HOUSE of WESSEX
West Saxons
Information on this page from Windows Into Our Past, A
Genealogy of the Parsons, Smith and Associated Families, Vol. 1 ©1996, Judy
Parsons Smith
Cerdic
Cerdic
, a Saxon elderman, d. 534.
He founded a settlement on the coast of Hampshire,
England
in 495. He took the tile of King of
the
West Saxons
in 519, becoming the ancestor of the
English
royal line. Cerdic, and his son
Cynric
, conquered the isle of Wight in 534.
Cerdic had a son:
Cynric
Cynric
, son of Cerdic
. Reigned
as the King of the
West Saxons
from 534 to 560. Cynric had a son:
Ceawlin
Ceawlin, son of
Cynric
, d. 591. Ceawlin
ruled as the King of the
West Saxons
from 560 to 590. In 577 Ceawlin and
his son, Cuthwine
fought
the Britons and took the cities of
Gloucester
, Cirencester, and
Bath
. Ceawlin had a son:
Cuthwine
Cuthwine, son of Ceawlin
, d. 584, killed in battle.
He did not rule. Cuthwine had
a son:
Cutha
or Cuthwulf
Cutha, son of Cuthwine
. Cutha
did not rule. Cutha had two sons:
Ceolwald
Cynegils
, became
King
.
Ceolwald
Ceolwald
, son of Cutha
. In
688, Ceolwald visited
Rome
. He did not rule.
Ceolwald had a son:
Cenred
Cenred, son
of Ceolwald
. He
did not rule. Cenred had two
children:
Ina
,
became
King
.
Ingild
Ingild
Ingild, son
of Cenred
, d. 718. He
did not rule. Ingild had a son:
Eoppa
Eoppa
, son of Ingild.
Eoppa did not rule. He had a
son:
Eafa
Eafa, son
of Eoppa
. He
did not rule. Eafa had a son:
Eahlmund
Eahlmund
, son of Eafa.
Eahlmund ruled as King of Kent
in 784.
Eahlmund had a son:
The
ruling Kings that are considered from the HOUSE
OF WESSEX reigned from 802 until 1066. The
rulers of the House of Wessex begin with
Egbert
, King of Wessex
.
Egbert
Egbert
, son of Eahlmund
, b. 775; d. aft. 19 Aug 838; m. Raedburh
.
Egbert
ruled as the King of Wessex from 802 to 827.
Egbert of Wessex expelled a Mercian under-king from
Kent
in 825, annexing
Kent
, Essex, Surrey, and
Sussex
. Later
Mercia
fell to him and his lordship was acknowledged by
Northumbria
. He was the first King of all
England
from 827 until 836.[i]
Egbert
& Raedburh
had a
son:
Aethelwulf
Aethelwulf, son of Egbert
&
Raedburh
, d. 13 Jan 858; m1 to Osburh,
daughter of Oslac
, the royal cup-bearer.
Aethelwulf reigned as King of England from 839 - 858.
Aethelwulf & Osburh had a four (4) sons[ii]:
1.
Æthelbald
, ruled as King of England, 835-860.
2. Æthelbert
, ruled as King of England 860-866.
3.
Æthelred
, ruled as King of England 866-871.
4.
Alfred
, the
Great
Alfred
, the Great
4. Alfred, the Great
, son of Aethelwulf & Osburh, b. 849, Wantage,
Berkshire; d. 26 Oct 899; m. 868 to Ealhswith
(Alswitha)
, daughter of Earl Aethelred of Mercia
&
Edburh
, d. ca. 905.
In
871,
Alfred
was crowned king of
England
at
Winchester
,
England
. He ruled
England
from 871 to 899. He was able to
unite the kingdoms of
England
under one crown. In order to combat
sea-borne raiders he had built ships with a size much bigger that those of the
Vikings. He founded the British Navy and organized the militia.
He compiled a code of laws for
England
. During the final ten (10) years of
his rule, he like
Charlemagne
, promoted the education of his court and of the
people. He build schools and
monasteries. Being a scholar, he
invited many scholars to live at he court. He
was responsible for the
translation
of many books.
Alfred
,
the Great
&
Ealhswith had children:
4.1.
Edward
, the
Elder
4.2.
Æthelflaed
, Lady of Mercians
, m. Æthelred
[iii]
Edward
, the Elder
4.1. Edward, the Elder
, son of Alfred, the Great
&
Ealhswith, b. 875; d. 924; m1st - unknown; m2nd - unknown; m3rd 919 to Eadgifu, daughter of Sigehelm, Earl of Kent
.
Edward
,
the Elder
ruled
as King of England from 899 to 924.
Edward
was a notable warrior. He was
frequently engaged in war with his father,
Alfred
.
Edward
,
the Elder
&
Eadgifu had five (5) children[iv]:
4.1.1.
Athelstan
, First monarch
of all
England
, 924-939.
4.1.2.
Edmund I
4.1.3.
Eadred,
King of
England
, 946-955
4.1.4.
daughter,
m. 926 to the Duke of the
Franks
.
4.1.5.
daughter,
m. 928 to Otto the Great
(at
the time future heir of
Germany
).
Figure
1:
England
during the 10th Century
|
Edmund I
, the Magnificent
4.1.2.
Edmund I
, the
Magnificent
, son of Edward, the Elder
&
Eadgifu, b. 920; d. 946; m. St. Algifu
.
Edmund,
the Magnificent
ruled
as King of England from 940 to 946. Early
during his reign, 940, Edmund seemed destined to perish Edmund, while on a
hunting expedition for stag in
Somerset
[v].
Edmund,
the Magnificent
&
St.
Algifu
had two
(2) sons:
4.1.2.1
Eadwig,
King of
England
953-959
4.1.2.2.
Edgar
, the
Peaceful
Edgar
, the Peaceful
4.1.2.2.
Edgar, the Peaceful
, son of Edmund, the Magnificent
&
St. Algifu
, b. 943; d. 975; m1st Æthelflaed
, d. 962; m2nd 965 to Elfrida,
daughter of Earl Ordgar
, b. 945; d. 1000.
Edgar
,
the Peaceful
ruled
as King of England from 959 to 975.
Edgar
’s reign was noted for the peace in the land.
He acquired little glory, yet his reign was not weak.
In fact, his prestige was very high.
In 973,
Edgar
was crowned king by the
Archbishop
Dunstan
. The
ceremony was the first in
England
to follow the elaborate coronation customs of the
Franks
[vi].
Edgar
,
the Peaceful
&
Æthelflaed
had a
son:
4.1.2.2.1.
Edward
, d. 979,
Corfe
,
England
, murdered. King of
England
975 to 979. He was also known as
Edward
the Martyr
.
Edgar
,
the Peaceful
&
Elfrida had a son:
4.1.2.2.2.
Aethelred
II
Aethelred
II
, the Redeless
4.1.2.2.2.
Aethelred
II
, the
Redeless
, son of
Edgar
, the Peaceful
&
Elfrida, b. 968; d. 1016; m1st 985 to Alfflaed,
daughter of Thored
; m2nd 1001 to
Emma
, daughter of
Richard
, Duke of Normandy
. Aethelred’s
widow,
Emma
, m2nd to
Cnut
(Dane), King of England
1016-1035.
Aethelred
II
, the Redeless
ruled
as King of England from 979 to 1016. Aethelred means noble counsel; the unred
means the uncounseled. Thus
Aethelred the Unred means noble counsel the uncounseled.
In 991 King
Aethelred
II
made a treaty with
Duke
Richard
of
Normandy
- the
treaty provided that neither would aid an enemy of the other.
Under his rule the office of sheriff or “shire-reeve” was instiuted.
The sheriff was the king’s chief executive agent in the shire.[vii]
The Sheriff’s responsibilities included collection of royal revenues
(taxes), profits of justice,
announced the king’s will to the gentry of the shire (county).
During his rein the threat and reality of numerous Viking invasions were
prevalent. In 1002, realizing the
threat of these
Danish
invaders,
Aethelred
II
, ordered a massacre of all Danes living in
England
.
England
suffered from repeated
Danish
invasions beginning in 1003. These
invasions came almost on a yearly basis until 1015.
Aethelred
II
, the Redeless
&
Alfflaed had:
4.1.2.2.2.1.
Edmund
I
I,
Ironside
4.1.2.2.2.2.
Alfgifu
(Elgiva)
, m. Uchtred,
Earl
of Northumberland
4.1.2.2.2.3.
son, killed ca. 1016 by
Cnut
, in order to secure the
English
throne.
Aethelred
II
, the Redeless
&
Emma had:
4.1.2.2.2.4.
Edward
‘the Confessor’
, Ruled England 1042 - 1066; d. 5 Jan 1066; m.
Edith
, daughter of
Godwin
, Earl of Wessex
. His
rule restored the
Wessex
dynasty to the throne of
England
.
4.1.2.2.2.5.
Alfred
, d. 1036
, killed at the instigation of
Godwin
, Earl of Wessex
.
Edmund I
I, Ironside
4.1.2.2.2.1.
Edmund I
I,
Ironside
, son of Aethelred II
, the Redeless
&
Alfflaed, b. 989; d. 30 Nov 1016; m. Ealgyth.
Edmund, Ironside took control of
Northumbria
from his father. He was in control
of
England
when
Cnut
invaded. In the autumn of 1016, a
treaty was made between
Cnut
and Edmund. The treaty left Edmund
with only the area of
Wessex
. Edmund, Ironside ruled as King of
England in 1016.
Edmund,
Ironside & Ealgyth had two (2) sons:
4.1.2.2.2.1.1.
Edward
, the ‘Exile’
4.1.2.2.2.1.2. Edmund,
b. 1016
Alfgifu (Elgiva)
4.1.2.2.2.2.
Alfgifu (Elgiva)
, daughter of
Aethelred
II
the
Redeless & Alfflaed, m1st ___________; m2nd _______________; m3rd Uchtred, son of Waltheof
, Earl of Northumberland
, d. 1016, murdered.
Uchtred & Alfgifu had:
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.
Ealdgyth
(
Edith
)
Edward
, the ‘Exile’
4.1.2.2.2.1.1.
Edward, the ‘Exile’
, son of Edmund, Ironside & Ealgyth, b. 1016;
d. 1057; m. Agatha of Hungary
.
In
1035,
Edward
was living in exile in
Hungary
.
Edward
&
Agatha
had two (2) children:
4.1.2.2.2.1.1.1.
Margaret
, b. 1045
; d. 16 Nov 1093; m. 1068/69 to
Malcolm
II
I
,
Canmore
, King of Scots.
4.1.2.2.2.1.1.2.
Edgar
, became heir
to the
throne of
England
at his father’s death in 1057. He
never ruled. He was in
London
at the time it was conquered by
William
, Duke of Normandy
in
1066.
Ealdgyth
(
Edith
)
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.
Ealdgyth
(
Edith
)
, daughter of Uchtred & Alfgifu, m. Maldred, son Crinan the Thane
&
Bethoc
, d. 1045, slain in battle.
Maldred was the Lord of
Carlisle
and
Allendale. Maldred & Ealdgyth
had:
Gospatric I
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.
Gospatric I
, son of Maldred & Ealdgyth
, b. ca. 1040; d. 1074/75; m. a sister of Edmund.
Gospatric
I
was
the Earl of Northumberland from 1067 to 1072.
He was the 1st Earl of Dumbar holding the title from
1072-1075. The Lord of
Carlisle
and Allendale. He visited
Rome
in 1061.
Gospatric
I
had:
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.1. Gunnilda
m.
Orm,
son of Ketel
, Baron of Kendal.
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2. Waltheof
, m. Sigrid
Waltheof
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2.
Waltheof
, son of Gospatric I
, m. Sigrid
, d. living in 1126.
Waltheof was Lord of Allendale
. Waltheof
& Sigrid had:
Gunnild of
Dunbar
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2.1.
Gunnild
of Dunbar
, daughter of Waltheof
&
Sigrid, m. Uchtred, son of Fergus
, Lord of Galloway
&
Elizabeth (illeg. Daughter of
Henry
I), d. 1174. Uchtred & Gunnild
of
Dunbar
had:
4.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2.1.1.
Roland
, d. Dec. 1200. (See
Galloway
)
[i] “The
Oxford History of Britain” ”, edited by
Kenneth
O.
Morgan
, Oxford University Press,
Oxford
,
New York
, © 1988, p. 90-91.
[ii] “The Oxford History of Britain” ”, edited by
Kenneth
O.
Morgan
, Oxford University Press,
Oxford
,
New York
, © 1988, p. 93.
[iii] “The Oxford History of Britain”, edited by
Kenneth
O.
Morgan
, Oxford University Press,
Oxford
,
New York
, © 1988, p. 97.
[iv] “From
Alfred
to
Henry
III
871-1272”, by
Christopher
Brooke
[W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
New York
,
NY
© 1961], p. 53
[v] “From
Alfred
to
Henry
III
871-1272”, by
Christopher
Brooke
[W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
New York
,
NY
© 1961], p. 55
[vi] “From
Alfred
to
Henry
III
871-1272”, by
Christopher
Brooke
[W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
New York
,
NY
© 1961], p. 54
[vii] “The
Oxford History of Britain”, edited by
Kenneth
O.
Morgan
, Oxford University Press,
Oxford
,
New York
, © 1988, p. 111.