Osulf of Bamburgh [8119]

   Another name for Osulf was Oswulf EADWULFSSON ¹⁹⁴⁶.^,1947

  General Notes:

LifeSketch
Betrayed Eric Bloodaxe AD 954. First Earl of Northumbria AD 975-1006 (Benicia and Deira)

Oswulf or Osulf of Bamburgh is believed to have been the son of Eadulf of Bamburgh, the 'King of the Northern English' who died in 913. This places Oswulf's birth as before 913 in Bamburgh.

The 'De Northumbria post Britannos' records that Oswulf was the father of Ealdred, who was the father of Waltheof of Bamburgh, who was the father of Uhtred of Northumbria.

Osulf was likely born circa 910 and died before 963. His date of death is placed before 963 because it was at this time that his territory of Northumbria was divided between Oslac and Eadulf Evil-child. Oslac and Eadulf Evil-child are believed to be sons of Oswulf as well.

Oswulf was the first man specifically designated "high-reeve" of Bamburgh. Oswulf gained control of all Northumbria after the death of Eric Bloodaxe, King of Northumbria, and is believed to be responsible for the conspiracy that resulted in his death, perhaps at the instigation of King Eadred. Following Eric's death, Eadred of Wessex gained control of Northumbria and Oswulf became his High-reeve or Ealdorman administering Northumbria with King Eadred's consent and overlordship.

It is important to note that his name was spelled both Osulf and Oswulf and Bebbanburg was the Saxon name for Bamburgh, therefor, Osulf of Bebbanburg is the same person as Oswulf of Bamburgh.

Oswulf is often attributed as the father of:
- Eadwulf, Evil-Child
- Oslac of York
- Ealdred of Bamburgh
- Waltheof of Bamburgh*

*Waltheof is reported as both the son and grandson of
Oswulf (son of Ealdred); either relationship is possible.

Someone has noted below that Oswulf's cause of death was lynching, however, the source of this information is not known, and therefore the validity is not known.

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PLEASE DO NOT CITE WIKIPEDIA. CITE ONLY PRIMARY REFERENCES!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osulf_I_of_Bamburgh From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osulf I of Bamburgh
Born unknown
Died between 954 and 963
Cause of death Lynching
Resting place unknown
Known for Betraying Erik Bloodaxe and being the first recorded High-Reeve of Bamburgh
Title High-Reeve of Bamburgh
Ealdorman of York
Parent(s) unknown
Osulf (fl. 946\emdash 54) was high-reeve of Bamburgh and ruler of Northumbria. Sometimes called "earl", he is more surely the first recorded high-reeve of Bamburgh and the man who, after assisting in the death of its last independent ruler Erik Bloodaxe, administered the York-based Kingdom of Northumbria when it was taken over by the Wessex-based King Eadred of England in 954.

Osulf appears at least five times in witness lists for charters, some of which may be genuine, in the years 946, 949, and 950. In 946 and 949 he witnessed charters as "high reeve" In 949 he witnessed an Evesham grant as well as a grant by King Eadred to Canterbury Cathedral as dux.And in 950 an Osulf Bebbanburg is alleged to have witnessed as Eorl.

He is the first man specifically designated "high-reeve" of Bamburgh. High-reeve is Old English heah-gerefa, which Alfred Smyth thought was influenced by the Scottish word mormaer, which possibly has the same meaning ("High Steward"). Judging by the North People's Law, a high-reeve was not the same as an ealdorman (dux), having only half an ealdorman's wergild.

Osulf's origins are unclear. A genealogy in the text De Northumbria post Britannos, recording the ancestry of Waltheof Earl of Northampton (and, briefly, Northumbria), suggests that Osulf was the son of Eadulf of Bamburgh, the 'King of the Northern English' who died in 913. Richard Fletcher and David Rollason (Please add cites) thought he might be the Osulf Dux who had witnessed charters further south in the 930s, which if true would extend Osulf's floruit back to 934.

Though Eadulf and Ealdred appear to have ruled Northumbria, in the years running up to 954 the kingdom was controlled by the Scandinavians Amlaíb Cuarán and Eric Bloodaxe. According to Roger of Wendover's Flores historiarum (early 13th century), Osulf was responsible for a conspiracy with a certain Maccus that led to the betrayal and death of Eric Bloodaxe, King of Northumbria, "in a certain lonely place called Stainmore".

Following this, Osulf is said to have taken control of all Northumbria. Although this part of the Flores historiarum was compiled centuries later and contains some obvious anachronisms, Roger of Wendover appears to have used certain earlier sources, no longer extant, which would add credibility to the story. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (please provide the cite!) names King Eadred as the new ruler of Northumbria following the expulsion of Erik:

In this year the Northumbrians drove out Eric and Eadred succeeded to the kingdom".

This is why Richard Fletcher thinks Osulf was working at Eadred's instigation, and that a grateful Eadred promoted Osulf ruler of the entire Northumbrian sub-kingdom. However he got there, it was with Eadred's consent and overlordship, at least according to our sources. De primo Saxonum adventu summarises his status as follows:

Primus comitum post Eiricum, quem ultimum regem habuerunt Northymbrenses, Osulf provincias omnes Northanhymbrorum sub Edrido rege procuravit.
First of the earls after Erik, the last king whom the Northumbrians had, Osulf administered under King Eadred all the provinces of the Northumbrians.
Similar sentiments were expressed in the related Historia Regum: "Here the kings of Northumbrians came to an end and henceforth the provinces was administered by earls". Eadred's takeover and Osulf's rule thus represent the beginning of permanent West Saxon control of the North. Historian Alex Woolf argued (please provide cites!) that this take-over was a personal union of crowns rather like that between Scotland and England in 1603.

Little else is known about Osulf's period in power. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba says that in the time of Indulf (King of Scots from 954 to 962), Edinburgh was abandoned to the Scots, though nothing is said about the involvement of Northumbrians or Osulf.

The date of Osulf's death is not known. He was probably dead before 963, as that is the date Oslac appears for the first time as ealdorman in York. It is unclear whether Oslac was related to Osulf.[19] According to the De primo Saxonum adventu, Northumbria was divided into two parts after Osulf's death.[20] De Northumbria post Britannos says that Osulf had a son named Ealdred, father of Waltheof of Bamburgh (fl. 994), father of Uhtred of Northumbria.[21]

Notes with Primary References:

OSWULF, son of --- (-after 954). "Osulf dux" subscribed charters of King Æthelstan in 934 (four) and 937. Simeon of Durham records that "Earl Osulf" received the earldom of the Northumbrians in 953. King Eadred installed him in 954 as Earl of Northumbria, after the expulsion of King Erik "Blodøks/Blood-axe". Simeon of Durham in a later passage records that King Eadred appointed "Earl Osulf" who administered Northumbria "on the north side of the Tyne". He ruled the English lands north of the river Tees from Bamburgh.

Sawyer, Peter H (1968). Anglo-saxon charters : an annotated list and bibliography. Guides and handbooks. Vol. 8. Royal Historical Society. xiii\endash 538 pages. OCLC 460956. S 407, S 425, S 428 and S 434.

Stevenson, J. (trans.) (1855) The Historical Works of Simeon of Durham (London) ("Simeon of Durham"), p. 493, 556, 765, 766.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He worked as an Earl of Northumbria, High Reeve of Bamburgh in 953. ¹⁹⁴⁸

Osulf married.