Edred

Edred (c. 923 - 955), king of England (946-955) succeeded his brother Edmund I upon that ruler’s death in a knife-fight; and was immediately beset by the recurring problem of Viking control in the north. He spent his reign campaigning, and only in the last year, upon the defeat and death of Eric Bloodaxe, son of the king of Norway, was he able to secure the whole of England under his rule. Edred never married, was a devout Christian and left much money and treasure to the church and to relieve the poor. He was a friend of the most influential cleric of the day, Dunstan, abbot of Glastonbury and later Archbishop of Canterbury. He was succeeded by his nephew – Edmund’s son - Edwy.

Reference: “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” trans. Anne Savage