King Edmund I Family Tree (921-946)

 

King Edmund I Family Tree showing:

parents
siblings
partners
children 

• King Edward
  the Elder
  874 – 924Eadgifu
  of Kent
  c.905 – 968
  • St Edburga
    d. 960
  • King Eadred
    923 – 955
  • 1. Aelfgifu of
    Shaftesbury
    d. 944 KING
    EDMUND I
    921 – 946 2. Aethelflaed
    of Damerham
    c920 – c975
    • 1. King Eadwig
      941 – 959
    • 1. King Edgar
      943 – 975

 

 

Short Biography

Early Years

King Edmund was born in the year 921 (exact date not known), the eldest son of King Edward the Elder by his third wife, Eadgifu of Kent. His younger brother, Eadred was born in 923.

Edward the Elder also had a son, Aethelstan by his first wife, Ecgwynn and two sons – Edwin and Aelfweard and four daughters by his second wife, Aelfflaed.

Edmund’s father died on 17th July 924, when Edmund was three years old. Edmund’s half-brother, Aelfweard, is thought to have succeeded to the throne, but died after a short while. Aethelstan, aged 29 years, then became King.

King Aethelstan ruled England for the next 15 years until his death on 27th October 939. During Aethelstan’s reign, Edmund fought alongside his half-brother as he sought to unite England under one King. Aethelstan had not married and had no children so when he died the throne passed to Edmund.

King of England

During Edmund’s reign, the Viking, Olaf III Guthfrithson succeeded in re-taking Northumbria and invading Mercia. After Guthfrithson’s death in 941, Edmund invaded and took back control of Mercia.

In 944, Edmund re-took Northumbria and the following year conquered Strathclyde and made an alliance with Malcolm I of Scotland. The alliance ceded Scottish land to England.

Marriage and Family

Edmund married Aelfgifu, who had a close connection with Shaftesbury Abbey, in 940. They had two sons:
Eadwig, born in 941
Edgar born in 943.

When Aelfgifu died in 944, Edmund married Aethelflaed of Damerham, daughter of the Ealdorman of Essex.

Death and Succession

King Edmund was murdered at Pucklechurch, Dorset on 26th May 946 by Leofa, a thief he had exiled. He was buried in Glastonbury Abbey. Edmund was succeeded by his brother, Eadred because his own sons were too young to rule.

 

First published 2017; updated and republished Apr 14 2022 @ 8:08 pm – Updated – Sep 16, 2022 @ 10:55 am