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Gospatric ('Gwas Patric, servant of Patric'), who probably was named after his mother's half-brother, the son of Earl Uchtred of Northumberland by another wife. He was allied to noble lineage on both sides of the house, uniting the Celtic descent of his father with the royal stock of Wessex, from which his mother came. He was born probably about 1040, and is said to have accompanied Earl Tosti, Harold's brother, to Borne, in 1061, where he tried to save the Earl's life, though the story may be told of the elder Gospatric, his uncle. Towards the end of the year 1067 he was made Earl of Northumberland by King William the Conqueror. He had a certain though not direct claim to the dignity through his mother, but he paid a large sum of money for the honour. In the following year, however, he took part in the conspiracy against the Conqueror on behalf of Edgar the Etheling, which at first rose to formidable proportions in the north, but, by the treachery of Edwin and Morker, it came to naught. Gospatric fled to Scotland with the Etheling, his mother and sisters and others, and appears to have been, temporarily at least, deprived of the earldom, to which Robert Comyn was appointed. But in 1069 he was again at the head of the men of Northumbria, assisting at an invasion of the Danes, with whom Edgar the Etheling was in league. King William, however, suppressed the rebellion with terrible severity, and Gospatric made his peace with William by proxy, and remained faithful and in the King's favour for a time. Stories are also told of his robbing the church of Durham and ravaging Cumberland,3 though a recently discovered document, which is of the utmost importance for the early history of that shire, reveals the fact that Gospatric himself was a large landowner there, holding, not improbably by inheritance from his father Maldred, the district of Allerdale. This renders his invasion of Cumberland the more remarkable, but Allerdale may have been spared. It has been asserted, with full belief hitherto, that his son Waldeve was the first holder of Allerdale. But the writ in question shows that Gospatric was exercising full rights there before the time of King Henry I., who no doubt confirmed Waldeve's rights. King William used the influence Gospatric had among the Northumbrians to introduce a foreign bishop, Walcher, to the see of Durham, but a year later, or in 1072, perhaps because he found himself strong enough to do so, owing to the submission of King Malcolm in., King William deprived Gospatric of his earldom. The pretexts for deprivation were his alliance with the Danes and his alleged complicity in the death of Robert Comyn, but these had been condoned, and the real crime was probably the personal hold he had on the affections of the people, which, added to his great possessions, made him in William's eyes a dangerous subject at the extremity of the kingdom. The Earl fled to the Court of his cousin, the King of Scots, and thence he sailed to Flanders. On his return King Malcolm gave to him Dunbar, with adjoining lands in Lothian, that from these, until happier times should return, he might support himself and his family. According to the chronicler from whom we learn so much about this Earl, he did not long survive his residence in Scotland, and died at Ubbanford, which is Norham, and was buried in the porch of the church there. The chronicler is entitled to much respect, as he certainly compiled his narrative at no great distance from the event, and was himself probably a native of the district. But his narrative contradicts a long-standing tradition that this Earl was he who became a monk at Durham, and was buried there his name being commemorated in their obituaries as "l comes et monachus," while a tombstone, believed to be his, bearing the inscription ' Gospatricus comes,' was discovered in the monks' burial-ground there, in 1821, and is now preserved in the crypt of the cathedral at Durham. Yet the circumstantial account of his death and burial at Norham makes the tradition doubtful, and there is no certain evidence to clear up the point.
The name of the Earl's wife is unknown, and her parentage has not been discovered, though she had a brother, Edmund or Eadmund, to whose lands her son Gospatric obtained a right from King Henry I.
They had issue:
1. Dolfin, who is believed to be identical with Dolfin, the ruler of Cumbria under King Malcolm III. of Scotland. He was, however, expelled from his jurisdiction in 1092 by King William Rufus, and nothing further is known of him.
2. Waldeve, apparently referred to in his father's writ as 'Waltheof,' is usually said to have received from King Henry I., the barony of Allerdale, in Cumberland, but it is now clear that it must have descended to him from his father, being only confirmed by Henry. It is said that his being a Scotsman gained him the favour of Ranulf Meschin, the new Norman lord of Carlisle. This seems to imply not only Scottish sympathies, but ownership in Scotland, and he may have possessed the lands there, held later by his grandson of the same name. He granted some land in Allerdale, and a house for herring-fishery, to the Priory of Hexham. He, with his wife and his two sons, also granted to the church of Brydekirk, in Allerdale, the villa of Appleton and its surroundings. He is named in the Inquisition by Earl David, afterwards King, as to the possessions of the see of Glasgow, made between 1120 and 1124. He was present with King David I. of Scotland at Dunfermline, about 1126 or later, and this appears to be the latest notice of him. It has been asserted that he became Abbot of Croyland in 1124 and was deposed in 1138, but there is good reason for believing that the Abbot must have been another Waldeve. His wife's name was Sigrid or Sigarith, who survived him and married Roger, son of Gilbert.
He had two sons and two daughters:
(1) Alan, who is principally known from the large dowries he gave to his sisters, and his grants to his brother and to the priory of Carlisle. He and his brother Gospatric appear as witnesses to a charter of King David I. on 16 August 1139. He had a son Waldeve, who predeceased him, and his male line ceased.
(2) Gospatric, who is said to have been a bastard, though this is doubtful. He received from his brother Alan, the lands of Bolton, Bassenthwaite, and others in Derwentwater. He is styled Gospatric, son of Waldeve, when he appears as a witness in two charters by King David I., about 1130, and he and his brother are witnesses on 16 August 1139. Gospatric survived till after 1154, as he is a witness to a charter by King Malcolm IV., between that year and 1158, to the monks of Dunfermline. About the same date the King addressed a letter to him and to the Abbot of Dunfermline, ferryers of the seaports, i.e. lords of the ferries, directing them to pass Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, and his men, free of charge. This writ suggests that he was then the owner of Dundas, commanding the south side of the Queen's ferry. It is therefore probable he was the father of Waldeve, son of Gospatric, who held the lands in Scotland of Inverkeithing and Dalmeny, and who granted to the monks of Jedburgh the church of Bassen- thwaite in Cumberland. He granted the lands of Dundas to Helias Fitz Huctred, probably a kinsman, in a charter, dated certainly before 1200, but the witnesses of which suggest a date about 1180 or a little earlier. He was dead before 1200, and had issue apparently only two daughters, Christiana and Galiena. Christiana married Duncan Lascelles, and had right not only to Bassenthwaite and Bolton, but had heritage in Scotland. Galiena married Philip Moubray, and they confirmed or added to the grant made by Waldeve, son of Gospatric, of the church of Inverkeithing to the Abbey of Dunfermline. His grandson, Roger Moubray, also confirmed, after 1233, a grant by his grandfather Waldeve, of the church of Dalmeny, to the monks of Jedburgh. This Waldeve, son of Gospatric, is not to be confounded with his namesake Waldeve the Earl, son of Gospatric the Earl, who died in 1182, and whom he apparently survived. (3) Gunnild, who was married to Uchtred, son of Fergus, Lord of Galloway, with issue. (4) Hectreda or Octreda, married, first, to Randulf de Lindesay, and secondly, to William de Esseville or de Esseby.
3. Gospatric, who became Earl or Lord of Dunbar.
4. Octreda or Ethreda, who married Waldeve, son of Gillemin.
5. Gunnilda, married to Orm, son of Ketel.
6. Matilda, married to Dolfin, son of Aylward.
7. Æthelreda, who was married, about 1094, to Duncan II., King of Scots, and became the mother of William Fitz Duncan, Earl of Moray, who lived until 1151 or later, as in that year King David I. restored to him his honour of Skipton and others. His male line ended in the 'Boy of Egremont,' whose heiresses were his three sisters. There was another son named Gospatric, but of his history nothing is known.
Source: "The Scots Peerage" Vol 3, page 241.
https://www.douglashistory.co.uk/famgen/getperson.php?personID=I111254&tree=tree1''
GOSPATRICK, son of MALDRED Lord of Allerdale & his wife Ealdgyth of Northumbria ([1040/48]-[1075]). Simeon of Durham names "Cospatric son of Maldred son of Crinan" when recording that he was appointed Earl of Northumberland[1381]. His parentage is given by Roger of Hoveden[1382]. He paid William I King of England a heavy fine so he could succeed as Earl of Northumberland in Dec 1067, although he did have a hereditary claim through his mother's family. He rebelled against King William and joined the invading Norwegians who sailed up the river Humber in Sep 1069 and captured York by storm[1383]: Orderic Vitalis records that “Rodbertus Ricardi filius Eboracensis præsidii custos” was killed, that “Marius Suenus, Gaius Patricius, Edgarus Adelinus, Archillus et quatuor filii Karoli” attacked “munitionem regis in Eboraco”, and that “Willelmus cognomento Maletus, præses castrensis regi” announced to the king that he would be forced to withdraw unless reinforcements were sent, dated to 1069[1384]. Orderic Vitalis records that “Suenus rex Danorum” sent a fleet led by “duos...filios suos et Osbernum fratrem suum” to attack England, that they were repulsed at Dover, Sandwich and Ipswich, and at Norwich by “Radulfus de Guader”, that they were joined by “Adelinus, Guallevus, Siguardus” but defeated on the Humber, entered York headed by “Guallevus...Gaius Patricius, Marius Suenus, Elnocinus, Archillus et quatuor filii Karoli” but were eventually expelled, dated to 1069, a later passage adding that “Guallevus præsens et Gaius Patricius absens” made peace with King William at the river Tees[1385]. In [Oct/Nov] 1072 old charges were brought against him and he was deprived of the earldom of Northumberland, fleeing to Scotland. Simeon of Durham records that he fled to Malcolm King of Scotland who granted him "Dunbar with the lands adjacent in Lothian"[1386]. married sister of EDMUND, daughter of ---. Her family connection is confirmed by the charter dated Feb 1136 under which King Stephen confirmed the donation by "Gospatricio fr[atr]I Dolfini" of "terram Edmundi avunculi sui" and "terram Liolfi filii Uctredi"[1387].
Earl Gospatrick & his wife had one child:
Earl Gospatrick & [his wife] had three children:
Earl Gospatrick had two illegitimate children by an unknown mistress or mistresses:
Dolfin & his wife had one child:
- a) UHTRED FitzDolfin de Cungeston [Conistone] . He held land at Conistone in the honour of Skipton and in Burnsall in the Bulmer fief[1402]. m ---. The name of Uhtred’s wife is not known.
Uhtred & his wife had two children:
- i) SIMON . He was ancestor of the Hebden family[1403].
- ii) KETEL .
Waltheof & his wife had three children:
- a) ALAN . A memorandum dated to [1275] records that "Earl Cospatryk formerly earl of Dunbar" was succeeded by "his son and heir Alan…under age and in the ward of K. David of Scotland…and on obtaining majority obtained all his father’s lands in Allerdale"[1416]. “Waldevus filius Cospatrici comitis” donated property to Gysburn Priory, with the consent of “uxore mea Sigrida et filiis meis Cospatrico et Alano”, by undated charter[1417]. "…Alano filio Waldeof et Gospatrico fratre suo…" witnessed a charter dated 1139 under which "David Rex Scotie" confirmed the grant of Coldingham by "Gospatricus comes frater Dolfini" to St Cuthbert[1418]. “Alanus filius Walleovi, filii Cospatrici comitis” donated property to Gysburn Priory by undated charter, witnessed by “matre mea Sigarith…”, which names “Athelwardo clerico, filio Erlavi sacerdotis”[1419]. "Alanus filius Walthef et Sigrid mater et Rogerus vir eius" donated land "in Aspatrick" to St Bees by undated charter[1420]. "Alanus filius Waldevi" confirmed the donation of "unam plenariam toftam apud Scadebuas" made to St Bees by "pater meus" by undated charter witnessed by "…Gospatricio filio Horm, Uctredo filio Uctredi, Ailwardi filio Dolf[ini], Gospatricio fratre suo…"[1421]. A charter of King Henry II records donations to York St Mary, including the donation of land “in Goseford…” by “Alanus filius Waldevi"[1422]. "Alanus filius Waldeui" donated land "in Goseford" to St Bees, for the souls of "mea…et uxoris mee Emme", by undated charter, witnessed by "Waltero priore Carl[eoensi], Gosp[atricio] fratre suo. Gospatricio filio Horm, Radulfo de Lund, Uctredo filio Uct[redi], Chetello filio Ulfchil…"[1423]. married EMMA, daughter of ---. "Alanus filius Waldeui" donated land "in Goseford" to St Bees, for the souls of "mea…et uxoris mee Emme", by undated charter[1424].
Alan & his wife had one child:
- i) son . A memorandum dated to [1275] records that "Alan" donated certain property "with the corpse present of his son"[1425].
- b) ETHELREDA . The Cronicon Cumbriæ records that “Alanus filius et hæres eiusdem Waldevi” enfeoffed “Ranulpho” with property and “Etheldreda sorore sua”[1426]. "Willelmus de Essevilla" confirmed the donation of "capellam de Lousewater" made to St Bees by "Radulphus de Lyndesay et Hethreda sponsa mea" by undated charter[1427]. "Willelmus de Esseby" donated land "in Loretona" to St Bees, with the consent of "Hectrudis uxoris mee et Symonis heredis mei", by undated charter[1428]. m firstly RANULF de Lindsay, son of --- (-before 1158). m secondly (before 1158) WILLIAM de Eseby, son of ---.
- c) GUNHILD . The Cronicon Cumbriæ records that “Alanus filius et hæres eiusdem Waldevi” enfeoffed “Ugthredo filio Fergus domino Galwediæ” with property and “Guynolda sorore sua”[1429]. "Uctredus filius Fergi et Gunnild filia Waldef sponsa sua" donated "ecclesiam de Torpennoth" to Holyrood abbey by undated charter[1430]. m UHTRED, son of FERGUS Lord of Galloway & his wife --- (-1174). He succeeded his father in [1136] as Lord of Galloway.
Waltheof had one illegitimate son by an unknown mistress:
- d) GOSPATRICK . The Cronicon Cumbriæ records that “Alanus filius et hæres eiusdem Waldevi” had “unum fratrem bastardum…Cospatricium” to whom he granted property[1431]. A memorandum dated to [1275] records that "Alan", son of "Earl Cospatryk formerly earl of Dunbar", had "a bastard brother on his father’s side…Cospatryk to whom he gave the township of Bolton within the forest, and Bastenthwyt outside the forest, and Hestholm in Derwentwatre"[1432]. "Alexander nepos regis Alexandri, Beth comes, Gospatricius Dolfini, Mallus comes, Madach comes, Rothri comes, Gartnach comes, Dufagan comes, Willelmus frater regine, Edwardus constabularius, Gospatricius filius Walthef, Ufieth Alfricus pincerna" witnessed the charter dated to [1114/15] under which "Alexander…rex Scottorum filius regis Malcolmi et regine Margerete et…Sibilla regina Scottorum filia Henrici regis Anglie" reformed Scone Abbey[1433]. A charter of King Henry II records donations to York St Mary, including the donation of “villam de Stainburn” by “Walthef filius Gospatrici” and "villam de Saltergh et…de Whyrkingtona" by "Gospatricius filius eorundem"[1434]. "…Gospatricius filius Waltheof…" witnessed the possibly spurious charter dated to [1120] of "Alexander…Rex Scottorum…Sibilla regina Scottorum…"[1435]. "…Gospatricio filio Waltheui" witnessed the charter dated 1124 under which "Alexander…Rex Scottorum" granted jurisdiction to the prior of Scone[1436]. "…Alano filio Waldeof et Gospatrico fratre suo…" witnessed a charter dated 1139 under which "David Rex Scotie" confirmed the grant of Coldingham by "Gospatricus comes frater Dolfini" to St Cuthbert[1437]. “Waldevus filius Cospatrici comitis” donated property to Gysburn Priory, with the consent of “uxore mea Sigrida et filiis meis Cospatrico et Alano”, by undated charter[1438]. 1156. m ---. The name of Gospatrick’s wife is not known.
Gospatrick & his wife had [one child]:
- i) WALTHEOF (-before 1200). Balfour Paul says that Gospatrick was "probabl[y]…the father of" this Waltheof, on the basis of common holding of lands at Dundas[1439]. This appears to be corroborated by an agreement dated 1 Dec 1208 between "Duncan de Lascelles and Christina his wife" and “Hugh abbot of Jedburgh” relating to the donation of “the advowson of the church of Bastenethwait” made by “Waldef son of Gosepatric father of Cristiana”[1440].] m ---. The name of Waltheof’s wife is not known.
Waltheof & his wife had two children:
- (a) CHRISTIANA . Her parentage and marriage are confirmed by an agreement dated 1 Dec 1208 between "Duncan de Lascelles and Christina his wife" and “Hugh abbot of Jedburgh” relating to the donation of “the advowson of the church of Bastenethwait” made by “Waldef son of Gosepatric father of Cristiana”[1441]. m as his second wife, DUNCAN Lascelles, son of --- (-after 1 Dec 1208).
- (b) GALIENA . married PHILIP Moubray, son of ---.
Gospatric or Cospatric (from the Cumbric "Servant of [Saint] Patrick"),[citation needed] (died after 1073), was Earl of Northumbria, or of Bernicia, and later lord of sizable estates around Dunbar. His male-line descendants held the Earldom of Dunbar, later known as the Earldom of March, in south-east Scotland until 1435, and the Lordship and Earldom of Home from 1473 until the present day.
Background
Symeon of Durham describes Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, as maternal grandson, through his mother Ealdgyth, of Northumbrian ealdorman Uchtred the Bold and his third wife, Ælfgifu, daughter of King Æthelred II.[1][2] This follows the ancestry given in the earlier De obsessione Dunelmi, in which Gospatric's father is named as Maldred, son of Crinan, tein (thegn Crínán), perhaps the Crínán of Dunkeld who was father of Scottish king Duncan I.[3] Even were thegn Crínán the same as Crínán of Dunkeld, it is not certain Maldred was born to Duncan's mother, Bethóc, daughter of the Scots king Malcolm II.
The Life of Edward the Confessor, commissioned by Queen Edith, contains an account of the pilgrimage to Rome of Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria. It tells how a band of robbers attacked Tostig's party in Italy, seeking to kidnap the Earl. A certain Gospatric "was believed because of the luxury of his clothes and his physical appearance, which was indeed distinguished" to be Earl Tostig, and succeeded in deceiving the would-be kidnappers as to his identity until the real Earl was safely away from the scene. Whether this was the same Gospatric, or a kinsman of the same name, is unclear, but it is suggested that his presence in Tostig's party was as a hostage as much as a guest.[4]
Gwas Patrik and other spelling variants of this meaning servant of Patrick are recorded as names in Wales in the middle ages [5]
Harrying of the North
After his victory over Harold Godwinson at Hastings, William of Normandy appointed a certain Copsi or Copsig, a supporter of the late Earl Tostig, who had been exiled with his master in 1065, as Earl of Bernicia in the spring of 1067. Copsi was dead within five weeks, killed by Oswulf, grandson of Uchtred, who installed himself as Earl. Oswulf was killed in the autumn by bandits after less than six months as Earl.[6] At this point, Gospatric, who had a plausible claim to the Earldom given the likelihood that he was related to Oswulf and Uchtred, offered King William a large amount of money to be given the Earldom of Bernicia. The King, who was in the process of raising heavy taxes, accepted.[7]
In early 1068, a series of uprisings in England, along with foreign invasion, faced King William with a dire threat. Gospatric is found among the leaders of the uprising, along with Edgar Ætheling and Edwin, Earl of Mercia and his brother Morcar. This uprising soon collapsed, and William proceeded to dispossess many of the northern landowners and grant the lands to Norman incomers. For Gospatric, this meant the loss of his earldom to Robert Comine and exile in Scotland. King William's authority, apart from minor local troubles such as Hereward the Wake and Eadric the Wild, appeared to extend securely across England.[8]
Gospatric joined the invading army of Danes, Scots, and Englishmen under Edgar the Aetheling in the next year. Though the army was defeated, he afterwards was able, from his possession of Bamburgh castle, to make terms with the conqueror, who left him undisturbed until 1072.[9] The widespread destruction in Northumbria known as the Harrying of the North relates to this period.
Exile
According to Anglo-Norman chroniclers, in 1072 William the Conqueror stripped Gospatric of his Earldom of Northumbria,[10] and replaced him with Siward's son Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton.
Gospatric fled into exile in Scotland and not long afterwards went to Flanders. When he returned to Scotland he was granted the castle at "Dunbar and lands adjacent to it" and in the Merse by King Malcolm III, his cousin.[11] This earldom without a name in the Scots-controlled northern part of Bernicia would later become the Earldom of Dunbar.
Gospatric did not long survive in exile according to Roger of Hoveden's chronicle:
[N]ot long after this, being reduced to extreme infirmity, he sent for Aldwin and Turgot, the monks, who at this time were living at Meilros, in poverty and contrite in spirit for the sake of Christ, and ended his life with a full confession of his sins, and great lamentations and penitence, at Ubbanford, which is also called Northam, and was buried in the porch of the church there.
Neil McGuigan has argued that Waltheof's Norman earldom did not extend beyond the River Tyne, and that Gospatric may have continued to rule the territory to the north from Bamburgh until the late 1070s.[12]
Issue
Gospatric was the father of three sons, and several daughters. The sons Dolfin, Waltheof and Gospatric are named in De obsessione Dunelmi and by Symeon of Durham,[10] while a document from about 1275 apparently prepared to instruct advocates in a land dispute reports that of these three sons, only Waltheof was born to a legitimate marriage and that he was full sibling of Gospatric's daughter Ethelreda.[13] A second document with some "nearly identical" content prepared about the same time names three sisters of Waltheof of Allerdale, Gunnilda, Matilla and Ethreda, their husbands, as well as Ethreda's son William Fitz Duncan.[14] Gospatric's children were:
1040 |
1040
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Northumbria, England
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1060 |
1060
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Dean & Clifton, England
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1060
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Lothian, Scotland (United Kingdom)
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1062 |
1062
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Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
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1064 |
1064
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Northumberland, England (United Kingdom)
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1068 |
1068
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Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
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1068
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Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
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1068
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1080 |
December 15, 1080
Age 40
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Ubbanford now Northam, Northumberlandshire, England
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