Godwin, Earl of Wessex was a member of the House of Wessex through his daughter Edith’s marriage to King Edward the Confessor and his son Harold becoming King of England.
Contents
Godwin Earl of Wessex Family Tree Image
Godwin Earl of Wessex Family Tree in Table Form
Godwin Earl of Wessex Short Biography
Godwin, Earl of Wessex Family Tree Image showing:
parent, wife, children and grandchildren
Godwin Earl of Wessex Family Tree in Table Form showing:
parent, wife, children and grandchildren
GRANDPARENTS
Paternal Grandfather – Not known
Paternal Grandmother – Not known
Maternal Grandfather – Not known
Maternal Grandmother – Not known
PARENTS
Father – Wulfnoth Cild of Sussex – (d. c. 1014)
Mother – Not known
SIBLINGS
Not known
MARRIED
Gytha Thorkelsdottir – (c. 997 – c. 1067)
CHILDREN
Sweyn, Earl of Hertfordshire – (1020 – 1052)
Harold Godwinson, King of England – (1022 – 1066)
Edith of Wessex – (1025 – 1075) – married King Edward the Confessor
Tostig, Earl of Northumbria – (1026 – 1066) – married Judith of Flanders
Gyrth, Earl of East Anglia – (c. 1030 – 1066)
Gunhilda – (c. 1035 – 1087)
Leofwine, Earl of Kent – (c. 1035 – 1066)
Wulfnoth – (1040 – 1094)
Alfgar – (dates not known)
Edgiva – (dates not known)
Elgiva – (d. 1066)
GRANDCHILDREN
by Sweyn
Hakon – (dates not known)
by Harold and Edyth Swanneck
Godwin – (dates not known)
Edmund – (dates not known)
Magnus – (dates not known)
Gunhilda – (dates not known)
Gytha – (dates not known)
Ulf – (dates not known) – the mother of Ulf is disputed
by Harold and Ealdgyth
Harold – (dates not known)
Ulf – (dates not known) – the mother of Ulf is disputed
by Tostig and Judith of Flanders
Skuli – (dates not known)
Ketil – (dates not known)
Godwin, Earl of Wessex Short Biography
Godwin Earl of Wessex, was born in 1001, the son of Wulfnoth Cild, a thegn of Sussex. The identity of his mother is not known. His father came into conflict with King Aethelred the Unready after he stole 20 of King Aethelred’s newly built ships and used them to raid the Sussex coast. He may have had land confiscated as a punishment.
King Canute took the English throne in 1016 and ruled until 1035. Godwin gave his full support to Canute and was created Earl of Wessex for his service. Godwin married Gytha, the sister of Canute’s brother-in-law and they had eleven children. By the time of Canute’s death in 1035, Earl Godwin had become the most powerful noble in the land.
After the death of King Aethelred, Godwin gave his support to Harold Harefoot, son of Canute by his first wife, Aelfgifu of Northampton. It is said that when Aethelred the Unready’s son, Alfred landed in England in 1037, Godwin was responsible for greeting and then blinding him. He later claimed that he was acting on the orders of Harold Harefoot. Alfred later died of his injuries.
In 1042, Aethelred’s son, Edward, known as the Confessor, was invited to become King. Godwin now gave his full support to Edward and in 1045 King Edward married Godwin’s daughter, Edith.
The Godwin family fell out with the King in 1051 after Earl Godwin refused to punish the people of Dover for a brawl that broke out with the King’s kinsmen. While the family were in exile it is believed that Edward the Confessor may have offered the English throne to William of Normandy.
Fearing civil war with the Godwin family, Edward made peace and the Godwins returned to England. Godwin’s eldest son, Sweyn, chose not to return. He embarked on a crusade and died.
Earl Godwin died in 1053 and his son Harold took his place as Earl of Wessex and close advisor to the King.
Published Aug 28, 2024 – Updated – Dec 4 2024
Harvard Reference for Godwin Earl of Wessex Family Tree:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2024 – 2025). Godwin Earl of Wessex Family Tree & Biography (1001-1053). Available: https://www.treesofblue.com/godwin-earl-of-wessex-1001-1053. Last accessed April 16th, 2025