POLITICAL HISTORY 



In that year 31 the character of the Viking invasions changed, and a 

 period of regular and systematic conquest under Sweyn and his son Canute 

 set in. In three years Staffordshire changed kings three times: for in 1013 

 it submitted with the rest of England to Sweyn; on his death, with the whole 

 country, it reverted to Ethelred; and in 1016, on the division of the country 

 at Olney, it went with the rest of Mercia to Canute. 



In the same year, just before the treaty, both Canute and Edmund harried, 

 burned, and slew in the county. 82 



The career of the traitor Edric Streona was cut short by Canute, and 

 he was succeeded as earl, for so the ealdormen were now called, of Mercia 

 by Leofwine, who in turn was followed by his famous son Leofric. He died 

 at Bromley in Staffordshire in 1057, and after Elfgar had been earl a few 

 years Edwin, the last earl of Mercia, succeeded him some time between 

 1062 and 1065, and is of interest to us as many of his estates lay in the 

 county. 83 



On his death the earldom of Mercia came to an end, and its last earl 

 cannot be said to have dignified that end. For though he had high birth, a 

 handsome person, and winning manners, added to the piety of the age, he 

 was politically worthless. 84 When Harold Hardrada sailed up the Tyne he 

 left the coast unguarded ; when Harold the son of Godwine was marching 

 south to fight William he hung back. He was one of the first to yield to 

 William, yet he rebelled against the Conqueror, though his heart failed him 

 before a blow was struck ; while his second attempt was futile and ended in 

 his assassination, according to the English account, by his own men. 



His estates went into various hands, the king kept the lion's share, while 

 many went to found the two palatinate earldoms of Chester and Shrews- 

 bury. 86 



We have now reached ' the turning point of English history.' England 

 seemed conquered by the battle of Hastings, but after a brief lull a series of 

 isolated risings took place, which were beaten in detail by William. 



In 1069, when the Danes and English took York, Staffordshire and 

 Shropshire broke out in revolt, probably at the instigation of Edwin. This 

 district must have been imperfectly subdued up to this time. Both town 

 and county paid dearly for their outbreak, for William in his northward 

 march conquered them ; and the huge confiscations, which were always great 

 in proportion to the resistance to his rule, show that the patriotism of the 

 Staffordshire men had led to a vigorous contest that was punished with 

 merciless severity. 86 



In the next year occurred William's celebrated winter march from York to 

 Chester, and, provoked by the stern resistance he met then, the neighbouring 

 counties, including Staffordshire, were fearfully ravaged ; ' men young and 

 old, women and children, wandered as far south as the abbey of Evesham in 

 quest of a morsel of bread.' " It was probably at this time that, according 

 to his custom, William built the castle in the town of Stafford, which was 



11 It should be mentioned that Holinshed fixes the scene of the opening of the massacre of St. Brice's Day 

 at Houndhill, five miles from Tutbury. 



" Angl.-Sax. Chron. (Rolls Ser.), 121. " Eyton, Staffs. Domesday, 32. 



" Freeman, Norman Cony, iv, 182. 35 Eyton, Staffs. Domesday, 32. 



* Freeman, Norman Conq. (ed. 4), iv, 282. " Ibid, iv, 315. 



221 



