Alfred the
Great
Narrative assembled by D. A. Sharpe
Alfred the Great
lived from 849 AD till 26 Oct 899 AD. Alfred is
the 7th
great grandfather of Count Poitou William, the 14th great grand uncle of
Sir Edward Southworth, the first husband of Alice Carpenter, my 7th great
grandmother, my being descended through her second husband, Plymouth Colony Governor
William Bradford.
Various descendants of Alfred's were related to my
ancestors. For example, King Edward the
Confessor, the third great grandson of Alfred's was a first cousin, once
removed to King
William the Conqueror, my seventh cousin, 26 times removed.
Alfred was one of the greatest men in history. He
founded the British Navy, organized the militia, compiled a code of laws, built
schools and monasteries, and invited scholars to live at his court.
He was a good scholar and translated many books himself. Edward
Southworth, the first husband of Alice Carpenter, my seventh great
grandmother by her second husband, Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford is
the 14th
great grandnephew of Count of Nantes, Geoffrey, the 7th great
grandson of Alfred. Southworth also is my 25th cousin, eight times removed.
Alfred is the 38th great grandfather of our Westmoreland grandchildren,
Katherine, Jack, Lily, Sarah and Sam.
Alfred the Great was
king of the West
Saxons in southwestern England. He saved his kingdom, Wessex, from
the Danish Vikings,
and laid the basis for the unification of England under the West Saxon
monarchy. He also led a revival of learning and literature. He was
such an outstanding leader in war and peace that he is the only English King
known as "the Great." The
nomenclature of Òthe GreatÓ derived from his accomplishments. In comparison, the other well-known use
of that title was for Charlemagne the
Great. His ÒGreatÓ came from
his towering height as a man, being six foot, four inches. That matches the height of the tallest
United States President, who was Abraham Lincoln!
Alfred was born in Wantage (now in Oxfordshire),
England. He was the youngest son of King Ethelwulf of Wessex.
According to the Welsh writer,
Asser, who wrote a biography of Alfred shortly after his death, Alfred was
always eager to learn. Asser says that Alfred's mother offered a book of
Anglo-Saxon poems as a prize to the first of her sons who could read it.
Alfred won. As a boy, Alfred went to Rome twice, where the pope
acknowledged the status of the royal house of Wessex. The journeys also
showed Alfred the contrast between England and the more advanced parts of Europe.
Alfred became king in 871 at the death of his brother
Ethelred. The West Saxons had been at war with the Danes for many years.
After several losing battles, Alfred made peace with the invaders. But
the Danes renewed their attacks and defeated Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham
in 877. Alfred then defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington
in 878. The Danish leader, Guthrum,
agreed to be baptized a Christian. He also agreed to stay north and
east of the River Thames, in an area called the Danelaw. However, the
Danes broke the peace, and Alfred renewed the war. He won London in
886. All the English people not subject to the Danes recognized Alfred as
their ruler, and paid him homage. The old, independent Anglo-Saxon
kingdoms began to merge under the rule of Wessex.
Alfred built forts and boroughs
(fortified towns) at strategic points. He stationed his fleet along the
coast as protection against further invasions. He also issued a code of
laws to restore peaceful government.
Before Alfred, education had declined in England, because
the Danes had looted monasteries and churches, which had been the centers of
learning. Alfred revived learning by bringing teachers and writers from
Wales and continental Europe. He encouraged the translation of famous
Christian books from Latin into Old English. Under his influence, the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle began to be compiled. now the main source for
Anglo-Saxon history up to 1154.
Contributor:
Joel T. Rosenthal, Ph.D., Professor. of History, State University. of New York,
Stony Brook, World Book Encyclopedia 1998
The reign of Alfred was known for more than military
success. He was a codifier of law, a promoter of education and a supporter of
the arts. He, himself, was a scholar and translated Latin books into the
Anglo-Saxon tongue. The definitive contemporary work on Alfred's life is an
unfinished account in Latin by Bishop Asser, a Welshman, bishop of Sherbourne,
who also was Alfred's counsellor. After Alfred's graduation to Heaven, he
was buried in his capital city of Winchester."
Source: http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon6.html
Although Biship AsserÕs "Life of King Alfred" was similar to the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in its analystic approach, the Bishop personalized his
writing so that the man Alfred was presented, and not just the Christian king
who vanquished the pagan-based heathen kingdom. Asser's "Life of
King Alfred" differs also in its use of Latin, rather than the vernacular
in which most sources from Alfred's reign are written.
Source: http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/asser.html
Compiled by:
805 Derting Road East
Aurora, TX 76078-3712
