Edward The Elder: Son of Alfred The Great But Warrior King In His Own Right

 

Son of Alfred The Great and father of Aethelstan, Edward The Elder's place in history should be more prominent then it actually is. He is one of our most important kings but is, often, sadly overlooked. Born in the 870s, Edward differed in character somewhat from his father, Alfred. Whereas Alfred The Great loved learning and made a distinct effort to ensure as many people as possible could get an education of some description, Edward's interests in this regard was relatively limited. All the same, Alfred ensured Edward received excellent tutoring as he grew up. Edward's learning was done in an almost school like environment. He was joined in his lessons by his sister Aethelflaed as well as children of members of the nobility.

It wasn't long before it became clear that Alfred was, in the shape of young Edward, rearing a son who was demonstrating kingly qualities. As a teenager, Edward led campaigns against the Vikings, not without some success, including at the Battle of Farnham. Here, Edward had led the Anglo Saxon army, albeit under the strict instructions of his father, and won the battle. Edward though tried to make the victory even more emphatic and inflict further damage on the Vikings as they fled the battlefield. Edward went in hot pursuit of them and appeared to have them cornered. However, Edward's army was beginning to run into problems. It was running out of food and other basic essentials and, on top of this, the agreed military service time for many of Edward's men was coming to an end and, before Edward could join up with Alfred, much of his army left and returned to their homes. No doubt Edward had learned much from this experience and by the time of Alfred's death in 899, Edward would be fully prepared for kingship.

However, Edward's succession as king of Wessex did not go unchallenged. Edward had a cousin named Aethelwold who had been overlooked for the throne in 871 as he was only a young boy when his father Aethelred I had died. It had made logical sense to overlook Aethelwold at that time. The 870s were a dark and troubled time for the Anglo Saxon kingdoms and Wessex needed a man (which Alfred was as he was in his early twenties when Aethelred I had died)  as king to try and repel the Viking invasions. 871 was no time for a minority government. With Alfred dead, Aethelwold reignited his claims. Aethelwold gained support in Essex before marching on Mercia. This could prove to be a very tricky situation for Edward. Aethelwold, however, may well have lost sympathy for his cause by switching his allegiances to the Vikings. But his claims came to an end at the Battle of Holme. Although his Viking allies were technically triumphant at Holme over a force loyal to Edward, this did very little good for Aethelwold who was killed in the fighting, along with many others.

After this unwelcome challenge to his rule had finally drawn to a close several years after he had become king, Edward could finally concentrate on other matters. In 909, Edward launched a brutal campaign against the Vikings in the North where many of Edward's enemies were killed and great destruction was brought on the invaders' crops and cattle. The next year Edward continued his front foot momentum and triumphed at the Battle of Tettenhall and In 912, he built fortifications across Hertfordshire. Edward's sister, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, was also making significant gains for the Saxons. Aethelfaed's forces retook Derby, Leicester and other areas, cementing her as one of the most important people (not just women) in early English history.

As king, Edward provided clear and robust laws. When it came to buying property, Edward declared that such transactions should be presided over by trustworthy men in order to avoid fraudulent agreements. Anyone that did try and purchase property in an unlawful manner could expect heavy fines which only increased with every offence. If theft was committed, then forfeiture of property could be expected or, if the culprit had little or no property, then other punishments could be handed down. Edward was thorough in his law giving and he ensured other crimes such as perjury and assisting an offender were also taken seriously. During more lax reigns, issues such as these could very often be commonplace and overlooked. 

In 914, one of Edward's bishops was taken hostage. In a time where Edward needed all the finances he could muster, he might have been forgiven for turning a blind eye to this situation but, much to his credit, he did not and readily paid the ransom. He then continued to reinforce strongholds in Buckinghamshire before, in 916-917, Edward had to deal with a rebellion in Huntingdon. Edward eventually overcame the rebels who, in turn, paid homage to him. Edward had, by the late 910s, brought under his control much of what we now call Southern England. and along with the gains made by Aethelflaed, Edward's reign was a period of undoubted success for the Anglo Saxons. Edward's successor, Aethelstan, would, in grand fashion, continue the good work.