, Ælfgar, Earl Of Mercia

Ælfgar (died c. 1062) was the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, by hiswell-known wife Godgifu (Lady Godiva).[1] He succeeded to his father''stitle and responsibilities on the latter''s death in 1057.

Ælfgar gained from the exile of Earl Godwin of Wessex and his sons in1051. He was given the Earldom of East Anglia, which had been that ofHarold, son of Godwin. Earl Godwin and King Edward were reconciled thefollowing year, so Harold was restored to his earldom—but not for long.At Easter 1053 Godwin died, so Harold became Earl of Wessex, and theearldom of East Anglia returned to Ælfgar.[2][3]

Ælfgar seems to have learned from the tactics Godwin used to put pressureon King Edward. When he was himself exiled in 1055, he raised a fleet of18 ships in Ireland and then turned to Wales, where King Gruffydd agreedto join forces with him against King Edward. Two miles from Hereford, on24 October, they clashed with the army of the Earl of Herefordshire,Ralph the Timid. The Earl and his men eventually took flight, andGruffydd and Ælfgar pursued them, killing and wounding as they went, andenacting savage reprisals on Hereford. They despoiled and burnt the town,killing many of its citizens. King Edward ordered an army mustered andput Earl Harold in charge of it. This was more formidable opposition, andÆlfgar and Gruffydd fled to South Wales. However the issue was resolvedby diplomacy and Earl Ælfgar was reinstated.[4]

Ælfgar is known to have had at least four children. One son, Burgheard,predeceased his father, expiring while returning from Rome early in 1061and was buried at Reims.[5] This led Ælfgar to give to Reims Abbey landsin Staffordshire and Shropshire, which became the endowment for LapleyPriory. He was survived by three children, two sons, Edwin, later Earl ofMercia, and Morcar, later Earl of Northumbria, and a daughter Ealdgyth,who was first married to Welsh king Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and later toHarold Godwinson, King of England.[2]