Cyneweard of Laughern
Cyneweard of Laughern or simply Cyneweard (died 1079 x 1086) was a mid-11th century Anglo-Saxon thegn and sheriff in Worcestershire, England. Probably the son of Æthelric Kiu and grand-nephew of Wulfstan Lupus, Archbishop of York (1003–1023), he was one of the leading nobles of the county at the Norman Conquest of England. On the death of Edward the Confessor he held lands in Gloucestershire and Warwickshire as well as Worcestershire.
Cyneweard | |
|---|---|
| Sheriff of Worcestershire | |
| In office before 1069 – 1069 | |
| Preceded by | Leofric [last known], fl. 1017 x 1030 |
| Succeeded by | Urse d'Abetot |
| Personal details | |
| Born | eastern Mercia |
| Died | between 1079 and 1086 |
A vassal of the bishops of Worcester, he was sheriff in the county until 1069. He lost this after the arrival of Urse d'Abetot, and it was Urse and his brother Robert Despenser who deprived Cyneweard and his family of many of their holdings in the region. Cyneweard's other holding were taken by this family after his own death, which occurred sometime between 1079 and 1086.