Ealdorman (/ˈɔːldərmən/, Old English pronunciation: [ˈæ͜ɑɫ.dorˌmɑn])[1] was a term in Anglo-Saxon England which originally applied to a man of high status, including some of royal birth, whose authority was independent of the king. It evolved in meaning and, in the eighth century, was sometimes applied to the former kings of territories which had submitted to great powers, such as Mercia. In Wessex in the second half of the ninth century, it meant the leaders of individual shires appointed by the king. By the tenth century, ealdormen had become the local representatives of the West Saxon king of England. Ealdormen would lead in battle, preside over courts, and levy taxation. Ealdormanries were the most prestigious royal appointments, the possession of noble families, and semi-independent rulers. Their territories became large, often covering former kingdoms, such as Mercia or East Anglia. Southern ealdormen often attended court, reflecting increasing centralisation of the kingdom, but the loyalty of northern ealdormen was more uncertain. In the eleventh century, the term eorl, today's earl, replaced that of ealdorman, but this reflected a change in terminology under Danish influence rather than a change in function.[2]
The ealdorman was an official appointed by the king to administer a shire,[3] and he could be removed at the will of the king. The ealdorman commanded the shire's fyrd (army), co-presided with the bishop over the shire court, and enforced royal orders. He had a right to the "third penny": one-third of the income from the shire court and one-third of the revenue from tolls and dues levied in the boroughs.[4][5]
Originally, the ealdorman governed a single shire. Starting with Edward the Elder, it became customary for one ealdorman to administer three or four shires together as an ealdormanry.[5] By 965, there were only two or three ealdormen in Wessex, four or five in Mercia, and one in Northumbria.[6] The boundaries of the ealdormanries are unknown, and they may not have covered the entire kingdom. It is possible that the king kept some areas under his personal jurisdiction.[4]