Eadred (Edred) - Archontology

	Eadred b. ? d. 23 Nov 955 (buried at Winchester)
Title:	Rex (King) (see note on royal styles)
Term:	after 23 May 946 - 23 Nov 955
Chronology:	after 23 May 946, acceded after the death of his brother, Eadmund
	16 Aug 946, consecrated, Kingston-upon-Thames (see note on consecrations)
	23 Nov 955, died
Names/titles:	In modern English spelled as: Edred; byname: the Weak-in-the-Feet

Biography:
Eadred was the son of King Eadweard the Elder, the half brother of King Æthelstan, and the brother of King Eadmund. He succeeded to the throne of Anglo-Saxon England after the murder of Eadmund in 946. The reign of Eadred was distinguished for his wars with the Northumbrians. The northerners swore oaths of fealty to Eadred at Tanshelf (947), but within the year they proclaimed as their king Erik Bloodaxe. Eadred retaliated in 948 ravaging Northumbria. In late 950 or 951, the Northumbrians revolted again and accepted Olaf Sihtricson as their king. The Northumbrian throne passed from one Viking ruler to another until 954, when Eadred's authority was restored. Eadred supported the monastic revival inspired by Dunstan, who assumed the reins of government in the last years of Eadred's reign. Biography sources: [1][2][3]

[1]	Handbook of British Chronology (1986)
[2]	"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," ed. and trans. by G.N. Garmonsway (Everyman Press, London, 1953, reissued 1972, 1994).
[3]	"The Blackwell Encyclopædia of Anglo-Saxon England", ed. by Michael Lapidge (Oxford, Blackwell, 1999).
	Image: silver penny of King Eadred (obverse legend: +EADRED REX).

Last update: 29 Nov 2023

Eadred