English King Edmund II
Compiled
by D. A. Sharpe
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Edmund Ironside was
born about 990 AD, and lived only till November 30,
1016. Edmund was King of England
for only a few months. After the death of his father, Aethelred II, in April
1016, Edmund led the defense of the city of London against the invading Knut
Sveinsson (Canute), and was proclaimed king by the Londoners. Meanwhile, the Witan (Council),
meeting at Southampton, chose Canute as King.
"Ironside"
Edmund II is the 2nd great grandfather of Count Poitou 14th great grand
uncle, Sir Edward Southworth, the first husband of Alice Carpenter, my 7th
great grandmother.
After a series of inconclusive
military engagements, in which Edmund performed brilliantly and earned the
nickname "Ironside," he defeated the Danish forces at Oxford, Kent,
but was routed by Canute's forces at Ashingdon, Essex. A subsequent peace agreement was
made, with Edmund controlling Wessex and Canute controlling Mercia and
Northumbria. It was also agreed that whoever survived the other would take
control of the whole realm. Unfortunately for Edmund, he died in November, 1016, transferring the Kingship of All England
completely to Canute.
Source: http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon15.html
His faith was in the British Church,
which was not very old at that point. The
earliest Christian noted in our family was a pagan Scottish King, King Ceawlin. He was baptized by a Roman Catholic
Evangelist, a Priest by the name of Father Columba, who'd been sent to the
British Isles by Pope Gregory, to bring Christianity there. Ceawlin was baptized in 591 AD.
Though contemporary accounts of
Edmund's death do not record that his death was a homicide, later speculation
is that Edric, the son of the ealdorman Edrick, did slay the King privately,
hoping King Canute would reward him. The
King did reward Ecrick by ordering him to be decapitated, and his head placed
upon the highest battlement of the Tower of London.
Source: "The Oxford Book of Royal
Anticdotes," The Oxford University Press, 1991, page 34.
By Dwight Albert (D. A.) Sharpe
805 Derting Road East
Aurora, TX 76078-3712