

Harold Godwinson

• At the time of Godwin’s death in 1053, Harold was Godwin’s oldest surviving son

  • He became the Earl of Wessex and therefore controlled England’s richest earldom

  • He also held a powerful position in the Witan as Edward’s advisor

Tostig Godwinson

• The Godwin’s control of England spread to the north and Tostig became Earl of Northumbria 

  • He was a harsh and unpopular leader and the nobles of Northumbria launched a rebellion against Tostig in 1065

  • Harold persuaded King Edward to agree to the Northumbrian demands and remove Tostig as Earl

  • Tostig was exiled and felt his brother had betrayed him

Other Godwins

Gyrth Godwinson

• Gyrth became the Earl of East Anglia in around 1057

  • He worked closely with his brother Leofwine to defend and control the areas of England most at threat of invasion from France

Leofwine Godwinson

• Leofwine became the Earl of Kent in around 1057

  • He worked closely with his brother Gyrth to defend and control the areas of England most at threat of invasion from France

Sweyn Godwinson

• Sweyn was Godwin’s eldest son and held power and influence as a young man

  • Controversy, scandal and accusations of abducting an abbess in 1046 led to him being exiled from England

  • He is believed to have died whilst returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem