Biography of Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England -902

Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England was born to [her father] Æthelred Mucel Mercia Earldorman Gaini and [her mother] Eadburh of Mercia.

Assers Life of Alfred 868. 868. 29. Alfred marries.⁶⁷ In the year of our Lord's incarnation 868, which was the twentieth of King Alfred's life, the aforesaid revered King Alfred, then occupying only the rank of viceroy (secundarii), betrothed⁶⁸ and espoused a noble Mercian lady⁶⁹, daughter of [her father] Æthelred, surnamed Mucill, Ealdorman of the Gaini.⁷⁰ The mother of this lady was named Eadburh, of the royal line of Mercia, whom I often saw with my own eyes a few years before her death. She was a venerable lady, and after the decease of her husband remained many years a chaste widow, even till her own death.

Note 67. Original.

Note 68. 'Subarravit, formed from sub and arrha, represents literally the English verb wed, which refers to the giving of security upon the engagement of marriage.... [It] is glossed by beweddian in Napier's Old English Glosses' (Stevenson).

Note 69. William of Malmesbury calls her Æthelswith.

Note 70. Of the Gaini nothing is known.

In 868 King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 19] and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England were married at Gainsborough [Map]. She the daughter of Æthelred Mucel Mercia Earldorman Gaini and Eadburh of Mercia. He the son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and Osburgh Queen Consort Wessex.

Around 870 [her daughter] Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians was born to [her husband] King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 21] and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England. She married in or before 887 Æthelred Earldorman of Mercia and had issue.

In 871 [her brother-in-law] King Æthelred of Wessex [aged 24] was buried at Wimborne Minster, Dorset [Map]. [her husband] King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 22] succeeded King of England. Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England by marriage Queen Consort England.

Around 874 [her son] King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons was born to [her husband] King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 25] and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England. He married (1) 893 Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons and had issue (2) 900 Aelfflaed Wiltshire Queen Anglo Saxons, daughter of Æthelhelm Earldorman Wiltshire, and had issue (3) 919 Eadgifu Kent Queen Anglo Saxons and had issue.

In or before 887 [her son-in-law] Æthelred Earldorman of Mercia and Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 37] and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

In 888 [her sister-in-law] Æthelswith Wessex Queen Consort Mercia [aged 50] died at Pavia [Map].

Around 893 King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons [aged 19] and Ecgwynn Unknown Queen Consort Anglo Saxons were married. He the son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex [aged 44] and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

Around 900 King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons [aged 26] and Aelfflaed Wiltshire Queen Anglo Saxons [aged 30] were married. She the daughter of Æthelhelm Earldorman Wiltshire. He the son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

In 901 [her brother] Æthelwulf Mercia Earldorman Gaini died.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 902. Collation. This year Elswitha died.

On 5th December 902 Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England died.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 903. This year died Alderman Ethelwulf, the brother of Elhswitha, mother of King Edward; and Virgilius abbot of the Scots; and Grimbald the mass-priest; on the eighth day of July. This same year was consecrated the new minster at Winchester, on St. Judoc's advent.

In 1110 Hyde Abbey [Map] was consecrated. The bodies of [her former husband] King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex, his wife Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England, and their son King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons were carried in state through Winchester to be interred before the high altar. Their royal presence made Hyde Abbey a popular pilgrimage destination.

[her daughter] Aelfthryth Wessex Margrave Flanders was born to King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England. She married Baldwin "Bald" II Margrave Flanders, son of Baldwin "Iron Arm" I Margrave Flanders and Judith Carolingian Queen Consort Wessex, and had issue.

[her son] Æthelweard Wessex was born to King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.

[her daughter] Æthelgifu Wessex Abbess Shaftesbury was born to King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex and Æalhswith of Mercia Queen Consort of England.