Edmund, son of Harold Godwinson facts for kids

Edmund (also known as Eadmund or Ædmund) was a son of Harold Godwinson, who was King of England for a short time. Edmund lived around 1068-1069.

After the Norman conquest of England, Edmund and his two brothers had to leave England. They went to Dublin, a city in Ireland. From there, they tried twice to fight back in south-western England, but they didn't have much success. Edmund disappears from historical records in the early 1070s.

Edmund's Family and Early Life

We don't know exactly when Edmund was born. His older brother was probably born in the mid-1040s. Edmund's family, the House of Godwin, was very powerful in England before the Normans arrived. His grandfather was Godwin, Earl of Wessex, a very important nobleman. His father, Harold Godwinson, later became King of England.

Edmund's mother was Edith the Fair, also known as Edith Swan-neck. She and Harold were married "in the Danish manner." This was a type of marriage that wasn't recognized by the Church, but many people at the time thought it was perfectly fine. For example, King Harold Harefoot became king even though his parents had this kind of marriage.

Harold Godwinson had five sons, but they might not all have had the same mother. Edmund was probably the second or third son. He was likely named after Edmund Ironside, an English king who fought against Danish invaders.

Edmund probably received a good education, as he was the son of a powerful family. He would have learned important skills like fighting and diplomacy (how to deal with other leaders). He was too young to fight in the Battle of Hastings, where his father died. However, he got to use his skills in the years that followed.

Fighting Back in South-West England

When Harold Godwinson was defeated and died at the Battle of Hastings, it was a terrible time for his family. The English leaders in London chose Edgar Ætheling as king instead of one of Harold's sons. Edgar was a great-nephew of the previous king, Edward the Confessor.

Edgar's short "reign" ended when William the Conqueror reached London in December 1066. William became the new King of England.

Edmund's grandmother, Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, tried to keep control in the south-west of England, which the Normans hadn't conquered yet. But in early 1068, William led his army there and attacked Exeter. Edmund isn't specifically mentioned, but it's very likely he and his brothers, Godwin and Magnus, were there. They wanted to lead the English resistance.

After 18 days, Exeter surrendered to William. But by then, Gytha, and possibly her grandsons, had escaped. They found safety on an island in the Bristol Channel, probably Steep Holm.

Raids from Ireland

That summer, Edmund was in Dublin, Ireland. He was protected by Diarmait mac Máel na mBó, the king of Leinster. King Diarmait had also helped Edmund's father many years before. Edmund was with his brothers Godwin and Magnus.

They still had some of Harold Godwinson's loyal soldiers, called housecarls. They also had enough money to hire other fighters. With a fleet of 52 ships, they sailed to the Bristol Channel. They first attacked the area near the Avon river mouth. Then they attacked Bristol, but the townspeople fought them off.

They sailed back to the Somerset coast and landed again. They might have hoped to find supporters there. However, they met a local army led by Eadnoth the Constable. A bloody battle took place at Bleadon. Eadnoth was killed, and possibly Edmund's brother Magnus too.

After attacking Devon and Cornwall, the surviving brothers went back to Dublin. They had gained some wealth, but they hadn't won any major military victories.

In the summer of 1069, another raid was launched from Dublin. This time, only two of Harold's sons were involved, though the records don't name them. They sailed in 64 ships to Exeter, but they couldn't capture it. Then they attacked parts of the south coast of Devon and Cornwall.

They sailed around Land's End and landed near the river Taw in north Devon. After taking goods from the area around Barnstaple, they moved inland. At the Battle of Northam, they met an army led by Brian of Brittany. The battle was a disaster for them. Most of their best fighters were killed, and only a few escaped back to their ships. These two raids showed that people in the south-west weren't willing to support them, even with the memory of their father.

From Flanders to Denmark

It's likely that Godwin and Edmund went with their sister Gytha, their aunt Gunnhild, and their grandmother Gytha. They fled to Saint-Omer in Flanders around late 1069 or early 1070.

We know for sure that they later went to the court of King Swein Estrithson in Denmark with the younger Gytha. They probably hoped that Swein would help them invade England. However, he didn't. Swein had recently failed in his own attempt to invade England. He probably didn't want to try again, especially since there was old bad feeling between their families.

Gytha later married Vladimir II Monomakh, a prince from what is now Russia, probably in 1074 or 1075. But Godwin and Edmund are not mentioned in history after this. We don't know when they died.