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of Wessex, Æthelbald

Male 834 - 860  (26 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name of Wessex, Æthelbald  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] 
    Birth 834  Wantage, Berkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9] 
    Gender Male 
    Appointments / Titles King of England, Roi des Wessex, King of Wessex, König der West Sachsen  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    Life Event 855  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    In 855 Æthelwulf went on pilgrimage to Rome and appointed Æthelbald King of Wessex. 
    Life Event 856  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    Upon Æthelwulf's returned to England in 856, Æthelbald refused to give up the crown. The Kingdom of Wessex was divided, with Æthelbald ruling the west and his father the east. 
    Life Event Jan 858  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    Immediately upon the death of his father and succeeding him as king, Æthelbald married his step-mother, 14 year old Judith of France. This was probably done to strengthen his position as king because Judith was the daughter of the West Frankish king. 
    Life Event 13 Jan 858  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    Upon his father's death Æthelbald became unopposed ruler of all of Wessex, and ruled until his own death in 860 
    FSID M9B3-7DY  [3, 6, 8, 9] 
    Death 20 Dec 860  Sherborne, Dorset, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] 
    Burial Aft 20 Dec 860  Sherborne, Dorset, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] 
    Person ID I33930  The Thoma Family
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2023 

    Family de France, Judith,   b. Oct 844, Orléans, Loiret, Centre, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Jan 870, Bruges, Gironde, Aquitaine, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 25 years) 
    Marriage 858  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 10] 
    Family ID F13283  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2023 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 834 - Wantage, Berkshire, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Upon Æthelwulf's returned to England in 856, Æthelbald refused to give up the crown. The Kingdom of Wessex was divided, with Æthelbald ruling the west and his father the east. - 856 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 858 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Immediately upon the death of his father and succeeding him as king, Æthelbald married his step-mother, 14 year old Judith of France. This was probably done to strengthen his position as king because Judith was the daughter of the West Frankish king. - Jan 858 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Upon his father's death Æthelbald became unopposed ruler of all of Wessex, and ruled until his own death in 860 - 13 Jan 858 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 20 Dec 860 - Sherborne, Dorset, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - Aft 20 Dec 860 - Sherborne, Dorset, England Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Æthelbald was the second son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and his first wife Osberga, born about 834 in Wessex.

      His oldest brother Æthelstan is believed to have died shortly after defeating the Vikings in 850. Æthelwulf and Æthelbald defeated them again at the Battle of Aclea in 851. In 855 Æthelwulf appointed Æthelbald acting King of Wessex and his next younger brother Æthelberht acting King of Kent, while he went on pilgrimage to Rome.

      Æthelwulf returned from Rome in late 856 with a 12 year old bride, Judith of France. Not only was Judith younger than Æthelbald but she had been anointed Queen, where as Osberga, Æthelbald's mother had not.

      In rebellion against his father Æthelbald refused to return control of Wessex to Æthelwulf. In the end they split Wessex.

      After Æthelwulf's death in 858, Æthelbald immediately married his father's young widow. Æthelbald became full King of all of Wessex and Æthelberht full King of Kent.

      Æthelbald reigned on his own, with Judith by his side, for about 2 1/2 years and died in July of 860. Æthelberht who was already King of Kent succeeded his brother to become King of Wessex as well and united the two into one kingdom. Judith and Æthelbald had no children and Judith returned to France to eventually marry Baldwin, Margrave of Flanders.

  • Sources 
    1. [S788] WORLD: Wikipedia.
      https://www.wikipedia.org/

    2. [S846] WORLD: Encyclopedia Britannica.
      https://www.britannica.com/topic/Britannica-Online

    3. [S791] WORLD: Ancestry Family Trees.
      https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/42/

    4. [S818] NETHERLANDS: GenealogieOnline Trees Index 1000-Current.
      https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9289/

    5. [S2815] ENGLAND: Anglo Saxon Net.
      http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=show&page=People

    6. [S2820] USA: North American Family HIstories 1500-2000.
      https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61157/

    7. [S2412] ENGLAND: English Monarchs.
      http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/index.htm

    8. [S2774] WORLD: Family Search, Books.
      https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/

    9. [S790] WORLD: Family Search, Ancestral File.
      https://www.familysearch.org/search/genealogies

    10. [S789] WORLD: Family Search, Family Tree.
      https://www.familysearch.org/search/tree/name


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