Cyneweard of Laughern

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

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.

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.

Cyneweard's name was uncommon in Anglo-Saxon England. It occurs only seven times in the Domesday Book, and it is probable that all references are to Cyneweard of Laughern. From the evidence in Domesday, Cyneweard held under the Bishop of Worcester half a hide at Laughern, five hides at Wyre Piddle, two hides at Elmley Castle, and along with his probable vassal Ulfkil, a manor of three hides at Hanley.

In Warwickshire Cyneweard possessed, along with a thegn named Beorhtric, six hides at Stretton-on-Fosse. In Gloucestershire, he held a manor of two hides at Duntisbourne Abbots, and in the same county in the vill of Coates he held one of three manors; his manor was worth one hide, with another one-hide manor being held by Beorhtric, and a third manor worth half a hide being held by a thegn named Leofwine. It is likely that Cyneweard held in 1066 the five hide manor of Duntisbourne Abbots later given by the mother of Roger de Lacy to Gloucester Abbey.

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