Ethelred of Wessex
\nEthelred I\n  |
\n\n| Rank: | \n5th | \n
\n\n| Ruled: | \n865-871 | \n
\n\n| Predecessor: | \nEthelbert | \n
\n\n| Date of Birth: | \n837 | \n
\n\n| Place of Birth: | \nWessex, England | \n
\n\n| Wife: | \nWulfrida | \n
\n\n| Buried: | \nWimborne | \n
\n\n| Date of Death: | \n871 | \n
\n\n| Parents: | \nEthelwulf and Osburga | \n
\n
\nKing
Ethelred I was a son of
Ethelwulf of Wessex and was born in around
837 AD. He succeeded his brother,
Ethelbert of Wessex, as King of
Wessex in about 865. He had two sons, Ethelwald being the elder. Ethelred I was not able to control the increasing Danish raids which devastated England. On
January 4,
871 at the
Battle of Reading Ethelred defeated a
Danish invasion army. However, he was killed at the Battle of Merton on
April 23,
871 and is buried at
Wimborne in
Dorset. Following his death, he was popularly regarded as a
saint, but never canonised. He was succeeded by his brother, King
Alfred the Great.
{| align="center" cellpadding="2" border="2"\n|-\n| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="2" | Preceded by:
Ethelbert\n| width="40%" align="center" |
King of Wessex\n| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="2" | Succeeded by:
Ælfred\n|-\n| width="40%" align="center" |
Bretwalda\n|}\n
