49:
176:
606:, losing many horses and weapons. In December 914, their strength was further depleted when a number of Northampton Danes submitted to Edward at Bedford. With the loss of Derby and East Anglia and the advance of King Edward, their ruler, Jarl Thurferth, and the men of Northampton and Cambridge submitted to the West Saxons in 917. Thurferth remained the client ruler, and attested four charters of King
485:, both escaped and the siege was lifted after a peace negotiation ceded the Five Boroughs to the Kingdom of York. Jarl Orm, the likely ruler of Leicester at the time (and who attested charters between 930 and 958) married his daughter Aldgyth to King Olaf later that year to cement the alliance. The burh might have made use of the walls of the Roman Leicester (
225:
197:
239:
211:
183:
634:
The Danish burh was first under threat from the advance of the West Saxon army in 914. In
November that year Bedford was surrounded in a pincer movement by Edward, and the ruling Jarl Thurketel submitted with all of his followers. Edward returned in November 915 to the Danish-held fortress, this time
417:
at Derby as her target. At that time the local ruler had probably joined with the armies from
Northampton and Leicester in a number of raids to attack Mercia. Aethelflaed took advantage of the weakened burh, and successfully assaulted the town in July 917; the whole region subsequently being annexed
537:
first occupied
Nottingham in 868 and subsequently set up winter quarters there. Burgred and his West Saxon allies laid siege, but made peace and allowed the Vikings to retreat after little serious fighting in 869. Danish reoccupation and settlement began in 877, and lasted until the assault by King
621:
in the 930s. In 941, then in the hands of the
Mercians, Northampton faced an unsuccessful siege by King Olaf of York. The 'army' of Northampton was still in existence in 984 when they were recorded witnessing the sale of land. The size of the Anglo-Danish burh at Northampton has been estimated to
663:
and built a new fortress in July 917. From here, the joint army attempted to recover the recently fallen burh at
Bedford, but were severely defeated and put to flight by the English garrison. The burh was occupied by the Edward's West Saxon army shortly afterwards.
592:
The following burhs were not part of the Five
Boroughs, but were Danish settled towns with large armies and ruled in a similar manner. These Danes often acted in alliance with those of the Five Boroughs and the Danish King of East Anglia.
692:
until King Olaf of York reoccupied the five former Danish burhs following a major offensive in 941, perhaps assisted by local Danish leaders. Danish rule was not restored for long before King Edmund recovered the Five
Boroughs in 942.
385:) and operated their armies sometimes independently but often in alliance with the rulers of their neighbours. In addition to the Five Boroughs there were also a number of very large Danish settlements to the south, including
466:. Though isolated by the loss of Derby and Northampton later that year, the Mercian army returned in early 918 to ravage the local countryside, and as a result the fortress surrendered peacefully to Aethelflaed's troops.
897:
It was from their base at Repton, in 874, that the
Vikings drove King Burgred into exile, 'conquered' the kingdom of Mercia, establishing a certain Ceolwulf as king in Burgred's place, and then decided to split into two
441:
Leicester became one of the more formidable Danish burhs; the local ruler combined his army with that of
Northampton and raided the West Saxon territories of Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire in 913, and defied King
601:
First recorded invading newly ceded
Mercian territories with their allies in 913, the Northampton Danes were initially very successful. However, on their return they were defeated by local Mercian forces near
680:. With the fall of Huntingdon, it left Cambridge the last independent host on which Danish East Anglia could rely, however the tide had turned and the Danes of Cambridge submitted to Edward in late 917.
688:
Danish rule of the Five Boroughs was lost following the English reconquests under Æthelflæd of Mercia and Edward the Elder of Wessex during 916 and 917. The area was subsequently ruled by the
358:
led one band north to Northumbria. The Vikings returned in 877 to partition Mercia: the west of the kingdom went to Ceolwulf II, whilst in the east the Five Boroughs began as the fortified
647:
and launched an attack to recover Bedford. The Danish army was defeated and put to flight. It was later incorporated into the enlarged Earldom of East Anglia in the early 10th century.
48:
513:
in Lindsey from 873 to 874. Lincoln probably surrendered in 918 following the capitulation of all the Danish territories on the border of Mercia and Wessex. As a former
433:
in 874, and had abandoned it a year later after suffering significantly from disease during their stay (leading to the discovery of a grave containing 245 bodies).
175:
639:. Thurketel then became Edward's client, until he permitted the Danish ruler to leave with his followers for France in the summer of 916. In July 917 the Danish
505:, and was protected from much of the Anglo-Danish fighting due to its isolated location. The Lincoln Danes settled the area formerly occupied by the Anglo-Saxon
702:. For many years afterwards the Five Boroughs were a separate and well defined area of the country where rulers sought support from its leaders, including
462:. In July 917, as part of a three-pronged assault, the combined forces of Leicester and Northampton, and possibly Derby, laid siege to the Mercian burh at
676:, Osketel and Anwend in 875, whose armies took up quarters there over the winter. In 911 it was first threatened by Edward, who built an opposing burh at
562:
Aethelnoth invaded the area around Stamford in the summer of 894, but the town was not besieged and Danish rule remained unaffected. The end came when
315:
on England began in the late 8th century, and were largely of the "hit and run" variety. However, in 865 various Viking armies combined and landed in
566:
assaulted Stamford in late May 918 and the burh soon fell to the army of Wessex. Later that year Edward built a second burh on the south side of the
919:
546:
in 920 to further fortify the area from Danish attack. Saxon Nottingham was known to have covered about 39 acres, which may have put the burh at
252:
1087:
849:
1153:
377:, which served as the centre of political power. The rulers were probably initially subject to their overlords in the Viking Kingdom of
1120:
974:
956:
883:
812:
766:
1148:
156:
131:
482:
1040:
1021:
1138:
1143:
698:
1002:
458:
to move her armies up to the fringes of Danish-occupied territory around Leicester in 914 and to construct a burh at
447:
422:
869:
709:
In 1015 there is a unique reference to the 'Seven Boroughs', which might have been included Torksey and York.
726:
410:
1100:
The Twelfth-Century: A Neglected Epoch in British Economic and Social History, Chapter 8 Burhs and Borough
673:
618:
316:
297:
470:
343:
405:. Although the area was settled by Danes from 877, it was not under English threat until 913 when Lady
923:
486:
614:
474:
320:
703:
534:
506:
355:
324:
149:
718:
841:
834:
1116:
1083:
970:
952:
879:
845:
808:
762:
530:
421:
The Danes might well have established their military headquarters on the former Roman fort of
339:
804:
987:
636:
563:
539:
443:
347:
289:
425:. This 6-acre (24,000 m) rectangular fort would have given the burh the equivalent of
1044:
1025:
1006:
706:
who gained the submission of the Five Boroughs in 1013, before going on to attack London.
689:
514:
696:
It is at this time the Five Boroughs are first recorded in an English poem known as the
570:. From Roffe, the ramparts of the northern burh might have been of approx 3100 ft (
342:
into exile and conquered Mercia; the Vikings replaced the exiled Mercian king with King
327:". In 871, the Vikings' campaign was reinforced when the Great Summer Army arrived from
1056:
635:
taking direct control of it and building a second burh on the south bank of the River
1132:
1075:
797:
782:
587:
567:
273:
865:
640:
542:
in the summer of 918. Edward constructed a second burh on the opposite side of the
312:
607:
1037:
1018:
873:
409:
of Mercia campaigned deep into Danish territory and established a burh at nearby
543:
455:
406:
386:
328:
301:
66:
878:. Oxford Illustrated Histories. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 55.
836:
Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred & Other Contemporary Sources
656:
293:
999:
660:
644:
559:
463:
285:
62:
17:
832:(1983). "Life of King Alfred". In Keynes, Simon; Lapidge, Michael (eds.).
509:, where the Vikings had previously overwintered in the nearby fortress of
481:
besieged the Viking army at Leicester the same year. Olaf and his advisor
677:
517:
town, the burh probably based its walls on the old fortress of 41 acres (
478:
451:
414:
413:. In 917 Aethelflaed launched her first offensive foray and selected the
969:
The Vikings and their Victims: The Verdict of the Names" Viking Society
729:, and it was to form a formal administrative unit long into the future.
721:
succeeded to the newly created Earldom of the Five Boroughs under King
510:
459:
390:
370:
363:
277:
722:
430:
378:
335:
269:
136:
53:
The Five Boroughs and the English Midlands in the early 10th century
829:
622:
have ramparts 3,000 ft (910 m) in length (equivalent to
603:
351:
281:
502:
382:
374:
359:
362:
of five Danish armies who settled the area and established the
338:(in present-day Derbyshire), the Great Heathen Army drove King
659:
were allies with the East Anglian Danes when they advanced to
725:
in 1019. By 1035 the Earldom had been subsumed into that of
323:
of England. The annals described the combined force as the "
799:
The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: the Middle Ages
574:
750 hides), and the Edwardian burh of around 2700 ft (
501:
The burh at Lincoln guarded the route between Wessex and
366:, the area where their native law and customs prevailed.
626:
700 hides), making it one of the smaller Danish burhs.
672:
Cambridge was first occupied by the Danes under kings
613:Northampton was later incorporated in the enlarged
256:
Location of the Five Burghs in the English Midlands
94:
84:
72:
58:
34:
833:
796:
795:Hooper, Nicholas Hooper; Bennett, Matthew (1996).
868:(2001) . "The Vikings in England c.790-1016". In
1000:Romain-Britain.org: Romano-British Walled Towns.
988:British History Online: Antiquities, Derbyshire.
369:Each of the Five Boroughs was ruled as a Danish
1111:Falkus, Malcolm & Gillingham, John (1989).
1082:Third Edition Oxford: Oxford University Press
875:The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
758:The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
8:
429:500 hides. The Vikings had camped at nearby
761:(3rd ed.). Oxford: OUP. pp. 2–3.
489:), of approx 7,800 ft (2,400 m) (
47:
31:
354:, the Vikings then split into two bands.
909:Holman. The A to Z of the Vikings. p.117
737:
373:, controlling lands around a fortified
334:In 874, following their winter stay in
803:. Cambridge University Press. p.
393:, which existed in a similar fashion.
319:, not to raid but to conquer the four
1071:
1069:
1067:
1065:
93:
83:
79:
7:
943:
941:
939:
937:
935:
933:
717:Following Danish conquest in 1016,
268:were the five main towns of Danish
1038:Nottingham Churches: City History.
224:
25:
781:ASC 865 – English translation at
684:Anglo-Saxon and Danish reconquest
196:
949:Mercia and the Making of England
920:"Measham History: Danish Period"
744:Falkus & Gillingham and Hill
266:The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw
238:
237:
223:
209:
195:
181:
174:
154:
129:
967:Fellows-Jensen, Gillian (1994)
210:
483:Wulfstan I, Archbishop of York
300:. The first four later became
27:Five main towns of the Danelaw
1:
1059:Retrieved on 15 January 2008.
1047:Retrieved on 15 January 2008.
1028:Retrieved on 15 January 2008.
1009:Retrieved on 15 January 2008.
990:Retrieved on 15 January 2008.
582:The Danish burhs to the south
426:
182:
840:. Penguin Classics. p.
713:Earldom of the Five Boroughs
699:Capture of the Five Boroughs
469:Relieved of English rule by
36:Five Boroughs of the Danelaw
1154:Viking Age populated places
1113:Historical Atlas of Britain
610:dated between 930 and 934.
96:• Conquest by England
1170:
1019:Roman-Britain.org: Lindum.
585:
108:
104:
80:
46:
41:
1057:Roffe: Stamford Origins.
1024:20 December 2007 at the
1005:17 December 2007 at the
785:. Retrieved 30 July 2013
1149:Anglo-Saxon settlements
1098:Blanchard, Ian (2007).
1043:7 February 2008 at the
727:Leofric, Earl of Mercia
86:• Viking conquest
947:Walker, Ian W (2000).
755:Sawyer, Peter (2001).
615:Earldom of East Anglia
529:The Viking army under
308:Establishment and rule
418:into English Mercia.
344:Ceolwulf II of Mercia
59:Common languages
1139:Geography of England
487:Ratae Corieltauvorum
321:Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
253:class=notpageimage|
1144:Anglo-Norse England
1080:Anglo-Saxon England
619:Æthelstan Half-King
475:King of the English
535:Halfdan Ragnarsson
507:Kingdom of Lindsey
325:Great Heathen Army
150:Kingdom of England
1088:978-0-19-280139-5
926:on 26 April 2005.
851:978-0-14-044409-4
783:project Gutenberg
643:army advanced to
531:Ivar the Boneless
471:King Olaf of York
340:Burgred of Mercia
272:(what is now the
262:The Five Boroughs
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499:
446:to besiege the
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350:'s biographer,
346:. According to
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568:River Welland
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521:1300 hides).
520:
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493:1900 hides).
492:
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280:. These were
279:
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274:East Midlands
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19:
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1102:Newlees p165
1099:
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1052:
1033:
1014:
995:
983:
968:
963:
948:
924:the original
914:
905:
896:
889:. Retrieved
874:
860:
835:
823:
798:
790:
777:
759:
756:
749:
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708:
697:
695:
687:
671:
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641:East Anglian
633:
623:
612:
600:
591:
578:650 hides).
575:
571:
557:
550:1300 hides.
547:
528:
518:
500:
490:
473:in 941, the
468:
440:
420:
402:
400:
368:
333:
313:Viking raids
311:
302:county towns
276:) under the
265:
261:
260:
119:Succeeded by
118:
113:
29:
1115:Kingfisher
597:Northampton
564:King Edward
456:Aethelflaed
407:Aethelflaed
401:Old Norse:
387:Northampton
329:Scandinavia
317:East Anglia
114:Preceded by
67:Old English
18:Five Burghs
1133:Categories
733:References
719:Earl Sired
657:Huntingdon
651:Huntingdon
586:See also:
525:Nottingham
448:West Saxon
294:Nottingham
231:Nottingham
668:Cambridge
661:Tempsford
645:Tempsford
608:Æthelstan
560:Ealdorman
464:Towcester
437:Leicester
423:Derventio
286:Leicester
203:Leicester
63:Old Norse
1078:(1971).
1041:Archived
1022:Archived
1003:Archived
678:Hertford
554:Stamford
479:Edmund I
452:Hertford
450:burh of
415:fortress
411:Tamworth
403:DjĂşra-bĂ˝
298:Stamford
245:Stamford
42:870s–918
1123:. p. 52
951:Sutton
891:15 July
872:(ed.).
674:Guthrum
630:Bedford
511:Torksey
497:Lincoln
460:Warwick
391:Bedford
371:jarldom
364:Danelaw
356:Halfdan
290:Lincoln
278:Danelaw
217:Lincoln
73:History
1119:
1086:
973:
955:
898:bands.
882:
848:
811:
765:
723:Canute
617:under
431:Repton
379:Jorvik
336:Repton
270:Mercia
137:Mercia
76:
830:Asser
604:Luton
544:Trent
397:Derby
360:burhs
352:Asser
282:Derby
189:Derby
1117:ISBN
1084:ISBN
971:ISBN
953:ISBN
893:2022
880:ISBN
846:ISBN
809:ISBN
763:ISBN
637:Ouse
533:and
503:York
389:and
383:York
381:(or
375:burh
296:and
90:870s
977:p19
264:or
100:918
1135::
1064:^
932:^
895:.
844:.
842:82
807:.
805:22
753:*
624:c.
576:c.
572:c.
548:c.
519:c.
491:c.
477:,
427:c.
331:.
304:.
292:,
288:,
284:,
854:.
827:*
817:.
771:.
20:)
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