Cyneweard of Laughern facts for kids

Cyneweard (died between 1079 and 1086) was an important Anglo-Saxon noble in the 1000s. He was a thegn, which was a high-ranking lord or warrior. He also served as the sheriff of Worcestershire, England. A sheriff was like a chief officer for the king in a county.

Cyneweard was a powerful figure in Worcestershire. He was related to important church leaders. His grand-uncle was Wulfstan Lupus, who was the Archbishop of York. An Archbishop is a very senior bishop in the church.

When Edward the Confessor died in 1066, Cyneweard owned land in several counties. These included Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. This was the same year the Norman Conquest of England happened. This event changed England forever.

Cyneweard was a loyal supporter of the Bishops of Worcester. He was the sheriff until 1069. After the Normans arrived, he lost his position. A Norman knight named Urse d'Abetot took over as sheriff. Urse and his brother, Robert Despenser, took many of Cyneweard's lands. After Cyneweard died, they took even more of his family's property.

Who Was Cyneweard?

Cyneweard's full name was Cyneweard of Laughern. His name was not very common in Anglo-Saxon England. Historians believe that all mentions of "Cyneweard" in the Domesday Book refer to him. The Domesday Book was a huge survey of England. It was ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085. It listed who owned what land.

Cyneweard's Family Tree

Cyneweard was likely the son of a man named Æthelric Kiu. Æthelric was related to Wulfstan, also known as "Lupus." Wulfstan was a very important church leader. He was the Archbishop of York from 1003 to 1023. He was also the Bishop of Worcester from 1003 to 1016.

Wulfstan's sister, Wulfgifu, married a lord from Worcester named Wulfric. They had a son named Beorhtheah. Beorhtheah later became the Bishop of Worcester himself. It is thought that Æthelric, Cyneweard's father, was also a son of Wulfgifu and Wulfric. This would make Æthelric and Beorhtheah brothers.

Historians like Ann Williams and Stephen Baxter agree on this family connection. They believe Cyneweard was Æthelric's son. Cyneweard also had a brother named Godric. Their sister, Eadgyth, became a nun. She was still alive in 1086.

Family Land and Power

Cyneweard's family was very powerful and wealthy. Bishop Beorhtheah used his position to help his brother Æthelric. He leased (rented out) lands to Æthelric. These lands included manors at Alton, Himbleton, Lower Wolverton, and Whittington.

Æthelric also received more land from Bishop Lyfing. Lyfing was Beorhtheah's successor as Bishop of Worcester. These lands included Elmley Castle, which Cyneweard owned in 1066. Other lands were Armscote, Bentley-in-Holt, and Hill Croome.

This shows that the Bishops of Worcester often leased lands to Cyneweard's family. This made his family very strong in the region. They were closely connected to the famous bishops. They were also very important to the king.

Cyneweard's Role as Sheriff

We know that Cyneweard was the sheriff of Worcester. A document from between 1079 and 1089 confirms this. We don't know exactly when he became sheriff. But he probably held the job until 1069. This is when the Norman knight Urse d'Abetot arrived.

Cyneweard survived the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It's not clear how he lost his sheriff position to Urse in 1069. But he was still alive in 1072. He even signed a legal document (called a charter) as "Kineward de Lauro." This document was for Robert de Stafford. Cyneweard was the last Anglo-Saxon sheriff of Worcestershire.

He lived for some time after that. He was part of a legal meeting (a plea) between the church of Worcester and Evesham Abbey. This meeting was about land at Bengeworth and Hampton. It happened sometime between 1079 and 1083. The church of Worcester claimed these lands. Cyneweard and other important people from Worcestershire supported the church's claim. The Abbot of Evesham eventually agreed.

After Cyneweard died, his manors of Laughern and Elmley Castle were taken. They were seized by Urse d'Abetot's brother, Robert Despenser. This happened before 1086. The Domesday Book recorded that Robert owned them by then. Cyneweard's brother, Godric, also lost his land at Alton. This happened to William fitz Osbern before 1071. Even so, Godric was still alive in 1086.