229:. Within this biography, Asser writes about the genealogies of both Ealhswith and her mother, Eadburh. The Mercians kings Ealhswith hailed from were on Eadburh's side of the family. However, Asser only mentions Eadburh by name and does not call Ealhswith by her own name. Instead, he refers to her as “a noble Mercian Lady” and that she was a “chaste widow” after the death of Alfred. It is unknown why Asser omitted Ealhswith's name from the text, but chose to include her mother's.
201:, were used to justify his rule over England. His marriage with Ealhswith was seen as an alliance and a merging of other kingdoms within England. Ealhswith’s genealogy and descent from ancient Mercian Kings was used to grant Alfred the right to rule over all of England on the Wessex throne; an authority that he started at the beginning of his rule and was followed by his successors to the throne of Wessex.
248:. The Danes occupied the Mercian town of Nottingham in that year and her marriage to King Alfred was seen as political leverage. Alfred inherited the throne after his brothers death in 871. In accordance with ninth century West Saxon custom, she was not granted the title of queen. According to King Alfred, this was due to a crime committed by a former queen of the West Saxons,
260:
lives and the wet nurses aided in raising Alfred and
Ealhswith’s young. However, since Ealhswith descended from Mercian royalty, she played an active role in her children’s education. Ealhswith passed down knowledge she had learned from her family to her children, so she became an active role in her children’s lives later in life.
169:, which is thought to be an old Mercian tribal group. Her mother was Eadburh, a member of the Mercian royal family and her lineage was one of the primary reasons for Alfred taking Ealhswith as his wife. Her legacy persists; after her death in the nunnery she founded and in the estates left to her by Alfred.
317:
was renamed to the abbey of St.Mary, and
Ealhswith's son, Edward the Elder, sent his daughter Eadburh there to become a nun. After Alfred’s death in 899, Edward had Ealhswith move to his nunnery in New Minster, where she lived out the rest of her days. Ealhswith made contributions and was a patron to
236:
he highlights her significance to Alfred and that she was an ideal bride for him in terms of the lineage tied to her. Her importance to Alfred was showcased by Traves, giving her credit for being one of the contributing factors to Alfred inheriting the throne. Traves and other modern authors give her
259:
Ealhswith had five children that survived to adulthood. Royal women, like
Ealhswith, in the Middle Ages took a secondary role when tending for their children. Wet nurses breast-fed Ealhswith's children for her, as opposed to Ealhswith doing it herself. This was not uncommon as royal women lived busy
224:
in Wales. He was a scholar who would translate works of literature within St. David. The origins as to how Asser and Alfred met are unknown, but it is believed that they were at the same meeting after Alfred took control of the Welsh land. Asser would spend prolonged months with Alfred, translating
213:
period of the Middle Ages ranged from about 450 to 1066, with
Ealhswith rule falling toward the later Middle Ages. Contemporary sources tell us very little about her life. The only primary sources that reveals her name is in King Alfred’s Will. Within this Will, she is the last beneficiary listed.
309:
A common practice of royal women during the Anglo-Saxon Middle Ages was the founding of nunneries. These nunneries were often where royal or noble women retired upon the death of their husbands. Kings often sent their wives to nunneries to keep them away from political criticism that could follow
196:
This descent from
Mercian Kings was what drew Alfred to Ealhswith, making her an attractive candidate for marriage. During the time of King Alfred’s reign, he inherited Wessex through his late father, King Æthelwulf, and the genealogies of both Aethelwulf, and Alfred’s mother,
267:
After Alfred's death, in 901, Ealhswith did witness one charter during the reign of her son King Edward in which she is identified as "Ealhswið mater regis", Ealhswith mother of the king. Her name is subscribed immediately after King Edward, and before Edward's wife Ælfflæd.
214:
Alfred grants her estates at
Lambourn, Wantage, and Edington, along with one hundred pounds of gold. However, Alfred does not mention his three daughters by name or his youngest son, with Edward, his eldest son, being the only child named.
263:
There is no evidence citing that she witnessed any known charters during the reign of her husband. She played a more prominent role in the lives of her children and was never involved with her husbands’ charters.
298:. Edward also had his father, Alfred, moved to New Minster, Winchester to be with Ealhswith in death. She is commemorated in two early tenth century manuscripts as "the true and dear lady of the English".
306:
During her lifetime, England was not yet fully
Christianized, although Ealhswith was a devout Christian as she made generous donations to her own nunnery.
313:
Ealhswith both founded a nunnery and retired to one after the death of King Alfred in 899. Ealhswith founded
Nunnaminster at some time before her death.
779:
Traves, Alex. "Genealogy and Royal Woman in Asser's Life of King Alfred: Politics, Prestige, and
Maternal Kinship in early Medieval England."
177:
A charter of 897 (S 1442) discusses the responsibilities of
Ealhswith's brother Æthelwulf towards the monastery of Winchcombe, and
846:
685:
Bugyis, Katie Ann-Marie. "The Practice of Penance in Communities of Benedictine Women Religious in Central Medieval England."
232:
In recent history, authors have cited Ealhswith by name more frequently and acknowledged her accomplishments. In Alex Traves,
234:
Genealogy and royal women in Asser’s Life of King Alfred: politics, prestige, and maternal kinship in early medieval England,
879:
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85:
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355:
100:
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334:
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105:
680:
The Medieval Life of King Alfred the Great: A Translation and Commentary on the Text Attributed to Asser.
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832:
295:
41:
241:
237:
recognition for her contributions to the English throne compared to Ealhswith's contemporaries.
142:
825:
225:
works of literature for him and it was Alfred who approached Asser to write his biography,
182:
189:, brothers who were both kings of Mercia, Ealhswith was probably a member of this family.
8:
884:
310:
their death, and to ensure that their wives did not do anything to tarnish their legacy.
272:
220:
was a Welsh monk who lived during the same time as Alfred, and he learned and taught at
774:
Rulers and Ruling Families in Early Modern Europe: Alfred, Charles the Bald and Others.
673:
Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred and Other Contemporary Sources (Classic).
77:
158:
118:
702:
339:
150:
90:
54:
758:
MacLean, Simon. "Queenship, Nunneries and Royal Widowhood in Carolingian Europe."
720:
574:
668:
Translated by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge. London: Penguin Classics, 1983.
706:
330:
284:
253:
694:
858:
666:
Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred and Other Contemporary Sources.
245:
190:
178:
675:
Translated by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge. London: Penguin Books, 2004.
149:
in early medieval England during the time of the Vikings. She was mother to
314:
252:, who had attempted to poison an enemy and accidentally killed her husband
181:
argues that as this monastery was claimed as a possession by the family of
345:
349:
291:
290:
Ealhswith died on 5 December 902, and was buried in her son Edward's new
210:
146:
637:
Bugyis. "The Practice of Penance in Communities of Benedictine Women".
153:
who succeeded King Alfred to the Anglo-Saxon throne. Her father was a
790:
edited by N.J. Higham and David Hill, 25-39. London: Routledge, 2001.
221:
162:
783:
30, no.1 (January 2022): 101-124. https://doi.org/10.1111/emed.12521
429:
Traves. "Genealogy and royal women in Asser's Life of King Alfred".
682:
Translated by Alfred P. Smyth. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2002.
656:
Alfred the Great: War, Kingship and Culture in Anglo-Saxon England.
276:
271:
Alfred left his wife three important symbolic estates in his will,
186:
767:
The King's Body Burial and Succession in Late Anglo-Saxon England.
326:
Alfred and Ealhswith had five children who survived to adulthood.
275:
in Wiltshire, the site of one important victory over the Vikings,
842:
280:
249:
193:
goes further, stating that she was descended from King Coenwulf.
753:
Founder, Fighter Saxon-Queen: Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.
695:"Ealhswith (d. 902), consort of Alfred, king of the West Saxons"
198:
154:
689:
92, no.1 (January 2017): 36-84. https://doi.org/10.1086/689410
244:
was then king, and according to Asser, Alfred was regarded as
217:
166:
287:, and they stayed in royal possession after her death.
622:
MacLean. "Queenship, Nunneries and Royal Widowhood".
240:
She was married to Alfred in 868. His elder brother
732:Historical Writing In England: c. 500 to c. 1307.
856:
283:, his birthplace. These were all part of his
524:
522:
520:
755:Great Britain: Pen and Sword History, 2018.
769:Canada: University of Toronto Press, 2014.
692:
561:Founder, fighter, saxon queen: Aethelflaed
498:The Medieval Life of King Alfred the Great
279:in Berkshire, which was near another, and
786:Yorke, Barbara. "Edward as Ætheling," in
517:
480:
333:(d. 918), Lady of the Mercians, married
744:Higham, Nicolas J. and Martin J. Ryan.
699:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
857:
592:
458:
588:
586:
584:
554:
552:
443:
318:Nunnaminster until her death in 902.
805:Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
476:
474:
472:
470:
424:
422:
748:China: Yale University Press, 2013.
621:
348:, made abbess of her foundation at
145:. She was one of the most powerful
13:
636:
581:
549:
540:
428:
342:(d. 924), King of the Anglo-Saxons
14:
911:
794:
558:
495:
467:
419:
410:
395:
762:1, no.178 (February 2003): 3-38.
96:Æthelgifu, Abbess of Shaftesbury
69: 868, died 899)
630:
615:
601:
567:
534:
356:Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders
101:Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders
86:Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians
66:
504:
489:
452:
437:
404:
389:
335:Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians
16:English royal consort (d. 902)
1:
833:Consort of the King of Wessex
737:Higham, N.J. and David Hill.
396:Yorke. "Edward as Ætheling".
383:
360:Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
721:UK public library membership
7:
880:Roman Catholic royal saints
701:. Oxford University Press.
693:Costambeys, Marios (2004).
485:. pp. 180, 16, 56, 95.
378:House of Wessex family tree
371:
321:
10:
916:
875:Anglo-Saxon royal consorts
776:New York: Routledge, 2019.
648:
543:Rulers and Ruling Families
172:
870:10th-century English nuns
839:
830:
822:
817:
788:Edward the Elder 899-924,
739:Edward the Elder 899-904.
597:. pp. 253, 231, 231.
301:
124:
114:
76:
48:
36:
28:
23:
865:9th-century English nuns
741:London: Routledge, 2001.
734:London: Routledge, 2001.
595:Edward the Elder 899-924
398:Edward the Elder 899-924
296:New Minster, Winchester
227:The Life of King Alfred
204:
42:New Minster, Winchester
746:The Anglo-Saxon World.
707:10.1093/ref:odnb/39226
661:Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
658:Harlow: Longman, 1998.
510:Keynes & Lapidge,
900:English queen mothers
781:Early Medieval Europe
609:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
461:The Anglo-Saxon World
431:Early Medieval Europe
151:King Edward the Elder
143:King Alfred the Great
751:Jones, Margaret C..
727:"Electronic Sawyer".
611:. pp. s.a. 901.
765:Marafioti, Nicole.
730:Grandsen, Antonia.
575:"Electronic Sawyer"
772:Nelson, Janet L..
760:Past & Present
624:Past & Present
358:(d. 929), married
853:
852:
840:Succeeded by
719:(subscription or
678:Asser, Johannes.
671:Asser, Johannes.
664:Asser, Johannes.
563:. pp. 16–17.
545:. pp. 32–33.
481:Keynes; Lapidge.
256:instead in 802.
132:
131:
907:
890:Alfred the Great
823:Preceded by
815:
814:
810:St. Mary's Abbey
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654:Abels, Richard.
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487:
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483:Alfred the Great
478:
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456:
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435:
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433:: 104, 109, 110.
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417:
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413:Alfred the Great
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393:
340:Edward the Elder
91:Edward the Elder
70:
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55:Alfred the Great
21:
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415:. p. 121.
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32:5 December 902
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500:. p. 16.
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463:. p. 59.
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367:(d. c. 920).
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141:was wife to
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826:Wulfthryth?
801:Ealhswith 1
444:Marafioti.
350:Shaftesbury
294:abbey, the
292:Benedictine
222:St. David’s
211:Anglo-Saxon
147:noble women
885:902 deaths
859:Categories
712:25 October
384:References
365:Æthelweard
157:nobleman,
106:Æthelweard
723:required)
530:Ealhswith
346:Æthelgifu
331:Æthelflæd
163:Ealdorman
139:Ealswitha
135:Ealhswith
24:Ealhswith
837:871–899
687:Speculum
639:Speculum
541:Nelson.
372:See also
322:Children
285:bookland
277:Lambourn
273:Edington
242:Æthelred
187:Coenwulf
183:Ceolwulf
847:Ælfflæd
843:Ecgwynn
649:Sources
559:Jones.
514:, p. 77
496:Asser.
411:Abels.
281:Wantage
250:Eadburh
173:Descent
165:of the
155:Mercian
128:Eadburh
71:
63:
59:
302:Patron
199:Osburh
125:Mother
115:Father
49:Spouse
37:Burial
641:: 50.
512:Asser
400:: 27.
218:Asser
167:Gaini
78:Issue
65:(
61:
714:2012
626:: 9.
209:The
205:Life
185:and
29:Died
845:or
803:at
703:doi
137:or
861::
697:.
583:^
551:^
519:^
469:^
421:^
161:,
67:m.
716:.
705::
577:.
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