Here’s a wonderful piece of research by local resident Jeremy Lander, produced in 2009, linking the area to Edith Swan-Neck, or ‘Eddeva the Fair’ as she was often called, landowner in and around Cambridge in 1066 and common-law wife of Harold II. It’s a wonderful tale.
Read Who was Queen Edith? at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum website
On page 15 Jeremy says:
“Between the 1890s and the 1930s the area grew with large detached houses being built at the western ends of Blinco Grove, Glebe, and Hills Roads, and on Cavendish Avenue as far as Baldock Way.”
The reference to Hills Road here doesn’t seem right to me, I think he means Hills Avenue.
Youre quite right Mike– I meant Hills Avenue
(updated in the recent edition)
A very interesting paper – thanks very much, Jeremy!
At least King Harold was mourned and given a decent burial ? treated better than poor King Richard III, the next English king to die on the battlefield.
I’m not sure he was Amanda! Some say the pieces were collected up by Eddeva and her coterie, William would not allow burial on English soil and so a funeral pyre was built on the beach. Fanciful perhaps. Others say the body was taken to Waltham Abbey, his foundation, and buried there. There is a tombstone to him just east of the chancel where the Saxon church would have been but no one knows if this is authentic. Surely an archaeological dig to verify this, a la Richard 3, is called for? Though tracing Harold’s DNA may be more tricky!
Jeremy! I need your help. I have some unusual research material about Lady Edith that I need handled with sensitivity and grace. I know this is totally ridiculous, and I’m terribly embarrassed, but I have quite a strong inner connection with her, and my inner experience led me to connect a lot of dots that have not been connected in the history books thus far. Are you willing to look at some of my material? For example, I have a surprising ability to read and translate some of the oldstyle German script from Vienna in the 1800s, I think if you see the quality of my original translations you will see that I am the “real deal”. If you are willing to help me tell this wonderful tale, please send me an email where I can send some of my material, thanks!!!
Thank you ,fascinating!