Careful town planning laid the basis for later development and growth. Alfred loved learning. He was just 21 years old when he led the army of his brother, King Aethelred of Wessex, in the battle against the invading Danes and emerged victorious. Alfred was a learned man and liked to be in the company of educated men. Alfred was ruler of the West Saxons and the first regent to declare himself to be king of the Anglo-Saxons. Known as a just and fair ruler, Alfred is the only English King to have earned the title ‘the Great’. He was born in 849 CE, but the youngest of five children. This dream would be realised by his grandson, Aethelstan. His grandson Athelstan, building on Alfred’s successes, was recognised as the King of all Britain. Trouble, thought, and hard work are the only three spells the fairies have left us, so of course he had to use them. The Danes were still not ready to give up. You know, a wise prince always disguises himself when danger becomes very great. But he had just received some news about the Danes, and he was thinking and thinking and thinking over this, and he forgot all about the cakes, and when the farmer's wife came in she found them burnt black as coal. He started the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to record the history of England. You know that if you were to set out on a journey from one end of England to another, wherever you went, through fields and woods and lanes, you would still be in the kingdom of Queen Victoria. Win a Stomp Rocket® toy bundle worth over £40! Alfred started receiving prominence during the reign of his third brother Aethelred of Wessex, who ascended the throne in 865. He lived in East Anglia until his death in 890. He was called Alfred the Great, and no king has better deserved such a title. Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 886 and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 to 899. And he saw that the Danes were not expecting to be attacked by the English people, so that, instead of keeping watch, they were feasting and drinking and playing all their time. A lot of what we know about Alfred the Great comes from stories that have been written about him. Royal Children of English History, Alfred the Great, A vast library of audio lessons, all with matching text. He learnt to read, and then he set to work to learn the poems by heart; and it was a proud day for him and for the Queen when he was able to say all the beautiful poetry to her. Alfred proved himself to be a clear-sighted tactician, a valiant and insightful leader, courageous, but willing to deal with his enemies in order to buy more time for Wessex. "I didn't think of your being the King. King Alfred the Great 849 – 899. More than 1,000 years ago a king named Alfred saved part of England from falling under the control of Denmark. The writing of the. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Alfred_(The_Great).jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_d%27Alfred_le_Grand_%C3%A0_Winchester.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Alfred_Statue_Wantage.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_the_Great_-_Samuel_Woodforde.jpg. We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By 870 the ancient kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia had fallen to the Vikings, their kings replaced by puppet leaders who were loyal to their Viking overlords. He may even have been overthrown by a coup. Alfred’s personal qualities enabled him to rally his people and inspired them to continue their struggles even when the odds seemed overwhelming. So he learned how to build ships and taught his people how to build them, and that was the beginning of the great English navy, which you ought to be proud of if you are big enough to read this book. After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. But presently came one King, named Egbert, who was stronger than all the others; so he managed to put himself at the head of all the kingdoms, and he was the first King of all England. One of Alfred’s deepest regrets was the loss of knowledge which had resulted from the Viking destruction of the monasteries and the fall in literacy rates that had followed. He is said to have memorized a volume of poetry in Saxon as a child. Advertising Disclosure - To help meet costs, we run advertisements across our site, including affiliate links to 3rd party retailers. After the Viking force devastated Chippenham, Alfred lost the support of the Witan and fled to the Somerset marshes. ‘The daily resources programme is absolutely brilliant. The pope anointed Alfred as an honorary consul of Rome. Pope Leo IV – a Roman by birth, he was Pope from 847-855. He had a life-long love for learning and was a promoter of education. According to his biographer, Asser, writing in 893, "In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 849 Alfred, King of the Anglo-Saxons", was born at the royal estate called Wantage, in the district known as Berkshire (which is so called from Berroc Wood, where the box tree grows very abundantly)." Available: https://www.treesofblue.com/king-alfred-the-great-849-899. We have more information about this person. Æthelgifu, Abbess of Shaftsbury. A lot of what we know about Alfred the Great comes from stories that have been written about him. The Danes continued fighting for a few years before giving up in 896 or 897. Just at that moment her husband came in followed by several strangers, and, to the good woman's astonishment, they all fell on their knees and greeted her husband's labourer as their King. He built large warships and brought in foreign craftsmen to supply expertise where necessary. He also built a series of well-defended settlements across southern England. He led his brother’s army against the Danes and defeated them. She put the book into his hands for his very own, and they kissed each other with tears of pride and pleasure. He was illiterate (couldn’t read or write) until he was 12. Ealhswith of Mercia. From the time of his accession Wessex was under repeated Viking attacks. Alfred was not expected to become King since he had four elder brothers. His book is generally called the Saxon Chronicle, and was added to by other people after his death. He forced Guthrum into submission and had him baptized. He bore it all very patiently. cookie policy. To learn more about cookies and your cookie choices. Thus, King Aethelwulf decided that his sons would succeed the kingship in turn. It's all about family. The king died in 858 and as per his wishes, Wessex was ruled by his three elder sons—Aethelbald, Aethelberht, and Aethelred—in succession. He did many good and wise things, but the best and wisest thing he ever did was to begin to write the History of England. These educational establishments include ‘Alfred University’ and ‘Alfred State College’ in New York, and ‘King Alfred's Academy,’ a secondary school in Wantage, Oxfordshire. It is believed that it was he who first ordained that an Englishman should be tried not only by a judge but also by a jury of people like himself. 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. 0871-0896. Marriage: 0868. All the children were educated as Alfred was an ardent advocate of education. Their first child was a daughter, Aethelflaed who was born c. 868. Tony Baggett / Shutterstock.com. The Treaty of Wedmore established the Danelaw, a region including the Midlands and East Anglia that was controlled by the Vikings. During this time, Alfred was given the title ‘secundarius,’ a recognized successor closely associated with the reigning monarch. She was never called queen and she never witnessed any charters during Alfred’s administration. Alfred succeeded his brother Aethelred as King of Wessex in 871. King Aethelred died in 871 and Alfred succeeded him. 0852-0905. You must come back with us. He became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. FamilySearch believes that families bring joy and meaning to life. Alfred was wise enough to see that knowledge is power, and, as he wanted his people to be strong, he tried to make them learned. All were now threatened by powerful invaders from northern Europe—the Danes, who were also called Vikings. By visiting the site, you agree to our A weak and sickly child with four older brothers, Alfred was an unlikely king. In 871 Aethelred died from his injuries and Alfred became king. Alfred bought them off in 872 but they soon returned. He was king of the Danish chieftains and was actively fighting Alfred from 874. He was the youngest son of Aethelwulf, king of Wessex. Fierce Viking attacks threatened to destroy the Anglo-Saxon world into which Alfred had been born. Alfred the Great statue, Winchester. In 878 his surprise night-time attack on Alfred forced Alfred to hide out in the Somerset marshes.

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