NOTE: In the historical biographies on this web site, all capitals means the individual is a direct ancestor.
Also, I've color-coded my ancestors' names so that
Schmitt is white
Larson is blue
Farr is red
Helgeson is yellow
and indirect relatives are black.
If I'm related to them through more branches than just one, then there will be a mix of colors.
EGBERT
(Ecgberht)
born
775? and died 839
was
king 802-839
Before EGBERT, the son of a Kentish noble, was born, Offa killed the king of Mercia, Aethelbald, and seized the throne in 757. King Offa eventually conquered the royalty of the South Saxons, of the Hwicce, and, in 764, of Kent, either expelling them or making them ealdormen. In 776 the Kentishmen fought back and regained their freedom from him until 785.
But after a few years in exile at CHARLEMAGNE'S court, EGBERT returned in 802 to Wessex and received his throne. EGBERT was of the native dynasty, claiming to be the descendent of Cerdic. Cerdic (ruled 519-534) had founded Wessex, and this, if he was truly an ancestor of EGBERT, gave the claimant a right to kingship. EGBERT defeated Mercia in a number of battles, so that he was eventually considered ‘bretwalda’ or ‘overlord’ and ‘ruler of the British’. However, a Mercian prince returned to rule Mercia, and EGBERT really perfered to be a king of the Kents and West Saxons. Having made his son AETHELWULF sub-king, he then worked to defeat the Danes and Vikings with their Welsh allies in his domain, and did in 838.
EGBERT became grandfather of ALFRED THE GREAT, and was the first Saxon acknowledged as king of the English kingdoms (829 to 839).
AETHELWULF
(Ethelwulf)
born 795 or 810 and died January 13, 858
was king 839 to 858
Although this king of Wessex was a successful fighter, he seemed to focus more on the Church. He provided the churches with land and money, and in 855—once appointing his eldest son Aethelbald in charge—he made a pilgrimage to Rome, probably with his six-year-old son, ALFRED. After he came back, he was forced to split up his kingdom with Aethelbald, and after he died his oldest son took the throne.
ALFRED THE GREAT
born
848? and died 899
was
king 871-899
The youngest of KING AETHELWULF’s five sons, ALFRED succeeded his late brother Aethelred after having helped him fight numerous battles with the Norsemen. The people were thus confident in ALFRED, and the Witengamot appointed him as king in 871. The Danes and Vikings had swarmed over and conquered East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria by the time ALFRED became king, so ALFRED’s early years in kingship were spent in driving back these Danes until they inhabited only Mercia. Treaties were held, and the Norsemen temporarily settled down. But after fourteen years, when the Danish king Guthrum died in 891, more Danes attempted to invade England. ALFRED’s son and son-in-law fought them back, and ALFRED’s grandson became king of all England.
ALFRED THE GREAT encouraged learning for monks and sons of nobles, and also improved the juristic methods with his Book of Dooms (laws). He translated some Latin works into Anglo-Saxon, and probably started The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which began recording the nation’s history from his time. ALFRED also improved the British defense, and founded the navy.
Courageous, strong, brilliant; these characterize our impression of King Richard the First. The brother of JOHN I, he was pronounced king in 1189, when his father died. He ruled for ten years, during which he fought battles (this caused heavy tax on the people he ruled) and went on the Third Crusade soon after being made king. His brother, JOHN, tried to usurp the throne while Richard was on the crusade, but their mother stopped him, and Richard forgave him.
Since he was an infant, Richard was supposed to marry Louis VII of France’s daughter, but when he argued with her brother, Philip II of France, Richard refused to marry her, and instead he married Berengaria of Navarre. Richard and Philip remained at odds, and the Third Crusade remained a failure as it had been in the beginning.
He was a brilliant soldier—with cruelty tainting the image—a poet, and a true, courageous knight. He died in 1199, when he was wounded by an arrow in a small skirmish.
JOHN
I
born
December 24, 1167 (Oxford)
and died October 19, 1216 (Newark, Nottinghamshire)
was king 1199 to 1216
Perhaps the things that made this king recognized are his role in the legend of Robin Hood, and his signing of the Magna Carta. JOHN, son of HENRY II and ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE, is pictured somewhat infamously for joining his brother in rebellion against their father and, afterward, for attempting to usurp his brother’s throne. Though smart and capable, JOHN had a reputation for tyranny and unnecessary cruelty.
Philip II of France, wanting to regain land he had lost to Richard I, warred with King JOHN and received possession of the land he wanted. A complicated chain of events followed, which ended with JOHN signing the Magna Carta for his barons, and thereafter dying in a war he was waging against the barons.
Sources:
"Aethelwulf". The Oxford Companion to British History. 1997 ed
"Alfred". The Oxford Companion to British History. 1997 ed
Chisholm, Jane. World History Dates. Usborne Illustrated World History series. Tulsa, OK: EDC, n.d. 22-23.
Compton’s 1999 Interactive Encyclopedia Deluxe. CD-ROM. 1999 ed. Novato, CA: The Learning Company, Mindscape, 1998.
"Egbert". The Oxford Companion to British History. 1997 ed.
Encarta Encyclopedia 2000. CD-ROM. 2000 ed. Redmond, WA: Microsoft, 1993-1999.
"John." The Oxford Companion to British History. 1997 ed.
"Richard I". The Oxford Companion to British History. 1997 ed
Last updated 05/09/2005
Click on these links to open a map of your selected century.