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Earl Godwin of Wessex, the father of King
Harold II lived in Bosham, as did Harold himself. Earl Godwin was the real
power in the country and he ruthlessly murdered anyone who had claim to
the throne. He had ruled the country for his
son-in-law, Edward the Confessor, who lived as a monk and had no
children. Harold then became the 2nd Earl Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Lord
of the Manor of Bosham.
Harold went to mass at Bosham in 1064 (as
depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry above) prior to leaving Bosham and meeting
William of Normandy. It was at this meeting that Harold told William he
would be claiming the throne of England for himself. Understandably
William did not take kindly to this and thus the battle of Hastings in
1066.
In the Tapestry Harold is shown having a feast in the
manor house followed by a blessing service in the church, before setting
out in his long boat for Normandy. Harold kept his fleet in Bosham and the
vessels were almost certainly built here too. Shipbuilding had long been
an important local industry until comparatively recently.
Saxon Kings of England
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