Origins
He appears at least 5 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.
Osulf 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. Many historians assume him to have been the son of Ealdred or a relative of Ealdred and his father Eadulf, English rulers of the York-based Northumbrian kingdom. Richard Fletcher and David Rollason 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.
Read more about this topic: Osulf I Of Bamburgh
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