Count de Northumbrie

The title of count de Northumbrie was a title of the Anglo-Danish period, then end of the Anglo-Saxon period , and finally of the beginning of the Anglo-Norman period of the England.

The county of Northumbrie succeeded the county of Bambourg, itself being the successor of an independent Bernicie. Under the Kingdom Viking of York, there were counts of Deira. Finally, all the Northumbrie was joined together under the dynasty bernicéenne. This dynasty was maintained in Bernicie until 1041, but as from 1016, there were other counts in York who were sharpened by the king Knut Large the for all Northumbrie. This one was dissolved at the beginning of the period Norman, in counties of York and Northumberland, with most of the grounds going to the prince-bishops of Durham.

History of the title

Osulf was count of Bernicie since 930, and became count de Northumbrie from 954. His/her son Waltheof I succeeded to him. Nothing is known of its reign, besides its duration. In 1006, whereas his/her Waltheof father was always in life, but very old, Uhtred Bold the beat Malcolm II of Scotland to the head office of Durham. It accepted the county in reward, of the king Ethelred II of England.

Eric Håkonsson, regent of Norway between 1000 and 1014, joint with Knut Large the for its invasion of the Kingdom of England. After the death of Edmond Dimension-of-Iron in 1017, Knut divided the kingdom into four, and Eric accepted Northumbrie. Its successor was Siward, possible going down from the Danish royal family. He does not appear with the head of the county before 1031, while Eric probably died in 1023-24. Siward married the grand-daughter of Uhtred Bold the, and named his/her son Waltheof junior.

The county passed then to the Anglo-Saxon Tostig Godwinson, brother of the future Harold II of England. It had to flee in 1065, when consequently on its unpopular policy, the thegns of Yorkshire decided to invade York. It was replaced by Morcar, young brother of Edwin, the count of Mercie, the October 3rd 1065.

After the invasion succeeds of Norman, Copsi, which was an old ally of Tostig was made count by William the Conqueror in 1067. After five weeks, it was killed by Oswulf II, wire of Eadwulf, which succeeded to him. Oswulf succeeds in being maintained until the autumn, before being killed by a brigand. Gospatrick, wire of Maldred and cousin of Oswulf, bought the county with king Guillaume, but lined up at the sides of Edgar Ætheling in 1068 and had to flee.

Robert de Comines († January 28th 1069), was named count by king Guillaume, and was sent in north to take again Northumbrie with Gospatrick, but it was killed in a battle by Northumbriens before succeeding. The king undertook then his countryside of Dévastation of the north of England, which consisted in killing all the rebels and practicing the scorched earth policy on all the north of England. Waltheof and Gospatrick was soumettèrent with the king. Gospatrick was reinstalled with the head of the county to be itself subjected shortly after, and was deposited in 1072, after having flees again towards the Scotland.

Waltheof wire of Siward, that the king had married with his niece Judith de Lens, accepted the county which his/her father had controlled under the Danish era. Implied in spite of him in a plot against the king, he was punished in a rare way, compared to the Norman standards, while being decapitated (1076). With the fall of Waltheof, the bishop Walcher de Durham accepted the civil and military capacities inherent in the county of Northumbrie. He was the first Prince-bishop (or count-bishop), since he was also bishop of Durham. Walcher was implied in the assassination of powerful a thegn named Ligulf, and Walcher was assassinated in reprisals. Inefficient leader, it would have been raised of his ecclesiastical, civil loads and not very front soldiers.

Aubrey de Coucy was salaried count by the king immediately afterwards. Guillaume of Saint-Calais, the substitute of Walcher to the évéché of Durham, was named in 1081. It obtains palatine capacities on the territory of Northumbrie in the south of the the Tyne and the Derwhent. Northumbrie was thus divided into two, and the northern part will be little by little called Northumberland.

Some time later, Aubrey left for the Normandy, its role of count in north not being appropriate to him. It thus gave up its county, and all its English grounds were confiscated. Following the defection of Coucy, and after an unknown latency time, the king entrusted the administration of the county to Robert de Montbray, perhaps conjointment with his uncle Geoffroy de Montbray. With the drafting of the Domesday Book (1086), these grounds are always recorded like pertaining to Coucy. With an unspecified date, but generally accepted as being 1086, Montbray accepted the title of count. He took part in the Rébellion of 1088 against the king William Rufus, but was forgiven. The plot that Montbray organized in 1095, again against Guillaume II, was worth the life imprisonment to him.

List counts de Northumbrie

Anglo-Saxon period

  • 954 - 963  : Osulf I of Bamburgh († 963), count of Bernicie since 930

  • 963 - 995  : Waltheof I († after 1006), wire of the precedent
  • 1006 - 1016  : Uhtred Bold the († 1016), wire of the precedent.

Anglo-Danish period

Period Norman

  •      1067       : Copsi († 1067), killed by its successor

  •       1067       : Oswulf II († 1067), was maintained until the autumn
  • 1067 - 1068  : Gospatrick († 1073),
  • 1068 - 1069  : Robert de Comines († 1069), never took possession of the county

Vacant during the devastation of north

Counts Scot of Northumberland

the area does not have a count until the reign of Etienne of England. The title is entitled count de Northumberland .

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