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EGBERT, King of Wessex

HUSBAND:
EGBERT. (Ecgbert-S4)(Ecgbehrt-S5). King of Wessex. [CHART A1].
Born (about 770-S5)(about 775) in Wessex; son of EAHLMUND.

When King Cynewulf of Wessex was murdered in 786, Egbert disputed with Beorhtric for possession of the kingdom. Beorhtric ruled subject to the Mercian kings (Offa and, from 796, Coenwulf), and Egbert probably sought greater independence for Wessex. Beorhtric, an ally of Offa of Mercia, won out. Since Egbert's father, Eahlmund had led the resistance against Offa, this also swung the decision now against Egbert.

Egbert fled into exile to the Frankish court of Charlemagne, probably starting in 789 A.D. Although his exile is said to have lasted three years, some historians have suggested that this period may have actually lasted thirteen years (789–802), as this would account for Egbert's whereabouts during the whole period preceding Beorhtric's death. Egbert married, probably while he was in exile, Redburg, a Frankish princess reputed to be a sister (or sister-in-law-S5) of CHARLEMAGNE. They had two sons and a daughter.

On Beorhtric's death in 802 (who was poisoned by his wife), Egbert returned from exile and was crowned King of Wessex (King of the West Saxons). He ruled Wessex from 802 to 839.

On the same day as Egbert's accession to the throne in 802, Ęthelmund, earl of the Hwicce, led a raid into Wessex. Ęthelmund was defeated and killed by Weoxtan, earl of Wiltshire, who also lost his life in the battle. Under Egbert, Wessex rose to become the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, overthrowing the supremacy of Mercia. In addition, he is considered the first king of England, though it is not how he referred to himself. He was called Bretwalda ("British Ruler"). His grandson Alfred was the first to use the title "King of England."

In 815 Egbert ravaged the whole of the territories of the Britons (Mercians) of West Welsh, which probably at this time did not include much more than Cornwall; and it is probably from his reign that Cornwall can be considered subject to Wessex.

Yet in 825 the Britons were strong enough to attack eastwards across the Tamar and there was a great battle at Galford.

Also in 825 Beornwulf of Mercia led an army into Wessex. He defeated the Mercian revolt for ascendancy, and defeated the King of Mercia at the Battle of Ellendune (Wroughton), in Wiltshire. After this victory, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex submitted to Wessex; while the East Anglians, who rose against Mercian rule and slew Beornwulf shortly afterwards, acknowledged Egbert as overlord. Beornwulf was succeeded by Ludeca, previously an ealdorman.

Egbert followed up this victory by offering his leadership to the other kingdoms of southern England which had suffered Mercian domination for more than a century. Under the year 825, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that Egbert sent his son Aethelwulf and Bishop Eahlstan of Sherborne into Kent to recover what had been the rightful property of his kin. Another document says this occurred in 823. (S3). The father of Egbert was called Ealhmund, and we find an Ealhmund, king in Kent, mentioned in a charter dated 784, who is identified with Egbert's father in a late addition to the Chronicle under the date 784.

Aethelwulf and Bishop Eahlstan were successful, and drove out the Mercian puppet Bealdred. Following the conquest of Kent, Egbert issued a charter as King of the West Saxons and the Kentishmen.

The people of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Essex, including the town of London, submitted to Egbert immediately, and the king of the East Angles appealed to him for peace and protection. What arrangements he made for them is unknown, however, his son Aethelwulf treated them not as conquered lands to be exploited, but as an apanage for his son Aethelbald.

In 827 Ludeca too led a Mercian army against East Anglia. Again the Mercians were defeated and Ludeca was killed. How the East Angles with their slender resources were able to twice defeat the Mercians in battle has never been successfully explained. Not even the names of the East Angles kings are known.

In 829 Egbert took advantage of the Mercian disasters and took the offensive. He conquered Mercia and expelled their new king Wiglaf from his kingdom and conquered Mercia and everything south of the Humber. Eanred of Northumbria accepted him as overlord after refusing to fight his forces at Dore (now a suburb of Sheffield). His campaign took him as far as Dore in North Derbyshire and culminated in the submission of the Northumbrians to his lordship. In 829 he became the overlord of all the English kings, and gave the name of England to the whole realm. He is thus called the first King of all England.

In 830 he led a successful expedition against the north Welsh and reduced them into submission. In the same year Mercia regained its independence as Wiglaf recoved his kingdom. It is uncertain whether this was achieved through a rebellion or was the result of a grant by Egbert to Wiglaf. Although Wiglaf did not succeed in regaining the south-eastern territories lost by Beornwulf, he successfully maintained the integrity of Mercia, including London and Middlesex. Though gravely weakened, Mercia was never again in danger of subjection to Wessex. The recovery of Mercian independence must have terminated West Saxon superiority over Northumbria.

In 836 Egbert was defeated by the Danes who had allied with the Britons. However, in 838 Egbert and the West Saxon army won a battle against them and their allies at Hingston Downs in Cornwall. Cornwall retained her kings, but they were hereafter under the domination of the kings of Wessex. However, thereafter Viking raids increased as well.

Egbert died (on 4 FEB 839)(in July 839-S5) in Cornwall; and was buried in Winchester Cathedral, at Winchester, Hampshire, England. He was succeeded by his son, King Ethelwulf of Wessex.

His simple mortuary chest was later placed inside another one in the 15th Century. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary soldiers dumped Egbert and other kings' bones out of the chests and used them to smash windows in the church. The jumbled up bones were then replaced in the chest. Distinguishing between the bones (four skulls now reside in Egbert's chest with other bones) is impossible without forensic examination.

WIFE:
[F996970908169]. Redburg. (Redburga, Redburh)
She married Egbert, King of Wessex [996970908168]. She is believed to be a sister (sister-in-law-S5) of CHARLEMAGNE. (S4).

CHILDREN of EGBERT, King of Wessex [F996970908168] and Redburg [F996970908169]:
  1. [F498485454084]. ETHELWULF(Ethelwulf) (Aethelwulf)(Ęšelwulf-S5). Born (about 800-S4)(about 807). He married (1) Osburgh. He married (2) Judith. He died 13 JAN 858.
  2. Editha. Died in 871 at Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire, England.
  3. Athelstan. Died about 851.


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