King Eadred of England Timeline 923-955

King Eadred of England was born to King Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, and Eadgifu daughter of the Ealdorman of Kent.

King Edward died leading the army against a Welsh-Mercian rebellion.

Although the monarch often suggested their successor, it was the Witan that decided who would succeed to the throne. Around half the Witan wanted Aethelstan’s half-brother, Aelfweard to succeed as King, while the other half wanted Aethelstan. It was decided that Aelfweard would rule Wessex while Aethelstan would rule Mercia.

Aelfweard of Wessex died and Aethelstan became King of Mercia and Wessex.

King Aethelstan died at Gloucester and Eadred’s elder brother Edmund succeeded to the throne.

Eadred’s half-brother Edmund married Aelfgifu the benefactor of Shaftesbury Abbey.

The Viking Olaf III Guthfrithson, with the support of the Archbishop of York, Wulfstan, conquered Northumbria and invaded Mercia.

Eadred’s nephew, Eadwig, was born to Edmund and Aelfgifu.

Eadred’s nephew, Edgar, was born to Edmund and Aelfgifu

Eadred’s half-brother, Edmund, re-took Northumbria from the Vikings

King Edmund conquered Strathclyde and formed an alliance with Malcolm I of Scotland

Eadred’s brother, Edmund I was murdered in Pucklechurch by Leofa, a thief who Edmund had exiled. Eadred succeeded to the throne over his two young nephews who were deemed too young to rule.

Eadred was crowned King of England by Archbishop Oda of Canterbury at Kingston upon Thames.

The Viking Eric Bloodaxe took over leadership of Northumbria.

King Eadred mounted a campaign to re-take Northumbria and marched north to Ripon where he gained the submission of Northumbria at Tanshelf.

The former ruler of York, Olaf Sihtricson, who had made an alliance with Edmund, returned to the North of England and was accepted as ruler of Northumbria.

Olaf Sihtricson was replaced by Eric Bloodaxe as ruler of Northumbria.

King Eadred captured and imprisoned Archbishop Wulfstan of York.

The Northumbrians expelled Eric Bloodaxe, who was subsequently killed, and returned their allegiance to Eadred. The norsemen would never again rule in England.

Eadred suffered from a digestive disorder that prevented him from properly digesting food and he died at the age of 32 years at Frome, Somerset. He was succeeded by his nephew Eadwig.