The confession of Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northumbria, 1075, following the Revolt of the Earls
Illustration from a special edition history of England published in 1903. Info from wiki: In 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. His motives for taking part in the revolt are unclear, as is the depth of his involvement. However he repented, confessing his guilt first to Archbishop Lanfranc and then in person to William, who was at the time in Normandy. He returned to England with William but was arrested, brought twice before the king's court and sentenced to death. He spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on 31 May 1076 at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. He was said to have spent the months of his captivity in prayer and fasting. Many people believed in his innocence and were surprised when the execution was carried out. His body was initially thrown into a ditch, but was later retrieved and buried in the chapter house of Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire.
Size: 3241px × 2400px
Photo credit: © Historical Images Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1075, 1076, 11th, 1st, 31, act, anglo-saxon, aristocrat, beheaded, century, confession, conqueror, conquest, earl, earls, england, english, engraving, executed, history, illustration, image, norman, northumbria, picture, reign, resistance, revolt, waltheof, william
