Earl Ulfketel
Lord of the Manor of Redgrave, 1000 AD
by Jean Sheehan

Ulfketel was known as Ulfcytel Snilling, 'Snilling' meaning 'brave'. He is believed to have been a decendant of a Danish family who had settled in East Anglia after raids in the ninth century. He is called Earl of East Anglia in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles, but this was just a courtesy title. He was married to Wulfhild who was a daughter of King Ethelred the Unready (979-1016) and sister of King Edmund Ironside (1016).

The Viking Swein King of Denmark, came to Norwich in 1004 ravaged and burnt it down. Ulfcytel and the councillors of East Anglia decided to pay the invaders off before they did too much damage as they did not have time to raise an army, but Swein and his army carried on to Thetford and in one night ravaged Thetford and burnt it down. Ulfcytel mustered as many as he could and tried to prevent the Vikings from returning to their ships. Many were killed on both sides, the Vikings managed to reach their ships but they said "they had never met harder hand-play in England than Ulfcytel brought them" It is thought that the battle took place at Wretham Heath. Ulfcytel gave the manors to the Abbey after this battle along with Woolpit and Rougham. He also gave other manors to the Abbey but not at this time.

The Danes returned to East Anglia in 1010 after Easter, landing at Ipswich. They stayed for three months ravaging and burning and killing men and cattle. They burnt Cambridge and Thetford again, where the second battle of Thetford took place probably at Rymer Point between Thetford and Bury St Edmunds, and then moved to the Thames Valley, and on to Oxford and Bedford, before leaving England with a great deal of plunder.

Cnut brought the Vikings back to England in 1016. The men in the English army went home at Christmas time, but were ordered to return after Christmas. Cnut headed towards London with his ships after Easter, arriving at Greenwich at Rogationtide. He went to Essex after a number of Battles in England with the final battle of Ashington giving victory to him over the whole of England. Ulfcytel was killed in this battle, with his father in law and brother in law also dying in 1016. Cnut became King of England from 1016 until 1035, and King of Denmark from 1018 until 1035. Svein Forkbeard only became King of England from 1013-1014.

The Danes called East Anglia Ulfkill's Land, and historian Norman Scarfe believes that the four parishes of Ilketshall are named after Ulfcytle.