King of the Anglo-Saxons Edward of Wessex, the Elder

874 - 924  (50 years)

• Name	Edward of Wessex  [1]
  Title	King of the Anglo-Saxons
  Suffix	the Elder
  Birth	874	England   [1]
  	Wessex, England
  Gender	Male
  Kinfolk of Note	Direct Ancestor of Retha Zulma Gott and Lawrence Hood
  Military - Old World	He died leading an army against a Welsh-Mercian rebellion.
  Religion	Edward reorganized the Church in Wessex, creating new bishoprics. Despite this, there is little indication that Edward was particularly religious. In fact, the Pope delivered a reprimand to him to pay more attention to his religious duties
  Death	17 Jul 924	Faringdon, Berkshire, England   [1]
  Burial	Winchester, Hampshire, England   [1]
  	(Winchester Cathedral)
  Person ID	I10976	A Tree Called Smith
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	King of the Anglo-Saxons Alfred of Wessex,   b. 9 May 849, Wantage, Berkshire, England d. 26 Oct 899, Winchester, Hampshire, England (Age 50 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Queen of England Wessex Ealhswyth of Mercia, I,   b. 842, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England d. 5 Dec 905, Winchester, Hampshire, England (Age 63 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	868  [2]
  Family ID	F3885	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ælfflæd of England,   b. 878, England d. 920 (Age 42 years)
  Marriage	905	England   [1]
  	Wessex, England
  Children	1. King of England Edmund of England, I,   b. 921   d. 26 May 946 (Age 25 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Eadgifu Edgiva of Wessex,   b. 896, Kent, England d. 25 Aug 968, Kent, England (Age 72 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F3982	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 874 - England Marriage - 905 - England Death - 17 Jul 924 - Faringdon, Berkshire, England Burial - - Winchester, Hampshire, England  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Old World

  _Edward the Elder Alfred had succeeded Æthelred as king of Wessex in 871, and almost faced defeat against the Danish Vikings until his decisive victory at the Battle of Edington in 878. After the battle, the Vikings still ruled Northumbria, East Anglia and eastern Mercia, leaving only Wessex and western Mercia under Anglo-Saxon control.

  
  

• Sources

  [S54] Ancestry Family Trees, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT : Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;), Database online. [S1058] Wikipedia: Alfred the Great, (Name: Wikipedia;), Alfred the Great. Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred; 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfred was young. Three of Alfred's brothers, Æthelbald, Æthelberht and Æthelred, reigned in turn before him. Under Alfred's rule, considerable administrative and military reforms were introduced, prompting lasting change in England.[2] After ascending the throne, Alfred spent several years fighting Viking invasions. He won a decisive victory in the Battle of Edington in 878 and made an agreement with the Vikings, dividing England between Anglo-Saxon territory and the Viking-ruled Danelaw, composed of Scandinavian York, the north-east Midlands and East Anglia. Alfred also oversaw the conversion of Viking leader Guthrum to Christianity. He defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, becoming the dominant ruler in England.[3] Alfred began styling himself as "King of the Anglo-Saxons" after reoccupying London from the Vikings. Details of his life are described in a work by 9th-century Welsh scholar and bishop Asser. Alfred had a reputation as a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education, proposing that primary education be conducted in English, rather than Latin, and improving the legal system and military structure and his people's quality of life. He was given the epithet "the Great" in the 16th century and is only one of two English monarchs, alongside Cnut the Great, to be labelled as such. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great