| Notes |
- Edred was the second son of King Edward the Elder by his third wife,
Edgith. Despite suffering from an unidentified illness which
eventually killed him, he succeeded to the English throne in AD 946
after the unexpected murder of his brother, Edmund the Magnificent.
Initially, Edred received oaths of allegiance from the men of the
North at Tanshelf; but, before the end of AD 947, they had taken on
the Norseman, Eric Bloodaxe, as their king. Edred hit back the
following year, leading an army to Ripon and burning the minster.
Whilst he was in retreat, the Northerners attacked, forcing him to
threaten to lay waste to their kingdom. King Erics people abandoned
him and climbed back under King Edreds wing. However, the united
kingdom did not last long. In late AD 950, the Northerners were in
revolt again, calling back Olaf Sihtricsson to lead them. Two years
later, they rejected him in favour of Eric once more; but he only
lasted until AD 954, when the North finally recognized Edred as their
monarch. The Norse monarchy of York was never to return.
Edred helped move the monastic reform movement forward by appointing
St. Aethelwold to the Abbacy of Abingdon. Aethelwolds friend, St.
Dunstan was one of the Kings chief advisors and Edred delegated much
of his authority to him in his latter years. The King witnessed under
a third of Royal charters issued between AD 953 and 955. He died
unmarried on 23rd November in the latter year, and was buried at the
Old Minster in Winchester, despite his wishes to the contrary.
(Source: David Nash Ford)
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923 - 955 (32 years)