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Hundbeorht of Lincolnshire

Hundbeorht of Lincolnshire (died 875) was the Mercian ealdorman of Lincolnshire during the late 9th century AD. He died from medical neglect at Bolingbroke Castle in 875, and he was succeeded as Ealdorman by his son Hunwald.

Biography[]

Hundbeorht was born in Lincolnshire, England (then part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia) to a house descended from the Anglian kings of Lindsey. He was proud of his ancestry, once writing his son Hunwald: "Remember we are Yellow Bellies, from the Wapentake and the ancient hollows, our sheep graze the mustard fields and our poppy heads make us happy, and when you hunt, remember that you are part of the long line of Anglian Kings of Lindsey. Good Folk and Yellow Bellies from Woden to God," and he always addressed himself as "Hundbeorht Rex of the Lindsey-Folk". Hundbeorht gave his son a happy childhood and was known as a kind and well-respected leader, and he was allowed to retain his autonomy following the Great Heathen Army's conquest of Mercia, after which he became loyal to their puppet ruler, Ceolwulf II of Mercia. In 875, Hundbeorht fell ill, and he was taken into the care of Sister Hildeburg, who operated a hospice in town. He was later taken from the hospice by armed men led by Bishop Herefrith of Lincoln, who intended to have Hundbeorht held captive as he and the Order of the Ancients assumed power in Hundbeorht's stead. Hundbeorht was taken to the bathhouse in the Old Lincoln Sewers, and from there to Bolingbroke Castle, travelling down a secret route which would not draw any public attention. However, he was nearly killed in a bandit ambush at Roaring Meg's Spring, although his bodyguards were able to kill all of the bandits. He was then taken to Bolingbroke Castle and placed under heavy guard, while Herefrith secretly ordered that Hunwald was to be exiled, claiming that Hunwald sought to usurp his father's titles while he still lived. Hundbeorht was denied access to proper medical care, with the healer Galwyna presiding over him in the isolated crypt of the castle. He eventually died of his sickness, and his body was left on his throne as it decayed. Hunwald's friend, the Norwegian Viking warrior Eivor, later followed Hundbeorht's tracks and discovered his fate after finding his body in the crypt (following a stealthy infiltration of the castle), and he brought Hundbeorht's seal back to Hunwald as proof that his father had secretly died. Hunwald was then elected Ealdorman at the shiremoot, foiling Herefrith's plans to win power for himself and provoking Herefrith to rebel.

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