dgar became King of Mercia and Northumbria from 957 and King of Wessex from October 959 making him ruler of the three most important areas of Britain. Edgar was formally crowned in 973 and recalled Bishop Dunstan from exile making him Archbishop of Canterbury and his chief advisor. Edgar married Ethelflead, Wulfthryth, and Elfthryth. Edgar kept his reign free from invasion which may have been due to links with the royal houses abroad, but also because he maintained a large navy that were ordered to patrol the seas looking for potential invaders. Every year Edgar toured his kingdom ensuring laws were being kept and the weak were protected. An example of the power he held over the other rulers at the time is when he chose to travel by water along the River Dee from Chester to the abbey of St. John the Baptist as part of a festival. Eight of the rulers who had come to pay homage to the King, rowed him in his barge to the abbey. During Edgar's reign many abbeys and monasteries were converted to use the Benedictine Rule. Five of his father's sisters were married to the heads of foreign countries including the Germans and Vikings.Biography
Biography
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Edgar (I, King of the English 959-975)
| Born | 944 | Born At | |
| Died | 975 | Buried At | Glastonbury |
| Father | Edmund (I, King of the English 939-946) | Mother | Aelfgifu |
| Succeeded | Eadwig (King of the English 955-959) | Preceded | EDWARD (The Martyr, King of the English 975-978) |
| Royal House | Wessex |
| Born | 944 / |
| Died | 975 / Glastonbury |
dgar became King of Mercia and Northumbria from 957 and King of Wessex from October 959 making him ruler of the three most important areas of Britain. Edgar was formally crowned in 973 and recalled Bishop Dunstan from exile making him Archbishop of Canterbury and his chief advisor. Edgar married Ethelflead, Wulfthryth, and Elfthryth. Edgar kept his reign free from invasion which may have been due to links with the royal houses abroad, but also because he maintained a large navy that were ordered to patrol the seas looking for potential invaders. Every year Edgar toured his kingdom ensuring laws were being kept and the weak were protected. An example of the power he held over the other rulers at the time is when he chose to travel by water along the River Dee from Chester to the abbey of St. John the Baptist as part of a festival. Eight of the rulers who had come to pay homage to the King, rowed him in his barge to the abbey. During Edgar's reign many abbeys and monasteries were converted to use the Benedictine Rule. Five of his father's sisters were married to the heads of foreign countries including the Germans and Vikings.Event Location Map (click image to explore)
Family Tree Details
Edgar (I, King of the English 959-975) (b.944 - d.975)
+Ethelflead
| = EDWARD (The Martyr, King of the English 975-978) (b.962 - m.978)
+Wulfryth
+Elfthyrth (b.945 - d.1000)
= Edmund (b.965 - )
= Aethelred (II The Unready, King of the English 978-1013, 1014-1016) (b.967 - d.1016)
+Aelfgifu
| = Aethelstan (son of Aethelred)
| = Egbert
| = Edmund (II Ironside, King of the English 1016) (b.981 - d.1016)
| | +Ealdgyth (b.963? - d.1017?)
| | = Edward (The Exile) (b.1016 - d.1057)
| = Eadred
| = Eadwig
| = Edgar
+Emma (of Normandy, Wife of Aethelred) (b.982? - d.1052)
= Edward (The Confessor, King of England 1042-1066) (b.1003? - d.1066?)
| +Godwinson, Edith (of Wessex) (b.1025? - d.1075)
= Alfred (Aetheling) (b.1005? - m.1036)
= Godgifu (Daughter of Aethelred)
+Eustace (II, Count of Boulogne) ( - d.1093)
+Ethelflead
| = EDWARD (The Martyr, King of the English 975-978) (b.962 - m.978)
+Wulfryth
+Elfthyrth (b.945 - d.1000)
= Edmund (b.965 - )
= Aethelred (II The Unready, King of the English 978-1013, 1014-1016) (b.967 - d.1016)
+Aelfgifu
| = Aethelstan (son of Aethelred)
| = Egbert
| = Edmund (II Ironside, King of the English 1016) (b.981 - d.1016)
| | +Ealdgyth (b.963? - d.1017?)
| | = Edward (The Exile) (b.1016 - d.1057)
| = Eadred
| = Eadwig
| = Edgar
+Emma (of Normandy, Wife of Aethelred) (b.982? - d.1052)
= Edward (The Confessor, King of England 1042-1066) (b.1003? - d.1066?)
| +Godwinson, Edith (of Wessex) (b.1025? - d.1075)
= Alfred (Aetheling) (b.1005? - m.1036)
= Godgifu (Daughter of Aethelred)
+Eustace (II, Count of Boulogne) ( - d.1093)
Edgar (I, King of the English 959-975) (b.944 - d.975)
+Ethelflead
| = EDWARD (The Martyr, King of the English 975-978) (b.962 - m.978)
+Wulfryth
+Elfthyrth (b.945 - d.1000)
= Edmund (b.965 - )
= Aethelred (II The Unready, King of the English 978-1013, 1014-1016) (b.967 - d.1016)
+Aelfgifu
| = Aethelstan (son of Aethelred)
| = Egbert
| = Edmund (II Ironside, King of the English 1016) (b.981 - d.1016)
| | +Ealdgyth (b.963? - d.1017?)
| | = Edward (The Exile) (b.1016 - d.1057)
| = Eadred
| = Eadwig
| = Edgar
+Emma (of Normandy, Wife of Aethelred) (b.982? - d.1052)
= Edward (The Confessor, King of England 1042-1066) (b.1003? - d.1066?)
| +Godwinson, Edith (of Wessex) (b.1025? - d.1075)
= Alfred (Aetheling) (b.1005? - m.1036)
= Godgifu (Daughter of Aethelred)
+Eustace (II, Count of Boulogne) ( - d.1093)
See Also
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Timeline
946(Age: 2yrs)
Eadred became King of Wessex. He followed his brother Edmund who was murdered. Edmund left two sons, Eadwig and Edgar, who were both too young to rule.
957(Age: 13yrs)
Conflicts between the brothers Eadwig and Edgar were resolved and the agreement between the two resulted in the lands of England being split. Edgar took control of lands to the north of the Thames, including Mercia and Northumbria, while Eadwig retained Wessex, the lands to the south of the river. [1]
Dunstan returned from exile when Eadwig's younger brother Edgar was appointed king of England north of the Thames. Eadwig was unpopular and the nobles chose Edgar as their leader. Edgar recalled Dunstan from exile and made him Bishop of Worcester and London. [2]
972(Age: 28yrs)
Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Oswald, the Archbishop of York, consecrated the abbey at Peterborough in the presence of King Edgar.
The rule of Benedictine was introduced to the abbey by St Oswald, the Bishop of Worcester. King Edgar confirmed the estates that the abbey owned.
973(Age: 29yrs)
Edgar arranged a water-pageant on the river Dee where he was rowed from Chester to the Minster of St. John by eight kings including Kenneth of Scotland, Malcolm of Cumberland, Maccus of the Isles and five welsh princes. Edgar held a festival in the honour of St. John but more likely to show his superiority over the other kings. [3]
May 11
King Edgar was crowned at Bath Abbey.
975(Age: 31yrs)
Edward, the eldest son of Edgar, became the king of the English at the age of fourteen when his father died. Dunstan became his guardian.
On this day in history:
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Selection of references used:
- 1: Richard Fletcher, Who's Who in Roman and Anglo-Saxon England, ISBN:0-85683-114-X
- 2: William Stubbs, The Apostolical Succession in the Church of England, 1865, Gilbert and Rivington, printers (1865)
- 3: J.D. Mackie, A History of Scotland, 1978, ISBN:0-7139-1206-5, Penguin Books (1978), Harborne Library
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