Athelstan UNKNOWN 
Athelstan was born in 0895. Athelstan's father was Edward UNKNOWN and his mother was Edgiva Desigelline. His paternal grandparents were Alfred UNKNOWN and Ealhswith UNKNOWN; his maternal grandfather was Sigehelm UNKNOWN. He had four brothers and four sisters, named Edmund, Eadred, Alfred, Alberic, Thyra, Eadburh, Edgiva and Edgina (Eadgithu). He had two half-brothers and nine half-sisters, named Edwin, Elfweard, Edflaed, Elgiva, Edhilda, Edith, Elfleda, Ethelfleda, Ethelhilda, Eadflaed and Eadgyth. He died at the age of 44 in 0939.1 General Notes
Name Prefix:<NPFX> King
Name Suffix:<NSFX> Of The English
Edward's heir Athelstan (reigned 925-39) was also a distinguished and audacious soldier who pushed the boundaries of the kingdom to their furthest extent yet. In 927-8, Athelstan took York from the Danes; he forced the submission of king Constantine of Scotland and of the northern kings; all five Welsh kings agreed to pay a huge annual tribute (reportedly including 25,000 oxen), and Athelstan eliminated opposition in Cornwall.
The battle of Brunanburh in 937, in which Athelstan led a force drawn from Britain and defeated an invasion by the king of Scotland in alliance with the Welsh and Danes from Dublin, earned him recognition by lesser kings in Britain.
Athelstan's law codes strengthened royal control over his large kingdom; currency was regulated to control silver's weight and to penalise fraudsters. Buying and selling was mostly confined to the burhs, encouraging town life; areas of settlement in the midlands and Danish towns were consolidated into shires. Overseas, Athelstan built alliances by marrying four of his half-sisters to various rulers in western Europe.
He also had extensive cultural and religious contacts; as an enthusiastic and discriminating collector of works of art and religious relics, he gave away much of his collection to his followers and to churches and bishops in order to retain their support.
Athelstan died at the height of his power and was buried at Malmesbury; a church charter of 934 described him as 'King of the English, elevated by the right hand of the Almighty ... to the Throne of the whole Kingdom of Britain'. Athelstan died childless.
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b.0740 in England d.0785 in England
- b.0784 in Wessex, England d.4 Feb 839 in Wessex, England
- b.0750
- b.0795 in Aachen, Germany d.13 Jan 858 in Aachen, Germany
- b.0730 in Babylon, Iraq d.6 Jul 793 in Pannonia
- b.~ 0788 in Toulouse, France d.0846 in Wessex, England
- b.~ 0738 in Heristal, Liege, Belgium
- b.12 May 849 in Wantage, Berkshire, England d.26 Oct 899 in Winchester, Hampshire, England
- b.~ 0785 in Isle Of Wight d.Wft Est 807-885
- b.0810 in Wessex, England d.0854
- b.0871 in Wessex, England d.17 Jul 924 in Farndon-On-Dee, Cheshire, England
- b.0795 d.0840
- b.0814 in England d.0866
- b.0852 in Mercia, England d.5 Dec 904 in St.Mary's Abbey, Winchester, Dorsetshire
- b.0770 d.0839
- b.0800 d.0840
- b.0775
- b.0817 in Mercia
- b.0770 d.0823
- b.0800
- b.0895 d.0939
- b.0872
- b.0902 in Kent, England d.25 Aug 968
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