Edmund I was the elder of two sons of Edward the Elder and his third wife Eadgifu. He married twice, firstly to Ælfgifu, who died in 944, and then to Æthelflæd. His two sons with Ælfgifu were later kings of England.
Edmund’s succession to the combined kingdoms of his half-brother Æthelstan was short-lived. Olaf Guthfrithson captured Northumbria in 939 and occupied large areas of the Midlands, as far south as Northampton, in 940. Olaf died in 941 allowing Edmund to regain the Midlands in 942. In 944, Northumbria was also regained.
The capture of Strathclyde followed in 945, after which Edmund ordered the blinding of King Dunmail’s sons. Malcolm I of Scots was recognised as the overlord of Strathclyde in return for agreeing to a defensive alliance against the Vikings of Dublin.
Edmund’s life was cut short at the age of 25 when he was killed at his palace in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire by an exiled robber called Leofa. He died on 26 May 946 and was buried at Glastonbury. As Edmund’s sons were too young to rule he was succeeded by his brother, Eadred.
Essential Facts
Edmund I was the grandson of Alfred the Great and the son of Edward the Elder.
Edmund I became king of England on the death of his half-brother, Æthelstan.
Edmund I was succeeded by his brother, Eadred.
Timeline
27 October 939 – Death of Æthelstan. Edmund I became king of England.
26 May 946 – Death of Edmund I.
