Edwin (son of Edward the Elder) facts for kids

Edwin was a prince in early England. He was the son of King Edward the Elder. His mother was Ælfflæd, the king's second wife. Edwin died young in 933, drowning at sea. The exact reasons for his death are a bit of a mystery.

Who Was Edwin?

Edwin was part of the House of Wessex, a very important royal family in England. His father, King Edward the Elder, ruled a large part of England. Edward had many children from different marriages. After King Edward died in 924, there was a question about who would be the next king.

The Royal Family and Succession

King Edward the Elder had five sons. Two of them, Edmund and Eadred, were too young to rule. Edward's oldest son, Æthelstan, became king of Mercia. But the people in Wessex chose another son, Ælfweard, to be their king. Ælfweard was Edwin's older brother.

Sadly, Ælfweard died just 16 days after his father. This made it easier for Æthelstan to become king of all England. But it took about a year for the people of Wessex to accept Æthelstan. This suggests that some people might have wanted Edwin to be king instead.

Edwin's Life as a Prince

We don't know much about Edwin's life. He was a prince, also called an ætheling. This title was given to princes who could become king. At one point, Edwin was with his half-brother, King Æthelstan. He witnessed an important document, called a charter. This charter gave land to a man named Alfred, who was a thegn (a type of noble or servant) to the king.

The Mystery of Edwin's Death

The most famous thing about Edwin is how he died. He drowned at sea in 933. But different old stories tell different versions of what happened.

What the Records Say

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an old English history book, simply says that Edwin drowned at sea in 933. It doesn't give many details.

However, a history book from Francia (modern-day France), called the Annales Bertiniani, gives more information. It says that Edwin had to leave his kingdom because of some trouble. He got on a ship to cross the sea. But a big storm came, and his ship was wrecked. Edwin was lost in the waves.

His body later washed ashore. A count named Adelolf, who was related to Edwin, found his body. He treated it with respect and took it to a monastery called Saint Bertin for burial.

Later Stories and Rumors

Later writers, like William of Malmesbury and Simeon of Durham, wrote their own versions of Edwin's death. These stories are much darker. They suggest that Edwin's death was not an accident.

Simeon of Durham wrote that King Æthelstan "commanded that his brother Edwin be drowned at sea." This means he thought Æthelstan ordered Edwin's death.

William of Malmesbury's story is even longer. He said that some people at court were jealous of Edwin. They convinced King Æthelstan that Edwin was part of a plan to harm the king and replace him. Because of this, Æthelstan supposedly sent Edwin out to sea in a boat that was leaky, had no oars, no food, and no water. In despair, Edwin threw himself into the sea and drowned.

Historians today think these later stories might mean there was some kind of disagreement or even a plan against King Æthelstan involving Edwin.

A Thank You from the King

Years later, in 944, the monks at Saint Bertin monastery received a gift. They were given a monastery in Bath, England. This gift was from the English king, as a thank you for taking care of Edwin's body. The record says it was from King Æthelstan, but it was actually King Edmund, Æthelstan's brother, who made the gift. Æthelstan had died in 939.