Æthelred, Ealdorman of Mercia
Ealdorman Æthelred (died 911) was ruler of Mercia from about 883, when he submitted to King Alfred of Wessex.[1] He married Alfred's daughter Æthelflaed between 882 and 887, and his title was "Lord of the Mercians". Although he had many attributes of a king, he was subject to the power of his close ally Wessex. His descent is unknown, and he does not appear to have been closely related to his immediate predecessors.[2]
In 886, he was given control of London[3] by Alfred. As Alfred reconquered the Danelaw, it was useful to place the ruler of the divided Kingdom of Mercia in control of its former eastern region.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that Æthelred spent much of the 890s leading military campaigns in eastern England.[4] He was recorded as fighting many battles against the Welsh, and at one point Brochwael ab Meurig, joint ruler with his brother of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwent appealed to Alfred for help against Ealdorman Æthelred. From about 902, Æthelflaed became the effective ruler of Mercia due to Æthelred's ill health, and when he died in 911 she succeeded him. After Æthelflaed's death in 918, their daughter Ælfwynn briefly ruled Mercia until deposed by Edward the Elder.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] Popular culture
- Bernard Cornwell's Sword Song (2007 ISBN 978-0-00-721971-1), the fourth in his The Saxon Stories series of books, features him.
| Titles of nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ceolwulf II as King of the Mercians |
Lord of the Mercians c. 883–911 |
Succeeded by Ethelfleda |
|
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[edit] References
- ^ Barbara Yorke, 'Edward as Ætheling', N. J. Higham & D. H. Hill eds, Edward the Elder 899-924, Routledge, 2001, p. 36.
- ^ Maggie Bailey, "Ælfwynn, Second Lady of the Mercians", Higham & Hill eds, pp. 112-113.
- ^ For context, see Lundenwic, Lundenburgh and Museum of London Archaeology Service.
- ^ Bailey, p. 113
- ^ Bailey, pp. 113-117
