Anglo saxon biography of albert

Home / Historical Figures / Anglo saxon biography of albert

For most of his life, he'd suffered from various ailments leaving him sickly and frail. It also played a pivotal role at the time of promoting the unification of England and celebrating Alfred and his monarchy.

Death and legacy

In 886 AD, Alfred went on the offensive again and captured London, a significant territorial gain that laid the foundations for future generations to make further reprisals against the Vikings.

With four older brothers, it seemed improbable that Alfred would ever become king. He was buried in Winchester and his eldest son Edward succeeded him to the throne.

One by one over the next few years, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fell to the invading hoard until only Wessex remained independent. Not only was he a great wartime leader but also a forward-thinking social reformer during peacetime.

New York, NY: Basic Books, 2022.

Roesdahl, Else. Following the wishes of their father, the sons succeeded to the kingship in turn. He also established a navy for use against the Danish raiders who continued to harass the coast.

As an administrator Alfred advocated justice and order and established a code of laws and a reformed coinage.

He reorganised his army and built a series of well-defended settlements across southern England. The only way to rectify this was to promote education and intellectual pursuits and so he brought the best scholars over from abroad to teach in schools. Edited and translated by Milton Haight Turk.

When the Great Heathen Army arrived, Alfred’s next oldest brother, Aethelred, was King of Wessex.

Wessex in the Early Middle Ages. He then arranged, and himself took part in, the translation of books from Latin to Anglo-Saxon.

When they arrived, England was divided into four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms - Mercia, Wessex, Northumbria and East Anglia.

Alfred’s early years

Born in 849 AD in Wantage, England, Alfred was the youngest of six children.

Alfred’s careful planning meant that no part of Wessex was beyond 20 miles from one of these new settlements.

UK. Penguin Random House.

He then established fortified settlements across southern England, ensuring they were well-manned and ready to fend off any further threats from overseas. After his victory in London, Alfred began styling himself as the 'King of the English'. Conducting guerrilla-style attacks on the Danes for the next few weeks, Alfred eventually amassed a large enough force to fight a battle on the open field.

Victory, co-existence & Danelaw

At the Battle of Edington in 878 AD, Alfred claimed a decisive victory against Guthrum, which led to a peace agreement between the two known as the Treaty of Wedmore.

The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum looked to set out a lasting peace between the two, defining the boundaries of their territories and agreeing on peaceful trade.