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| Date |
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Born: 895
Ruled: 925 - 939 |
| Who |
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King Athelstan
First king of all England |
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England |
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| Early Life |
| Athelstan, born during the reign of his grandfather, Alfred the Great, grew up in a Kingdom constantly under attack from and at war with the Vikings. During his father’s rule the boundaries of their kingdom, Wessex and Mercia (roughly the midlands now), were pushed north after victories over the Vikings ruling in York and the east. Athelstan was raised by his Aunt, the Lady of Mercia, in Mercia, as opposed to his native home of Wessex. This was because after the birth of his younger half-brother, his step-mother did not wish to have the elder son around. On his father’s death Athelstan immediately became King of Mercia, but encountered problems when his half brother declared himself King of Wessex. Fortunately for Athelstan, his Brother died the same year and within a year Athelstan became King of Wessex and Mercia. |
| Reign |
The first year of Athelstan's ruling years was taken up with asserting his authority in Wessex. A Charter produced in 925 only states Athelstan as King of Mercia and the Bishop of Winchester did not attend Athelstan's coronation. William of Malmesbury, a 12th century writer, also suggests there may even have been an attempt to blind Athelstan in Wessex, which failed. These imply that there was controversy in Wessex and that Athelstan firstly needed to take control of his kingdom before expanding it. However, after a year he is crowned King of Wessex and is secure of the throne.
Athelstan now faces the potentially hostile kingdoms surrounding his own. He faced the Scots, the Welsh, the Cornish, the Northumbrians around Bamburgh, the Cumbrians and the Vikings around York. In 926 Athelstan makes a Treaty with the Danish King of York (including the marriage of his Sister to the King of York); this treaty gives him the opportunity, after the King’s death the following year, to annex Northumbria and York to his kingdom. A treaty with the Scots is also signed at this time. Another treaty is signed with the Welsh, while he also removes the opposition of the Cornish. During his reign there were several attempts made to defeat him, the largest culminated in the battle of Brunanburh in 937. The Scots, allied with the Vikings and the King of Dublin, invaded against Athelstan’s army. The result is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the time in which five kings and seven earls lost their lives. Athelstan won a decisive victory, pushing the Welsh back to roughly the modern day Welsh border, leaving him controlling a kingdom very similar to modern day England. It was because of this that Athelstan is known as the first King of all England.
Internationally Athelstan secures his kingdom through marrying his Sisters to prominent European rulers. One sister married the Holy Roman Emperor, another the King of France, a further one to a Viking and one to a Duke, forging an alliance with Brittany.
Internally Athelstan passes several law codes; these contain clauses on many different topics, including, the outlawing and punishment of treason, military guidelines, orders for the development of buhrs (fortified towns started by Alfred the Great) as a means of protection and as places of trading, the consolidation of towns into Shires and control over the coinage, whereby the weight of Silver is standardised and fraud is punishable. |
| Death |
| Athelstan died in 940 at Gloucester. He chose to be buried, not in his family mausoleum at Winchester, but in Malmesbury where his tomb still remains, although his body is lost. He was succeeded on the throne by his half brother Edmund I, as Athelstan had not married and had no children. |
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