Peerage Record – 10262

     Æthelbald, King of Wessex was born circa 834.² He was the son of Æðelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburga (?)¹ He married Judith, Princesse des Francs, daughter of Charles I, Roi des Francs and Ermentrude d‘Orléans, in 858.³ He died on 20 December 860.² He was buried on 25 December 860 at Sherborne Abbey, Dorset, England^G.²
     He gained the title of King Æthelbad of Wessex between 855 and 856.² He was crowned King of Wessex in 858 at Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England^G.² His marriage to Judith, Princesse des Francs was annulled in 860 on the grounds of consanguinity.⁴
     On Ethelwulf’s death in 858, his son Ethelbald was already ruling Wessex. The remaining South East kingdoms passed to Ethelwulf’s second son Ethelbert. Ethelbald married his father’s widow. On Ethelbald’s death in 860, the Wessex kingdom was re-united with Kent and the adjoining kingdoms under Ethelbert. Both Ethelbald and Ethelbert were buried at Sherborne.

     Judith, Princesse des Francs was born between 843 and 844.¹ She was the daughter of Charles I, Roi des Francs and Ermentrude d‘Orléans.¹ She married, firstly, Æðelwulf, King of Wessex, son of Ecgbeorht, King of Wessex and Redburga (?), on 1 October 856 at Verberie sur Oise, France^G.¹ She married, secondly, Æthelbald, King of Wessex, son of Æðelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburga (?), in 858.² She married, thirdly, Baldwin I ‘de Ijzeren’ Graaf van Vlaanderen circa 863 at Auxerre, France^G.¹ She died in April 870.
     After her marriage, Judith, Princesse des Francs was styled as Queen Judith of Wessex on 1 October 856.¹ Her marriage to Æthelbald, King of Wessex was annulled in 860 on the grounds of consanguinity.¹

     Æðelbeorht, King of Wessex was born circa 836.² He was the son of Æðelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburga (?) He died between 865 and 866.² He was buried at Sherborne Abbey, Dorset, England^G.
     He gained the title of Subregulus of Kent between 853 and 855.² He gained the title of King Æðelbeorht of Wessex on 20 December 860.² He was crowned King of Wessex in 861 at Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England^G.²
     On Ethelwulf’s death in 858, his son Ethelbald was already ruling Wessex. The remaining South East kingdoms passed to Ethelwulf’s second son Ethelbert. Ethelbald married his father’s widow. On Ethelbald’s death in 860, the Wessex kingdom was re-united with Kent and the adjoining kingdoms under Ethelbert. Both Ethelbald and Ethelbert were buried at Sherborne.

     Æthelred I, King of Wessex was born circa 840.² He was the son of Æðelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburga (?)¹ He married Wulfrida (?) circa 868.² He died on 23 April 871, from wounds in action.² He was buried at Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England^G.²
     He gained the title of King Æthelbert I of Wessex between 865 and 866.² He fought in the Battle of Merton on 23 April 871, against the Danes.²
     There is some dispute as to whether Ethelred acceded in 865 or 866. He was the son of Ethelwulf and succeeded his brother Ethelbert. Ethelred, together with his younger brother Alfred, bravely fought the Danish invaders. In 865 a large Danish army landed in East Anglia and in 866 they rounded up all the horses they could find for use as transport, and moved up to York. In 871 Ethelred and his brother Alfred defeated the Danes at Ashdown near Lambourne in Berkshire.

     Ecgbeorht, King of Wessex was born circa 775.² He was the son of Ealhmund, Subregulus of Kent and unknown daughter (?)^3,1 He married Redburga (?)² He died on 4 February 839.⁴ He was buried at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England^G.⁴
     Ecgbeorht, King of Wessex also went by the nick-name of Egbert ‘the Great’ (?)¹ He gained the title of Subregulus of Kent between 790 and 796.² He succeeded as the King Egbert of Wessex in 802.² He gained the title of King Egbert of Mercia in 829.²
     After the Romans left Britain in AD 407, the country was raided by Picts from Scotland, Angles and Saxons from Germany and Jutes from Denmark. Within 200 years most of England was under Anglo-Saxon rule, divided into seven Kingdoms: Kent (mostly Jutes), Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. As a guide, Wessex consisted of Hants, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire. Mercia’s boundaries varied a great deal but could be said to lie between the Thames and Humber. The capital of Wessex was Winchester and important towns in Mercia were Lichfield, Repton and Tamworth. King Offa of Mercia was a powerful king of this period and built the dyke along the English/Welsh border. Although nominally King of England, really he was only accepted South of the Humber. He won a resounding victory over the Norsemen and Cornish at Hingston Down near Callington in Cornwall in 836 and also conquered Mercia in 829 but lost it again in 838. He paved the way for national political unification which was achieved by King Athelstan in the 10th century. Although Egbert was King, the remaining kingdoms retained sub-kings or Ealdormen.

     Redburga (?) was born circa 780 at Autun, Saxone-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France. She married Ecgbeorht, King of Wessex, son of Ealhmund, Subregulus of Kent and unknown daughter (?).² She died on 4 February 839.

     Æðelstan (?) was the son of Ecgbeorht, King of Wessex and Redburga (?) He died circa 851.²
     He gained the title of Subregulus of Kent, Essex, Sussex and Surrey in 839.²

     Oslac of Hampshire was also known as Oslac of the Isle of Wight.¹ He held the office of Great Butler of England.

     Æðelswyð (?) was the daughter of Æðelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburga (?) She married Burgræd, King of Mercia, son of Beorhtwulf, King of Mercia and Sædryð (?), after 2 April 853 at Palace of Chippenham, Wiltshire, England^G.² She died between 888 and 889 at Paris, France^G, while on a pilgrimage to Rome.² She was buried at Pavia, Italy^G.
     She was a nun after 874.²

     Æthelhelm (?) was born after 868. He was the son of Æthelred I, King of Wessex and Wulfrida (?)^1,2
     He is either an Ealderman of Wiltshire, or an Archbishop of Canterbury (consecrated 919, died 8 Jan 923), or neither.²