Northman of Escomb

[1] Almost nothing is known about Northman besides his title and status as a landowner and ecclesiastical donor in northern Northumbia, our ignorance extending to the identities of his parents and any children or spouses he may have had.

This grant appears to have been used as a source for the Historia de Sancto Cuthberto ("History of St Cuthbert") § 31, which probably made use of several such charters when it was written.

[11] He is one of seven duces (earls or ealdormen) witnessing the charter, and appears sixth in order, ahead of one Wælðeof dux, Waltheof of Bamburgh.

Northumbria in this period was only supposed to have had two figures of such status, though this depends tradition about the legacy of kings Eadred and Edgar the Peaceable not attested until the 12th century.

Alex Woolf noted that the previous year, 993, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle related that Scandinavians (apparently led by Óláfr Tryggvason)[14] had invaded Northumbria and sacked Bamburgh, whereupon the southern English raised an army:(s.a. 993) In this year Bamburgh was sacked and much booty was captured there, and after that the army came to the mouth of the Humber and did great damage there, both in Lindsey and in Northumbria.

Nor can a relationship with any other Northumbrian earl be established, though if there is any accuracy or chronological order to the lease notice in the Historia de Sancto Cuthberto, he lived until at least the beginning of Aldhun's episcopate, and was followed by Uhtred of Bamburgh.