Biography of Harold "Harefoot" King England 1016-1040

Before 1016 [his father] King Cnut of England (age 20) and [his mother] Aelfgifu Northumbria (age 25) were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Aelfhelm Northumbria and [his grandmother] Wulfruna. He the son of [his grandfather] Sweyn "Forkbeard" King of Denmark, Norway and England.

Around 1016 Harold "Harefoot" King England was born to [his father] King Cnut of England (age 21) and [his mother] Aelfgifu Northumbria (age 26).

In 1017 Eadwig Ætheling Wessex (age 26) was executed by [his father] King Cnut of England (age 22). He was buried at Tavistock Abbey, Devon [Map].

In December 1017 Earldorman Eadric Streona was killed on the orders of [his father] King Cnut of England (age 22). See Henry of Huntingdon.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy. At that time King Cnut of the English died [on 12th November 1035], and his son Harold (age 19) [Harefoot] succeeded him, born of a concubine named Ælfgifu. When Edward [the Confessor], still living with the duke, heard of the long-desired death of Harold, he crossed the sea as quickly as he could with forty ships full of soldiers, and landed at Southampton. There he encountered an innumerable multitude of English awaiting him to bring about his destruction. Straightway engaging them, he quickly sent no small number of them to the realm of the dead. He himself, remaining the victor, returned to his ships with his men. But seeing that he could not obtain the kingdom of the English without a much larger force of soldiers, he turned the prows of the ships and returned to Normandy with great spoil.

Eadem tempestate Anglorum rex Chunutus obiit, cui successit Heraldus filius ejus, ex concubina nomine Elfgiva natus. Cujus diu cupitam mortem Edwardus audiens, adhuc cum duce degens, quantocius cum 40 navibus milite plenis superato mari Hantunam appulit; ubi innumerabilem Anglorum multitudinem ad sui perniciem se opperientem offendit. Qui protinus congressus cum eis, non minimam partem ex illis ocius Orco transmisit. Ipse vero victor existens, ad naves regressus est cum suis. Videns autem non absque plurimo militum numero se posse regnum obtinere Anglorum, regyratis navium proris Northmanniam cum maxima præda repetiit.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1036. The innocent ethelings Alfred (age 31) and Edward, sons of Ethelred, formerly king of England, sailed from Normandy, where they had been for many years at the court of their uncle Richard, and, attended by many Norman knights, crossed over to England with a small fleet to confer with their [his step-mother] mother (age 51), who still abode at Winchester. Some of the men in power were very indignant at this, being much more devoted to Harold (age 20), however unjustly, than to the ethelings: especially, it is said, earl Godwin (age 35). The earl, therefore, arrested Alfred on his road to London to confer with King Harold as he had commanded, and threw him into prison.

After 1036 [his mother] Aelfgifu Northumbria (deceased) died.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1037. Harold (age 21), king of Mercia and Northumbria, was elected by the nobles, and the whole people, king of all England; [his half-brother] Hardicanute (age 19) being entirely deposed, because he wasted his time in Denmark, and deferred coming over, as he was requested. His mother [his step-mother] Elfgiva (age 52), formerly queen of England, was banished from the kingdom, without mercy, at the beginning of winter. As soon as a ship could be got ready she sailed for Flanders, where she received an honourable welcome from the noble count Baldwin (age 24), who, with a liberality becoming his rank, took care that she should be freely supplied with all things needful, as long as she required it. A little before this, the same year, Ælfic, dean of Evesham, a man of deep piety, died.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1037. This year men chose Harold (age 21) king over all; and forsook [his half-brother] Hardacnute (age 19), because he was too long in Denmark; and then drove out his mother [his step-mother] Elgiva (age 52) [Note. See above for the confusion over the mother of King Harthacnut of Denmark and England], the relict of King Knute, without any pity, against the raging winter! She, who was the mother of Edward as well as of King Hardacnute, sought then the peace of Baldwin by the south sea. Then came she to Bruges [Map], beyond sea; and Earl Baldwin well received her there; and he gave her a habitation at Bruges [Map], and protected her, and entertained her there as long as she had need. Ere this in the same year died Eafy, the excellent Dean of Evesham.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1038. Æthelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury, departed this life on the fourth of the calends of November [29th September]. Seven days after, Ethelric, bishop of Sussex, died; for he had prayed to God that he might not long survive his beloved father Ethelnoth. Grimkytel succeeded him in the bishopric, and Eadsige, one of the king's chaplains, succeeded Ethelnoth in the archbishopric. In the same year died Ælfric, bishop of East-Anglia, and Brihteag, bishop of the Hwiccas [Worcester], ended his days on Wednesday the third of the calends of January [20th December], whose see king Harold (age 22) gave to Living, bishop of Crediton. Stigand, the king's chaplain, was appointed in Ælfric's place, but was afterwards ejected, and Grimkytel chosen in his stead; so that he held for the tune the two dioceses of Sussex and Essex; but Stigand was restored, and Grimkytel ejected, and Stigand kept the bishopric of Sussex for himself, and procured that of East-Anglia for his brother Ethelmar; but not satisfied with this, he was raised to the thrones of Winchester and Canterbury: he also strove hard to hold with them the bishopric of Sussex, and nearly carried his point. Ethelmar; was succeeded by Ærfast, bishop of Elmham, who, lest he should have seemed to have done nothing—for the Normans are very ambitious of future renown—transferred the see from Elmham to Thetford.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1040. Godwin (age 39), to obtain the king's favour, presented him with a galley of admirable workmanship, with a gilded figure-head, rigged with the best materials, and manned with eighty chosen soldiers splendidly armed. Every one of them had on each arm a golden bracelet weighing six ounces, and wore a triple coat of mail and a helmet partly gilt, and a sword with gilded hilt girt to his side, and a Danish battle-axe inlaid with gold and silver hanging from his left shoulder; in his left hand he bore a shield, the boss and studs of which were also gilt, and in his right hand a lance, called in the English tongue "Atagar."⁶¹ Moreover, he made oath to the [his half-brother] king (age 22), with almost all the chief men and greater thanes in England, that it was not by his counsel, or at his instance, that his brother's eyes were put out, but that he had only obeyed the commands of his lord, king Harold (age 24).

Note 61. Anglo-Saxon, atgar; old Norsk, atgeirr.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1040. This year died King Harold (age 24) at Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map], on the sixteenth before the calends of April; and he was buried at Westminster. He governed England four years and sixteen weeks; and in his days tribute was paid to sixteen ships, at the rate of eight marks for each steersman, as was done before in King Knute's days. The same year they sent after [his half-brother] Hardacnute (age 22) to Bruges [Map], supposing they did well; and he came hither to Sandwich, Kent [Map] with sixty ships, seven nights before midsummer. He was soon received both by the Angles and Danes, though his advisers afterwards severely paid for it. They ordered a tribute for sixty-two ships, at the rate of eight marks for each steersman. Then were alienated from him all that before desired him; for he framed nothing royal during his whole reign. He ordered the dead Harold to be dragged up and thrown into a ditch. This year rose the sester of wheat to fifty-five pence, and even further. This year Archbishop Edsy went to Rome.

On 17th March 1040 Harold "Harefoot" King England (age 24) died at Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map]. His half brother [his half-brother] Harthacnut (age 22) succeeded King of England.