Æthelmund facts for kids

Æthelmund was an important Anglo-Saxon noble. He served as an Ealdorman (a high-ranking royal official, similar to a duke or governor) of the region called Hwicce. This was in the late 700s and early 800s AD. He died in the year 802 during a battle at Kempsford. He was fighting against another Ealdorman named Weohstan and his army from West Saxon Wiltshire.

Æthelmund's family members before him had been kings. However, Æthelmund himself was under the rule of the King of Mercia. Some old writings, like the Chronicle of Wilton Abbey from the 1300s, even call him "King of the March." This might mean he also used the title subregulus, which means a lesser king or a ruler under a greater king.

Family Life and Connections

Æthelmund was the son of Ingeld, who was also an Ealdorman during the time of Æthelbald of Mercia. It is believed that Æthelmund married a woman named Ceolburh. She later became an abbess (the head of an abbey or monastery for nuns) in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Æthelmund and Ceolburh had at least one son, named Æthelric.

Official Documents and Charters

Æthelmund's name appears in several official documents, called charters, from the late 700s. These charters were issued by the kings of Mercia and Hwicce. They are all thought to refer to the same person.

Around 770, Uhtred of Hwicce gave a charter to Æthelmund, who was his thegn (a type of noble or warrior serving a king or lord) [1]. Later, between 793 and 796, Æthelmund, now an Ealdorman, witnessed a charter for Offa, the powerful King of Mercia [2]. In 796, Ecgfrith, Offa's son and the new King of Mercia, gave land to Æthelmund. By this time, Æthelmund was called princeps, which means a leading man or prince [3].

It seems that Æthelmund's son, Æthelric, took over as Ealdorman of the Hwicce after him. In 804, Æthelric issued his own charter [4]. In this document, he gave land to his mother, Ceolburh, who was likely Æthelmund's widow.

The Battle of Kempsford and His Death

A war likely became worse after the death of Beorhtric of Wessex in 802. Beorhtric had been friendly with Mercia.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Æthelmund rode south on the very day that Egbert became king. He crossed a river at Cymeresford. There, he was met by Weohstan, the Ealdorman of Wiltshire, who had an army of hundreds of men. In the battle that followed, both leaders, Æthelmund and Weohstan, were killed. However, the men of Wiltshire won the fight.

In 1670, some old spearheads and iron pieces were found in a field near Kempsford. This field is known as "the Battlefield." These discoveries have led people to believe that this was the exact spot where the battle took place. After he died, Ealdorman Æthelmund was taken to Deerhurst Abbey, near Tewkesbury, to be buried.

See also

• Hwicce