General Notes

* Title: King of England
*
Alfred, called The Great (849-99), king of the West Saxons (871-99), and
one of the outstanding figures of English history. Born in Wantage in
southern England, Alfred was the youngest of five sons of King Ethelwulf.
On the death of his brother Ethelred Alfred became king, coming to the
throne during a Danish invasion. Although he succeeded in making peace
with the Danes, they resumed their marauding expeditions five years
later,and by early 878 they were successful almost everywhere. About
Easter of 878, however, Alfred established himself at Athelney and began
assembling an army. In the middle of that year he defeated the Danes and
captured their stronghold, probably at present-day Edington. During the
following 14 years Alfred was able to devote himself to the internal
affairs of his kingdom. By 886 he had captured the city of London, and
soon afterward he was recognized as the king of all England.
In 893 the Danes invaded England again, and the followingfour years were
marked by warfare; eventually, the Danes were forced to withdraw from
Alfred's domain. The only ruler to resist Danish invasions successfully,
Alfred made his kingdom the rallying point for all Saxons, thus laying
the foundation for the unification of England.
Alfred was a patron of learning and did much for the education of his
people. He began a court school and invited British and foreign scholars,
notably the Welsh monk Asser and the Irish-born philosopher and
theologian John Scotus Erigena, to come there. Alfred translated such
works as The Consolation of Philosophy by the Roman statesman and
philosopher Boethius, The History of the World by the Spanish priest
Paulus Orosius, and Pastoral Care by Pope Gregory I. Alfred's laws, the
first promulgated in more than a century, were the first that made no
distinctionbetween the English and the Welsh peoples.
"Alfred," Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1993-1995 Microsoft
Corporation. Funk & Wagnalls Corporation.
* Burial: St Peters Abbey,Ghent,Belgium