The death of a King.
A tale of murder, most horrid!
A King of England...so admired, he became known as Edmund the Magnificent.
Little is known of this long ago King but he has connection with Pucklechurch which put this small village on the Royal map.
His recorded DOB is 921 AD, his family line descending from the only King to be named Great...King Alfred the Great himself. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king. He inherited an England which faced many threats. Edmund engineered peace with Scotland and retook Northumbria from the Danes.
Edmund was killed by an exiled thief named Leofa, on 26th May 946.
Edmund had been partying at Pucklechurch Manor, as it was the Feast day of St Augustine. According to sources, Edmund spotted the intruder at the feast and challenged him himself. In the affray, both Edmund and Leofa were killed. The Manor was gifted to Glastonbury Abbey.
Edmund wasn’t buried in Pucklechurch, but in Glastonbury Abbey. The reason for this may be connected with the patronage of the Abbey by King Edmund and his admiration for Dunstan, later St Dunstan, who was Abbot there. Apparently Dunstan had been treated harshly by the King but Edmund realised his mistakes whilst out on a stag hunt near Cheddar. The story runs that Edmund and the hunt chased the stag until it leapt from the cliff edge. Edmund made a pledge to support Dunstan if his life was saved that day. Dunstans' story is well chronicled and can be found online.
For further information on Edmund see link
Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Reed for First to Find