General Notes

REFN: 1439AN
REFN: P1439
Egbert (802-39 AD)
Known as the first King of All England, he was forced into exile at the co
urt of Charlemagne, by the powerful Offa, King of Mercia. Egbert return
ed to England in 802 and was recognized as king of Wess ex. He defeated t
he rival Mercians at the battle of Ellendun in 825. In 829, the Northumbri
ans accepted his overlordship and he was proclaimed "Bretwalda" or sole ru
ler of Britain.
Egbert (also Ecgbehrt or Ecgbert) (c. 770 — July 839) was King of Wessex f
rom 802 until his death. Under Egbert, Wessex rose to become the most powe
rful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, overthrowing the supremacy of Mercia.
A somewhat difficult question has arisen as to the parentage of Egbert. Un
der the year 825, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that in his eastern con
quests Egbert recovered what had been the rightful property of his kin. T
he father of Egbert was called Ealhmund, and we find an Ealhmund, ki
ng in Kent, mentioned in a charter dated 784, who is identified with Egber
t's father in a late addition to the Chronicle under the date 784. It is p
ossible, however, that the Chronicle in 825 refers to some claim through I
ne of Wessex from whose brother Ingeld Egbert was descended.
After the murder of King Cynewulf in 786, Egbert may have contested the su
ccession, but the throne went to Beorhtric, an ally of Offa of Mercia. Sta
rting probably in 789, Egbert went into exile after being expelled by Of
fa and Beorhtric. He spent this exile with the Franks on the continent, a
nd although it is said to have lasted three years, some historians have su
ggested that this period may have actually lasted thirteen years (789–802
), as this would account for Egbert's whereabouts during the whole peri
od preceding Beorhtric's death.
Beorhtric ruled subject to the Mercian kings (Offa and, from 796, Coenwulf
), and Egbert probably sought greater independence for Wessex. He was ackn
owledged as king by the West Saxons following Beorhtric's death in 802, b
ut on the same day as his accession to the throne, Ælthelmund, earl of t
he Hwicce, led a raid into Wessex. Ælthelmund was defeated and killed by W
eoxtan, earl of Wiltshire, who also lost his life in the battle.
In 815 Egbert ravaged the whole of the territories of the West Welsh, whi
ch probably at this time did not incluDe much more than Cornwall; it is pr
obably from his reign that Cornwall can be considered subject to Wessex. T
he next important occurrence in the reign was the defeat of Beornwulf of M
ercia at a place called Ellandun in 825. After this victory, Kent, Surre
y, Sussex and Essex submitted to Wessex; while the East Anglians, who ro
se against Mercian rule and slew Beornwulf shortly afterwards, acknowledg
ed Egbert as overlord. In 829 the king conquered Mercia, and Northumbria a
ccepted him as overlord after refusing to fight his forces at Dore (n
ow a suburb of Sheffield). In 830 he led a successful expedition against t
he Welsh, and it was in the same year that Mercia regained its independen
ce under Wiglaf, although it is uncertain whether this was achieved throu
gh a rebellion or was the result of a grant by Egbert to Wiglaf. In 836 Eg
bert was defeated by the Danes, but in 838 he won a battle against them a
nd their allies the West Welsh at Hingston Down in Cornwall.
Egbert married Redburga, a Frankish princess (possibly a sister-in-l
aw of the emperor Charlemagne), and had two sons and a daughter. Egbert di
ed in about 839, and was buried at Winchester. He was succeeded by his so
n, King Ethelwulf of Wessex.
EGBERT, KING OF WESSEX (r. 802-839)
As King of Wessex, Egbert inherited the mantle of 'bretwalda' - an Anglo-S
axon term meaning a ruler with overall superiority to other rulers - aft
er the decline of Mercian power under Offa. He came to power in 802 and di
ed in 839, but little else is known about his brief reign.