when was king alfred born

Nationality : Anglo-Saxon During his reign he was advised by a council of nobles and church leaders. The year 1999 saw the 1100th anniversary of his death on October 26th, 899, at the age of about 50. He was brought up and educated by his mother and a famous story tells how she once promised an expensive illuminated book to the first … At Easter 878 he fortified the Isle of Athelney in Somerset, and his battles with Danish raiding parties encouraged more and more West Saxons to join him secretly. He then arranged, and himself took part in, the translation of books from Latin to Anglo-Saxon. They made peace and Guthrum, their king, was baptised with Alfred as his sponsor. Last modified : 2010-11-22 Birthplace : The Royal Palace, Wantage, Oxfordshire The raids became full-scale invasions. Alfred "The Great" King Of England1, born 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England; died 26 Oct 899 in Winchester, Hampshire, England. All of Alfred's brothers were dead by 871, and he became king at age 22. 875 (late) The Viking force led by Guthrum attacked Wessex and took Wareham (Dorset). When he was born at Wantage in 849, it might have seemed unlikely that Alfred would ever become king , but in a period of increasing Viking attacks, his four brothers all died as young adults. She was the daughter of Aethelred Mucill and Edburga. King Alfred the Great was born in 849, the 5th son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex and Osburh at Wantage, Berkshire. © 2010 BrowseBiography.com - Your Website for informations, John Legend collaborates with Pharrell, Q-Tip and Hit-Boy for, Jeff Bezos buys The Washington Post though he won't be leading, Quote from Pope Francis 'Who Am I to Judge? He successfully halted the advance of Danish armies seeking to conquer the English, and he stimulated a revival of learning among his war-ravaged people. He died in October 899 AD and was buried at his capital city of Winchester. Alfred was born at Wantage in Oxfordshire in 849, fourth or fifth son of Aethelwulf, king of the West Saxons. He was the first monarch from the British Isles to style himself as 'King of the Anglo-Saxons' and so he is sometimes considered the first English king.Alfred started the Royal Navy in the 9th century He became king in 871 and died in 899. Alfred the Great Between 893 and 899 he and his scholars translated several major Latin works to make them accessible to his subjects and thus restore the preeminence in religion and culture England enjoyed before the Danish invasions. Asser says Alfred was born in Wantage in 849. Ecbert then stops the trial and pardons Judith, stating that Athelstan was a holy man and his son was c… King Alfred the Great (849-899) Born: AD 849 at Wantage, Berkshire King of England Died: 26th October AD 899 at Winchester, Hampshire. He reigned as the King of Wessex for 28 years. And not without good reason. Their first child was a daughter, Aethelflaed who was born c. 868. A son, Edward, was born to King Alfred and Ealhswith. His most important achievement was to prevent an island-wide invasion from the Danes and … Osburh Queen Of Wessex. In 878 King Alfred the Great had to flee for his life when Twelfth Night celebrations at his residence in Chippenham, Wiltshire, were rudely interrupted by a surprise Viking attack, well outside the normal campaigning season. Category : Historian personalities One was Lambourn and the other was Wantage where Alfred was born. Alfred, also spelled Aelfred, byname Alfred the Great, (born 849—died 899), king of Wessex (871–899), a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England. King Alfred the Great was born at Wantage, in 849, on a royal manor of his father's holding, a family estate which long afterward he himself would leave in legacy to his wife. Three of those older siblings … England was divided, with the north and the east (between the Rivers Thames and Tees) declared to be Danish territory - later known as the 'Danelaw'. BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Alfred took refuge in the marshes at Athelney in Somerset, where he allegedly burnt the cakes, a story first recorded in the 11th century. This time, the Saxons would not be beaten, and the Vikings were put to flight. Alfred was born in 849 at Wantage, Berkshire, youngest of five sons of King Aethelwulf. Compilation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle began during his reign, circa 890. Her ear is removed, and she reveals that the father of her child is Athelstan. He had four older brothers who all ruled as king before he did. Credited as : King of Essex, . He gave many precious gifts including a book containing Bede’s life of Cuthbert. Alfred was born in 849 at the royal palace in Wantage. Although Alfred could neither read nor write, he loved the traditional poetry of the Anglo-Saxons, which he memorized as it was read … Date of death : - Following the wishes of their father, the sons succeeded to the kingship in turn. He married (1) Ealhswith Queen Of England1. 1947). He was the son of 2. Alfred was the youngest of five children, four sons and a daughter, born to Ethelwulf by his wife Osburh. Seven weeks after Easter, Alfred left Athelney for a rendezvous of the militias of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire. Alfred, facing disaster, withdrew to the marshlands of Dorset with a small troop. At their father's behest and by mutual agreement, Alfred's elder brothers succeeded to the kingship in turn, rather than endanger the kingdom by passing it to under-age children at a time when the country was threatened by worsening Viking raids from Denmark. As a young boy, he accompanied his father on a pilgrimage to Rome where he spent some time at the court of Charles the Bald, King of the Franks around 854–855. The English were saved, and the King began at once to reorganize the land and sea defenses of the West Saxons in order to prevent further Danish inroads. 874 (during) The Great Heathen Army split. There appears to be a gap of several years between the four older boys of the family and the birth of Alfred and his sister. Alfred was not expected to become King since he had four elder brothers. Ealhswith and Alfred had five children who survived and she may have had other children who died in infancy. Alfred's youth was highlighted by two trips to Rome in 853 and 855, where he was honored by the Pope; it was also plagued by sickness and the insecurity of his position as youngest son. Despite his success at Ashdown, the Danes continued to devastate Wessex and Alfred was forced to withdraw to the Somerset marshes, where he continued guerrilla warfare against his enemies. Aethelred and Alfred fought the Danes in a series of battles in 870 and 871 defeating the Danes at Ashdown but losing subsequent battles. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. Why is Alfred the Great important? Alfred's youth was highlighted by two trips to Rome in 853 and 855, where he was honored by the Pope; it was also plagued by sickness and the insecurity of his position as youngest son. In 870 AD the Danes attacked the only remaining independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Wessex, whose forces were commanded by Alfred's older brother, King Aethelred, and Alfred himself. He was interested in scholarly pursuits and literature from an early age. Alfred Daniel Williams King was born July 30, 1930, in Atlanta, Georgia. Alfred was born at Wantage, historically in Berkshire but currently in Oxfordshire, the youngest son of Aethelwulf (d. 858), king of the West Saxons. Alfred was born in 849, the youngest of six children of Ethelwulf, King of Wessex. He proved to be skilled at military tactics, and devised a defensive formation which the Danish charge was unable to break. In 886 AD, Alfred negotiated a treaty with the Danes. He's the odd sort of king insofar as he doesn't seem to have lusted after the throne. Alfred's reign and achievements are recorded in G. N. Garmonsway, ed., The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1953). In his first attempts at translation, Alfred seems to have had the Latin text read and explained to him and then to have dictated a translation or paraphrase to scribes. Alfred was a son of Æthelwulf, king of Wessex, and his wife Osburh. These strategic innovations and Alfred's ability to use his forces well allowed him to turn back another major Danish attack during his reign. In his will, he designated that Ealhswith be given one hundred pounds in cash along with two great estates in Berkshire. He was the fifth son of Aethelwulf the king of Wessex , one of the seven petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England . Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Alfred therefore gained control of areas of West Mercia and Kent which had been beyond the boundaries of Wessex. Hindsight is 20/20. The invaders swore to leave Wessex, and Guthrum was baptized a Christian. He prevented England from falling to the Danes and promoted learning and literacy. He is the only English monarch known as 'the Great'. Early in 878, while Alfred's armies were scattered for the winter, an army under Guthrum left Gloucester in Danish-controlled Mercia and made a surprise attack on the West Saxons, capturing much of the kingdom. He is the only English monarch known as 'the Great'. Alfred was born in the year 849 in The Royal Palace, Wantage, Oxfordshire, as the youngest son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex and his first wife Osburh. As a boy of four he accompanied his father Aethelwulf on a pilgrimage to Rome. He wished to become a monk, but after the deaths (all in battle, I think) of his father and his four older brothers, he was made king in 871. In 878 AD, he again defeated the Danes in the Battle of Edington. Alfred's father, Aethelwulf, was king of Wessex and Alfred grew up as a prince. Wessex was the only Anglo-Saxon kingdom that had not been conquered by the Danes during the invasion of 866, and by 871 the Danes had established permanent settlements in the North Midlands and in East Anglia. Alfred’s life, particularly his early struggles as King of Wessex, were portrayed on … The process of reducing the many Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to a unified nation under a centralized monarchy was still in its early stages when the Danes, another Germanic nation far more warlike than the Anglo-Saxons had become, began raiding the English coast in the last years of the 8th century. King of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex and one of the outstanding figures of English history, as much for his social and educational reforms as for his military successes against the Danes. Alfred the Great united Saxon England and created relative peace with the Danes. Wessex was saved. Born at Wantage, Berkshire, in 849, Alfred was the fifth son of Aethelwulf, king of the West Saxons. A: Alfred was the fifth son of King Æthelwulf (839-58), ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex – the area south of the river Thames. Occupation: King of Wessex; Born: 849 in Wantage, England; Died: 899 in Winchester, England; Reign: 871 - 899; Best known for: Establishing peace with the Vikings and building the Kingdom of England; Biography: Early Life Alfred was born in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex which was located in the southwest of England. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. King Alfred, also known as Alfred the Great, was born at the Royal Palace in Wantage, United Kingdom in 849 AD. Nevertheless, Alfred succeeded to the throne of his father as it was agreed that power would pass through Aethelwulf’s sons, rather than from father to oldest son and then to grandson. She was born Abt.  © Alfred the Great was born on April 23, 849 AD in Wantage, Berkshire. Alfred codified a set of laws for his kingdom and probably aided in the wide dissemination of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a quasi-official record of the experiences of his people. Halfdan took his section north while Guthrum took the remainder south. Realizing that they could not long endure the siege, Guthrum surrendered after a fortnight. During one of these battles Aethelred was wounded and died of his injuries. He also established a navy for use against the Danish raiders who continued to harass the coast. In 868 Alfred and Aethelred assisted the King of Mercia whose lands were being attacked by the Danes. The Anglo-Saxon Alfred (849-899), sometimes called Alfred the Great, was king of Wessex from 871 to 899. His parents were King Æthelwulf of Wessex, who was initially interred at Steyning, West Sussex, and Osburh. Alfred became king in AD871 when his elder brother died. Æthelstan – who claimed that very title: king of all Britain – showed great devotion to the saint’s shrine on a visit to Chester-le-Street in 934. Alfred the Great was the king of Wessex and Saxon England between 871-899. Alfred himself seemed to have been more interested in scholarly pursuits than taking … We are told by Asser, a companion and “biographer” of King Alfred, that he was born in Wantage, Oxfordshire. Alfred died on October 26, 899. Born in Wantage in southern England, Alfred was … Read more. His intellect, imagination, and energy seemed to grow in his last years. Alfred the Great (c. 849 - 26 October 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. If Alfred would be faithful to Cuthbert and his people, Albion would be given to him and his sons, and he would be chosen king of all Britain. Alfred was King of Wessex between 871 and 899. As Alfred had five older brothers, it seemed unlikely that he would inherit his father’s throne. Alfred (the Great) (849-899) was the king of the West Saxons (871-899), and one of the outstanding figures of English history. Alfred was born in 849, the youngest of six children of Ethelwulf, King of Wessex. The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes who had migrated to the island of Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries and had wrested control of what is now England from the native Britons. He was a son of ReverendMartin Luther King(1899–1984), and Alberta Williams King(1904–1974), the youngest of their three children (the other two being Willie Christine, born September 11, 1927, and Martin Luther King Jr., … 852 in Mercia, England, and died 904. 1952), and F. M. Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (1943; 2d ed. All the children were educated as Alfred was an ardent advocate of education. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Alfred was the youngest son of King Aethelwulf and his wife, Osberga. Alfred was born at Wantage in Oxfordshire in 849, fourth or fifth son of Aethelwulf, king of the West Saxons. He reorganised his army and built a series of well-defended settlements across southern England. Alfred's courage and military skill, however, prevented the Danes from conquering England, although they were later successful, early in the 11th century. The main source of information about Alfred is Asser's Life of King Alfred, edited by William Henry Stevenson (trans. For an assessment of Alfred's contribution to Anglo-Saxon culture see Stanley B. Greenfield, A Critical History of Old English Literature (1965). But Alfred's situation was indeed desperate. In 887, when he was 38, he began to learn to read English and Latin. His career is thoroughly considered and placed in the context of Anglo-Saxon history in R. H. Hodgkin, A History of the Anglo-Saxons (2 vols., 1935; 3d ed. 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