Ethelwulf(Aethelwulf), "Noble Wolf," son of Egbert, reigned from 839 to857 in Wessex, England. During his reign the Danes miserably spoiledEngland, daring to winter there for the first time. In 851 Ethelwulfrouted them at Okely in Surrey. By the advise of St. Swithin, Bishop ofWinchester, he granted to the church the tithe of all his dominions. Hedied January 13, 858. He married (1) Lady Osburga (Osburh) (Osberga),daughter of Earl Oslac, the royal cup-bearer. From this first marriagethey had a son,
1. Athelstan, died about 850.
2. Ethelbald, ruled from 855 to 860, married Judith of Bavaria, his stepmother, after the death of his father. See below.
3. Ethelbert, ruled from 860 to 866.
4. Ethelred I., ruled from 871 to 890.
5. Aethelswith, a daughter, married Burgred (Burhred), King of Mercia.See lineage of the Kings of Mercia elsewhere in Volume I.
6. Alfred., 4th son, born in 849. See below.
On a pilgrimage to Rome in 855, Ethelwulf married (2) Judith of Bavaria,the 12 year old daughter of Charles II., the Bald, King of the WestFranks and his wife, Ermentrude. See the genealogical details elsewherein Royalty of France in Vol. I. When Ethelwulf returned home it is saidthat he made his son, Ethelbald, King of Wessex, and retained Kent forhis own rule. He died January 13, 857, and was buried at Stamridge, hisbody later being removed to Winchester. Ethelwulf was succeeded by eachof his four sons in turn, the fourth and youngest of whom was Alfred.
Egbert (775?-839), king of Wessex (802-39), and the first Saxon kingrecognized as sovereign of all England (828-39). He was the son of aKentish noble but claimed descent from Cerdic (reigned 519-34), founderof Wessex, the kingdom of the West Saxons in southern England. During thelate 8th century, when King Offa of Mercia (reigned 757-96) ruled most ofEngland, Egbert lived in exile at the court of Charlemagne. Egbertregained his kingdom in 802. He conquered the neighboring kingdoms ofKent, Cornwall, and Mercia, and by 830 he was also acknowledged assovereign of East Anglia, Sussex, Surrey, and Northumbria and was giventhe title of Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon, "ruler of the British"). Duringsucceeding years Egbert led expeditions against the Welsh and theVikings. The year before his death he defeated a combined force of Danesand Welsh at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He was succeeded by his sonEthelwulf, the father of Alfred.
