Edward's son, Æthelstan, conquered Northumbria in 927, and England became a unified kingdom for the first time. Alfred's son, Edward, captured the eastern Midlands and East Anglia from the Danes and became ruler of Mercia in 918 upon the death of his sister, Æthelflæd. During his reign Alfred issued a new law code, gathered scholars to his court and was able to devote funds to building ships, organising an army and establishing a system of burhs. In 878 they forced Alfred to flee to the Somerset Levels, but were eventually defeated at the Battle of Edington. They returned in 876, but were forced to withdraw. Wessex was invaded by the Danes in 871, and Alfred was compelled to pay them to leave. Æthelwulf was succeeded in turn by his four sons, the youngest being Alfred the Great. When Æthelwulf's son, Æthelbald, usurped the throne, the kingdom was divided to avoid war. During the reign of his successor, Æthelwulf, a Danish army arrived in the Thames estuary, but was decisively defeated. However, Mercian independence was restored in 830. He also obtained the overlordship of the Northumbrian king. Under Egbert, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Essex, and Mercia, along with parts of Dumnonia, were conquered. It was during this period that the system of shires was established. NEW STRONGHOLD KINGDOMS CODES SERIESThe throne subsequently passed to a series of kings with unknown genealogies.ĭuring the 8th century, as the hegemony of Mercia grew, Wessex largely retained its independence. His successor, Ine, issued one of the oldest surviving English law codes and established a second West Saxon bishopric. Cædwalla later conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. Wessex became a Christian kingdom after Cenwalh was baptised and was expanded under his rule. The two main sources for the history of Wessex are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, which sometimes conflict. The Anglo-Saxons believed that Wessex was founded by Cerdic and Cynric of the Gewisse, but this may be a legend. 'Kingdom of the West Saxons') was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from 519 until England was unified by Æthelstan in 927. Wessex ( / ˈ w ɛ s ɪ k s/ Old English: Ƿestseaxna rīċe, lit.
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