Edmund I of England

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Edmund I
King of England
Reign	October 27, 939 – May 26, 946
Predecessor	Athelstan
Successor	Edred
Spouse	Ælfgifu; Æthelflæd of Damerham
Issue
Eadwig Edgar
Father	Edward the Elder
Mother	Edgiva of Kent
Born	921 Wessex, England
Died	May 26, 946
Burial	Glastonbury Abbey

Edmund I (or Eadmund) 922 – May 26, 946), called the Elder, the Deed-Doer, the Just or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan.

Athelstan died on October 27, 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king. Shortly after his proclamation as king he had to face several military threats. King Olaf I of Dublin conquered Northumbria and invaded the Midlands. When Olaf died in 942 Edmund reconquered the Midlands. In 943 he became the god-father of King Olaf of York. In 944, Edmund was successful in reconquering Northumbria. In the same year his ally Olaf of York lost his throne and left for Dublin in Ireland. Olaf became the king of Dublin as Olaf Cuaran and continued to be allied to his god-father. In 945 Edmund conquered Strathclyde but conceded his rights on the territory to King Malcolm I of Scotland. In exchange they signed a treaty of mutual military support. Edmund thus established a policy of safe borders and peaceful relationships with Scotland. During his reign, the revival of monasteries in England began.

Edmund was murdered in 946 by Leofa, an exiled thief. He had been having a party in Pucklechurch, when he spotted Leofa in the crowd. After the outlaw refused to leave, the king and his advisors fought Leofa. Edmund and Leofa were both killed. He was succeeded as king by his brother Edred, king from 946 until 955.

Edmund's sons later ruled England as:

• Edwy of England, King from 955 until 957, king of only Wessex and Kingdom of Kent from 957 until his death on October 1, 959.
• Edgar of England, king of only Mercia and Northumbria from 957 until his brother's death in 959, then king of England from 959 until 975.

[edit] Murder

At a banquet in October 946, a thief was discovered be a guest and thrown out by Edmund, and then the thief drew a knife and killed Edmund. He was succeeded by his brother Edred.

Preceded by Athelstan

King of England 939–946

Succeeded by Edred

v • d • e English Monarchs Overlords (or Bretwaldas) of the English Aelle of Sussex · Ceawlin of Wessex · Æthelberht of Kent · Rædwald of East Anglia · Edwin of Deira · Oswald of Bernicia · Oswy of Northumbria · Wulfhere of Mercia · Æthelred of Mercia · Ethelbald of Mercia¶ · Offa of Mercia · Cœnwulf of Mercia · Egbert of Wessex Monarchs (pre-Conquest) of England Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan¶ · Edmund the Magnificent¶ · Edred¶ · Edwy the Fair¶ · Edgar the Peaceable¶ · Edward the Martyr · Ethelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Canute¶ · Harold Harefoot · Harthacanute · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Atheling Monarchs (post-Conquest) of England William I the Conqueror · William II Rufus · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda · Henry II · Richard I the Lionheart · John† · Henry III† · Edward I† · Edward II† · Edward III† · Richard II† · Henry IV Bolingbroke† · Henry V† · Henry VI† · Edward IV† · Edward V† · Richard III† · Henry VII† · Henry VIII† · Edward VI† · Jane† · Mary I† · Elizabeth I† · James I‡ · Charles I‡ · Commonwealth · Charles II‡ · James II‡ · William III‡ with Mary II‡ · William III‡ · Anne‡ ¶ Also King/Overlord of Great Britain. † Also Lord/Monarch of Ireland. ‡ Also Monarch of Scotland and Ireland.

[edit] References

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