Earl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of Deira. Eventually all Northumbria was united under the Bernician dynasty. This dynasty held onto Bernicia until 1041, but from 1016 there were other earls in York who were appointed by King Canute the Great over all Northumbria. It was itself broken up in the early Norman period and dissolved into the earldoms of York and Northumberland, with much land going to the prince-bishopric of Durham.
The earls were:
- Osulf I (954-963), Earl of Bernicia from 930
- Oslac of Northumbria, exiled in 975
- Waltheof I (963-995)
- Uhtred the Bold (1006-1016)
- Eric of Hlathir (1016-1023)
- Siward (1031-1055), without underlings in Bernicia from 1041
- Tostig (1055-1065)
- Morcar (1065-1066)
- Copsi (1067)
- Osulf II (1067)
- Gospatric (1067-1068)
- Robert Comine (1068-1069)
Vacant during the Harrying of the North until...
- Gospatric (1070-1072, again
- Waltheof II (1072-1075)
- William Walcher (1075-1080), also prince-bishop of Durham
- Aubrey de Coucy (1080-1086)
- Robert de Mowbray (1086-1095)
Vacant until Stephen was pressured by David of Scotland to grant to ...
- Henry of Scotland, 1139-1152
- William of Scotland, 1152-1157
- Deprived of title and lands by Henry II of England, 1157
Purchased by Hugh de Puiset, the Bishop of Durham in 1189, and held until 1191 or so.
Vacant until the First Barons' War, when the barons of Northumberland and York did homage to ...
- Alexander II of Scotland, 1215-1217
- Surrendered to Henry III of England, 1217
Famous quotes containing the words earl of and/or earl:
“I cannot give them my confidence; pardon me, gentlemen, confidence is a plant of slow growth in an aged bosom: youth is the season of credulity.”
—William, Earl Of Pitt (1708–1778)
“Were you to converse with a king, you ought to be as easy and unembarrassed as with your own valet-de chambre; but yet every look, word, and action should imply the utmost respect.... You must wait till you are spoken to; you must receive, not give, the subject of conversation, and you must even take care that the given subject of such conversation do not lead you into any impropriety.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)