Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great (849-899 AD), King of the English, b. Wantage, Berkshire.

Alfred was the youngest son of Ethelwulf, King of Wessex.

He grew up during the Danish invasions of England.

He became king at the age of twenty-two and at once built a fleet of ships to fight the Danes.

In May 878 Alfred won the Battle of Ethandune (Edington) in Wiltshire and drove the Danes out of Wessex.

After this there was mainly peace until 892. Then came a new invasion of Danes. Again Alfred drove them back.

Alfred was a man of learning. Before he was seven he had been taken on two visits to the Pope in Rome.

As a king, he wanted to help his people to learn. He invited many learned men from other countries to his court in Winchester and they taught his nobles to read and write.

Alfred himself translated several famous Latin books into Anglo-Saxon.

He asked some of his monks to keep a record of important events in the kingdom. This record is called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, and it was kept for a century after Alfred's death.

Churches, monasteries and schools had been destroyed by the Danes. Alfred had them rebuilt and added new ones. He also invented a candle clock.

Alfred is the only English king to be called 'great'.

Many stories are told about him, including the famous story about him and the cakes. Historians do not believe that this story is true.

See FRANK BAKER Golden Dragon. L. DU GARDE PEACH King Alfred the Great