VIII. LADY OF THE EAST ANGLES (932–943)
Wynnflæd, Lady of Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia
Prior to her ascension as ruler of three of England’s five existing, large ealdormanries, the information on Wynnflæd is scant. Her life begins on the historical record in 932, when she married a minor French noble – an Adrien of Auxerre. In November of 936, an assassination plot on her grandfather, Beornwulf, was discovered, with a Ceorl’s confession linking the conspiracy to Wynnflæd. This, however, seemed to have no consequences for the lady, possibly due to largely circumstantial evidence. Following Beornwulf's passing on the 4th of June, 937, Wynnflæd had become the sole inheritor of her grandfather's possessions, and was appointed as Lady of Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia.
The circumstances which she had inherited were less than desirable. Her grandfather’s untimely death in early-June had left the 20-year-old Wynnflæd in an unfavourable position militarily, as the Spring of 937 had brought aspiring Viking conquerors to England. Bergþór – with a host of 8,000 – had landed outside of Pocklington somewhere between December and February, conquering the settlement during this time. Furthermore, Norse-Gael settlers in Cumbria had taken up arms against Anglo-Saxon tyranny, as the slow, yet brutal conquest of their home had given these people little mercy.
As Bergþór's host made its way to Lincoln in June, an Anglo-Saxon army of 2,500 had gathered in Grimsby to thwart the Northmen’s conquest. Grimsby is believed to be the site of Beornwulf's death, as his abrupt passing in June with coincides with Norse and English sources indicating the the Anglo-Saxons state of disarray before the impending battle. With no one stepping forward to assume command of the army, the Norsemen circumvented the Humber unopposed on the 29th, slaughtering two fifths of the army in the chaos outside of the village.
With the support of Wynnflæd, Osulf – the High Reeve of Nottingham – had gathered an army of 1,700 men to reconquer Pocklington, recapturing the town in early-August. Osulf had met the King’s fyrd of 4,300 outside of Lincoln, whereupon the two armies massacred Bergþór’s host in the Yorkshire Wolds during the Spring of the same year. With Bergþór captured, the Northman had sued for peace sixteen days thereafter. Sometime after the Norseman’s crushing defeat, Wynnflæd – or, more accurately, her advisers – had brokered an agreement with the Norse-Gaels. While it is uncertain what the terms of the treaty were, it had ended the realm’s conflict with the settlers peacefully in September.
Wynnflæd had birthed her first son, Morcær, in 938. In 939, she became pregnant once more and had her first daughter, Leofwynn, in late-940. Leofwynn, however, was described as a sickly, moribund babe – not expected to survive.
In August of 940, Eormenred had suffered a crippling injury in an unspecified accident, with the King losing his cognitive abilities. Over the course of the following months, his first son, Cerdic, began assuming more of the King’s royal responsibilities. Upon Eormenred’s death in October, Cerdic had managed to convince the Witan to endorse his succession as monarch in opposition to his cousin and claimant, Ealdorman Swithræd of Kent.
On the 16th of January, 941, Wynnflæd had travelled from Dunwich to Winchester to legitimise her submission to the King of the English. Much unlike her grandfather, she came bearing gifts in the form of coin – likely to receive Cerdic’s favour. It seems, however, by April, the King had opted to antagonise his northern vassal by refusing Wynnflæd’s entrance into the Royal Manor in Winchester, rebuffing any request the Lady had of the King.
Similar to his father, Cerdic had made attempts to centralise England, strengthening royal authority. His initial attempts at gaining more financial and administrative control over the realm had been successful, but expectedly, there was a small, yet outspoken opposition to his new policies – particularly among the Welsh nobility. Wynnflæd, either through mere happenstance, or out of spite, had joined this chorus of voices in June, and with the support of many in the Principality of Dyfed, had demanded the King reverse his reforms and return to a more traditional, laissez-faire attitude towards governance.
Cerdic, expectedly, had refused these demands, and had raised an army of 3,500 in anticipation of civil war. Siân ferch Llywarch – Princess-Regnant of Dyfed – had wholeheartedly supported Wynnflæd’s attempts at rebellion, and had sent a force of three-to-four hundred men in support of her revolt. Somewhere between July and August of 941, Wynnflæd had raised an army of 2,900 to engage the King’s host in combat. The first and only battle of the war was a victory for the revolt, as contemporary historians call it the Slaughter on the River Wye.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle has this entry:
“A.D. 942. In this year, Wynnflæd's host, led by High-Sheriff Osulf of Nottingham, confronted King Cerdic's army stationed defensively across the River Wye. The East Angles swiftly gained the upper hand. The ensuing clash wrought havoc upon King Cerdic's forces, resulting in a defeat and the capture of his kinsman, Swithraed, the Ealdorman of Kent.”
– The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
As civil war gripped the realm, the Danes, perhaps, noticed a moment of weakness in the unconquerable façade of the English kingdom. Refusing both England and East Anglia’s Danegeld, 6,000 Danes had landed in Norfolk with aspirations to conquer southern England. As the Slaughter on the River Wye concluded, Árni of Varde had led the Norse host in conquering East Anglia, sacking Norwich, Dunwich and Elmham. As a result, Wynnflæd and Cerdic had met in Gloucester, perhaps out of desperation, to negotiate peace terms. Neither were in a favourable position. While Wynnflæd had the capability to burn her way through Wessex after Cerdic’s crushing defeat on the Wye, her legitimacy was being torn apart by Danes conquering her home. Cerdic, while able to take advantage of Wynnflæd’s unwanted position, no longer had the manpower necessary to fight any would-be Viking conqueror.
On the 1st of January, 942, the two would make peace in Gloucester. Cerdic would reverse any policies and reforms he had made regarding the crown’s authority, and Wynnflæd would reconquer East Anglia and Essex in exchange for amnesty. A joint Anglo-Saxon army had met the Norsemen at Bedricsworth, triumphant in their battle with the Northmen and reconquering Norwich from Árni in May of 942.
Ultimately, Wynnflæd’s revolt had proven fruitless. In 943, Cerdic had reintroduced his administrative policies he had made 2 years prior, with little pushback from his nobility – including Wynnflæd. In the Summer, surprisingly, the Lady had fought and won a duel against the English King. According to the myths, this had occurred as a result of Cerdic insulting Wynnflæd’s womanly appearance in a bathhouse both frequented.
