• Born: Abt 1046, Huntington, Northumberland, England
• Married: 1070, Artois, France
• Died: 31 May 1076, St. Giles Hill, Winchester, England
• Buried: Crowland Abbey, Crowland, Lincolnshire, England

  Research Notes:

His parentage is recorded by Roger of Hoveden. Matthew of Paris specifies that he was the son of Siward, of Danish origin.

He was installed as Earl of Huntingdon and Northamptonshire after Tostig Godwinson was banished in Oct 1065. Snorre recounts that “Earl Morukare and…Earl Valthiof” failed to prevent Harald III King of Norway after landing on the river Humber in 1066 in a battle “upon the Wednesday next Mathias’ day”, adding that “Earl Valthiof…fled up to the castle of York”. Snorre also recounts that “Earl Valthiof” took part in the battle of Hastings and “escaped by flight”, seriously condensing his account of Waltheof’s subsequent career when he adds that King William “sent a message to Earl Valthiof that they should be reconciled” but that he was captured “at a heath north of Kastala-bryggia…put…in fetters and afterwards he was beheaded”. Snorre’s narrative includes two fragments of a poem in praise of Waltheof, presumably written contemporarily with Waltheof’s life. Jonathan Allen suggests that Waltheof himself may have patronised an Icelandic skald (court poet) whose work was eventually passed through to Snorre, providing interesting evidence of the persistence of Scandinavian culture in England in the second half of the 11th century.

Florence of Worcester records that "Waltheofum Siwardi ducis filius" went with King William to Normandy 21 Feb [1067]. Orderic Vitalis records that "Stigandum archipræsulem, Edgarum Adelinum Eduardi regis consobrinum et tres...comites: Eduinum, Morcarum et Guallevum, Egelnodum quoque Cantuariensem satrapam" accompanied King William to Normandy, dated to 1067 from the context. Orderic Vitalis records that "Suenus rex Danorum" sent a fleet led by "duos...filios suos et Osbernum fratrem suum" to attack England, that they were repulsed at Dover, Sandwich and Ipswich, and at Norwich by "Radulfus de Guader", that they were joined by "Adelinus, Guallevus, Siguardus" but defeated on the Humber, entered York headed by "Guallevus...Gaius Patricius, Marius Suenus, Elnocinus, Archillus et quatuor filii Karoli" but were eventually expelled, dated to 1069, a later passage adding that "Guallevus præsens et Gaius Patricius absens" made peace with King William at the river Tees.

Simeon of Durham records that "Waltheu the son of earl Siward…by Elfleda daughter of Earl Aldred" was installed as Earl of Northumberland after the earldom was confiscated from Gospatrick [in 1072].

Earl Waltheof joined the conspiracy of the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford against King William in 1075, repented and asked for the king's pardon, but was tried at Westminster at Christmas 1075, imprisoned at Winchester and, after the trial resumed there, beheaded. Florence of Worcester records that "comitumque Waltheofum" joined the conspiracy of William Earl of Hereford and Ralph Earl of Norfolk in [1074] but was tried and beheaded at Winchester the following year. ²