← Explore on the interactive map

Godwin

Type Figure Region England Time c. 1001–1053 Also known as Godwin of Wessex、Godwin、Earl Godwin、戈德温

Godwin (c. 1001–1053) was Earl of Wessex in 11th-century England and the most powerful Anglo-Saxon noble of Edward the Confessor's reign.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1018–1045Wessex · WessexGodwin gradually obtained the title of earl under Cnut the Great and his successors, becoming a core noble of the kingdom by controlling southern estates and court influence, and arranging marriages of his children with the powerful to consolidate the family's position.
  2. 1051–1052Flanders and England · EnglandDue to conflict with King Edward and the Norman faction, the Godwin family was driven out in 1051; the following year Godwin returned to England with a fleet, using force and popular pressure to compel the king to restore his earldom and estates, bringing the family's power to its peak.
  3. 1053Winchester · HampshireIn 1053 Godwin fell suddenly ill after attending a royal banquet at Winchester, dying a few days later. His eldest Harold inherited the earldom of Wessex, and the House of Godwin continued to dominate English politics until 1066.

Sources