Edward the Confessor: The Man and the Legend

216 Pages·8.035 MB·English

by  Richard Mortimer

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o
Also available
r
t
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Westminster Abbey and its People,
e
r
Jacket: Illumination of Edward from the Litlyngton c.1050–c.1216 This collection of essays, originating in
(
e
Missal. Missal St Edward 300 Westminster Abbey, the celebration of the millennium of
d
© Dean and Chapter of Westminster. EMMA MASON .) Edward the Confessor’s birth, is a full-scale
reassessment of Edward’s life and cult.
A notable addition to a growing body of knowledge about medieval Westminster... a dense e
After an introduction to the many views
and learned study. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW d
of Edward’s life and a reinterpretation of
Highly readable. HISTORY
w
the development of the cult by Richard
This book surveys the monastic community at Westminster from the time when
Edward the Confessor adopted it as his burial church down to the end of the reign of a Mortimer, Simon Keynes discusses
Edward’s childhood in England and the
king John. The growth of its signifi cance largely dates from its massive endowment r
by king Edward, who commissioned a lavish rebuilding of the abbey church, a focal infl uence it may have had on him, Elisabeth
d
point in his programme of monarchical propaganda. Dr Mason examines the careers van Houts explores the long but little-

of the abbots and priors, but also of the monks, craftsmen, lay servants, and the t known period of his life in Normandy
personnel of the royal court closely associated with the abbey. She further considers
and the relationships then developed, and
h
the community’s dealings with growing ecclesiastical bureaucracy, management of its edward the confessor
Pauline Stafford re-examines the role of
properties, and its relationship with other religious houses. 9780851153964 e
Edith, Edward’s queen.
t h e m a n a n d t h e l e g en d
c Stephen Baxter presents signifi cant new
Writing Medieval Biography, 750 –1250
o work on the king’s attitudes to the crucial
matter of the succession and its implications
n
Edited by DDDAAAVVVIIIDDD BBBAAATTTEEESSS,,, JJJUUULLLIIIAAA CCCRRRIIICCCKKK aanndd SARAH HAMILTON
for relations with the great families.
A volume which anyone who wishes to attempt the biography of a medieval individual should f Edward’s Westminster Abbey is a focus
e
regard as essential reading, and anyone interested in medieval people as individuals should read of attention, with essays by Eric Fernie
as a matter of course. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW s on its innovatory character and Richard
s
Biography is one of the oldest, most popular and most tenacious of literary forms; it Gem on the works organisation; major
o
continues to draw modern historians of the medieval period to its peculiar challenges: new discoveries are detailed by Warwick
medieval biography raises issues which go to the heart of historical method. Sixteen r
Rodwell. The nature of the king’s sanctity
essays by leading scholars investigate both medieval biographical writings, and the edited by richard mortimer
and the highly political canonisation process
issues surrounding the writing of medieval lives, ranging from pivotal fi gures such as
are discussed by Edina Bozoky.
Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and St Bernard to the anonymous femaleskel-
eton in an Anglo-Saxon grave. Essays in honour of Frank Barlow. 9781843832621
BOYDELL & BREWER Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and B
O
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY 14620-2731 (US) Y
D
www.boydell.co.uk / www.boydellandbrewer.com E
L
L
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Edward Confessor.indd 1 23/01/2009 14:22:54
spine 21.5
db P 080109
m
o
Also available
r
t
i
m
Westminster Abbey and its People,
e
r
Jacket: Illumination of Edward from the Litlyngton c.1050–c.1216 This collection of essays, originating in
(
e
Missal. Missal St Edward 300 Westminster Abbey, the celebration of the millennium of
d
© Dean and Chapter of Westminster. EMMA MASON .) Edward the Confessor’s birth, is a full-scale
reassessment of Edward’s life and cult.
A notable addition to a growing body of knowledge about medieval Westminster... a dense e
After an introduction to the many views
and learned study. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW d
of Edward’s life and a reinterpretation of
Highly readable. HISTORY
w
the development of the cult by Richard
This book surveys the monastic community at Westminster from the time when
Edward the Confessor adopted it as his burial church down to the end of the reign of a Mortimer, Simon Keynes discusses
Edward’s childhood in England and the
king John. The growth of its signifi cance largely dates from its massive endowment r
by king Edward, who commissioned a lavish rebuilding of the abbey church, a focal infl uence it may have had on him, Elisabeth
d
point in his programme of monarchical propaganda. Dr Mason examines the careers van Houts explores the long but little-

of the abbots and priors, but also of the monks, craftsmen, lay servants, and the t known period of his life in Normandy
personnel of the royal court closely associated with the abbey. She further considers
and the relationships then developed, and
h
the community’s dealings with growing ecclesiastical bureaucracy, management of its edward the confessor
Pauline Stafford re-examines the role of
properties, and its relationship with other religious houses. 9780851153964 e
Edith, Edward’s queen.
t h e m a n a n d t h e l e g en d
c Stephen Baxter presents signifi cant new
Writing Medieval Biography, 750 –1250
o work on the king’s attitudes to the crucial
matter of the succession and its implications
n
Edited by DDDAAAVVVIIIDDD BBBAAATTTEEESSS,,, JJJUUULLLIIIAAA CCCRRRIIICCCKKK aanndd SARAH HAMILTON
for relations with the great families.
A volume which anyone who wishes to attempt the biography of a medieval individual should f Edward’s Westminster Abbey is a focus
e
regard as essential reading, and anyone interested in medieval people as individuals should read of attention, with essays by Eric Fernie
as a matter of course. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW s on its innovatory character and Richard
s
Biography is one of the oldest, most popular and most tenacious of literary forms; it Gem on the works organisation; major
o
continues to draw modern historians of the medieval period to its peculiar challenges: new discoveries are detailed by Warwick
medieval biography raises issues which go to the heart of historical method. Sixteen r
Rodwell. The nature of the king’s sanctity
essays by leading scholars investigate both medieval biographical writings, and the edited by richard mortimer
and the highly political canonisation process
issues surrounding the writing of medieval lives, ranging from pivotal fi gures such as
are discussed by Edina Bozoky.
Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and St Bernard to the anonymous femaleskel-
eton in an Anglo-Saxon grave. Essays in honour of Frank Barlow. 9781843832621
BOYDELL & BREWER Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and B
O
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY 14620-2731 (US) Y
D
www.boydell.co.uk / www.boydellandbrewer.com E
L
L
This content downloaded from 141.218.30.136 on Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:18:44 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
Edward Confessor.indd 1 23/01/2009 14:22:54
spine 21.5
db P 080109
m
o
Also available
r
t
i
m
Westminster Abbey and its People,
e
r
Jacket: Illumination of Edward from the Litlyngton c.1050–c.1216 This collection of essays, originating in
(
e
Missal. Missal St Edward 300 Westminster Abbey, the celebration of the millennium of
d
© Dean and Chapter of Westminster. EMMA MASON .) Edward the Confessor’s birth, is a full-scale
reassessment of Edward’s life and cult.
A notable addition to a growing body of knowledge about medieval Westminster... a dense e
After an introduction to the many views
and learned study. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW d
of Edward’s life and a reinterpretation of
Highly readable. HISTORY
w
the development of the cult by Richard
This book surveys the monastic community at Westminster from the time when
Edward the Confessor adopted it as his burial church down to the end of the reign of a Mortimer, Simon Keynes discusses
Edward’s childhood in England and the
king John. The growth of its signifi cance largely dates from its massive endowment r
by king Edward, who commissioned a lavish rebuilding of the abbey church, a focal infl uence it may have had on him, Elisabeth
d
point in his programme of monarchical propaganda. Dr Mason examines the careers van Houts explores the long but little-

of the abbots and priors, but also of the monks, craftsmen, lay servants, and the t known period of his life in Normandy
personnel of the royal court closely associated with the abbey. She further considers
and the relationships then developed, and
h
the community’s dealings with growing ecclesiastical bureaucracy, management of its edward the confessor
Pauline Stafford re-examines the role of
properties, and its relationship with other religious houses. 9780851153964 e
Edith, Edward’s queen.
t h e m a n a n d t h e l e g en d
c Stephen Baxter presents signifi cant new
Writing Medieval Biography, 750 –1250
o work on the king’s attitudes to the crucial
matter of the succession and its implications
n
Edited by DDDAAAVVVIIIDDD BBBAAATTTEEESSS,,, JJJUUULLLIIIAAA CCCRRRIIICCCKKK aanndd SARAH HAMILTON
for relations with the great families.
A volume which anyone who wishes to attempt the biography of a medieval individual should f Edward’s Westminster Abbey is a focus
e
regard as essential reading, and anyone interested in medieval people as individuals should read of attention, with essays by Eric Fernie
as a matter of course. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW s on its innovatory character and Richard
s
Biography is one of the oldest, most popular and most tenacious of literary forms; it Gem on the works organisation; major
o
continues to draw modern historians of the medieval period to its peculiar challenges: new discoveries are detailed by Warwick
medieval biography raises issues which go to the heart of historical method. Sixteen r
Rodwell. The nature of the king’s sanctity
essays by leading scholars investigate both medieval biographical writings, and the edited by richard mortimer
and the highly political canonisation process
issues surrounding the writing of medieval lives, ranging from pivotal fi gures such as
are discussed by Edina Bozoky.
Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and St Bernard to the anonymous femaleskel-
eton in an Anglo-Saxon grave. Essays in honour of Frank Barlow. 9781843832621
BOYDELL & BREWER Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and B
O
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY 14620-2731 (US) Y
D
www.boydell.co.uk / www.boydellandbrewer.com E
L
L
This content downloaded from 141.218.30.136 on Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:18:44 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
Edward Confessor.indd 1 23/01/2009 14:22:54
Edward the Confessor
The Man and the Legend
The millennium of Edward the Confessor’s birth presents
an appropriate occasion for a full-scale, up-to-date reassess-
ment of his life, reign and cult, a reappraisal which is pro-
vided in the essays here. After an introduction to the many
views of Edward’s life, and a reinterpretation of the devel-
opment of his cult, the volume considers his childhood in
England and its influence upon his later life; the time he
spent in Normandy and the relationships that developed
there; and his later life, including an examination of the role
played by Edith, his queen. There is also a particular focus
upon Westminster Abbey, and the major new discoveries
which have recently been made there. Incorporating both
broad surveys and the fruits of detailed new work, this
book will be essential reading for all those interested in late
Saxon and Norman England.
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EDWARD.indb 1 11/2/09 09:58:17
Edward the Confessor
The Man and the Legend
Edited by
richard mortimer
the boydell press
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EDWARD.indb 3 11/2/09 09:58:17
© Contributors 2009
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval
system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
First published 2009
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
isbn 978-1-84383-436-6
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk ip12 3df, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, ny 14620, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence
or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites
referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content
on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
A CIP record for this book is available
from the British Library
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
Designed and typeset in Adobe Jenson Pro by
David Roberts, Pershore, Worcestershire
Printed in Great Britain by
CPI Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne
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EDWARD.indb 4 11/2/09 09:58:17
Contents
List of illustrations vi
List of maps vii
Preface ix
Abbreviations x
Genealogical table xii
1 Edward the Confessor: the Man and the Legend
Richard Mortimer 1
2 Edward the Ætheling (c. 1005–16)
Simon Keynes 41
3 Edward and Normandy
Elisabeth van Houts 63
4 Edward the Confessor and the Succession Question
Stephen Baxter 77
5 Edith, Edward’s Wife and Queen
Pauline Stafford 119
6 Edward the Confessor’s Westminster Abbey
Eric Fernie 139
7 New Glimpses of Edward the Confessor’s Abbey at Westminster
Warwick Rodwell 151
8 Craftsmen and Administrators in the Building of the Confessor’s Abbey
Richard Gem 168
9 The Sanctity and Canonisation of Edward the Confessor
Edina Bozoky 173
Bibliography 187
Index 195
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EDWARD.indb 5 11/2/09 09:58:17
Illustrations
Baxter • Edward the Confessor and the Succession Question
Fig. 4.1 Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, MS D, annal for 1051 (British Library,
Cotton Tiberius B. iv, fol. 74r) 93
Fig. 4.2 Excerpt from a charter of Robert I, duke of Normandy, subscribed by
Edward the Confessor (Fécamp, Musée de la Bénédictine, no. 7 bis) 94
Fernie • Edward the Confessor’s Westminster Abbey
Fig. 6.1 Westminster Abbey, Edward the Confessor’s building: plan of
excavations and standing remains 140
Fig. 6.2 Jumièges, Notre Dame, c. 1040 to 1066: plan 141
Fig. 6.3 Villard de Honnecourt’s sketchbook, c. 1240, fol. 39, diagrams:
(a) square stone puzzle; (b) cloister and garth 146
Fig. 6.4 Proportional relationships between the side of the cloister, the length
of the nave and the length to the chord, using the side of a square and its
diagonal 147
Fig. 6.5 The junction between the western wall of the cloister and
the wall of the nave aisle, at: (a) Westminster Abbey (L. E. Tanner
and A. W. Clapham, ‘Recent discoveries in the nave of Westminster
Abbey’, Archaeologia 83 (1933), 227–36); (b) Westminster Abbey;
(c) Canterbury Cathedral, begun c. 1070; (d) Winchester Cathedral,
begun 1079; (e) Worcester Cathedral, begun 1084; (f) Tewkesbury Abbey,
after 1087 148–9
Rodwell • New Glimpses of Edward the Confessor’s Abbey at Westminster
Fig. 7.1 Westminster Abbey, plan of the eleventh-century dormitory
undercroft 156
Fig. 7.2 Westminster Abbey, Pyx Chamber, interior (Dean and Chapter of
Westminster) 158
Fig. 7.3 Westminster Abbey, Cheyneygates, wall tilework (Dean and Chapter
of Westminster) 160
Fig. 7.4 Westminster Abbey, Pyx Chamber, eleven incised tiles 162
Fig. 7.5 Westminster Abbey, Chapter House vestibule, (a) Edward the
Confessor’s door, south face; (b) reconstruction 165
Copyright is with the contributors except where stated.
vi
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EDWARD.indb 6 11/2/09 09:58:17
Maps
Between pp. 116 and 117
Map 1 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: 1043
Map 2 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: 1045
Map 3 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: 1046 to 1049
Map 4 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: late 1049 to September 1051
Map 5 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: September 1051 to September 1052
Map 6 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: September 1052 to April 1053
Map 7 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: April 1053 to Lent 1055
Map 8 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: Lent 1055 to August 1056
Map 9 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: August 1056 to August 1057
Map 10 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: August 1057 to c. 1062
Map 11 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: c. 1062 to October 1065
Map 12 Edward the Confessor’s earldoms: October 1065 to 5 January 1066
vii
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EDWARD.indb 7 11/2/09 09:58:17
Preface
In 2005 Westminster Abbey celebrated the millennium of the birth of
Edward the Confessor, who refounded and endowed the Abbey and still
lies buried in his shrine at the heart of the later, Gothic building. Although the
year of Edward’s birth is not known precisely, it must have taken place after his
parents’ marriage in 1002, and he was certainly alive in 1005 when he appears as
a child-witness to a charter: 2005 thus seemed the most suitable time to mark
the anniversary. The celebration comprised various events at Edward’s shrine in
Westminster Abbey, a concert performance of contemporary music and writ-
ings, and a conference on ‘Edward: the Man and the Legend’, in association
with King’s College, London. The conference was the origin of this book, as
most of the papers were first given there. It is a pleasure to thank the Principal
and the Dean of King’s College for their hospitality, and the Centre for Late
Antique and Medieval Studies at King’s for generous help towards the cost
of the colour illustrations. Thanks are also due to the Dean and Chapter of
Westminster, especially the then Dean, Very Revd. Wesley Carr, and Canon
Nicholas Sagovsky, for their support for the conference and generous subven-
tion towards the costs of publication. The central role in the proceedings was
played by Professor David Carpenter, who organised the conference, invited
the speakers, and has helped at every stage to see this book through the press.
Our thanks are due to Benjamin Wild, who compiled the index, to Christopher
Tilley for help with the text, and to Caroline Palmer and the staff of Boydell &
Brewer for their customary efficiency in publication.
richard mortimer
Westminster Abbey Library
June 2008
ix
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