gbert (d. 839), king of Wessex from 802,
the son of Ealhmund, a king of Kent, lived some thirteen years at
Charles the Great’s court. He at first warred successfully
against the Welsh of Devon and Cornwall, and then turned against
the Mercians, and in 825 overthrew their king, Beornwulf, in the
battle of Ellandune. Egbert spent the remaining years of his life
attacking the Northmen. Consult Green’s The Conquest of
England. [World Wide Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1935]
Notes on Egbert King of the West Saxons
The first of the Kings of Wessex and All England. For laying
claim to the West Saxon kingship after the death of Cynegils in
786, he was expelled from England "to the land of the Franks"
by Offa, King of Mercia and Beorhtric, King of Wessex in 789?. He
spent his exile at Charlemagne’s court and returned in 802
to the throne of Wessex. Acknowledged in Kent, Surrey, Sussex,
Essex and East Anglia after his victory over the Mercians at
Ellandune (either near Wroughton, Wilts or near Winchester) in
825. Conquered Mercia in 829 and reckoned as the eighth Bretwalda
(Ruler of Britain). In 835, Egbert was defeated by Scandinavian
pirates in a battle in Dorset. In 837 he defeated at Hengestdune,
near the Tamar in Somerset, a huge northern host allied with
Cornish insurgents. {Extracts and comments Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
and Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary} [GADD.GED]
First King of the English, 828-839, Saxon Rulers of England. [ROWLEYHR.GED]
Egbert (775?-839), king of Wessex (802-39), and the first Saxon king recognized as sovereign of all England (828-39). He was the son of a Kentish noble but claimed descent from Cerdic (reigned 519-34), founder of Wessex, the kingdom of the West Saxons in southern England. During the late 8th century, when King Offa of Mercia (reigned 757-96) ruled most of England, Egbert lived in exile at the court of Charlemagne. Egbert regained his kingdom in 802. He conquered the neighboring kingdoms of Kent, Cornwall, and Mercia, and by 830 he was also acknowledged as sovereign of East Anglia, Sussex, Surrey, and Northumbria and was given the title of Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon, "ruler of the British"). During succeeding years Egbert led expeditions against the Welsh and the Vikings. The year before his death he defeated a combined force of Danes and Welsh at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He was succeeded by his son Ethelwulf, the father of Alfred. [Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia]
Additional information: Britannia.com
