On this day in 1076 AD, Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, was beheaded at St Giles’ Hill near Winchester. Executed for treason, he was the only English aristocrat executed during the reign of William the Conqueror.
Waltheof was the great-grandson of Uhtred of Bamburgh, of The Last Kingdom fame. After the death of his father and his brother, Waltheof found himself in line for the earldom of Northumbria but was too young at the time. Because of this, Tostig Godwinson was appointed as earl. Tostig famously was the brother of Harold Godwinson, who following his exile by Harold supported the claim of Harold Hardrada of Normandy to the throne of England and was killed at the Battle of Stanford Bridge in 1066. After William the Conqueror took the throne, Waltheof submitted to William and was allowed to keep his title.
However, this was not to last. In 1069, Sweyn II of Denmark invaded the north of England and Waltheof joined forces with the Danes and attacked York alongside him. This invasion was not successful and the invaders left in 1070. Waltheof was forced once again to submit to William but was once again allowed to keep his title. He even married William’s niece, Judith of Lens. He was appointed Earl of Northampton and later Earl of Northumbria.
Then, in 1075, Waltheof became involved in yet another plot. It is said that he joined the Revolt of the Earls against William, though precisely why he did this is not known. William found out about Waltheof’s part in the plot – some say this is because Waltheof told his wife Judith, who then told Archbishop Lafranc who in turn informed William of Normandy. Others say Waltheof told the bishop about the plot himself.
Either way, Waltheof was arrested, brought before William and sentenced to death. Some believed he was innocent and were surprised when the execution went ahead.
After Waltheof was executed, Judith was betrothed to Simon I of St Liz, the Earl of Northampton. However, she refused to marry Simon. Judith fled the country to escape her uncle William’s anger. William confiscated all of Judith’s English estates. In the end, Judith’s daughter with Waltheof, Maud, married Simon.
This tale with all of its twists and turns highlights the danger and the high drama of this tumultuous period in England’s history. This was the last serious act of resistance against William as he tried to establish and keep a firm hold on his power in England. What do you think of this story?