Edmund Ironside - King of England

King of England

Æthelred died on 23 April 1016, and the citizens and councillors in London chose Edmund as king and probably crowned him. He then mounted a last-ditch effort to revive the defence of England. While the Danes laid siege to London, Edmund headed for Wessex, where the people submitted to him and he gathered an army. He fought inconclusive battles against the Danes and their English supporters at Penselwood in Somerset and Sherston in Wiltshire. He then raised the siege of London and defeated the Danes near Brentford. They renewed the siege while Edmund went to Wessex to raise further troops, returning to again relieve London, defeat the Danes at Otford, and pursue Cnut into Kent. Eadric Streona now went over to Edmund, but at the decisive Battle of Assandun on 18 October, Eadric and his men fled and Cnut decisively defeated Edmund. There may have been one further battle in the Forest of Dean, after which the two kings negotiated a peace dividing the country between them. Edmund received Wessex while Cnut took Mercia and probably Northumbria.

Read more about this topic:  Edmund Ironside

Famous quotes containing the words king of england, king of, king and/or england:

    Pastime with good company
    I love and shall, until I die.
    Grudge who list, but none deny!
    So God be pleased, thus live will I.
    Henry VIII, King Of England (1491-1547)

    The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail—its roof may shake—the wind may blow through it—the storm may enter—the rain may enter—but the King of England cannot enter!—all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!
    William Pitt, The Elder, Lord Chatham (1708–1778)

    He’s always been king of his world, but we’ll teach him fear.... Why in a few months it’ll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World.
    —James Creelman. Merian C. Cooper. Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong)

    While the very inhabitants of New England were thus fabling about the country a hundred miles inland, which was a terra incognita to them,... Champlain, the first Governor of Canada,... had already gone to war against the Iroquois in their forest forts, and penetrated to the Great Lakes and wintered there, before a Pilgrim had heard of New England.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)