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Thread: medieval English earldoms

  1. #1

    Default medieval English earldoms

    Yup, more froggy research

    I’m being a bit lazy; I could compile a lot of this information by reading through my 5 shelves worth of history books and noting down every earl and earldom mentioned along with the detail, but then I thought there might be something similar to what I want already in existence. If so it will save me maybe a week’s work. Some earldoms are frequently mentioned, while others barely get a word in edgeways for various reasons, so there’s plenty of room for me to get something wrong anyway.

    Basically (ha!) I want a list of what earldoms there were in medieval and Saxon England, before 1400. I know this changed a great deal, so rough dates for when new earldoms were created and old ones retired/broken up would be useful.

    I’d also love something which gives a reasonable idea of how much land each earldom covers. Well, it would have to be several somethings to keep up with the various changes. Just a rough idea will do; it doesn’t need to be massively detailed. While some are named simply (the earldom of Lincoln is around …. Lincoln!) others are not (Huntingdon, anyone? Never heard of the name outside of the earldom) Besides, even the simple ones are a bit deceptive anyway; they cover more than just the city they were named after. It’s annoying; I have very little idea of what kind of area even the earldoms I encounter frequently covered.

    Really I’m surprised none of my books already have something like this. It’s a rather obvious thing to cover. Humph.

    Thanks.

    If someone has similar information for bishoprics in the same period I'd be interested in that too. I've spent hours compiling notes on that now, and it still feels distressingly incomplete, mostly because I've been pulling them off an ecclesiastical map of medieval England.
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  2. #2

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    Dont know if this is any help - http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/

  3. #3
    boy of DESTINY Senior Member Big_John's Avatar
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    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    what about http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionar...0of%20Earldoms

    shows creation and extinction or forfeiture dates (if applicable). very little information about their holdings, though (some have a bit of info, like earl of leicester).
    now i'm here, and history is vindicated.

  4. #4
    boy of DESTINY Senior Member Big_John's Avatar
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    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    you can also check out this channel 4 website: http://www.channel4.com/history/micr...gs/godwin.html
    has a couple of maps of earl holdings in late saxon england. don't know how complete they are. but the timeline up top is fun to play with, regardless.
    here are the maps:
    ~1020
    1066

    some other maps, not so helpful:
    http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/image/en...gl/msh1066.jpg
    http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/maps/1399englanda.jpg
    now i'm here, and history is vindicated.

  5. #5

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    I had a word with the editor of history.uk.com, he said you should ask college of arms for any pre 1400 historical info such as earldoms.

    The College of Arms
    Queen Victoria Street
    London EC4V 4BT
    Tel: +44 (0) 20 7248 2762
    The College is open each weekday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m
    Web site: www.college-of-arms.gov.uk

  6. #6

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    also try burkes peerage and gentry they have some nice maps of territories: www.burkes-peerage.net

  7. #7

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    So it looks like I'll have to compile my list myself. Oh well, it was worth a try, and these links should speed things considerably. Thanks.
    Frogbeastegg's Guide to Total War: Shogun II. Please note that the guide is not up-to-date for the latest patch.


  8. #8

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    is this any good? it shows when they were created, Earldoms in the Peerage of England, 1066-1707- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Earldoms

  9. #9

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms


  10. #10

    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    Ah ha! Brilliant! Thanks.
    Frogbeastegg's Guide to Total War: Shogun II. Please note that the guide is not up-to-date for the latest patch.


  11. #11
    Bringing down the vulgaroisie Member King Henry V's Avatar
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    Default Re: medieval English earldoms

    Well King Stephen made about fourteen new earldoms in his nineteen year reign which is quite a bit. However, on the whole, were there's an county, there was once an earldom. Huntingdon (birthplace of Oliver Cromwell, John Major's constituency, stronghold of Hereward the Wake....) was once a proper shire, before being divided between Lincoln, Norfolk and other counties.
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