Richard and Charlotte Allen Cosby Ancestry » Alfred "The Great" Saxon King of England (849-901)

Personal data Alfred "The Great" Saxon King of England 

• Alternative names: Alfred "The Great" Wessex;, Alfred "The Great" King of England, Alfred "The Great" West Saxon King of England, King Alfred The Great Ælfrēd Wessex the Anglo Saxons, Alfred des Anglos-Saxons, Alfred "The Great" King of England, Saxon King of England Alfred the Great, Alfred Saxon King of Wessex, Alfred Aelfred "The Great" Aetheling, King of Wessex, Alfred The Great
• He was born on May 12, 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England.Source 3
• Alternative: He was born about 848 in Wantage, Co. Berks, England.Sources 9, 10
• Alternative: He was born in the year 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England.
• Alternative: He was born in the year 849 in Wamtage, Berkshire.
• Alternative: He was born in the year 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England.Sources 3, 5, 11
• Alternative: He was born on May 9, 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England.
• Baptized (at 8 years of age or later) by the priesthood authority of the LDS church on July 23, 1923.Source 10
• (Record Change) on October 13, 2002.Source 10
• (Ruled) in 871-899.Source 8
• He died on October 28, 901 in Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 52 years old.Sources 3, 5, 6
• Alternative: He died on October 26, 901 in Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 52 years old.Source 3
• Alternative: He died on October 26, 901 in Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 52 years old.
• Alternative: He died on October 25, 899 in Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 50 years old.Source 10
• Alternative: He died in the year 899 in Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 49 years old.Source 3
• Alternative: He died on October 28, 901, he was 52 years old.
• Alternative: He died in the year 901, he was 51 years old.Source 11
• He is buried in Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, England.
• A child of Ethelwulf King of Wessex and Osburga of the Isle of Wight,
• A child of Judith of Flanders of West Franks

Household of Alfred "The Great" Saxon King of England

(1) He had a relationship with Elfrida of Kent.

Child(ren):

1. Eadgifu (Edgiva) of Kent,  896-968 

(2) He is married to Ealhswith (Ethelswida Ealhswith Eahlwið Eadburh Edburga) of the Gaini of Mercia,.

They got married in the year 868 at Winchester, Hampshire, England, he was 18 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Princess Ethelfleda of Wessex  869-918 
2. Edward I "The Elder" of Wessex,  871-924 
3. Prince of England Edmund  ± 873-929
4. Ælfthryth of Wessex,  875-929 
5. Princess Egwine  877-954 
6. Prince of England Ethelwerd  ± 879-????

(3) He is married to Æthelglyth of Mercia.

They got married in the year 868, he was 18 years old.Source 3

Notes about Alfred "The Great" Saxon King of England

I name him King of England, but technically he was not, as he did not rule all of England, as the Danes still ruled the greater part of the East and the North. Not until Eadred did a king rule all of England, including Northumbria, and Eadred's son Edgar was the first king crowned as King of all England.g to bear the title "The Great." He fought the Danes, with whom he divided up England, eventually taking Mercia and Northumberland from them, along with Wessex, Kent, and London, he had almost all of England at the end. He encouraged the production of copies of "The Anglo Saxon Chronicles."tish Navy, organized the militia, compiled a code of laws, built schools and monasteries, and invited scholars to live at his court. He was a good scholar and translated many books.-------------------------------------------------------- ---- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- -------------------------------e kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia were rapidly overrun, and in 871 the Danish army attacked Wessex. The Wessex forces under the command of Alfred (reigned 871-99), then aged 21, defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington in 878. The Danes withdrew to an area north of a frontier running from London to Chester and known as 'Danelaw'.d reorganised the Wessex defences by organising his army on a rota basis, so he could raise a 'rapid reaction force' to deal with raiders whilst still enabling his thegns and peasants to tend their farms. Second, Alfred started a building programme of well-defended settlements across southern England as a defence in depth against Danish raiders. Alfred also ordered the building of a navy of new fast ships to patrol the coasts and meet invaders before they penetrated inland.ercia and Kent), and reforming the coinage. Illiterate in Latin until the age of 38, Alfred promoted literacy, religion and education, and directed the translation of works of religious instruction, philosophy and history into the vernacular; this was partly so that people could read his orders and legislation. The energetic royal authority demonstrated in Alfred's policies presaged the Wessex kings' rule of all England during the next century.n 871. Alfred organised the army and was the founder of the English Navy. By 877 the Danes had occupied London and reached Gloucester and Exeter, but they lost 120 supply ships in a fierce storm off Swanage. In 878 he was forced to hide in Somerset and it was there arose the legend of the burned cakes. He renewed the fight and won a famous victory at Edington in Wiltshire the same year. After, the Danes agreed that their king, Guthrum, should be baptised and Alfred was godfather. Afterwards Guthrum ruled Mercia but acknowledged Alfred as Overlord. The Mercian settlement developed over the next 100 years into the body known as Danelaw. Before that, in 879 at Fulham and also near Rochester in 884, other Norse armies landed. Alfred continued fighting until he was the acknowledged champion of the English against the Danes. Alfred was scholarly, a writer, law-maker, pious and also a valiant fighter. Additionally he had a good knowledge of geography. He was a most able administrator and also instituted educational programmes. He founded monasteries and gave a large t of his income to charities. His wife was Ealswith. Alfred died on the 26th October, some say in 901, others 900, but the more generally accepted year is 899. He was buried at Winchester.

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Timeline Alfred "The Great" Saxon King of England

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