Aethelwulf Of England.pdf - GBLCreations

Aethelred I becomes King of Wessex in 866, at the same time the Danes conquer East Anglia. He is killed in the
Battle of Merton while fighting the Danes, and is succeeded by his brother, Alfred 'The Great'.
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Anglo-Saxon king of Wessex, and son of King Æthelwulf, who ruled England during a time of great pressure
from the invading Danes. He was an affable man, a devoutly religious man and the older brother of Alfred the
Great, his second-in-command in the resistance against the invaders. Together, they defeated the Danish kings
Bagseg and Halfdan at the battle of Ashdown in 870.
Source:
www.britannia.com
Child of KING OF ENGLAND(866-871) AETHELRED I OF WESSEX is:
4. i. ELGIVA (ELFGIFU) OF 3 WESSEX, b. Abt. 856.
Child of AETHELRED WESSEX and WULFTHRYTH is:
5. ii. EARLDORMAN OF WILTSHIRE AETHELHELM OF 3 WILTSHIRE, b. Abt. 859; d. Abt. 898.
3. KING WESSEX (871-899) ALFRED 'THE GREAT' OF 2 ENGLAND (AETHELWULF OF 1 ) 47,48,49,50 was born Abt. 848 in
Wantage, Berkshire, England 51 , and died October 26, 901 in Winchester, Hampshire, England 51 . He married
EALHSWITH (AETHELSWITHA) OF MERCIA 52,53,54 Abt. 868 55,56 , daughter of AETHELRED MERCIA and EADBURGA
MERCIA. She was born Abt. 852 in Mercia, England 57,58 , and died December 05, 904 in St. Mary's Abbey,
Winchester, Dorset, England 59,60 .
Notes for KING WESSEX (871-899) ALFRED 'THE GREAT' OF ENGLAND:
[gnl1.FTW]
Alfred the Great is probably the most famous of all of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Much of his fame is based on
legend, not historic fact. However, based solely on the facts known to us today, he still ranks as one of the most
important early kings of the British Isle. He is the only English King to be known as 'The Great'.
The Vikings, or Danes, had invaded England in 793. They controlled East Anglia, Northumbria and Mercia and
they were moving to take control of Wessex. Alfred defeated the invading Danes at the battle of Edlington in 878;
however, allowed the Danes to keep the territories they had previously won in Mercia and East Anglia provided
that Guthrum, King of Denmark, converted to Christianity (Treaty of Wedmore). The dividing line between
English and Danish territory was roughly a line running northwest from London to Chester; Alfred ruled south of
this line and was recognized as overlord of the area to the north that became known as the Danelaw.
King Alfred built a Navy to defend the coasts against further Danish invasions; he protected Wessex by building a
chain of fortified towns called 'burghs'. These towns were located such that no one lived more than twenty miles
from one of them (there were 30 of these burghs manned by about 900 military men for a total defensive army of
27,000).
In 886 he took control of London thus gaining control of all of England except for that portion controlled by the
Danes, yet was recognized as King of all England by both the Saxons and the Danes.
Alfred reformed and codified Saxon law. Being well-educated himself, he promoted a revival in learning, and
instigated the compilation of the famous ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, a 1,200-year history of the people of
England from before Julius Caesar's invasion of the British Isles in 55 BC.
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Youngest son of King Æthelwulf, Alfred became King of Wessex during a time of constant Viking attack. He was
driven into hiding by a Viking raid into Wessex, led by the Dane, Guthorm, and took refuge in the Athelney
marshes in Somerset. There, he recovered sufficient strength to be able to defeat the Danes decisively at the battle
of Eddington. As a condition of the peace treaty which followed, Guthorm received Christian baptism and
withdrew his forces from Wessex, with Alfred recognizing the Danish control over East Anglia and parts of
Mercia. This partition of England, called the "Danelaw", was formalized by another treaty in 886.
Alfred created a series of fortifications whose purpose was to surround his kingdom and provide needed security
from invasion. The Anglo-Saxon word for these forts, "burhs", has come down to us in the common place-name
suffix, "bury." He also constructed a fleet of ships to augment his other defenses, and in the doing became known
as the "Father of the English Navy." The reign of Alfred was known for more than military success. He was a
codifier of law, a promoter of education and a supporter of the arts. He, himself, was a scholar and translated
Latin books into the Anglo-Saxon tongue. The definitive contemporary work on Alfred's life is an unfinished
account in Latin by Asser, a Welshman, bishop of Sherbourne and Alfred's counselor. After his death, he was
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