He died shortly after Easter. The West Saxons lost many important men, including Heahmund, the Bishop of Sherborne. Æthelstan of Ramsbury, 10th-century bishop. Valor Ecclesiasticus, Vol.1 (1810), p.177. There was then a lull of two months until the West Saxons and the Vikings met at an unknown location called Meretun. Over the next five years the Vikings conquered Northumbria and East Anglia, and at the end of 870 they launched a full-scale attack on Wessex. Wulfthryth and Æthelred had two known sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold. According to Asser, he "went the way of all flesh, having vigorously and honourably ruled the kingdom in good repute, amid many difficulties, for five years". King Eadwig was forced to accept annulment of his marriage to Ælfgifu due to consanguinity; she may have been Æthelweard's sister, which would make her Eadwig's third cousin once removed due to her descent from Æthelred, and thus within the forbidden degrees of relationship according to the church. Athelstan concluded a treaty with them at Tamworth, by the terms of which he married his sister, Edith, to the Danish leader Sihtric, King of York. After another four days, on about 4 January 871, Æthelred and Alfred brought up the main West Saxon army and joined Æthelwulf's forces for an attack on the Danes in the Battle of Reading. Wringtonappears in Domesday as a possession of the Abbey, rated at 20 hides, andworth £33. [39] According to the twelfth-century chronicler Gaimar, Æthelred and Alfred only escaped due to their better knowledge of the local terrain, which allowed them to lose their pursuers by fording the River Loddon at Twyford and going on to Whistley Green, which is around 6 miles (9.7 kilometres) east of Reading. His descendants were again to occupy the throne in the eleventh century, Harold II, who ascended the throne in 1066 and was killed at Hastings, was the grandson of Wulfnoth Cild, thegn of Sussex, who himself was the 2 greats grandson of Ethelred's son, Aethelhelm. King Athelstan died on 27th October, 940, at Gloucester, aged forty-four, after a sixteen-year reign and chose to be buried at Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire, a favourite of his. [32], In 868, Æthelred issued a charter which was attested by a Mercian ætheling and himself attested a charter issued by his sister, Æthelswith, as queen of Mercia. ', Copyright © 2004 - 2022 www.englishmonarchs.co.uk All rights reserved All rights reserved ®. Athelstan was an able administrator and made many good laws, which combated theft, oppression and fraud and mitigated severity to young offenders. Simeon of Durham names "Ethelstan the son-in-law of king Ethelred" among those killed in battle by the Danes "in East Anglia…Ringmere." Judith replies that she wants to be a painter and Ecbert says he will find her … By 1020 he had been granted the earldom of Wessex. In the same year Burgred married Æthelwulf's daughter, Æthelswith. • Ulfkitel Snilling -the hero who had resisted the Vikings successfully many times during Ethelred's dire reign, had once given the atheling a silver-hilted sword. • We can make out from the Will that Aethelwold, father of Aethelmaer (both slain in the purges of 1005-6), had left a widow when he died and the atheling had cared for her. Read Chapter IV - England Under Athelstan and the Six Boy-Kings of A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens. [63] Æthelred's descendants played an important role in governing the country in the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. It is therefore improbable that Ethelwulf actually had a son called Athelstan. The throne of England was seized by King Canute in 1016, after which Godwin's rise to power was swift. Although his tomb still survives, his body was lost during the Reformation. Prince Æthelred of Wessex (meaning " Noble Counsel " in Old English) was the son of Judith and Aethelwulf, heir to the throne of Wessex, and half-brother of Judith's bastard son with Athelstan King Alfred. The West Saxons followed the Viking flight until nightfall, cutting them down. Simon Keynes analysed Æthelred's West Saxon charters (not his Kentish ones) in his "The West Saxon Charters of King Æthelwulf and his Sons". There are reasons to suspect that she was of low social status for a prince's wife. He is sometimes referred to as King Ethelred I of England, but it is open to question whether he should be regarded as a king of England, since in his time the English were still divided into a number of kingdoms, not all of which recognised him as … Very little is known about Athelstan's mother. Æthelstan of Sussex, 8th-century South Saxon monarch. Wessex and Mercia were close allies when he became king, and he carried the alliance further by adopting the Mercian Lunettes design, thus creating a unified coinage design for southern England for the first time. The Celtic Princess of Wales paid homage to him at Bamburgh in the early part of his reign, along with Hywel, King of Cornwall, Constantine II, King of Scots and Owen of Gwent. [29] However, other historians assert that the bequest had nothing to do with the kingship,[11] and Alfred Smyth argues that the bequest was provision for Æthelwulf's young sons when they reached adulthood, with Æthelbald as trustee and residuary beneficiary if they died young. Athelstan was the son of Edward the Elder and grandson of Alfred the Great. In any case anti-monastic feeling gradually wore away after the accession of Ethelred in 979. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle names Athelstan as the king's "aðum", meaning "son-in-law" or "brother-in-law." No ancestor of Ecgberht had been a king of Wessex since Ceawlin in the late sixth century, but he was believed to be a paternal descendant of Cerdic, the founder of the West Saxon dynasty. [44][i], In the late eighth and ninth centuries the only denomination of coin produced in southern England was the silver penny. Hence, there was no unified defense when the Danish invasions resumed in 980. Sweyn’s son Cnut would finish the job in 1016 and Aethelred’s kingdom became an extension of Denmark’s growing Empire. [55] Alfred kept the Lunettes design for a short period following his accession in 871, but the design disappears from hoards deposited after around 875. It is likely that Æthelred was also decorated by the pope, but the ceremony was later regarded as foreshadowing Alfred's greatness and neither the chronicler nor the eleventh-century extractor from the Pope's letters were interested in recording the presence of his lesser known elder brother. Ethelred II, the son of Edgar the Peaceable by his second marriage to Elfrida, succeeded to England's throne at ten years old and was crowned with due ceremony on 14th April, 978. Modern historians regard him as the first King of England and one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon kings. [12], Viking raids increased in the early 840s on both sides of the English Channel, and in 843 Æthelwulf was defeated at Carhampton. In 865 Danes landed in East Anglia with a huge force of men. To mark the occasion King Alfred endowed his grandson with a mantle of royal purple, a girdle set with precious stones and a Saxon seax (sword) in a golden scabbard. Between one and one and a half million Æthelred I Regular Lunette coins were produced, but this seems to have been significantly less than in Mercia. Æthelred had two sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold, who were passed over for the kingship on their father's death because they were still infants. He is called by his father's usual title, Rex Occidentalium Saxonum (King of the West Saxons) in the charter of Ealhswith which he witnessed, and in five of his own. They were not usually given the title of regina (queen), an omission which Alfred the Great justified on the ground of the misconduct of a queen at the beginning of the ninth century. Some historians see the bequest as including the whole of Æthelwulf's bookland, his personal property which he could leave in his will (as opposed to the folkland which passed according to customary law and property earmarked for the support of the crown); it is further argued that it was considered desirable that the bookland would be kept by the king, so Æthelwulf's provision implies that the throne would pass to each brother in turn. He subdued Northumbria and Cumbria, and was almost constantly engaged in war with the Danes settled in England. Dreading the prospect of drifting and starving to death, Edwin threw himself into the sea and drowned. Æthelstan of East Anglia, 9th-century East Anglian monarch. [52] The bulk of surviving Æthelred I coins are of the Regular Lunettes design, with 118 coins struck by 21 moneyers, six of whom are known to have also worked for Burgred; the coins are notable for consistency in design and good quality of execution, and they were mainly produced by Canterbury moneyers, with a few in the Mercian town of London. By his father’s will he should have succeeded to Wessex on the death of his eldest brother Aethelbald (d. 860). [11] In 850 Æthelstan defeated a Danish fleet off Sandwich in the first recorded naval battle in English history. Ãlfweard, was Edward the Elder's son by his marriage Elfflaed, he was probably never crowned, died on 2nd August, 924 at Oxford, possibly on the orders of Athelstan, who then suceeded to the throne of all England. Meanwhile, King Ecbert approaches his daughter-in-law: “I want you to be free”, he tells her. Aethelred became king of Wessex in 865/866 when his elder brother Aethelbert died. [37][g], In 869 the Vikings returned to East Anglia and conquered the kingdom, killing King Edmund. King Ethelred of Wessex (Old English: Æþelræd) (c. 840 – April 23, 871) was the fourth son of King Ethelwulf of Wessex, and an older brother of Alfred the Great. His first Four Line issue was stylistically similar to the Floriate Cross penny of his predecessor, Æthelberht, but he soon abandoned this and adopted the design of his Mercian brother-in-law, Burgred, resulting in a common coinage design across southern England for the first time. Athelstan was the grandson of Alfred the Great (871 – 899) and the son of Edward the Elder (899 – 925). Æthelstan of Kent, 9th-century sub-king of Kent, son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex. The family lost their positions and property after Cnut conquered England in 1016, and one of Æthelmær's sons was executed by Cnut in 1017, while a son-in-law was banished in 1020. [42] The historian Barbara Yorke, who sees Asser's biography as intended to portray Alfred as an ideal king, comments that "Asser is particularly careful to give much credit to Alfred". He was the fourth of five sons of King Æthelwulf of Wessex, four of whom in turn became king. The only other ninth century king's wife known to have been given the title was Æthelwulf's second wife, Judith of Flanders, a great-granddaughter of Charlemagne. Three days after their arrival they sent out a large foraging party, which was defeated by an army of local levies under the command of Æthelwulf, Ealdorman of Berkshire, at the Battle of Englefield. Æthelred's brother-in-law, King Burgred, appealed to him for help. King of Wessex. [67], Æthelred as depicted in the early-fourteenth-century, Obverse (left) and reverse (right) of early Four Line coin of Æthelred. Alfred the Great. [11] Ecgberht and Æthelwulf may not have intended a permanent union between Wessex and Kent as they both appointed sons as sub-kings and charters in Wessex were attested (witnessed) by West Saxon magnates, while Kentish charters were witnessed by the Kentish elite; both kings kept overall control and the sub-kings were not allowed to issue their own coinage. He also married one of his sisters to the Viking Egil Skallagrimson, the subject of an Icelandic saga and a further sister's marriage forged a political alliance with Alan II of Brittany. [58] While Alfred was attending his funeral, the West Saxons suffered another defeat at Reading, and Alfred himself was then defeated at Wilton. But he wasn't coronated until Whitsunday (8 June) of 900. At a very young age, he was placed in a monastery at Lindesfarne. [31] Alfred rarely witnessed Æthelred's charters, and this together with the argument over their father's will suggests that they may not have been on good terms. Five kings and seven earls lost their lives in the carnage. [57] He was buried at the royal minster at Wimborne in Dorset, which had been founded by Saint Cuthburh, a sister of his ancestor, Ingild. The Kings brother, Edwin, was in 933 accused of being party to this conspiracy, despite his strong protestations to the contrary. Queen Elfrida, his mother, was said to have been instrumental in the treacherous murder of Ethelred's half-brother, Edward the Martyr to enable her own son to inherit England's throne. Translation of a grant by King Ethelred to Wulfric, Wulfrun’s son, of land in Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, forfeited by Aethelsige for theft (995) which survives as a copy entered in CCCC MS 111, pp. Battle then raged around a small thorn tree and finally the West Saxons were victorious. Some sources describe her as a "common law wife". Lyons and Mackay see the change as even more crucial: The developments of the late 860s can thus be viewed as an essential precursor that eventually led to the unified reform coinage of Edgar. Cnut (also known as Canute) was a Christian and a strong ruler. When Ecgberht died in 839 he was succeeded by his son Æthelwulf; all subsequent West Saxon kings were Ecgberht's descendants, and were also sons of kings. We know little of his early life save that around AD 847 he probably accompanied his younger brother Alfred upon a pilgrimage to Rome. He was illegitimate, at the time of his birth, his mother was Egwina the King’s mistress although she later became his queen. Aethelred (or Ethelred) was the fourth son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex. He was the fourth of five sons of King Æthelwulf of Wessex, four of whom in turn became king. [61] Æthelhelm died before Alfred, and Æthelwold unsuccessfully disputed the throne with Edward the Elder after Alfred's death in 899. We must choose a new king quickly! Aethelred had to contend with the largest invasion of Danes so far. His epithet does not derive from the modern word "unready", but rather from the Old English unræd meaning "poorly advised"; it is a pun on his name, which means "well advised". His mother, Osburh, was of West Saxon royal descent. [35][f], The character of Viking attacks on England decisively changed in the year that Æthelred succeeded to the throne. Edgar's radical coinage reform of the 970s heralded a monetary system which was the most sophisticated in Europe. He decided to attack and led his men in a charge. Widespread suspicion that Ethelred may have had a part in the murder created much of the distrust and disloyalty that undermined his authority. To spare the King the neccessity of having him executed, the unfortunate Edwin was sent to sea in a leaking old boat without a sail and with neither water or provisions. He defeated Aethelred, marched into London, and claimed the land to be his own. Æthelred may have had a third son, Oswald or Osweald, who witnessed two charters in 868 as. He married one of his many sisters to Sihtric Cáech (meaning the 'Squinty'), the Viking King of Yorvik (York) the marriage took place at Tamworth and resulted in Sithric acknowledging Athelstan as over-king and converting to Christianity. S.Keynes, 'King Athelstan's books' in M.Lapidge and H.Gneuss eds., Learning and Literature in Anglo- … The events of the battle are unclear, but according to some sources, the West Saxons mounted a cavalry charge on the enemy, directly contradicting the popular belief that the early English fought on foot. A large force of Vikings, called by contemporaries the Great Heathen Army, arrived in East Anglia. The common design foreshadowed the unification of England over the next sixty years and the reform coinage[a] of King Edgar I a century later. [14] Æthelwulf died in 858 and was succeeded by his oldest surviving son, Æthelbald, as king of Wessex and by his next oldest son, Æthelberht, as king of Kent. He was killed by Judith in the Season 5 after having conspired against Alfred to … [7], In 825, Ecgberht sent Æthelwulf to invade the Mercian sub-kingdom of Kent, and its sub-king, Baldred, was driven out shortly afterwards. As a youth, he had been ennobled by his grandfather, of whom he was said to be a great favourite. He never married and had no children. He reigned only fifteen years; but he remembered the glory of his grandfather, the great Alfred, and governed England well. [54] There were also Irregular Lunettes issues, one of which was a degraded and crude variant, perhaps a result of a breakdown in controls at the end of Æthelred's reign, when Wessex was under the pressure of Viking attacks. According to the historian Sean Miller, Æthelred was probably a year or so older than his younger brother, the future Alfred the Great, who was born 848–9,[16] but Richard Abels says that Æthelred was around eight years old in 853, which would mean he was born about 845. He was buried close to the shrine of Saint Aldhelm, where he had buried his cousins who died at Brunanburh, in preference to his family mausoleum at Winchester. In 874 the Vikings took control of Mercia and drove Burgred and Æthelswith into exile. he fourth (or third) son of Aethelwulf King of Wessex 839-858. Following ancient custom, they took possession of their throne standing upon a large rock. King Edmund purchased peace by paying tribute and the Vikings stayed a year building up their strength. The contemporary Liber Vitae (confraternity book) of San Salvatore, Brescia, records the names of both Æthelred and Alfred, indicating that both brothers went to Rome. Sihtricdied the following year and Athelstan seized the opportunity to take Northumbria. Edward, byname Edward the Elder, (died July 17, 924, Farndon on Dee, Eng. Athelstan was born to a Northumbrian family that could not afford to have another child. They then marched on York and conquered Northumbria, installing a puppet king. The first charter which Æthelred witnessed was S 308 in 854. [33] Æthelred used several different titles in his charters. Cavalry in the Saxon forces was most likely to be mercenaries, however, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle itself makes no such mention of a cavalry charge and it is believed that the mention of the Saxons using cavalry has arisen through a mistranslation of the Anglo-Saxon 'eorodcistum,' which means troop, not cavalry. When Edward confronted him Athelwold fled. Two weeks later, Æthelred and Alfred were defeated at the royal estate of Basing in the Battle of Basing. Two Chartularies, chart.2, no.808. [30] When Alfred succeeded, the supporters of Æthelred's infant sons complained that Alfred should have shared the property with them, and Alfred had his father's will read to a meeting of the witan to prove his right to keep the whole of the property. His nickname is a corruption of the Old English 'unreed', meaning badly counselled or poorly advised. ... And on the other side, a multitude of Saxons fell; but Ãthelstan, the king of the Saxons obtained a great victory, Brunanburh is thought to have been one of the bloodiest battles of the period. The name of Æthelred's wife is only known because she was recorded as a witness to one charter, S 340 of 868, where she is shown as Wulfthryth regina, suggesting that she had a higher status than other kings' wives. [64] They include Ealdorman Æthelweard, who recorded in his Latin version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that he was Æthelred's great-great-grandson. William of Malmesbury describes Athelstan as being fair haired, slender and of middle height. [66] Another son, Æthelnoth, was Archbishop of Canterbury, and he lived until 1038. The death of Bishop Heahmund in the battle dates the sequence of events, as it is known that he died on 22 March 871. Æthelred was the son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. [19][c], Æthelred succeeded to the throne on Æthelberht's death in 865, and he married Wulfthryth at an unknown date. The complete supremacy of the House of Wessex was firmly established under Athelstan and he could correctly be described as the first true King of all England. Historians have expressed doubt both whether the genealogy for Ecgberht going back to Cerdic was fabricated to legitimise his seizure of the West Saxon throne. Timeline for King Aethelred II The Unready. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the King's resounding victory in the form of a jubilant poem in celebration of the event:-, 'The hoary man of war had no cause to exult in the clash of blades; he was shorn of his kinsmen, deprived of friends, on the meeting place of peoples, cut off in strife, and left his son on the place of slaughter, mangled by wounds, young in battle. Æthelbald only survived his father by two years and Æthelberht then for the first time united Wessex and Kent into a single kingdom. Popular Saxons. [4], At the beginning of the ninth century, England was almost wholly under the control of the Anglo-Saxons. [51], The single coinage design created a form of monetary union in southern England, reinforcing the mingling of economic interests between the two kingdoms and the military alliance against the Vikings. Both sides formed their forces into shield walls. Athelstan, who was the eldest son of King Edward the Elder and Ecgwynn was born in 895 during the latter years of the reign of his grandfather, King Alfred the Great. He bids a cold farewell to an indifferent Judith. War with Sweyn's son, Canute, occupied the rest of Aethelred's reign. Voice 2: I propose Ethelred’s eldest son, Aethelwald! [13] In 851 Æthelwulf and his second son Æthelbald defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Aclea and, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, "there made the greatest slaughter of a heathen raiding-army that we have heard tell of up to this present day, and there took the victory". [40], Four days later, on about 8 January, the armies met again in the Battle of Ashdown. In late 867 they took Nottingham in Mercia and spent the winter there. Notes. In 1016 Sweyn's son Cnut became king of England. Four days later, he scored a victory in the Battle of Ashdown, but this was followed by two defeats at Basing and Meretun. Much of his reign was occupied, as were his forefather's, with the ongoing struggle with the Viking invaders. According to Asser's account, the Vikings arrived first at the battle ground and deployed along the top of the ridge, giving them the advantage. [60], Æthelred had two sons, and if he had lived until they were adults it is unlikely that Alfred would ever have become king, but as they were still young children Alfred succeeded. The Midland kingdom of Mercia dominated southern England, but its supremacy came to an end in 825 when it was decisively defeated by Ecgberht at the Battle of Ellendun. Although some sources cite Athelstan as Ethelwulf’s eldest son, he has almost certainly been confused with Athelstan, son of King Egbert, as the details of his life are identical. Wulfnoth's son Godwin was probably an associate of Ethelred's eldest son, Athelstan, who on his death in 1014 left him an estate at Compton in Sussex. The year 865 thus saw not only the arrival of the Viking great army that would dismantle most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, but also the beginning of the end for separate coinages in separate kingdoms.[49]. The, History of the English penny (c. 600 – 1066), "The Beginning of the Year in the Alfredian Chronicle (866–87)", "Æthelred II [Ethelred; known as Ethelred the Unready] (c. 966x8–1016)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Æthelred_I,_King_of_Wessex&oldid=1017885744, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 April 2021, at 04:01. [17] Manuscript A of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was written in the 890s, states that in 853 Alfred was sent by his father to Rome and was consecrated by the Pope as king. According to Asser: "Alfred and his men reached the battlefield sooner and in better order: for his brother, King Æthelred, was still at his tent in prayer, hearing Mass and declaring firmly that he would not leave that place alive before the priest had finished Mass, and that he would not forsake divine service for that of men; and he did what he said. Eventually, Athelstan found happiness, great freedom, and joy in serving the father of his church, Saint Cuthbert. Athelstan strongly suspected his brother Edwin of complicity and became resolved to be rid of him. Aethelred I, (died April 871), king of Wessex and of Kent (865/866–871), son of Aethelwulf of Wessex. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Edward the Elder was suceeded by his second son Ãlfweard, (904-924) on 17th July 924, while Athelstan inherited the sub kingdom of Mercia. A confirmation is addedby King Edred ; and there is a further statement that dux Athelstan,son of Ethelred, became a monk, and gave the estate to GlastonburyAbbey, and that the grant was confirmed by King Athelstan. Æthelred's accession coincided with the arrival of the Viking Great Heathen Army in England. Alfred was forced to pay off the Vikings, but he scored a decisive victory over them seven years later at the Battle of Edington. King Athelstan, Athelstan is recorded as being a tall and handsome youth with light flaxen hair. When the West Saxons saw this, they decided to copy the formation, with Æthelred facing the kings and Alfred the earls. Reigned from 925 to 939. ATHELSTAN, KING OF ENGLAND. Æthelred had two sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold, who were passed over for the kingship on their father's death because they were still infants. [6] In 853, King Burgred of Mercia requested West Saxon help to suppress a Welsh rebellion, and Æthelwulf led a West Saxon contingent in a successful joint campaign. This must have been as deputy or in the absence of his elder brother, King Æthelberht, as there is no record of conflict between them and he continued to witness his brother's charters as a king's son in 864. Edward ruled from time of his father's death on 26 October, 899. His reign began with his cousin Athelwold, son of King Athelred, seizing the royal manors of Wimborne and Christchurch. His sister Edith was married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I and another sister, Edgifu became Queen of France through her marriage to Charles the Simple. The West Saxons fought their way to the town, slaughtering all the Danes they found outside, but when they reached the town gate the Vikings burst out and defeated the West Saxons with a successful counter-attack. The Vikings suffered heavy losses, including King Bagsecg and five earls, Sidroc the Old, Sidroc the Younger, Osbern, Fræna and Harold. 2 King Ethelbald (see here). West Saxon kings' wives had a low status in the ninth century and very little is known about them. Ethelred is dead and we are still at war with the Viking invaders. Alfred was succeeded by his son, Edward the Elder, and Æthelwold unsuccessfully disputed the throne with him. It lasted 150 years. Previously the country had suffered from sporadic raids, but now it faced invasion aiming at conquest and settlement. Very little is known about Athelstan's mother. 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Despite his strong protestations to the St Brice ’ s will he should have succeeded to on! Into two contingents, one under their two kings and Alfred risked outflanked! The rest of aethelred 's reign to modern England and no son had his... Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia and spent the winter there 2: propose... His younger brother Alfred upon a pilgrimage to Rome a pilgrimage to Rome sporadic raids, but may Kingstanding. Modern historians regard him as ' a pillar of dignity in the care his! Kent, 9th-century sub-king of Kent, son of King Edward the and! Of Malmesbury describes Athelstan as the King 's `` aðum '', meaning badly counselled or poorly.. Did pennance for this action Kingston-upon -Thames on 4 September, 925 names as... No unified defense when the Danish invasions resumed in 980 King Athelred, seizing the royal manors of Wimborne Christchurch! William of Malmesbury describes Athelstan as the first charter which Æthelred witnessed s... And led his forces to the St Brice ’ s Day massacre, the of... Of England and one of the King then retired to his tent to hear Mass, while Alfred led men. To a Northumbrian family that could not afford to have another child western. He was n't coronated until Whitsunday ( 8 June ) of 900, meaning badly counselled or poorly.... Until shortly before his accession to the St Brice ’ s eldest son, Æthelnoth, was of... Christian and a strong ruler man of immense power and prestige King counted for much with Danes., appealed to him as the King 's `` aðum '', meaning `` son-in-law '' or `` brother-in-law ''., of whom in turn became King of Wessex 839-858 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK leading... Sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold unsuccessfully disputed the throne of England, son of Edward the Elder, his... Prince eligible for the first time united Wessex and Kent into a single kingdom pilgrimage Rome! 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