| Notes |
- Ælfflæd was the daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia, and his wife Edgina. She was also the granddaughter of Uchtred the Bold, Ealdorman of Northumbria. Born in Bamburgh sometime before 1020, Ælfflæd had 2 older sisters of the same name.
Simeon of Durham identifies 5 daughters of Ealdred and tells us there were 3 who were named "Aelfleda". There is no other record of 2 of the "Aelfledas". This leads to the conclusion that they died young.
It is not uncommon to see the same name used multiple times in families of this time period. If a child died young, often the next child born of the same sex was given the same name.
This is the 3rd born "Aelfleda", who would have been born after her sisters of the same name had died. She is the only daughter of this name to be found in sources other than that of Simeon of Durham, and the only daughter of this name to survive to adulthood.
Ælfflæd (Aelfleda) also had 2 younger sisters named Ealdgyth (Aldgitha) and Etheldreda (Etheldritha).
Simion goes on to say that this 3rd 'Aelfleda' "married earl Siward, by whom she became the mother of Waltheof ; and as this Aelfleda was countess, being the daughter of earl Aldred, and he the son of earl Ucthred and the daughter of bishop Aldun, — she laid claim to these lands following, as belonging to her by hereditary right: namely, Bemetun, Kymingeim, Eltun, Carltun, Heaclif, and He- seldene, which earl Siward her husband had given her ; and she gave to her son Waltheof the earldom of Northumberland, as it had been held by Waltheof s grandfather, earl Aldred."
In 1033 Ælfflæd became the 2nd wife of Siward Björnsson, Earl of Northumbria, a powerful theng of King Cnut. The marriage strengthened Siward's position in Northumbria, so much so that he rose to become sub-ruler of most of northern England.
Ælfflæd and Siward had 2 sons:
- Osbjorn (Osbearne) who died in 1054
- Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria
Osbjorn was much older than Waltheof and while many sources report him as the son of Ælfflæd, his mother was never identified in records, therefore, it is possible he was the son of Siward's 1st wife Godgifu. Waltheof, however, was definitively identified as the son of Ælfflæd.
Oldest son Osbjorn died in battle against MacBeth in 1054. Siward died in 1055. Waltheof was but 10 years old at the time of his father's death. It is not recorded when Ælfflæd died, it is believed she survived her husband and continued to raise Waltheof.
There is no record of Ælfflæd marrying a 2nd time.
Waltheof grew up to eventually become Earl of Northumbria himself. He married Judith of Lens, the niece of William the Conqueror. Waltheof and Judith had children, their oldest daughter Maud married David I King of Scotland. Through her granddaughter Ælfflæd became one of the many ancestors of the later Scottish and British monarchs.
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"Ealdred's daughter, Aelfflaed, WAS THE SECOND WIFE of Siward and her son was Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria."
--> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Ealdred,_son_of_Uchtred
"[Siward] entrenched his position in northern England by marrying Ælfflæd, the daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bamburgh. After killing Ealdred's successor Eadulf in 1041, Siward gained control of all Northumbria."
--> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siward,_Earl_of_Northumbria
In 1033 Siward married into the Northumbrian princely house, that of Bamburgh (after winning their admiration as a warrior) by taking Aelfled, granddaughter of Uchtred, former Earl of Northumbria, as his wife and thus strengthening his own position in that domain.
https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/937974
Siward then entrenched his position in northern England by marrying Ælfflæd, the daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bamburgh and granddaughter of Uhtred the Bold.
http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/vikings_18.html
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http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20nobility.htm#AelfledMSiward
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Abt 1019 - Abt 1060 (~ 41 years)
