Wulfhere, Ealdorman of Wiltshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wulfhere
Ealdorman of Wiltshire
Anglo-Saxon England
Ealdorman	855-?877
Successor	Æthelholm

Wulfhere was an important leader, known as an Ealdorman, in the region of Wiltshire. He lived during a very difficult time for the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. A powerful Danish army had invaded in 865. They had already conquered most of England. Only the kingdom of Wessex was left.

The Danish king, Guthrum, was pushing hard into Wessex. King Alfred of Wessex was forced to retreat. Wiltshire was part of Wessex. Its northern border was next to Mercia, which the Danes now controlled. Wulfhere faced a tough choice. Should he stay loyal to King Alfred? Or should he try to make a deal with the Danish invaders? Records from that time suggest Wulfhere might have had an agreement with Guthrum. When Alfred managed to win back his kingdom, Wulfhere had to explain his actions.

A Time of War and Invasion

In 865, a huge Danish army arrived in East Anglia. Their goal was to conquer all the English kingdoms. These kingdoms were often called the Heptarchy. The Viking army took over East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria. They also pushed deep into the kingdom of Wessex.

Ealdormen were like governors. They were in charge of ruling different areas, called shires, for the king. Wulfhere was the Anglo-Saxon Ealdorman for Wiltshire.

Guthrum, the Danish leader, was based in Gloucester, Mercia. He was trying to find King Alfred and his army. Guthrum discovered where Alfred was spending Christmas in 878. Soon after Christmas, Guthrum launched a surprise attack. He raided Alfred's royal home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Alfred barely managed to escape into the nearby marshes. As the Ealdorman of Wiltshire, Wulfhere was responsible for the king's safety. He clearly failed in this duty. But why?

Why Wulfhere Lost His Lands

A special document, called a charter, from the time of Alfred's son, Edward the Elder, might explain what happened. It talks about a piece of land near the River Wylye. This land was given to someone named Æthelwulf. The charter says this land had been taken from Wulfhere and his wife.

"an estate by the River Wylye, granted to Æthelwulf, was land that had been confiscated from Wulfhere and his wife, for deserting both Alfred and his country in spite of the oath which he had sworn to the king and all his leading men. This confiscation was done with the agreement of all the wisemen of the Gewisse and the Mercians."

This means Wulfhere was accused of not being loyal to King Alfred. He was said to have abandoned his king and country. This was a serious charge, especially since he had sworn an oath to the king. His lands were taken away with the agreement of important leaders from both Wessex and Mercia. The fact that two groups of wise men, called witans, judged Wulfhere shows how important his family was. We don't know the exact date when Wulfhere lost his lands. We also don't know when Æthelholm took over as Ealdorman. This is because there are no dated charters from that specific time.

Did Wulfhere Make a Deal with the Danes?

Wulfhere is the only one of Alfred's Ealdormen mentioned for not being loyal. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 878 gives us more clues. It says:

"This year, during midwinter, after twelfth night, the [Danish] army stole away to Chippenham, and overran the land of the West-Saxons, and sat down there; and many of the people they drove beyond sea, and of the remainder the greater part they subdued and forced to obey them."

This part of the Chronicle suggests that Alfred was retreating. Guthrum had taken over a large part of Wessex. It says most of the people had to obey the Danes. Historian Barbara Yorke thinks that Wulfhere might have had to negotiate with Guthrum. This would have been to protect his people and lands.

However, after Alfred won a big victory at the Battle of Edington, he regained control. Wulfhere's dealings with Guthrum might then have been seen as a betrayal. This could be why his lands were taken. Even so, Wulfhere and his family were still very important. Not all of his lands were taken away. Two pieces of land given to Wulfhere by Æthelred in 863 were still owned by his family generations later. This shows they kept some of their power and wealth.