Biography of King Æthelstan I of England 894-939

Paternal Family Tree: Wessex

899 Death of King Alfred the Great

924 Death of King Edward Exile

937 Battle of Brunanburh

Around 893 [his father] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 19) and [his mother] Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons were married. He the son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex (age 44) and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

Around 894 King Æthelstan I of England was born to King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 20) and Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons.

Death of King Alfred the Great

On 26 Oct 899 [his grandfather] King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex (age 50) died at Winchester, Hampshire [Map]. He was buried at Hyde Abbey. His son [his father] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 25) succeeded King Anglo Saxons. [his mother] Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons by marriage Queen Consort Anglo Saxons.

Around 900 [his father] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 26) and Aelfflaed Wiltshire Queen Anglo Saxons (age 30) were married. She the daughter of Æthelhelm Earldorman Wiltshire. He the son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

Around 919 [his father] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 45) and Eadgifu Kent Queen Anglo Saxons were married. She by marriage Queen Anglo Saxons. He the son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

Death of King Edward Exile

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 17 Jul 924. This year died [his father] King Edward (age 50) at Farndon in Mercia; and [his half-brother] Elward (age 22) his son died very soon after this, in Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map]. Their bodies lie at Winchester. And Athelstan (age 30) was chosen king in Mercia, and consecrated at Kingston [Map]. He gave his [his half-sister] sister to Otho (age 11), son of the king of the Old-Saxons (age 48). St. Dunstan (age 15) was now born; and Wulfhelm took to the archbishopric in Canterbury. This year King Athelstan and Sihtric king of the Northumbrians came together at Tamworth, Staffordshire [Map], the sixth day before the calends of February, and Athelstan (age 30) gave away his [his sister] sister to him.

On 17 Jul 924 [his father] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons (age 50) died. He was buried in St Oswald's Priory [Map]. His son King Æthelstan I of England (age 30) succeeded King Anglo Saxons. His son King Æthelstan I of England (age 30) succeeded I King Anglo Saxons.

On 04 Sep 925 King Æthelstan I of England (age 31) was crowned I King Anglo Saxons by Athelm Archbishop of Canterbury -926. It was the first coronation in which the King wore a Crown rather than a helmet.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 926. This year appeared fiery lights in the northern part of the firmament; and Sihtric departed; and King Athelstan (age 32) took to the kingdom of Northumbria, and governed all the kings that were in this island:-First, Howel, King of West-Wales (age 46); and Constantine, King of the Scots; and Owen, King of Monmouth; and Aldred, the son of Eadulf, of Bamburgh. And with covenants and oaths they ratified their agreement in the place called Emmet, on the fourth day before the ides of July; and renounced all idolatry, and afterwards returned in peace.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 927. This year King Athelstan (age 33) expelled King Guthfrith; and Archbishop Wulfhelm went to Rome.

Around 932 Æthelstan Half King (age 22) was appointed Earldorman East Anglia by King Æthelstan I of England (age 38).

In 933 [his half-brother] Edwin the Ætheling was drowned at sea. The circumstances of his death are unclear. Some sources say a storm caused the ship to sink, some say his brother King Æthelstan I of England (age 39) sent him to sea in a leaky boat.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 934. This year went King Athelstan (age 40) into Scotland, both with a land-force and a naval armament, and laid waste a great part of it; and Bishop Burnstan died at Winchester at the feast of All Saints.

In 936 Archbishop Oda was sent to France to arrange the return to the throne of France of Louis "Overseas" IV King West Francia (age 15) by King Æthelstan I of England (age 42). Louis "Overseas" IV King West Francia (age 15) being Athelstan's (age 42) nephew (According to the chronicler Richer of Rheims).

Battle of Brunanburh

In 937 King Æthelstan I of England (age 43) and his son [his half-brother] Edmund (age 16) defeated the Scottish, Irish Viking and Strathclyde army at the Battle of Brunanburh. Two of Æthelstan's cousins, Æthelwine Wessex and Aelfwine Wessex were killed.

Archbishop Oda was present although there are no contemporary records of Oda's appearance at the battle. He is said to have miraculously provided a sword to the king when the king's own sword slipped out of its scabbard.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 938. Here Athelstan king (age 44), of earls the lord, rewarder of heroes, and his brother eke, Edmund atheling, elder of ancient race, slew in the fight, with the edge of their swords, the foe at Brumby! The [his half-brother] sons (age 17) of Edward their board-walls clove, and hewed their banners, with the wrecks of their hammers. So were they taught by kindred zeal, that they at camp oft 'gainst any robber their land should defend, their hoards and homes. Pursuing fell the Scottish clans; the men of the fleet in numbers fell; 'midst the din of the field the warrior swate. Since the sun was up in morning-tide, gigantic light! glad over grounds, God's candle bright, eternal Lord!- 'till the noble creature sat in the western main: there lay many of the Northern heroes under a shower of arrows, shot over shields; and Scotland's boast, a Scythian race, the mighty seed of Mars! With chosen troops, throughout the day, the West-Saxons fierce press'd on the loathed bands; hew'd down the fugitives, and scatter'd the rear, with strong mill-sharpen'd blades, The Mercians too the hard hand-play spared not to any of those that with Anlaf over the briny deep in the ship's bosom sought this land for the hardy fight. Five kings lay on the field of battle, in bloom of youth, pierced with swords. So seven eke of the earls of Anlaf; and of the ship's-crew unnumber'd crowds. There was dispersed the little band of hardy Scots, the dread of northern hordes; urged to the noisy deep by unrelenting fate! The king of the fleet with his slender craft escaped with his life on the felon flood;- and so too Constantine, the valiant chief, returned to the north in hasty flight. The hoary Hildrinc cared not to boast among his kindred. Here was his remnant of relations and friends slain with the sword in the crowded fight. His son too he left on the field of battle, mangled with wounds, young at the fight. The fair-hair'd youth had no reason to boast of the slaughtering strife. Nor old Inwood and Anlaf the more with the wrecks of their army could laugh and say, that they on the field of stern command better workmen were, in the conflict of banners, the clash of spears, the meeting of heroes, and the rustling of weapons, which they on the field of slaughter played with the sons of Edward. The northmen sail'd in their nailed ships, a dreary remnant, on the roaring sea; over deep water Dublin [Map] they sought, and Ireland's shores, in great disgrace. Such then the brothers both together king and atheling, sought their country, West-Saxon land, in right triumphant. They left behind them raw to devour, the sallow kite, the swarthy raven with horny nib, and the hoarse vultur, with the eagle swift to consume his prey; the greedy gos-hawk, and that grey beast the wolf of the weald. No slaughter yet was greater made e'er in this island, of people slain, before this same, with the edge of the sword; as the books inform us of the old historians; since hither came from the eastern shores the Angles and Saxons, over the broad sea, and Britain sought,- fierce battle-smiths, o'ercame the Welsh, most valiant earls, and gained the land.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 939. This year King Athelstan (age 45) died in Gloucester, Gloucestershire [Map], on the sixth day before the calends of November, about forty-one winters, bating one night, from the time when King Alfred died. And [his half-brother] Edmund Atheling (age 18) took to the kingdom. He was then eighteen years old. King Athelstan reigned fourteen years and ten weeks. This year the Northumbrians abandoned their allegiance, and chose Anlaf of Ireland for their king.

On 27 Oct 939 King Æthelstan I of England (age 45) died in Gloucester, Gloucestershire [Map]. His half brother [his half-brother] King Edmund I of England (age 18) succeeded King England.

King Æthelstan I of England 894-939 appears on the following Descendants Family Trees:

King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex 849-899

Royal Ancestors of King Æthelstan I of England 894-939

Kings Wessex: Son of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons

Ancestors of King Æthelstan I of England 894-939

Great x 4 Grandfather: Eafa Wessex

Great x 3 Grandfather: Ealmund King of Kent

Great x 2 Grandfather: Egbert King Wessex

Great x 1 Grandfather: King Æthelwulf of Wessex

GrandFather: King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex

Great x 2 Grandfather: Oslac

Great x 1 Grandmother: Osburgh Queen Consort Wessex

Father: King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons

Great x 1 Grandfather: Æthelred Mucel Mercia Earldorman Gaini

GrandMother: Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England

Great x 1 Grandmother: Eadburh of Mercia

King Æthelstan I of England

Mother: Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons