Morcar facts for kids
Morcar (also known as Morkere) was an important English nobleman who lived a long time ago. He was the son of Ælfgar, who was the Earl of Mercia, and the brother of Edwin. Morcar became the Earl of Northumbria in 1065. However, he was replaced by William the Conqueror in 1066. Morcar lived until after the year 1087.
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Becoming Earl: A Big Change in Northumbria
Morcar and his brother Edwin, who was the Earl of Mercia, helped the people of Northumbria. These people were rebelling against Tostig Godwinson. In October 1065, the people of Northumbria chose Morcar to be their new earl in the city of York.
Morcar quickly made the people of Bernicia happy. He gave control of the land beyond the River Tyne to Osulf of Bamburgh. Osulf was the son of an earlier earl, Eadwulf IV. Morcar then marched south with the rebels. He gathered more fighters from Nottingham, Derby, and Lincoln. These towns were part of an old group called the Danish confederacy.
Morcar met his brother Edwin, who also had a large army, at Northampton. There, the brothers and their rebel army talked about peace. Earl Harold Godwinson offered them a deal. The talks continued in Oxford. The Northumbrians insisted that Morcar be recognized as their earl. Harold agreed on October 28, and Morcar's new position was made official.
Key Events of 1066: A Tumultuous Year
After King Edward the Confessor died, Morcar said he supported Harold as the new king. But the people in Morcar's earldom were not happy. Harold visited York, where Morcar governed, in the spring of 1066. He managed to calm the people down peacefully.
In the summer, Morcar and his brother Edwin worked together. They pushed back Tostig, who was attacking the coast of Mercia. However, when Tostig and his friend Harald Hardrada invaded Northumbria in September, Morcar was not ready. He and Edwin only went to fight them when York was in danger.
The two earls were defeated at the Battle of Fulford near York. This was a very fierce battle. Some old stories say Morcar was very important in this fight. York was then taken over. King Harold Godwinson had to rush north to save the area. He did this by winning the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
Even after Harold saved them, Morcar and his brother did not help him. They kept their northern armies from joining Harold. This was when Harold was trying to defend England against the Normans. After the Battle of Hastings, Morcar and Edwin came to London. They sent their sister Ealdgyth, who was Harold's widow, to Chester. They also tried to convince the people of London to make one of them king.
They eventually agreed to choose Edgar the Ætheling as king. But they were disappointed and left London with their armies. They went back north, thinking that William the Conqueror would not come that far. However, they soon met William. This happened either at Berkhamstead or Barking, after William was crowned king. William accepted their surrender. He received gifts and important people as promises from them. Morcar and Edwin were allowed to keep their lands.
William took Morcar and his brother with him to Normandy in 1067. After he returned to England, he kept them close to his court.
Morcar's Later Life and Imprisonment
In 1068, Morcar and Edwin left William's court. They went back to their lands and rebelled against William. Many English and Welsh people supported them. The church, monks, and poor people were strongly on their side. Messages were sent everywhere to encourage resistance. Morcar likely played a big part in this, especially in York.
It seems that Edgar was the main leader of this rebellion. He was especially supported by the Bernicia area under Gospatric. But Morcar and his brother did not want to take too many risks. They marched with their men to Warwick. There, they surrendered to William the Conqueror. They were forgiven and again kept at court. The king seemed to treat them well. When they gave up, the rebellion ended.
In 1071, some trouble started between them and the king. It is said that William was about to send them to prison. But they secretly escaped from the court. After traveling for a while in wild areas, they separated. Morcar joined other rebels in the Isle of Ely. He stayed with them until the island was surrendered.
Morcar reportedly gave himself up because he was promised the king would forgive him. He was told William would treat him as a loyal friend. However, William put him in prison. Morcar was held by Roger de Beaumont in Normandy. He was kept in prison there for a long time.
When William the Conqueror was dying in 1087, he ordered Morcar to be set free. This was part of a release for many people he had imprisoned. The condition was that they promised not to cause trouble. But Morcar was not free for long. William Rufus, the new king, took him to England. When they arrived at Winchester, William Rufus put Morcar back in prison. We don't know anything more about him after that. It is likely he died in prison.
Morcar in Popular Culture
Morcar has appeared in several TV shows and books.
- Noel Johnson played him in the 1966 BBC TV play Conquest.
- Simon Rouse played him in the 1990 TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror.
- He is an important character in the book Man With a Sword by Henry Treece. In this book, he becomes friends with Hereward the Wake.
- Morcar is also mentioned in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Mouse tries to dry itself and others by telling a very dry history lesson. It's interesting because the author, Lewis Carroll, was distantly related to both Morcar and Edwin.
- A YouTuber named GamesonHardMode made a fake history documentary about "Duke Morcar."
See also
- Drogo de la Beuvrière, who took over many of Morcar's lands after the Norman Conquest.
