ABSTRACT
Once back in England, Harold set about strengthening his own claim to the throne. His greatest potential rival was his brother Tostig, earl of Northumbria, but in the autumn of 1065 a rebellion broke out against this southerner in a fiercely independent northern shire. The likely causes included over-heavy taxation and the abuse of the legal system, as a result of which several Northumbrian notables died. Some of these may have been enjoying the earl's hospitality at the time, although other sources blame Queen Edith, his sister. Whatever the reason, Tostig found his hearth-troops murdered, his treasure plundered and himself expelled, while the natives chose Morkere as their earl. The revolt threatened to become a political revolution as the northerners marched south, gathering support as they went and undermining the stability of Edward's throne. The king was too ill to confront the rebels himself, and despatched Harold instead. The earl negotiated a peace which sent the northerners home satisfied but resulted in the exile of his own brother. Tostig was mortified, and took himself off to Flanders, to the court of his father-in-law, count Baldwin. Once there he plotted to return and claim the throne for himself. The whole affair was very shady and Harold came out of it with little credit. Even the Vita Edwardi Regis (Life of King Edward), a source favourable to the Godwinesons, since it was written for Queen Edith, suggests that stories abounded that Harold had himself fomented the rebellion against his brother. When charged with this he swore that this was not so, but the Vita comments that he had always been too free with his oaths.
