Battle of Brunanburh, 937 AD
Many historians have tried to pinpoint the Battle of Brunanburh which was the last great clash of the Celtic nations against the invading Saxons.The Battle was a victory won by Athelstan, king of the English, over a coalition of Irish, Scots, and Britons.The majority, who have analysed the Anglo Saxon Chronicles and indeed the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson seemed to favour the North West. The earliest attempt to fix a location was by Florence of Worcester, a 12th century chronicler, who placed it on the eastern coast of England near the mouth of the Humber. However, most modern scholarship places it in northwest England or southwest Scotland, along the Solway Firth.
However this feature does mention Brunesford , Brinsworth is recorded in the Domesday Book as Brinesford.
Extract from above:
- With so many records of the Battle of Brunanburh, it is difficult to believe that the site of the battle has not been discovered, but so far, even speculation has only scratched the surface and no real attempt has been made to dig out the facts for years. Some say it took place near Doncaster. Others that it was Bridgenorth or even in the South West of England. Nevertheless, many authorities believe a logical place for this battle was somewhere near the Lancashire coast.
Michael Wood, journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, in his book , makes the case for Brinsworth.
...In the third part of In Search of England, Wood writes about places that illuminate interesting aspects of early England: Tinsley Wood, near Sheffield, which has been claimed as the site of Athelstan's great victory against the Celts in 937; ... . These are the places and events that offer a complementary version of the history that is discussed earlier in the book... .
According to The Peerage.com Brunanburgh was a place in Scotland:
- Cellach of Scotland was the son of Constantine II, King of Scotland. He died in 937 at Brunanburgh, Scotland, killed in action.
Renowned battle of Brunanburh, Brunesburh, Brunnanwerch, or Bruneswerce. Burnswork {Burnswark] in Dumfriesshire, nine miles from the Solway Firth, is one of the claimants to the honours of this place
Lachtin Godfreyson
I have recently read in the book 'Roddis Quarries of Wickersley' that Lachtin Godfreyson, during the Battle of Brunanburgh, had his headquarters at Laughton-en-le-Morthen.
The Oxford DNB archive has an Olaf Godfreyson (d 941), leader of the Ostmen, and king of Dublin and Deira, ... 'in 937 Olaf fought at the great battle of Brunanburh under the leadership of Olaf Sitricson' ...
The current Oxford DNB has Óláf Guthfrithson (d 941) king of Dublin and of Northumbria. '... interests in both Ireland and Britain; the latter would lead to his defeat at the battle of ‘Brunanburh’ (937) by the English king Aethelstan' ... .
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