Tostig Godwinson was the third son of the Anglo-Saxon nobleman Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdottir, the daughter of Danish chieftain Thorgil Sprakling.
22 Facts About Tostig Godwinson
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In 1086, the Domesday Book recorded twenty-six vills or townships as being held by Earl Tostig Godwinson, forming the Manor of Hougun which now forms part of the county of Cumbria in north-west England.
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Three years later in 1055, Tostig Godwinson became the Earl of Northumbria upon the death of Earl Siward.
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Tostig Godwinson was on intimate terms with his brother-in-law, Edward the Confessor, and in 1061 he visited Pope Nicholas II at Rome in the company of Ealdred, archbishop of York.
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Tostig Godwinson appears to have governed in Northumbria with some difficulty.
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Tostig Godwinson was never popular with the Northumbrian ruling class, a mix of Danish invaders and Anglo-Saxon survivors of the last Norse invasion.
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Tostig Godwinson was said to have been heavy-handed with those who resisted his rule, including murdering several members of leading Northumbrian families.
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In late 1063 or early 1064, Tostig Godwinson had Gamal son of Orm and Ulf son of Dolfin assassinated when Gamal visited him under safe conduct.
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Tostig Godwinson was frequently absent from the court of King Edward in the south, and, possibly, showed a lack of leadership against the raiding Scots.
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Tostig Godwinson resorted to using a strong force of Danish mercenaries as his main force, an expensive and resented policy.
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Tostig Godwinson was from the south of England, a distinctly different culture from the north, which had not had a southern earl in generations.
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Yet, the wars in Wales, of which Tostig Godwinson's constituents were principal beneficiaries, needed to be paid for.
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Harold Tostig Godwinson persuaded King Edward the Confessor to agree to the demands of the rebels.
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At a meeting of the king and his council, Tostig Godwinson publicly accused Harold of fomenting the rebellion.
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Tostig Godwinson travelled to Normandy and attempted to form an alliance with William, who was related to his wife.
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Tostig Godwinson raided the coast as far as Sandwich but was forced to retreat when King Harold called out land and naval forces.
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Tostig Godwinson moved north and after an unsuccessful attempt to get his brother Gyrth to join him, he raided Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
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Tostig Godwinson made contact with King Harald III Hardrada of Norway and persuaded him to invade England.
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Hardrada's army and Tostig Godwinson invaded York, taking hostages after a peaceful surrender and while acquiring provisions.
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The Norwegians and the Flemish mercenaries hired by Tostig Godwinson were largely without armour and carried only personal weapons.
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Tostig Godwinson had two sons, probably born to an Anglo-Danish woman before his marriage to Judith; their names indicate an Anglo-Danish ancestry.
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Tostig Godwinson is portrayed by Luther Ford in the 2025 TV series King and Conqueror.