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Edgar died this year. He had two sons but they were pretty young. Well, actually they were young; I have no idea if they
were pretty. They were called Edward, who was 12, and Ethelred, who was 6. Some nobles supported Edward, some Ethelred but Ethelred’s mummy, Elfthryth, who was
not Edward's mother, not surprisingly supported her son. However Edward was crowned King as he was supported by Archbishop Dunstan, still having a great influence
on things.
Over the next four years England was very nearly the place for a
civil war. A civil war is one that takes place between the people of one country and doesn’t, usually, involve other nations. The dispute was ended in 979AD when
Edward was murdered at a place called Corfe Castle, bits of which you can still visit. The murder was done by followers of Ethelred and mummy was a chief suspect.
However, with a name like Eifthryth, no one said anything against her, possibly because they couldn’t pronounce her name. The fact that she lived at Corfe Castle
was a bit of clue.
Edward was quickly buried at a place called Wareham but soon after miracles apparently began to happen in the area so he was reburied with full royal
honours in Shaftesbury Abbey. The procession from Wareham to Shaftesbury a distance of only 25 miles took 7 days (and you think our trains are slow). Apparently,
although Edward was unimportant in the history of England, pilgrims still travel to his grave which is now a modern shrine in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking in
Surrey. He sounds as though he may have travelled more after he died than before.
Forward to 979AD
