View source for Ælfric Cild

<!--({{Pron-en|ˈælfrɪk ˈtʃaɪld}} or {{IPA-en|ˈtʃɪld|}}; {{Lang-ang|Ælfrīc Cild}}-->
'''Ælfric Cild''' ({{floruit|975–985}})<ref name=ODNB>Williams, "Ælfhere (''d''. 983)"</ref> was a wealthy [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] nobleman from the east Midlands, [[Ealdorman of Mercia]] between 983 and 985, and possibly brother-in-law to his predecessor [[Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia|Ælfhere]]. He was also associated with the monastic reformer [[Æthelwold of Winchester|Æthelwold, bishop of Winchester]], he is also notable for being involved in a number of land transactions for the refounding and endowment of [[Peterborough Abbey]], as well as with [[Thorney Abbey]] during the 970s and early 980s.
==Family connections==
{{Location map+|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|caption = Some places associated with Ælfric, shown on a map of present-day Cambridgeshire
|float   = right
|width   = 300
|places =
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Yaxley, Cambridgeshire|Yaxley]]
|long    = -0.26
|lat     = 52.52
|background = white
|position = bottom
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire|Titchmarsh]]
|long    = -0.4948
|lat     = 52.4039
|background = white
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Water Newton]]
|long    = -0.37
|lat     = 52.56
|background = white
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Thorney Abbey|Thorney&nbsp;Abbey]]
|long    = -0.1072
|lat     = 52.6204
|background = white
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Peterborough Abbey|Peterborough&nbsp;Abbey]]
|long    = -0.238889
|lat     = 52.5725
|background = white
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Ely Abbey]]
|long    = 0.264167
|lat     = 52.398611
|background = white
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Wansford, Cambridgeshire|Wansford]]
|long    = -0.417
|lat     = 52.583
|background = white
|position = top
}}
{{Location map~|United Kingdom Cambridgeshire
|label   = [[Benefield]]
|long    = -0.533333
|lat     = 52.483333
|background = white
|outside  = 1 <!--marker is outside border of map-->
}}
}}
It is thought that he married the daughter of [[Ealhhelm]], ealdorman of central Mercia, and hence that he was brother-in-law to Ælfhere, ealdorman in Mercia between 956 and 983.<ref>Williams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", p. 147.</ref><ref name=ODNB/> Her name may have been Æthelflæd.<ref>Williams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", p. 147 (note 21).</ref> Her brother Ælfheah, ealdorman in Wessex, left a will "probably drawn up in the late 960s" in which he bequeathed estates to Ælfwine, his "sister's son", who was probably Ælfric's son with her.<ref>S 1485</ref><ref name=ODNB /> This Ælfwine is also thought to be the warrior of this name who died fighting in the [[Battle of Maldon|battle near Maldon]] (Essex, 991), according to the Old English heroic poem which was composed to commemorate the event (''[[The Battle of Maldon]]'').<ref name=ODNB />
It has been suggested that it may have been Ælfric Cild who in 956 received from King [[Eadwig]] land at Hanney and who is addressed as the king's ''adoptivus parens'' in the [[Anglo-Saxon charters|charter]] which records the transaction.<ref>S 597</ref><ref>{{PASE|11192|Ælric 2|cw=1}}</ref> The description has been interpreted as indicating that Ælfric had married into a family of royal rank and possibly that he "had a hand in raising the young Eadwig".<ref>Jayakumar, "Eadwig and Edgar", p. 85.</ref>
In some contemporary as well as older historical sources, Ælfric (a common [[Old English]] name) is distinguished by his cognomen ''Cild''. Literally meaning "child", it is an Old English title borne by some Anglo-Saxon nobles and typically denotes a man of high rank.<ref>Swanton, ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 138 note 7.</ref> Ælfric appears to have been a wealthy landowner in Huntingdonshire, East Anglia,<ref name=ODNB /><ref>{{PASE|12194|Ælfric Cild 2|cw=1}}</ref> hence in the ealdormanry of Ælfhere's great rival [[Æthelwine, Ealdorman of East Anglia|Æthelwine]].
==Ælfric Cild and Æthelwold==
The sources for Ælfric's landed possessions associate him with Bishop Æthelwold's monastic reform in East Anglia. One of them is a charter, dated 973, which purports to confirm the acquisition of various estates by Bishop Æthelwold for the refoundation of Thorney Abbey. Although the charter is spurious in its present form, it is nevertheless thought to preserve an authentic core.<ref name=S792>S 792</ref><ref>Thacker, "Æthelwold and Abingdon", p. 54.</ref> The text reports that Ælfric, called ''miles'', sold Water Newton, Huntingdonshire, to Æthelwold for 20 ''librae'' of silver. Although he initially contested the alleged outcome of the transaction, he consented on accepting from the bishop a further amount of silver (13 ''librae'') as well as some land at ''Ræsen'' (possibly Market Rasen, Lincolnshire) and [[Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire]].<ref name=S792 /> Æthelwold also acquired part of Yaxley from Ælfric.<ref name=S792 /> Another religious house re-established by Æthelwold was Peterborough Abbey. A list of sureties dating from Ælfric's time as ealdorman (983 x 985) suggests that it, too, acquired some of Ælfric's lands.<ref>S 1448a</ref>
Ælfric is also found in the company of Bishop Æthelwold on other occasions. The ''[[Liber Eliensis]]'' specifies that the meeting of King [[Edgar the Peaceful|Edgar]] at which Bishop Æthelwold bought land at [[Great Gransden|Gransden]], was attended by Ælfhere, Æthelwine and Ælfric Cild.<ref>''Liber Eliensis'' 2.46</ref> According to the same source, Ælfric was joining [[Æthelwold]], bishop of Winchester, the young ætheling [[Æthelred the Unready|Æthelred]], "then an earl [''comes'']", and his mother Queen [[Ælfthryth, wife of Edgar|Ælfthryth]] when they were doing business at [[Ely Abbey]] sometime in the reign of King [[Edward the Martyr]] (975-978). The text remembers these years as a time "when the government of the kingdom was in disorder and the legal tenure of the land disrupted".<ref>''Liber Eliensis'' 2.11</ref> Ælfric's presence may indicate that he belonged to a faction which supported Æthelred's claims to the throne, one which included Bishop Æthelwold.<ref>Jayakumar, "Reform and Retribution", p. 349.</ref>
==Ealdorman of Mercia (983-985)==
Ælfric is associated with Ælfhere in a number of local transactions. Sometime between 971 and 980, Ælfric witnessed a charter, issued in the absence of the king, which records that Ælfhere sold land to Ordgar, [[abbot of Abingdon]].<ref>S 1216.</ref> The ''Liber Eliensis'' names Ælfhere, Æthelwine and Ælfric ''Cild'' as those present at a local council which was held at [[Slaughter, Gloucestershire]] sometime after King Edgar's death. This council dealt with a dispute about land at Hatfield.<ref>''Liber Eliensis'' 2.7. See Williams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", p. 165.</ref>
When Ælfhere died in ''c''. 983, Ælfric was appointed ealdorman in his place.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' s. a. 983</ref> The office was a powerful asset since under Ælfhere's tenure, its sphere of authority had grown to include not only central Mercia, but also parts of Mercia formerly controlled by ealdormen Æthelmund and [[Æthelstan Rota]], that is, western Mercia (from Cheshire to Gloucestershire) and Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.<ref>Williams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", pp. 164-66</ref> Ælfric was not able to retain his new position for very long, however. Early in the year 985, a royal council was convened at [[Cirencester]] and Ælfric was driven out of the country on account of treason.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' s.a. 985; the meeting at Cirencester and the charge of treason are mentioned in S 937.</ref> The nature of the accusation is unknown, but it may be related to allegations that he had appropriated estates in Gloucestershire from a widowed ''matrona'' called Eadflæd, possibly Ælfhere's widow.<ref name=ODNB /> These allegations are known from two royal diplomas which were issued around the turn of the century in favour of [[Abingdon Abbey]].<ref>S 896 (AD 999); S 937 (AD 999?). The charters record the donation of her lands to Abingdon Abbey during the reign of King Æthelred.</ref>
In one of King Æthelred's so-called 'restitution charters', ealdorman Ælfric and [[Wulfgar of Ramsbury|Wulfgar, bishop of Ramsbury]], are singled out as greedy men whose bad counsel had misled the king into violating the privileges of Abingdon Abbey, such as the right to elect its own abbot. Ælfric is said to have bribed the king and so to have bought the abbacy for his brother [[Eadwine of Abingdon|Eadwine]].<ref>S 876</ref> There is some uncertainty among historians as to whether this Ælfric, who is described as ''maior domus regis'' by the ''[[Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis]]''  (History of Abingdon Abbey), refers to Ælfric Cild or to [[Ælfric of Hampshire|Ælfric, ealdorman of Hampshire]] (d. 1016).<ref>''Historia Ecclesie Abbendoniensis'', cxxiii and ch. 96.</ref><ref>Wiliams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", p. 171 note 138.</ref><ref>Kelly, ''Charters of Abingdon Abbey Part 1'', cxii.</ref>
==After 985==
It is not known when Ælfric died or what became of him in exile. The cartulary-chronicle ''Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis'' written in the 12th century claims that he left for Denmark, assembled a band of Viking soldiers and returned to attack England. However, the text may have confused Ælfric Cild with his namesake, ealdorman of Hampshire, as it has done elsewhere.<ref name=ODNB />
Ælfric's son appears to be the Ælfwine who died fighting in the Battle of Maldon in 991. In the Maldon poem, he is portrayed as a young man in the personal household troop of [[Byrhtnoth]], ealdorman of Essex, who led the fateful attack against the Viking army and in the event, perished himself. Following Byrhtnoth's death and the flight of several of his men, a speech is attributed to Ælfwine in which he urges his fellow warriors to remember the heroic boasts they made at the drinking table and exhorts them to avenge their lord, against all odds. Ælfwine is expressly identified as a son (''bearn'') of Ælfric, but in his speech, he is made to identify himself as a grandson of Ealhhelm (''wis ealdorman'') as well as a kinsman (''mæge'') of Byrhtnoth.<ref>''The Battle of Maldon'', lines 209-24.</ref><ref name=ODNB /><ref>Stafford, "Kinship and women in the world of ''Maldon''", pp. 225-6.</ref>
The next ealdorman known to have been given responsibilities in Mercia is [[Leofwine, Ealdorman of the Hwicce|Leofwine]] (d. 1016), who received the office in 994. It has been suggested that in the interim when the position of ealdorman remained vacant, Æthelsige, a king's thegn, may have been given "some position in Mercia".<ref>Williams, ''Æthelred the Unready'', p. 66</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
===Secondary sources===
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Jayakumar |first= Shashi  |title=Reform and Retribution. The 'Anti-Monastic Reaction' in the Reign of Edward the Martyr |encyclopedia=Early Medieval Studies in Honour of Patrick Wormald |editor= Stephen Baxter|location=Farnham |year= 2009 |pages=337–52 |display-editors=etal}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Jayakumar |first= Shashi |title=Eadwig and Edgar: Politics, Propaganda, Faction |encyclopedia= Edgar, King of the English, 959-975. New interpretations |editor= Donald Scragg |series= Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies 8 |location= Woodbridge |publisher= Boydell |year= 2008 |pages= 83–103}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kelly |first=Susan E. |title= Charters of Abingdon Abbey Part 1 |series= Anglo-Saxon Charters 7 |location= Oxford |year= 2000 }}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Stafford |first=Pauline |title=Kinship and women in the world of ''Maldon''. Byrhtnoth and his Family |encyclopedia=The Battle of Maldon: Fiction and Fact |editor=Janet Cooper |location=London and Rio Grande |publisher=Hambledon |year=1993 |pages=225–235 }}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Thacker |first= Alan |title=Æthelwold and Abingdon |encyclopedia=Bishop Æthelwold: His Career and Influence |editor= Barbara Yorke |location=Woodbridge |year= 1988 |pages=43–64 }}
* {{cite ODNB |last=Williams |first=Ann |title=Ælfhere (''d''. 983) |location=Oxford |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/182 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/182 |accessdate=2008-05-14}}
* {{Cite book |last = Williams |first=Ann |title=Æthelred the Unready. The Ill-Counselled King |location= London |publisher=Hambledon |year=2000 }}
* {{Cite journal |last = Williams |first=Ann |title=''Princeps Merciorum gentis''. The Family, Career and Connections of Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia, 956-83 |journal=Anglo-Saxon England |volume= 10 |year= 1982 |pages= 143–72 |doi=10.1017/s0263675100003240}}
===Primary sources===
* ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' (MSS C, D and E), tr. {{cite book |author= Michael J. Swanton |title=  The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles |edition=2nd |location= London |year= 2000 }}
* ''[[The Battle of Maldon]]'', ed. {{Cite book |author=E. V. K. Dobbie |title=Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems |series= ASPR 6 |location=New York |year= 1942 |pages= 7–16 }}
* [[Anglo-Saxon charters]], listed by number assigned in the Sawyer catalogues:
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/1485 S 1485] (''c''.  968 x 971), will of ealdorman Ælfheah.
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/792 S 792] (dated AD 973), spurious charter for Thorney Abbey.
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/1216 S 1216] (AD 971 x 980), Ælfhere selling land to the abbot of Abingdon
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/1448a S 1448a] (AD 983 x 985): list of sureties for estates of Peterborough Abbey
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/876 S 876] (AD 993), confirmation of privileges to Abingdon Abbey
** [http://ascharters.net/charters/896 S 896] (AD 999) and [http://ascharters.net/charters/937 S 937] (AD 999?)
* ''[[Liber Eliensis]]'' 2.7 (=''Libellus Æthelwoldi'' 5, concerning Hatfield); 2.11 (=''Libellus Æthelwoldi'' 12, concerning Downham); 2.46 (=''Libellus Æthelwoldi'' 57, concerning Gransden)
** ed. {{cite book |author= E. O. Blake |title=Liber Eliensis |series= Camden Society 3.92 |location=London |year= 1962 }}
** tr. {{cite book |author=J. Fairweather |title= Liber Eliensis. A History of the Isle of Ely from the Seventh Century to the Twelfth |location= Woodbridge |year= 2005 }}
* {{Cite book |editor=Hudson, John|title= Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis: The History of the Church of Abingdon Volume 1|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |year=2007 | isbn=978-0-19-929937-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s3Lgtb93sP8C&q=Historia+ecclesia+abbendonensis}}
{{refend}}
== External links ==
* {{PASE|11611|Ælfric 70}}; see also {{PASE|12194|Ælfric Cild 2|nm=1}}, {{PASE|11192|Ælric 2|nm=1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aelfric Cild}}
[[Category:10th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:Ealdormen of Mercia]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon warriors]]
[[Category:English exiles]]
[[Category:People convicted of treason]]