county · British Isles

Earldom of Bamburgh

867 CE – 1041 CE (approx.) · capital Bamburgh

The English lordship that survived the Viking conquest of York, ruling northern Northumbria from the fortress of Bamburgh.

Origins

When the Great Heathen Army took York in 867, the northern part of the Kingdom of Northumbria between the Tees and the Tweed remained under English rulers based at Bamburgh. Its leaders, such as Eadwulf and his descendants, styled themselves high-reeves or even kings of the northern English.

Rule and society

Bamburgh's lords protected the community of Saint Cuthbert, which moved with its relics to Chester-le-Street and then Durham. They recognised West Saxon kings from Aethelstan onwards, while defending Lothian against Scottish attack. Uhtred the Bold defeated the Scots at Durham in 1006 and held the whole earldom of Northumbria.

Decline and legacy

Feuds and Danish rule weakened the house. In 1041 Earl Siward killed Eadwulf, the last of the line, and united Northumbria under his own authority as part of the Kingdom of England. Lothian had already passed to the Kingdom of Scotland.

Lineage

Kingdom of Northumbria 654 CE – 954 CEEarldom of BamburghKingdom of England 927 CE – 1707 CE

More states of British Isles →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Earldom of Bamburgh. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/earldom-of-bamburgh
MLA
“Earldom of Bamburgh.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/earldom-of-bamburgh. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Earldom of Bamburgh.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/earldom-of-bamburgh.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Earldom of Bamburgh’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/earldom-of-bamburgh (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻