The son of Sweyn 'Forkbeard ', King of Denmark who
invaded England accompanied by his son. He conquered Wessex in 1013 and drove King Ethelred to Normandy.
Sweyn died the following year and Ethelred returned to re-establish himself and drive Canute back to Denmark. Canute
returned in 1015 with a strong fleet and army. He subdued the country and was declared King on the death of
Ethelred in 1615, excepting by London which recognised Edmund Ironside.
A peace conference was arranged after Canute's victory at Assandune in Essex at which a compromise was reached;
Canute would reign over Northumbria and the North; Edmund would reign over East Anglia, London and
Wessex. The
agreement continued until the death of Edmund in 1017 when Canute was recognised as King of the English.
Canute ruled England wisely and well, showing great administrative skills and unifying the contending kingdoms. He
did not attemptto introduce any foreign ideas or laws, fostering instead Anglo-Saxon traditions and working closely
with the leaders of the Anglo-Saxon Church.
A pious man, Canute made a pilgrimage to Rome and attended the coronation of the emperor, Conrad II. He rebuilt the
famous church at St Edmundsbury.
He is perhaps best remembered for his rebuke to his sycopanthic courtiers in connection with the rising tide.
Norway and Sweden threatened the invasion of Denmark in 1026. Canute vanquished the aggressors in a naval battle by
which he established his rule over a great part of Norway.
Canute died at Shaftesbury in Dorset
and was buried at Winchester. He was succeeded by the Saxon Harold I, son of the powrful Earl of Wessex.
Canute sailed into
the Poole Harbour with his fleet in 1015 before pushing on to
Wareham at its western end.
| 1000 | | Canute attempted to establish an empire in northern Europe consisting of Norway, Sweden, Denmark with England at its hub. He attempted to rule England as an English king and, except for the Norman Conquest in 1066, gave England a
period of comparative peace for about 200 years.
The Norman Conquest, the
last invasion of England, radicaly changed the course of British History. |
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| 1014 | | Canute begins his conquest of England |
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| 1015 | | Wareham Priory destroyed by Canute\'s forces |
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| 1015 | | Danish fleet under Canute over-winters in Poole Harbour and lays waste to the surroundings |
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| 1015 | | Edmund Ironside raises an army in Mercia to fight the ivasion of Canute |
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| 1016 | | Canute and his army cross into Mercia at Cricklade, destroying the towns fortifications |
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| 1016.Oct.18 | | Danes under Canute decisively defeat the Saxons under Edmund II (Ironside) at Battle of Assandun (Ashingdon) in Essex
Edmund retreated to Gloucestershire |
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| 1016.Oct.18+ | | Partition of England between the Saxon Edmund II Ironside and the Danish Canute I the Great |
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| 1016.Nov.30 | | Canute I, the great became king of England on the death of Edmund II, Ironside |
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| 1017 | | Canute divides his English kingdom into 4 earldoms - East Anglia, Mercia, Northumberland and Wessex - with Danish earls excepting the Saxon Godwin, made earl of Wessex |
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| 1018 | | A Danegeld of
�72,000 was raised by King Canute in England; plus �11,000 paid by London |
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| 1018 | | Canute becomes King of Denmark on the death of his brother |
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| 1035 | | Death of King Canute of England
reputedly at Old Sarum, Wilts.) |
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| 1040 | | Hardicanute becomes King of England |
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| 1042.Jun.08 | | Death of King Hardicanute - Canutes last son - Edward (the Confessor) becomes king of England
One of his first acts is to confiscate the estates of his mother, Emma of Normandy |
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