Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066 -- Sources
This year the Northumbrians assembled together, and outlawed Tostig
their Earl, and they slew all his retainers whom they could meet with,
both English and Danes: and they seized all his arms at York, and his
gold, and his silver, and all his treasures that they could find. And
they sent for Morker the son of Earl Ælfgar, and chose him for their
Earl; and he marched southward with the troops of that country, and
of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire, till he arrived at
Northampton; and his brother Edwin joined him with the men of his
Earldom, and many Britons also came with him. Then they were met by
Earl Harold, and they charged him with a message to King Edward, and
they also sent deputies with him, and they desired that they might
have Morker for their Earl.--And the King granted this, and sent
Harold again to them at Northampton on the eve of St. Simon and St.
Jude’s day, and he reported the same to them, and put into their hands
the King’s assent, and there he renewed the laws of Canute. And the
northern men did much damage about Northampton whilst he was gone on
their errand, for they slew men, and burned houses and corn, and took
all the cattle they could find, being many thousand head, and many
hundred men did they seize and carry off into the north; so that this
county, and the others adjoining, were the worse for them during many
years. And Earl Tostig and his wife, and all who were of his party,
went over sea southward to Earl Baldwin, and he received them all, and
they remained there the whole winter.
1066.
This year the Abbey Church of Westminster was consecrated on
Childermas-day. And this year King Edward died on the eve of
Twelfth-day, and he was buried on Twelfth-day, in the Church of
Westminster, newly consecrated.--And Earl Harold succeeded to the
kingdom, even as the King had granted it to him; men, also chose him
thereto, and he was consecrated King on Twelfth-day, and reigned forty
weeks and one day. And the same year that he was made King, he went
out with a fleet against William; and in the mean time Earl Tostig
entered the Humber with 60 ships, but Earl Edwin came up with his
troops and drove him away, and the crews of his vessels also deserted
him. Then he went to Scotland with twelve smacks; and Harold King of
Norway joined him with 300 ships, to whom Tostig gave up the command,
and they entered the Humber together, and proceeded to York: and the
Earls Morker and Edwin fought with them, and the Norwegian King gained
the victory. King Harold, being informed of what had passed, came
with a great army of Englishmen, and he met the King of Norway at
Stæng-fordes-brycge (Stanford bridge), and he slew him and the Earl
Tostig, and routed their whole army.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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