General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  PLAC 323
2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2000

[daveanthes.FTW]

GIVN Alfred "The Great" King of
SURN England
AFN GS4H-XF
_PRIMARY Y
EVEN Bretwalda
TYPE Elected
DATE 871
PLAC England
EVEN England
TYPE Ruled
DATE 23 Apr 871 and 899
PLAC Kingston-upon Thames,Surrey
EVEN at Winchester
TYPE Coronation
DATE 871
EVEN Danes
TYPE Battle of
DATE BET 871 AND 897
PLAC England
EVEN Compiled English Law
TYPE Achievements
EVEN Defeated the Danish conquest
TYPE Achievements
DATE 878
PLAC Edington,England
EVEN Built Navy warships to protect southern coast
TYPE Achievements
DATE 885
EVEN Built Fortifications to protect Wessex
TYPE Achievements
DATE BET 892 AND 896
EVEN London
TYPE Captured
DATE 886
PLAC London,England
DATE 10 SEP 2000
TIME 07:02:57

EVEN
TYPE Acceded
DATE 23 APR 871
PLAC Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, EnglandKing of Wessex 871-899.
Reigned 871-899. He prevented the Danish conquest of England, defeating them at Edington(878) after a campaign of guerrila warfare. After his victory he allowed the Danes to keep their conquests in Mercia nd East Anglia provided that Guthrum, their King, was converted to Christianity. Alfred built a navy of Warships to defend the south coast against further Danish invasions (885-86;892-96) and protected Wessex with a chain of fortifications. He took London (886), this gaining control of all England except the Danish areas.

See Historical Document.

TITL World Family Tree Vol. 4, Ed. 1
AUTH Broderbund Software, Inc.
PUBL Release date: August 23, 1996
Customer pedigree.
REPO
CALN
MEDI Family Archive CD
PAGE Tree #1222
DATA
TEXT Date of Import: Aug 19, 1997
TITL pennington.FTW
REPO
CALN
MEDI Other
PAGE Tree #1222
DATA
TEXT Date of Import: Aug 19, 1997

TITL tree1.ged
REPO
CALN
MEDI Other
DATA
TEXT Date of Import: Oct 20, 1999

Alfred the Great is probably the most famous of all of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Much of his fame is based on legend, not historic fact. However, based solely on the facts known to us today, he still ranks as one of the most important early kings of the British Isle. He is the only English King to be known as 'The Great'. The Vikings, or Danes, had invaded England in 793. They controlled East Anglia, Northumbria and Mercia and they were moving to take control of Wessex. Alfred defeated the invading Danes at the battle of Edlington in 878; however, allowed the Danes to keep the territories they had previously won in Mercia and East Anglia provided that Guthrum, King of Denmark, converted to Christianity (Treaty of Wedmore). The dividing line between English and Danish territory was roughly a line running northwest
from London to Chester; Alfred ruled south of this line and was recognized as overlord of the area to the north that became known as the Danelaw.
King Alfred built a Navy to defend the coasts against further Danish invasions; he protected Wessex by building a chain of fortified towns called 'burghs'. These towns were located such that no one lived more than twenty miles from one of them (there were 30 of these burghs manned by about 900 military men for a total defensive army of 27,000).  In 886 he took control of London thus gaining control of all of England except for that portion controlled by the Danes, yet was recognized as King of all England by both the Saxons and the Danes.  Alfred reformed and codified Saxon law. Being well-educated himself, he promoted a revival in learning, and instigated the compilation of the famous ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, a 1,200-year history of the people of England from before Julius Caesar's invasion of the British
Isles in 55 BC.
-----------
Youngest son of King ¡thelwulf, Alfred became King of Wessex during a time of constant Viking attack. He was driven into hiding by a Viking raid into Wessex, led by the Dane, Guthorm, and took refuge in the Athelney marshes in Somerset. There, he recovered sufficient strength to be able to defeat the Danes decisively at the battle of Eddington. As a condition of the peace treaty which followed, Guthorm received Christian baptism and withdrew his forces from Wessex, with Alfred recognizing the Danish control over East Anglia and parts of Mercia. This partition of England, called the "Danelaw", was formalized by another treaty in 886. Alfred created a series of fortifications whose purpose was to surround his kingdom and provide needed security from invasion. The Anglo-Saxon word for these forts, "burhs", has come down to us in the common place-name suffix, "bury." He also constructed a fleet of ships to augment his other defenses, and in the doing became known as the "Father of the English Navy." 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 Asser, a Welshman, bishop of Sherbourne and Alfred's counselor. After his death, he was buried in his capital city of Winchester, and is the only English monarch in history to carry the title, "the Great."
Source:www.britannia.com

Williamson says he may have died of the royal malady, porphyria.
King of Wessex.

HIST THE MOST FAMOUS OF ANGLO-SAXON KINGS.  THOUGH MUCH OF HIS HISTORY IS BASED ON LEGEND, HE IS STILL THE ONLY ENGLISH KING KNOWN AS 'THE GREAT'.
HIST THE VIKINGS, OR DANES, INVADED ENGLAND IN 793.  THEY CONTROLLED EAST ANGLIA, NORTHUMBRIA AND MERCIA.  THEY WERE IN THE VERGE OF OVERTAKING WESSEX.  ALFRED DEFEATED THE DANES AT THE BATTLE OF EDLINGTON IN 878, BUT ALLOWED THE DANES TO KEEP 
HIST ALFRED CREATED THE NAVY TO DEFEND THE COASTS AND BUILT FORTIFIED TOWNS CALLED 'BURGHS' TO PROTECT INLAND.
HIST ALFRED REFORMED AND CODEFIED THE SAXON LAW, INSTITUTED THE REVIVAL IN LEARNING, AND HELP COMPILE A 1,200-YEAR HISTORY OF ENGLAND CALLED THE SAXON CHRONICLE. HE ALSO TRANSLATED LATIN TEXTS INTO
THE SAXON TONGUE (OLD ENGLISH).
DATE 22 MAY 2000