Æthelred I of Northumbria facts for kids

Coin of Æthelred

A mention of Æthelred in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Æthelred (born around 762) was a king of Northumbria. Northumbria was an important Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is now northern England. Æthelred ruled twice. His first time as king was from 774 to 779. He ruled again from 790 until he was killed in 796.

Æthelred was the son of Æthelwald Moll and Æthelthryth. He may have become king when he was still a child. This happened after the previous king, Alhred, was removed from power.

Who Was King Æthelred's Family?

The exact family history of Æthelred is not fully known. However, his father, Æthelwald Moll, was likely from a noble family. Æthelwald first appears in history in a letter from Pope Paul I. This letter told King Eadberht to return land to an Abbot. This land had been given to Æthelwald.

How Æthelred's Father Became King

After King Eadberht stepped down in 758, his son Oswulf became king. But Oswulf was killed just one year later in 759. His own bodyguards killed him at Market Weighton. It is thought that Æthelwald might have ordered this killing. He became king soon after Oswulf's death.

In 761, Oswulf's brother Oswine fought Æthelwald in a battle. Oswine was killed during this fight at Eildon Hill. This happened on August 6th.

Silver coin (called a styca) from Æthelred's time.

After his victory, Æthelwald married Æthelthryth. Their wedding was at Catterick on November 1, 762. Æthelwald was removed from power as king on October 30, 765. A group of noblemen and church leaders made this decision. They replaced him with Alhred, who was Oswulf and Oswine's brother-in-law.

Æthelred's First Time as King

After ruling for almost ten years, the people of Northumbria removed King Alhred from York in 774. They then chose Æthelred to be their new king. He was "crowned with great honor."

In the year after he became king, Æthelred ordered the killing of a powerful nobleman called Eadwulf. His father, Æthelwald, might have influenced this decision. Later, Æthelred was removed from power himself. The throne then went to Ælfwald, who was a grandson of King Eadberht.

Æthelred Returns to Power

A silver coin (a styca) from Æthelred's second time as king (789-796).

Æthelred lived away from Northumbria while Ælfwald and his successor, Osred II, were kings. However, in 788 or 789, Osred was removed from power. He was forced to become a monk and sent away. Then, Æthelred was brought back to be king again.

Key Events of His Second Reign

• 790: During Æthelred's second reign, he ordered the killing of a nobleman named Eardwulf. However, Eardwulf survived and later became king himself.
• 791: Ælfwald's sons, Ælf and Ælfwine, were killed. This was likely done on Æthelred's orders.
• 792: Osred tried to become king again, but he was defeated, captured, and killed on September 14, 792.
• 793: A year later, the Lindisfarne monastery was attacked by Vikings. A scholar named Alcuin wrote letters to Æthelred. He blamed this attack on the sins of Æthelred and his noblemen.

On September 29, 792, Æthelred married Ælfflæd. She was the daughter of Offa of Mercia, a powerful king from another kingdom. Their wedding took place at Catterick.

How King Æthelred Died

The ancient Roman fortress at Corbridge where Æthelred was killed.

While Æthelred was in Corbridge, a group of nobles who were plotting against him killed him. This happened on April 18, 796. After his death, Osbald became king. Osbald was a nobleman and a friend of Alcuin, Æthelred's former advisor. However, Osbald only ruled for 27 days before he gave up the throne.

See Also

• List of monarchs of Northumbria