Æthelwold's Revolt
Encyclopedia
Æthelwold's Revolt was an attempt by Æthelwold of Wessex
to seize the throne from Edward the Elder
after the death of Alfred the Great
.
, King of England, died on 26 October 899. Alfred's son, Edward, was expected to succeed him, but his cousin, Æthelwold, pressed his claim to the throne. Æthelwold was the son of King Aethelred I
, Alfred's older brother, and moved to secure the inheritance for himself.
, burial place of Aethelred. He then took control of the crown lands at Christchurch
, Hampshire
and returned to Wimborne to await Edward's response. Edward assembled an army and moved to Badbury
, Dorset
, but Æthelwold would not meet him in battle. He instead stayed within Wimborne with his men and a nun he had kidnapped, seemingly preparing for a long stand-off. However, Edward had the resources for a frontal assault and was preparing to make the attack when Æthelwold rode North in the night.
Æthelwold arrived in the North soon after he fled from the confrontation at Winborne. He appealed for support from the Danish
Vikings of Northumbria
and they pledged their allegiance. Coins were minted during the period showing that Æthelwold had been proclaimed King in Jórvík
. Meanwhile, Edward was crowned at Kingston upon Thames
on 8 June 900.
In the Autumn of 901
, Æthelwold sailed with a fleet from his new allies into Essex
. By 902
he and the East Anglian Danes were attacking deep into Mercia
, one of Edward's most important allies, as far as Cricklade
, Wiltshire
. The King could no longer tolerate such a hostile rebel force.
on 13 December 902. The Danes defeated Edward's troops, but the King was the real victor. Despite his losses, the battle left Æthelwold and Eohric
, the Danish king of East Anglia, dead on the field.
. Surviving the revolt placed him in the ascendancy over his Danish rivals.
Æthelwold of Wessex
Æthelwold was the youngest of three known sons of King Æthelred of Wessex. His brother Oswald is recorded between 863 and 875, and Æthelhelm is only recorded as a beneficiary of King Alfred's will in the mid 880s, and probably died soon afterwards...
to seize the throne from Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
after the death of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
.
Background
Alfred the GreatAlfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, King of England, died on 26 October 899. Alfred's son, Edward, was expected to succeed him, but his cousin, Æthelwold, pressed his claim to the throne. Æthelwold was the son of King Aethelred I
Ethelred of Wessex
King Æthelred I was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex...
, Alfred's older brother, and moved to secure the inheritance for himself.
Southern Revolt
Æthelwold took his small force and seized Wimborne, DorsetDorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, burial place of Aethelred. He then took control of the crown lands at Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and returned to Wimborne to await Edward's response. Edward assembled an army and moved to Badbury
Badbury (hundred)
Badbury Hundred was a hundred in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:*Chalbury*Gussage St Michael*Hinton Martell*Hinton Parva*Horton*More Crichel*Shapwick*Tarrant Crawford*Wimborne Minster...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, but Æthelwold would not meet him in battle. He instead stayed within Wimborne with his men and a nun he had kidnapped, seemingly preparing for a long stand-off. However, Edward had the resources for a frontal assault and was preparing to make the attack when Æthelwold rode North in the night.
Viking Support
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Vikings of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
and they pledged their allegiance. Coins were minted during the period showing that Æthelwold had been proclaimed King in Jórvík
Jórvík
Scandinavian York is a term, like the terms Kingdom of Jórvík or Kingdom of York, used by historians for the kingdom of Northumbria in the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was dominated by Norse warrior-kings; in particular, it is used to refer to the city controlled by...
. Meanwhile, Edward was crowned at Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
on 8 June 900.
In the Autumn of 901
901
Year 901 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* Abu 'Abdullah al-Shi'i leads the rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Aghlabid emirate in Ifriqiya ....
, Æthelwold sailed with a fleet from his new allies into Essex
Kingdom of Essex
The Kingdom of Essex or Kingdom of the East Saxons was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was founded in the 6th century and covered the territory later occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent. Kings of Essex were...
. By 902
902
Year 902 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 1 – Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army....
he and the East Anglian Danes were attacking deep into Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, one of Edward's most important allies, as far as Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. The King could no longer tolerate such a hostile rebel force.
The Battle Of Holme
Edward retaliated by ravaging East Anglia, and when he retreated the men of Kent disobeyed the order to retire, meeting the Danes at the Battle of the HolmeBattle of the Holme
The Battle of the Holme took place at an unknown location in East Anglia on 13 December 902 between the Anglo-Saxon men of Kent and the East Anglian Danes....
on 13 December 902. The Danes defeated Edward's troops, but the King was the real victor. Despite his losses, the battle left Æthelwold and Eohric
Eohric of East Anglia
Eohric was king of East Anglia. Seemingly of Scandinavian origin, his name is the Old English form of the Old Norse Eiríkr, little is known of Eohric or of East Anglia in his time....
, the Danish king of East Anglia, dead on the field.
Aftermath
Despite the conflict, Edward's position was strengthened as a result of the revolt. With Æthelwold dead, his grip on the throne was assured for the remainder of his reign. The quelling of domestic unrest also allowed him to focus on the Viking settlers. He had killed one of the Danish kings, Eohric, and two more soon fell, at his decisive victory at TettenhallBattle of Tettenhall
The Battle of Tettenhall took place, according to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle near Tettenhall, on the 5 August 910. The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex met an army of Northumbrian Vikings in Mercia...
. Surviving the revolt placed him in the ascendancy over his Danish rivals.