Florence Of
Worcester. The Saxon Chronicle expressly tells us that Godwin's father
was Childe of Sussex (Florence calls him minister or thegn of Sussex
[285]), and that Wolnoth was nephew to Edric, the all-powerful Earl or
Duke of Mercia. Florence confirms this statement, and gives the
pedigree, which may be deduced as follows:

________________________________
| |
Edric married Egelric,
Edgith, daughter of surnamed Leofwine
King Ethelred II. |
Egelmar,
|
Wolnoth.
|
Godwin.

Thus this "old peasant," as the North Chronicles call Wolnoth, as,
according to our most unquestionable authorities, a thegn of one of the
most important divisions in England, and a member of the most powerful
family in the kingdom! Now, if our Saxon authorities needed any aid from
probabilities, it is scarcely worth asking, which is the more probable,
that the son of a Saxon herdsman should in a few years rise to such power
as to marry the sister of the royal Danish Conqueror--or that that honour
should be conferred on the most able member of a house already allied to
Saxon royalty, and which evidently retained its power after the fall of
its head, the treacherous Edric Streone! Even after the Conquest, one of
Streone's nephews, Edricus Sylvaticus, is mentioned (Simon. Dunelm.) as
"a very powerful thegn." Upon the whole, the account given of Godwin's
rise in the text of the work appears the most correct that conjectures,
based on our scanty historical information, will allow.

In 1009 A.D., Wolnoth, the Childe or Thegn of Sussex, defeats the fleets
of Ethelred, under his uncle Brightric, and goes therefore into
rebellion. Thus when, in 1014 (five years afterwards), Canute is chosen
king by all the fleet, it is probable that Wolnoth and Godwin, his son,
espoused his cause; and that Godwin, subsequently presented to Canute as
a young noble of great promise, was favoured by that sagacious king, and
ultimately honoured with the hand, first of his sister, secondly of his
niece, as a mode of conciliating the Saxon thegns.

NOTE (K)

The want of Fortresses in England.

The Saxons were sad destroyers. They destroyed the strongholds which the
Briton had received fro