General Notes

REFR
DATE 0839
RETO
DATE 0838
OCCU King of Wessex
RELI Sources: Microsoft Encarta 1994 ed.Merged General Note: From BRITAIN'S KINGS AND QUEENS By SirGeorge Bellow Kvoc Ethelwulf, son of King Egbert, was a maninclined to piety and mildness, and for a
time Bishop ofWinchester. He came to the throne an experienced ruler, for hisfather had made him 'sub-king' of Kent nine years before. Thoughhe had such a promising training we know little of his
actualreign.  Most of his time seems to have been spent in fightingthe Danes, who occupied the north and east parts of England; andtwo at least of his vicories are recorded; one at Oakley andanother
at sea. In 855 Ethelwulf took his youngest son Alfred(later to be called the Great) on a pilgrimage to Rome.  On threturn journey he made a profitable alliance by marryingCharlemagne's
grand-daughter Judith, the daughter of Charles theBald, King of France and Emperor of the Romans.  On his arrivalin England with his thirteen-year old bride, he found that hisson, Ethelbald, had
usurped his throne, but, rather than cause acivil war, he was content to take second place, reverting; tohis former kingdom of Kent.  Two years later, in 858, he died.William Seymour, SOVEREIGN
LEGACY: An Historicla Guide to theBritish Monarchy, p. 19: "... he meaintained the supremacy ofWessex and had his successes against the Danes, notably at abattle near Basingstoke in 851, where he
'inflicted the greatestslaughter upon the heathen host that ever we have heard tell ofup to the present day.' "--Other FieldsRef Number: +
RELG @N616@
DATE 21 MAR 1999