Malmesbury’s most famous historical characters

Anyone exploring the town of Malmesbury will come across many references to King Athelstan (also spelled Aethelstan or Ethelstan) the first King of the whole of England. Athelstan was the son of Edward the Elder and grandson of Alfred the Great. He was illegitimate, at the time of his birth, his mother was Egwina the King’s mistress although she later became his queen. Athelstan died on 27th October 939 in his palace at Gloucester after only fourteen years on the throne He was buried at his beloved Malmesbury, but where exactly is not known, the tomb in the Abbey is fifteenth century and is empty!

Eilmer of Malmesbury, nicknamed ‘Eilmer the Flying Monk’ was the country’s first recorded aviator. Apparently inspired by the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, Eilmer allegedly glided some 200 m (700 ft) from the top of Malmesbury Abbey before crash-landing and breaking his legs. William of Malmesbury wrote about 100 years after the event in his epic ‘Deeds of the English Kings’:

‘He was a man of good learning for those times; of mature age and in his early youth had hazarded an attempt of singular temerity: he had by some contrivance fastened to his hands and feet in order that he might fly as Daedalus, and collecting the air, on the summit of a tower, had flown for a distance of a furlong (200m); but agitated by the violence of the wind and a current of air, as well as the consciousness of his rash attempt, he fell and broke both his legs, and was lame ever after. He used to relate as the cause of the failure that he had forgotten to provide himself with a tail.’

The date of the flight can be judged fairly accurately as it is recorded that Eilmer saw Halley’s comet in 989 and again in 1066. Assuming he had to be at least six to remember the comet, to make the flight in early youth suggests a date between 995 and 1010. Next time you visit us why not drink a pint of locally produced ale from Flying Monk Brewery