EDWARD THE MARTYR
EDWARD THE MARTYR
Born around 962, Edward was the only son of King Edgar the Peaceful, and his first wife Ethelfled.
Whilst he was the first son, he was not the acknowledged heir to the throne.
His father had remarried twice, and he now had another son, Ethelred the Unready, with his new Queen Elfthryth.
When King Edgar passed away, 13 year old Edward’s legitimacy was called into question.
Supporters of his younger brother Ethelred, called for him to take up the role instead.
As a half-brother to Edward and with a mother who was now Queen, Ethelred was a valid contender to the throne.
A family dispute over power would emerge, leading to an unimaginable turn of events which even today is shrouded in mystery.
In due course, Edward was chosen to be the next King of England.
His ascension to the throne took place amidst a power struggle, and his reign did nothing to allay fears of treachery, violence and disorder.
During Edward’s three years in power, the so-called anti-monastic reaction took place.
This involved members of the royal court taking their opportunity to reclaim power lost during King Edgar’s reign.
King Edgar had decided to increase the land ownership and power of the church, thus angering landowners in the process.
The nobility found Edward’s weak reign as king the perfect time to seize control, leading to attacks on monasteries and property belonging to the Church.
The dispute was escalating and civil war looked likely.
Edward’s leadership was not strong enough to deal with the current events, and the seizure of monastic estates continued.
All in all, Edward’s time in power was marred by crisis.
In March 978, Edward would make his fateful decision to visit his half-brother at Corfe Castle.
He arrived in the evening, accompanied only by a small group of men who were met at the gates of the castle by Elfthryth’s retainers.
This in itself, was quite as usual.
Having alerted members of the household to his impending arrival, he would have been expecting a welcome and accompaniment into the castle.
Unfortunately this did not happen.
The events that followed have become enveloped in secrecy, mired by clandestine reports and cryptic accounts.
Edward’s assassination took place at the gates of the castle as he waited to be allowed entry.
Edward was still mounted on his horse when he was mercilessly stabbed, dying on his horse which subsequently bolted into the darkness of the night, dragging his body along the ground.
No-one really knows how these events played out.
What is clear however, is that an act of murder and treachery was committed that night which had enormous repercussions for the throne, for the kingdom and Christianity in the years to come.
Edward’s murder was said to be on the orders of his stepmother who intended to put her own son on the throne.
Although unproven, Elfthryth and her factions, including Ethelred’s main advisors, appear the most likely perpetrators of the assassination.
Another key figure possibly implicated in Edward’s demise was Aelfhere, one of the main conspirators in the anti-monastic movement.
Some have taken his involvement in Edward’s reburial as a display of penance for the murder.
That being said, the responsibility for Edward the Martyr’s death remains a source of intrigue, with power, politics and wealth at play.
Initially Edward’s body was placed in a grave near Wareham, without any of the pomp or ceremony expected of a royal burial.
A year later his body was disinterred and taken to Shaftesbury Abbey to receive a proper ceremony.
In 1001 Edward’s body was placed in a prominent position in the Abbey, as by this point he was considered a saint.
King Edward would become known as Edward the Martyr, a representation of an innocent victim slain for power and prestige.
His status as a saint however, was induced by the miracles that were said to have occurred at his tomb.
His remains were said to have been miraculously intact, a sign of his sainthood.
His veneration followed, and to this day Edward the Martyr’s feast day is celebrated on 18th March, the day of his death.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the bones were removed from their resting place and hidden.
In 1931, bones were discovered in the ruins of the abbey, and said to be Edward’s.
Today they reside in the Orthodox Church of St Edward the Martyr in Brookwood, Surrey.
Memorial to St. Edward the Martyr, Shaftesbury Abbey.
Picture credit ~Steve Knight