Æthelred of Wessex

For the later Wessex King, see Æthelred the Unready.

King Æthelred (Old English: Æþelræd, sometimes rendered as Ethelred, "noble counsel") was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf. He succeeded his brother, Æthelberht (Ethelbert), as King of Wessex and Kent in 865.[1] He married Wulfrida and had two sons, Æthelwold, the elder, and Æthelhelm, the younger.

Æthelred was not able to control the increasing Danish raids on England. On 4 January 871 at the Battle of Reading, Ethelred suffered a heavy defeat.[2] Although Æthelred was able to re-form his army in time to win a victory at the Battle of Ashdown,[3] he suffered another defeat on 22 January at the Battle of Basing,[4] and was killed at the Battle of Merton on 23 April 871.

Æthelred is buried at Wimborne in Dorset.[5] Following his death, he was popularly regarded as a saint, but never canonised. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Alfred the Great.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Johnson, pp. 49.
  2. ↑ Chisholm, p. 290.
  3. ↑ Lyon, pp. 20.
  4. ↑ Stephen, pp. 890.
  5. ↑ Stephen, pp. 27.
  6. ↑ Asser, pp. 343-359.

References

Printed

  • Asser, John; Simon Keynes, Michael Lapidge (1983). . Penguin Classics. . 
  • Babington, Anthony (1978). . Published by B. Rose. . 
  • Chisholm, Hugh (1910). (11th Edition ed.). 
  • Johnson, Rossiter; Charles Francis Horne, John Rudd (1905). . The National Alumni. 
  • Lyon, Henry R. (1967). . Volume XIV. Oxford University Press. 
  • Oman, Charles W. C. (1972). . Ayer Publishing. . 
  • Oman, Charles W. C. (1910). . Methuen. 
  • Stephen, Leslie; George Smith, Sidney Lee, Robert Blake (1889). . Smith, Elder, & Co. 
Æthelred of Wessex
Born: c. 837 23 April
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Æthelbert		 King of Wessex
865–871 		Succeeded by
Alfred the Great
King of Kent
865–871
Family information