Eadric Streona: The Worst Briton Ever?

Deriv; Scene from Bayeux Tapestry depicting Normans versus Anglo Saxons at the Battle of Hastings (Public Domain), and a very devious man (CC BY 2.0) 

– or how one greedy, treacherous Saxon earl weakened the English monarchy and paved the way for the Norman Conquest. 

According to an article that appeared in the BBC History Magazine in 2005, a relatively obscure Saxon nobleman called Eadric Streona, who few people have probably heard of, was named the 11th century’s worst Briton. Was it right? You decide…. 

Ethelred the Unready 

The year was AD 1007 and Viking raiders were continuing to plague the Saxon kingdom of England. Far from appeasing them, the payment of Dangeld - in effect bribes of gold and silver bullion to buy off the Vikings - was just encouraging their fleets of longships to return each year to demand yet more money. 

On the throne (intermittently from 978 to 1016) was one of England’s most disastrous monarchs, King Aethelraed II Unraed – better known to history as Ethelred the Unready. His unfortunate nickname is based on a pun – Aethelraed meaning noble counsel, while Unraed means no or bad counsel. 

Having paid out a record 36,000 pounds in weight of silver by way of Dangeld in 1007 to the Danish Viking leader King Sweyn Forkbeard the following year Ethelred ordered the construction of a national fleet of warships to defend the country. 

King Aethelraed II Unraed, or Ethelred the Unready (Public Domain) 

And so it was that in 1008, a fleet of 300 warships assembled off the port of Sandwich in Kent. At the time, this was the largest English fleet ever seen. Unfortunately, Ethelred’s plans soon began to unravel. 

Mutiny, Piracy, and Looting 

The fleet was under the command of a Sussex thegn (an aristocratic courtier) called Wulfnoth Cild. However, another courtier called Brihtric, the brother of the powerful Ealdorman (later called earls) Eadric Streona of Mercia, accused Wulfnoth of treachery. Wulfnoth denied the charges, however, seeing the dangerous position he was in, Wulfnoth led a mutiny and sailed away with 30 ships from the fleet. 

This was the first recorded mutiny in English naval history. Not content with mutinying, Wulfnoth and his ships then proceeded to commit acts of piracy and looting. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he: 

“went harrying everywhere along the south coast and did all manner of evil.” 

At this point Brihtric confidently announced that Wulfnoth’s ships could easily be surrounded and captured. Then, taking with him 80 ships from the fleet, he sailed in pursuit: 

“And thought to win great fame for himself by taking Wulfnoth dead or alive.” 

Sadly, Brihtric’s ships ran into a severe storm, which wrecked some boats and drove others ashore. But, worse was to come as Wulfnoth’s fleet chose this moment to return to the Sandwich area and commenced burning or sinking as many of Brihtric’s stricken ships as they could lay their hands on. After that, they left English waters and sailed off into exile.