Where was Wessex?
There are many references to the Saxons and to
Wessex when discovering the facts about the Battle of Hastings
in 1066. Harold Godwinson, who became King Harold 11 of
England was the Earl of Wessex. So where was Wessex and why
was Wessex so important? Wessex was situated in the South /
South West of England. There were two other important Kingdoms
- Mercia and Northumbria. Wessex and the Anglo Saxons held out
against the attacks from the Vikings - Mercia and Northumbria
did not and many Vikings settled in this part of England - but
they also wanted Wessex! In 878 there was a massive attack by
the Vikings - the King of Wessex at the time was called
Alfred - he was to forever be remembered as King Alfred the
Great.
Alfred
the Great
Alfred led Wessex in fighting back! He formulated a plan to
establish a National Defence system by the formation of
fortified towns called 'Burhs' (later changed to Burghs then
Boroughs), throughout Wessex. None of Alfred's subjects in
Wessex would
be more than 20 miles, or one day away, from a place of
refuge! The 'Burhs' would house the people during enemy raids.
Everyone took responsibility for building this system of
defence. The 'Burhs', or fortified towns, were based and built
on old Bronze Age and Roman fortifications and in important
religious centers- these towns were usually near the coast,
situated on high ground and surrounded by a wall and a ditch.
Each man in the district was responsible for maintaining a
section of the wall in exchange for a safe haven during enemy
attacks.
The Wessex 'Burhs' became
centres of commerce, law and civilisation. Alfred introduced
education, schools and trial by jury. The Wessex 'Burhs' were a huge
military and cultural success! The Vikings plans to invade
Wessex were crushed. Alfred was forever revered as the
greatest leader of Wessex and was rightly named Alfred the
Great! The descendents of Alfred the Great were also given
great credibility with the people of Wessex. Alfred's son Edward the
Elder continued the policy of building 'Burhs' and these
followed the path of the old Roman Watling Road and reached as
far as the kingdom of Mercia. Alfred's grandson Eadred
followed the same plan, the Vikings were fought back and the
Kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria were united as one
country - England.
Harold
Godwinson - Earl of Wessex
Wessex and Alfred
the Great were of great importance to England. Harold
Godwinson's claim to the throne of England was not based on a
strong blood tie, just a kinship to Edward the Confessor, who
had married Harold's sister - but it was still a tenuous
connection with the great Wessex line of King Alfred the
Great. Harold Godwinson held the title of the Earl of Wessex,
he was one of the most powerful and wealthiest Nobles in England
- and he was an
Anglo-Saxon!
Wessex
line of Kings from Alfred the Great
871-899 Alfred the
Great
899-924 Edward the Elder (son of Alfred)
924-939 Aethelstan (first son of Edward the Elder)
939-946 Edmund I (second son of Edward the Elder)
946-955 Eadred (third son of Edward the Elder)
955-959 Edwig (first son of Edmund I)
959-975 Edgar (second son of Edmund I)
975-978 Edward the Martyr (first son of Edgar)
978-1016 Ethelred the Unready (second son of Edgar)
978-1016 - King Ethelred II
1016 - Edmund Ironside assassinated I month later
Kings of
England 1016 - 1087
1016-1035 - King Canute
1035-1036 Alfred (son of Ethelred
II)
1036-1040 - Harold Harefoot - The illegitimate son of King Canute
1042-1066 - Edward the Confessor
1066 - Harold Godwinson - Harold II - the last Anglo-Saxon
King of England
1066 - 1087 William of Normandy - the Conqueror
To find out more
about their claims to the English throne please click one of
the following links:
The Duke William
the Bastard of Normandy claim
The Hardrada the Viking claim
The Harold
Godwinson of Wessex claim
The Edgar the Aetheling claim
The Kings of
England 871 - 1066
|
