 Abt 988 - 1016 (28 years)
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| Name |
Edmund II Of England |
| Prefix |
King |
| Birth |
Abt 988 |
Of, Wessex, England  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
30 Nov 1016 |
Ross-On-Wye |
| Person ID |
I54468 |
Cecilie Family |
| Last Modified |
2 Jan 2010 |
| Father |
King Ethelred II Of England, b. 968, Of, Wessex, England d. 23 Apr 1016, London, Middlesex. England (Age 48 years) |
| Mother |
Queen Alfgifu Of England, b. Abt 968, Of, Wessex, England d. Yes, date unknown |
| Marriage |
Abt 985 |
Of, Wessex, England |
| Family ID |
F21713 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Event Map |
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 | Death - 30 Nov 1016 - Ross-On-Wye |
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| Notes |
Edmund was King of England for only a few months. After the death of his father, Æthelred II, in April 1016, Edmund led the defense of the city of London against the invading Knut Sveinsson (Canute), and was proclaimed king by the Londoners. Meanwhile, the Witan (Council), meeting at Southampton, chose Canute as King. After a series of inconclusive military engagements, in which Edmund performed brilliantly and earned the nickname "Ironside", he defeated the Danish forces at Oxford, Kent, but was routed by Canute's forces at Ashingdon, Essex. A subsequent peace agreement was made, with Edmund controlling Wessex and Canute controlling Mercia and Northumbria. It was also agreed that whoever survived the other would take control of the whole realm. Unfortunately for Edmund, he died in November, 1016, transferring the Kingship of All England completely to Canute.
Legend tells that Ross-on-Wye, England is the place where the Saxon king Edmund Ii died from traitors' wounds in 1016. Edmund is better known as Edmund 'Ironside', for his fierce defence of England against the huge invading army of the Danish king Canute. England was divided between the warring kings - Edmund held the west and Wessex while Canute ruled in the north and east. The story goes that one of Edmund's servants plotted to murder him for the reward that Canute might give. The servant secretly positioned a sharpened stake in the king's latrine at Minsterworth in Gloucestershire; as Edmund lowered himself to use his toilet, the servant withdrew the candle and Edmund was impaled. The king was rushed from Minsterworth but died at Ross, probably on his way to a monastery near by in search of a cure. The servant soon presented himself at canute's court and claimed the murder as his; Canute had him hanged, so legend tells, from the highest oak that he could find.
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| For more information see the Our Folk - Hart family Web Site |
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| Sources |
- [S1328] Schwennicke, Detlev, ES, (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt Verlag, 1980-), 2:78 (Reliability: 3).
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