Æthelwulf of Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Æthelwulf of Berkshire was a Saxon Ealdorman
who, having mustered a force of 1400 men against an army of Danes, won the 31 December 870 Battle of Englefield
on behalf of the then kingdom of Wessex
. He received a land grant
in 843/44 from Brihtwulf, king of Mercia
; and lost his life at the Battle of Reading
.
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
who, having mustered a force of 1400 men against an army of Danes, won the 31 December 870 Battle of Englefield
Battle of Englefield
The Battle of Englefield was a battle on 31 December 870 at Englefield, near Reading in what is now the English county of Berkshire. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex by an army of Danes, during which...
on behalf of the then kingdom of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
. He received a land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
in 843/44 from Brihtwulf, king of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
; and lost his life at the Battle of Reading
Battle of Reading (871)
The first Battle of Reading was a battle on 4 January 871 at Reading in what is now the English county of Berkshire. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex by an army of Danes led by Bagsecg and Halfdan...
.