Ethelred of Wessex

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Ethelred I
King of Wessex

Reign	865-871
Born	837
	Wessex, England
Died	871
Buried	Wimborne
Predecessor	Ethelbert of Wessex
Successor	Alfred the Great
Consort	Wulfrida
Father	Ethelwulf
Mother	Osburga

King Ethelred I (Old English: Æþelræd) (c. 837 – April 23, 871) was the fourth son of Ethelwulf of Wessex. He succeeded his brother, Ethelbert of Wessex, as King of Wessex and Kent in 865 [1] [2]. He had two sons, Aethelwold being the elder and Aethelhelm being the younger. Ethelred I was not able to control the increasing Danish raids which devastated England. On January 4, 871 at the Battle of Reading, Ethelred suffered a crushing defeat, although he did hand the Danes a Pyrrhic victory. Soon after, however, Ethelred was able to re-form his army in time to win a stunning victory at Ashdown. However, he suffered another defeat on January 22 at the Battle of Basing and was killed at the Battle of Merton on April 23, 871.

Ethelred 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.