King Ealhmund of Kent

• Preferred Name: King Ealhmund of Kent ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]}
  
• Alternate Name: Eahlund
  
• Gender: M
  
• Burial: MAR 867
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: King of Kentfrom 784
  
• FSID: 93BL-QYM
  
• Birth: 9 JUL 758 in Kingdom of Wessex at LATI: N1.2 LONG: E2
  
• Death: 23 MAR 786 in York, Yorkshire, Kingdom of Wessex
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Ealhmund King of Northumbria
  Abt 865
  Aella is regarded as being responsible for the death of the Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok; Ragnar was reportedly executed by being thrown into a snake-infested pit.
  
  Ælla (also Ælle, Aelle, Ella, Aila) (fl. 862; died 21 March 867) was King of Northumbria, a kingdom in medieval England, during the middle of the 9th century. Sources on Northumbrian history in this period are limited, and so Ælla's ancestry is not known and the dating of the beginning of his reign is questionable.
  
  Ælla became king after Osberht (Osbryht) was deposed. The beginning of his reign is traditionally dated to 862 or 863 but evidence about Northumbrian royal chronology is unreliable prior to 867. His reign may have begun as late as 866. Almost nothing is known of Ælla's reign; Symeon of Durham states that Ælla had seized lands at Billingham, Ileclif, Wigeclif, and Crece, which belonged to the church. While Ælla is described in most sources as a tyrant and an illegitimate king, one source states that he was Osberht's brother.
  
  Ælla is credited with capturing and executing Ragnar Lodbrok by throwing him in a pit of vipers. After learning of the manner of their father's death the sons of Ragnar gathered a 'Great Heathen Army' to attack England in vengeance.
  
  The Great Heathen Army, composed mostly of Danish, Norwegian and Frisian Vikings, landed in Northumbria in mid-866 and captured York by 21 November.
  
  In 867, the 5th year of Ælla's reign as king of Northumbria, Ælla and his brother Osberht set aside their differences and united their forces in the face of the Viking invaders.
  
  Subsequent events are described by historians such as Symeon of Durham, Asser and Æthelweard in accounts that vary only in detail. According to the Historia Regum Anglorum, following the invasion of the Danes, the previous "dissension" between Osberht and Ælla "was allayed by divine counsel" and other Northumbrian nobles. Osberht and Ælla "having united their forces and formed an army, came to the city of York" on 21 March 867. A majority of the "shipmen" (Vikings) gave the impression of fleeing from the approaching Northumbrians. "The Christians, perceiving their flight and terror", attacked, but found that the Vikings "were the stronger party".
  
  Surrounded, the Northumbrians "fought upon each side with much ferocity" until both Osberht and Ælla were killed.
  
  The surviving Northumbrians "made peace with the Danes".
  
  After this, the Vikings appointed a puppet king of Northumbria, named Ecgberht.
  
  According to an Anglo-Norman genealogy, Ælla had a daughter named Æthelthryth and through her was the grandfather of Eadwulf of Bamburgh, "King of the Northern English" who died in 913.
  
  Although Osberht is identified as Ælla's brother, the name of their parents is not known; Likewise the name of Ælla's wife, the mother of Æthelthryth, is not known.
  
  While it is known that Ælla died on 21 March 867 at the hands of the Vikings, some sources report him dying in battle, and others as captured and tortured to death in the 'Blood Eagle' rite.
  
  It is not known what happened with Ælla's body or where he was buried. It is believed that his brother Osberht was buried at the church of 'St Michael and All Angels' in Thornhill, Yorkshire, where a gravestone bears his name. It is possible Ælla was buried there as well, but no grave marker for him has been found.
  
  The story of Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh
  Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh was born on the 10th of June 1929 son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
  
  The story of Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh
  Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh was born in 19
  
  === Not the King ===
  Has different children. Not the king Ealhmund of Kent.

1. King Ecgberht III of Wessex and Kent , b. 29 SEP 775 in Wessex     d. 4 FEB 839 in Wessex

1. Title: Great Heathen Army From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heathen_Army;
   Note: The Vikings had been defeated by the West Saxon King Æthelwulf in 851, so rather than land in Wessex they decided to go further north to East Anglia.[17][27][29] Legend has it that the united army was led by the three sons[a] of Ragnar Lodbrok: Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless (Hingwar), and Ubba.[17][27][29] Norse sagas consider the invasion by the three brothers[b] as a response to the death of their father at the hands of Ælla of Northumbria in 865, but the historicity of this claim is uncertain.[30][31] Start of the invasion, 865 In late 865, the Great Heathen Army encamped in the Isle of Thanet and was promised by the people of Kent danegeld in exchange for peace. Regardless, the Vikings did not abide by this agreement and proceeded to rampage across eastern Kent.[32][33] The Vikings used East Anglia as a starting point for an invasion. The East Anglians made peace with the invaders by providing them with horses.[34] The Vikings stayed in East Anglia for the winter before setting out for Northumbria towards the end of 866, establishing themselves at York. In 867, the Northumbrians paid danegeld and the Viking Army established a puppet leader in Northumbria before setting off for the Kingdom of Mercia, where in 867 they captured Nottingham. The king of Mercia requested help from the king of Wessex to help fight the Vikings. A combined army from Wessex and Mercia besieged the city of Nottingham with no clear result, so the Mercians settled on paying the Vikings off. The Vikings returned to Northumbria in autumn 868 and overwintered in York, staying there for most of 869. They returned to East Anglia and spent the winter of 869–70 at Thetford. While in Thetford, they were attacked by Edmund, king of East Anglia, with whom they had no peace agreement. The Viking army was victorious in these battles, and Edmund was captured, possibly tortured, and killed. He would later come to be known as Edmund the Martyr.[35]
   
2. Title: King Ælla of Northumbria in record of Ragnar Lodbrok From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Note: As the sons grew up to become renowned warriors, Ragnar, not wishing to be outdone, resolved to conquer England with merely two ships. He was however defeated by superior English forces and was thrown into a snake pit to die in agony.[12] The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, Tale of Ragnar's Sons, and Heimskringla all tell of the Great Heathen Army that invaded England at around 866, led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok to wreak revenge against King Ælla of Northumbria who is told to have captured and executed Ragnar.
   
3. Title: List of monarchs of Northumbria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Northumbria#Kings_of_Northumbria;
   Note: Northumbria, a kingdom of Angles, in what is now northern England and south-east Scotland, was initially divided into two kingdoms: Bernicia and Deira. The two were first united by Aethelfrith around the year 604, and except for occasional periods of division over the subsequent century, they remained so. The exceptions are during the brief period from 633 to 634, when Northumbria was plunged into chaos by the death of King Edwin in battle and the ruinous invasion of Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. The unity of the Northumbrian kingdoms was restored after Cadwallon's death in battle in 634. Another exception is a period from about the year 644 to 664, when kings ruled individually over Deira. In 651, King Oswiu had Oswine of Deira killed and replaced by Aethelwald, but Aethelwald did not prove to be a loyal sub-king, allying with the Mercian king Penda; according to Bede, Aethelwald acted as Penda's guide during the latter's invasion of Northumbria but withdrew his forces when the Mercians met the Northumbrians at the Battle of Winwaed. After the Mercian defeat at Winwaed, Aethelwald lost power and Oswiu's own son, Alchfrith, became king in his place. In 670, Aelfwine, the brother of the childless King Ecgfrith, was made king of Deira; by this point the title may have been used primarily to designate an heir. Aelfwine was killed in battle against Mercia in 679, and there was not another separate king of Deira until the time of Norse rule. Kings of Northumbria Reign Incumbent Notes 654 to 15 February 670 Oswiu Previously king of Bernicia and Deira February 670 to 20 May 685 Ecgfrith Son of Oswiu, killed in battle against the Picts May 685 to 14 December 704 Aldfrith (Ealdfrith, Aldfrid) Son of Oswiu Late 704 to early 705 Eadwulf Usurper 705 to 716 Osred I Son of Aldfrith, killed in battle or murdered 716 to 718 Coenred Distant descendant of Ida of Bernecia 718 to 29 May 729 Osric Son of Aldfrith, adopted Ceolwulf as his heir 729 to 731 Ceolwulf Brother of Coenred, deposed; Saint Ceolwulf 731 to 737/8 Ceolwulf Restored; abdicated to become a monk 737 to 758 Eadberht Son of Eata, a descendant of Ida of Bernicia, abdicated to become a monk 758 to 759 Oswulf (Osulf) Son of Eadberht, murdered by his servants 759 to 765 Æthelwald Moll Deposed 765 to 774 Alhred Distant descendant of Ida of Bernicia, deposed and exiled 774 to 779 Æthelred I Son of Æthelwald Moll, deposed 779 to 23 September 788 Ælfwald I Son of Oswulf, murdered 788 to 790 Osred II Son of Alhred, deposed and exiled 790 to 18 April 796 Æthelred I Restored 796 Osbald Exiled after a reign of 27 days 14 May 796 to 806/8 Eardwulf Deposed 806/8 to 808/10 Ælfwald II (Elfwald II) 808 to 810 Eardwulf Restored 810 to 841 Eanred Son of Eardwulf 840/1 to 844 Æthelred II Son of Eanred, deposed 844 Rædwulf (Redwulf) Usurper 844 to c. 848/9 Æthelred II Restored c. 848/9 to 862/3 Osberht (Osbert) Deposed 862/3/7 to 21 March 867 Ælla Usurper, killed by the Danes with Osberht 867 to 21 March 867 Osberht (Osbert) Killed by the Danes with the usurper Ælle
   
4. Title: Aella of Northumbria Anglo-Saxon king - WRITTEN BY The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
   Publication: Name: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aella-of-Northumbria;
   Note: Aella of Northumbria, Aella also spelled Aelle or Ælla, (died March 21 or 23, 867, York, Northumbria [now North Yorkshire, England]), Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbria who succeeded to the throne in 862 or 863, on the deposition of Osbert, although he was not of royal birth. The Scandinavian legendary history Gesta Danorum regarded Aella as the king responsible for the death of the Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok; Ragnar was reportedly executed by being thrown into a snake-infested pit. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recounts that Ragnar’s sons invaded England in an act of reprisal in 865, at the head of a vanguard that contemporaries referred to as the “Great Heathen Army.” In 867 the invading Danes captured York, and Aella and the deposed Osbert joined forces and assaulted the city on March 21 or 23. Both Aella and Osbert were slain in combat, and Northumbria would remain in Scandinavian hands until the mid-10th century.
   
5. Title: Ælla of Northumbria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86lla_of_Northumbria;
   Note: Ælla King of Northumbria Reign 862–867 AD Predecessor Osberht Successor Ecgberht Born c. 815 Died 21 March 867 (aged 51–52) York, Northumbria House Northumbria Ælla (or Ælle or Aelle) (fl. 866; died 21 March 867) was King of Northumbria, a kingdom in medieval England, during the middle of the 9th century. Sources on Northumbrian history in this period are limited, and so Ælla's ancestry is not known and the dating of the beginning of his reign is questionable. In addition to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ælla is also mentioned in Scandinavian sources, such as the Norse sagas. According to the latter, Ælla captured the semi-legendary Swedish-Danish Viking leader Ragnar Lodbrok and put him to death in a pit of snakes. The historical invasion of Northumbria in 866 occurred in retaliation for Ragnar's execution, according to Ragnarssona þáttr (The Tale of Ragnar's Sons). While Norse sources claim that Ragnar's sons tortured Ælla to death by the method of the blood eagle, Anglo-Saxon accounts maintain that he died in battle at York on 21 March 867. Concerning the Norse claim, Roberta Frank reviewed the historical evidence for the ritual in her Viking Atrocity and Skaldic Verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle, where she writes: "By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the various saga motifs—eagle sketch, rib division, lung surgery, and 'saline stimulant'—were combined in inventive sequences designed for maximum horror."[1] She concludes that the authors of the sagas misunderstood alliterative kennings that alluded to leaving one's foes face down on the battlefield, their backs torn as carrion by scavenging birds. If this is to be believed, then it is easy to surmise that the mention of his death via the blood eagle, is in fact a description of his death on the battlefield, which would make both accounts of his death consistent. Ælla became king after Osberht (Osbryht) was deposed. The beginning of his reign is traditionally dated to 862 or 863 but evidence about Northumbrian royal chronology is unreliable prior to 867.[2] His reign may have begun as late as 866.[3] Almost nothing is known of Ælla's reign; Symeon of Durham states that Ælla had seized lands at Billingham, Ileclif, Wigeclif, and Crece, which belonged to the church.[4] While Ælla is described in most sources as a tyrant and an illegitimate king,[5] one source states that he was Osberht's brother.[6] The Great Heathen Army, composed mostly of Danish, Norwegian and Frisian Vikings, landed in Northumbria in mid-866 and had captured York by 21 November.[7] Subsequent events are described by historians such as Symeon of Durham, Asser and Æthelweard in accounts that vary only in detail. According to the Historia Regum Anglorum, following the invasion of the Danes, the previous "dissension" between Osberht and Ælla "was allayed by divine counsel" and other Northumbrian nobles. Osberht and Ælla "having united their forces and formed an army, came to the city of York" on 21 March 867.[8] A majority of the "shipmen" (Vikings) gave the impression of fleeing from the approaching Northumbrians. "The Christians, perceiving their flight and terror", attacked, but found that the Vikings "were the stronger party". Surrounded, the Northumbrians "fought upon each side with much ferocity" until both Osberht and Ælla were killed. The surviving Northumbrians "made peace with the Danes".[5] After this, the Vikings appointed a puppet king of Northumbria, named Ecgberht.[9] According to an Anglo-Norman genealogy, Ælla had a daughter named Æthelthryth and through her was the grandfather of Eadwulf of Bamburgh, "King of the Northern English" who died in 913.[10] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle does not name the Viking leaders, but it does state that "Hingwar and Hubba" (probably Ivar and Ubba) later killed King Edmund of East Anglia.[11] Ubba was also named as a leader of the army in Northumbria by Abbo of Fleury and by the Historia de Sancto Cuthberto. Symeon of Durham lists the leaders of the Viking army as "Halfdene [Halfdann], Inguar [Ingvar], Hubba, Beicsecg, Guthrun, Oscytell [Ketill], Amund, Sidroc and another duke of the same name, Osbern, Frana and Harold."[12] Norse sources A modern artist's interpretation of the reputed execution of Ragnar Lodbrok According to Ragnarssona þáttr, the army that seized York in 866 was led by Hvitserk, Björn Ironside, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Ivar the Boneless and Ubba, sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, who avenged his death by subjecting Ælla to the blood eagle.[13] However, Anglo-Saxon sources claim that Ælla and Osberht died in battle at York, with the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle stating that "both the kings were slain on the spot".[14] Ivar the Boneless, who plays a major role in both Norse and Anglo-Saxon accounts, is sometimes associated with the Viking leader Ímar (Old Norse: Ívarr), a King of Dublin mentioned in the Irish annals. This is unlikely, however, as Ímar's father is usually said to be Gofraid of Lochlann and his brothers are usually named as Amlaíb Conung and Auisle. As Dorothy Whitelock notes, the names Ívarr and Ímar were "not uncommon" in Norse societies.[15] Other Hector Boece relates that two Northumbrian princes, Osbrecht and Ella, took the castle at Stirling.[16] Popular culture Aella, King of Northumbria, has a major supporting role in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Man of Law's Tale. Ælla was played by Frank Thring in the film The Vikings (1958) as the main antagonist.[17] A character broadly based on Ælla is played by Ivan Kaye in the History Channel's drama series Vikings (2013).[18][19] The show gives no indication that this Ælla had usurped his throne, and he is shown to have reigned in Northumbria for more than 15 years. The show portrays Ælla as being executed by blood eagle following a battle which is said to stand "near York".[20] The show also gave Ælla a daughter, Judith, who takes the historical role of Osburh, as the mother of Alfred the Great. The character's name seems taken from Judith of Flanders, Alfred's stepmother, but doesn't share much more.[21] In The Last Kingdom, a historical novel by Bernard Cornwell, Ælla appears very briefly as a minor character at the beginning of the book. He, along with Osberht and Uhtred, a fictional Ealdorman of Bernicia, lead a Northumbrian army to repel invading Danes at York. The battle ends disastrously for the Northumbrians when the Norse army feigns a retreat, and Ælla dies on the field.
   
6. Title: Ælla in record of Osberht of Northumbria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Note: Little is known of Osberht's reign. Symeon states that "Osbert had dared with sacrilegious hand to wrest from that church Wercewurde and Tillemuthe".[3] The Historia de Sancto Cuthberto dates the seizure of these lands to the year before Osberht's death.[4] Osberht was replaced as king by Ælla. While Ælla is described in most sources as a tyrant, and not a rightful king, one source states that he was Osberht's brother.[5] The Great Heathen Army marched on Northumbria in the late summer of 866, seizing York on 21 November 866.[6] Symeon of Durham, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Asser, and Æthelweard all recount substantially the same version of events in varying detail. Symeon's Historia Regum Anglorum gives this account of the battle on 21 March 867 where Osberht and Ælla met their deaths at the hands of the Vikings:[7] In those days, the nation of the Northumbrians had violently expelled from the kingdom the rightful king of their nation, Osbryht by name, and had placed at the head of the kingdom a certain tyrant, named Alla. When the pagans came upon the kingdom, the dissension was allayed by divine counsel and the aid of the nobles. King Osbryht and Alla, having united their forces and formed an army, came to the city of York; on their approach the multitude of the shipmen immediately took flight. The Christians, perceiving their flight and terror, found that they themselves were the stronger party. They fought upon each side with much ferocity, and both kings fell. The rest who escaped made peace with the Danes.[8]
   
7. Title: Family Tree of Ælla from De Northumbria post Britannos
   Author: https://www.academia.edu/10247408/%C3%86lla_and_the_Descendants_of_Ivar_Politics_and_Legend_in_the_Viking_Age?pop_sutd=true Ælla and the Descendants of Ivar: Politics and Legend in the Viking Age 2015 Neil McGuigan Pre- print of Neil McGuigan, ‘Ælla and the Descendants of Ivar: Politics and Legend in the Viking Age’, Northern History 52.1 (March, 2015), pp. 20 – 34.Final published version available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/0078172X14Z.00000000075
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/137068969;
   Note: Family Tree of King Ælla of Northumbrian who died in March 867 at York, showing his decendants. Identifies Ælla, who died in 867, as the father of Æthelthryth, and the grandfather of Eadwulf who died in 913. Also the ancestor of Ealdred, Uhtred, Adulf (Aethelwulf) and Oswulf. And Waltheof 'dux' (fl 994), Uhtred (died 1016), Eadwulf Cudel, and Eadwulf Evilcild. Full article has more information about him and can be found at: https://www.academia.edu/10247408/%C3%86lla_and_the_Descendants_of_Ivar_Politics_and_Legend_in_the_Viking_Age?pop_sutd=true
   Page: Identifies Ælla, who died in 867, as the father of Æthelthryth, and the grandfather of Eadwulf who died in 913. Also the ancestor of Ealdred, Uhtred, Adulf (Aethelwulf) and Oswulf. And Waltheof 'dux' (fl 994), Uhtred (died 1016), Eadwulf Cudel, and Eadwulf Evilcild.
   
8. Title: The Earliest English Kings By D. P. Kirby
   Author: Google books
   Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=wCQqKQIrSYUC&q=Osbrecht#v=onepage&q=Osberht&f=false;
   Note: A chronicle of "The Earliest English Kings" as the title suggests Information on the reign of King Osberht of Northumbria, as well as others such as King Aella. Identifies Aella as the brother of Osberht. Says Aella and Osberht united their forces against the invading 'heathen army' to recover the city of York and were slain in battle on 21 March 867.
   Page: Identifies King Aella as the successor of King Osberht, as well as his brother. Became king in 862 when Osberht was removed. United with Osberht in 867 to oppose the 'heathen army" and free York; slain in battle along with Osberht and 8 other noblemen on 21 March 867
   
9. Title: OSBERHT and ÆLLA - KING of NORTHUMBRIA 759-895 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
   Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish%20Kings.htm#_ftnref1122;
   Note: ÆTHELRED (-killed [848]). Roger of Wendover records the death in 840 of "rege Northanhumbrorum Andredo" and the succession of "Athelredus filius eius" who reigned for seven years[1115]. He succeeded his father in 840 as ÆTHELRED II King of Northumbria. Roger of Wendover records that "rex Northanhumbrorum Athelredus" fled in 844 and was replaced by "Readwlfus", but that the latter was killed in battle "apud Alutthelia" with "consul Alfredus" whereupon Æthelred was restored[1116]. Roger of Wendover records that "Athelredo rege Northanhumbrorum" was killed in 848 and succeeded by "Osbertus" who reigned for eighteen years[1117]. Two brothers, parents not known: 1. OSBERHT (-killed in battle York 21 Mar 867). Roger of Wendover records that "Athelredo rege Northanhumbrorum" was killed in 848 and succeeded by "Osbertus" who reigned for eighteen years[1122]. He succeeded in 848 as OSBERHT King of Northumbria. He was deposed 862 in favour of Ælla, but combined with him to recapture York in early 867. He was killed during the attack. 2. ÆLLA (-killed in battle York 21 Mar 867). He succeeded in 862 as ÆLLA King of Northumbria. Roger of Wendover names (in order) "…Osbertus, Ella…" in his list of kings of Northumbria[1123]. The Danes occupied York 1 Nov 866, resisting a Northumbrian counter-attack 21 Mar 867 in which both Ælla and Osberht his predecessor were killed. ECGBERHT, son of --- (-873). Roger of Hoveden records that he was established in 867 as ECGBERHT tributary King of Northumbria by the Danes[1124]. The same source records that the Northumbrians expelled him in 872[1125]. Ecgberht sought refuge with Burghred King of Mercia. Northumbria was conquered by the Danes in 878. Danish kings ruled Northumbria until the mid-10th century.
   Page: Identifies Osberht as the successor of Æthelred II, king of Northumbria, who was killed in 848. Reigned for 18 years but was deposed in 862 (that would be 13 years). Was deposed in favor of Ælla, who is identified as Osberht's brother. Ælla ruled from 862 until his death in 867. Both Ælla and Osberht were killed in battle against the Danes, who occupied York, on March 21 867. Ælla was succeeded by Ecgberht who was established as a tributary King of Northumbria by the Danes.
   
10. Title: The historical works of Simeon of Durham
    Publication: Name: https://archive.org/details/historicalworks00simegoog/page/n64/mode/1up?q=Osbert;
    Note: Page 470 In those days, the nation of the Northumbrians had violently expelled from the kingdom the rightful king of their nation, Osbryht by name, and had placed at the head of the kingdom a certain tyrant, named Alia. When the pagans came upon the kingdom, that dissension was allayed by divine counsel and the aid of the nobles. King Osbryht and Alia, having united their forces and formed an army, came to the city of York ; on their approach, the multitude of the shipmen immediately took to flight. The Christians, per- ceiving their flight and terror, found that they themselves were the stronger party. They fought on each side with much ferocity, and both kings fell. The rest who escaped made peace with the Danes. page 486 A.D. 854, (the sixth of the birth of king Elfred,) king Osbert reigning over the Northumbrians page 653 In the year of our Lord's incarnation eight hundred and fifty- four (being the fifth year of the rule of Osbert, the successor of Aethelred, who had been put to death), the government of the episcopal chair was undertaken by Eardulf, a man of great merit..... page 654 At this period there was a large assembly of the people from aD quarters, that is to say, of the Danes and Frisians, and other pagan nations, who arrived here in an immense fleet, under their ' and dukes, Halfdene, Inguar, Hubba, Beic^sec^, Guthrun, Amund, Sidroc and another duke of the same name, Osb Frana, and Harold. On their arrival in England they took possession of it, and wandered over the whole of it, carrying with them plunder and slaughter wherever they went. After having subdued and destroyed nearly the whole of the southern provinces of England, they next attacked the region of the Northumbrians. In the year from the incarnation of our Lord eight hundred and sixty- seven (being the fourteenth of the episcopate of Eardulf, and the fifth of the reign of Aella, king of the Northumbrians, whom they had placed upon the throne after they had expelled Osbert), the said army of the pagans, after having taken York, upon the kalends of November [Ist Nov.], spread themselves over the whole country, and filled all with blood and grief; they destroyed the churches and the monasteries far and wide with fire and sword, leaving nothing remaining save the bare unroofed walls; and so thoroi^hly did they do their work, that even our own present generation can seldom discover in those places any conclusive memorial of their ancient dignity, sometimes none. Upon this occasion, however, the barbarians advanced no further north than the mouth of the river Tyne, but returned from thence to York. Urged by this their necessity, the people of the Northumbrians collected a great army; their kings, Osbert and Ella, were reconciled with each other; and they made the attempt, to the best of their ability, to weaken the forces of their enemy. Headed by two kings and eight earls, they assaulted York, upon the twelfth of the kalends of April [21st March], which they stormed with considerable pertinacity, some from within, some from without. The enemy were somewhat alarmed by their sudden arrival, but they speeclily offered a firm resistance, and the conflict was waged on both sides with much fierceness. It ended, however, in the death of the two kings, who fell along with the larger portion of their followers; and thus they were deprived at once of life and kingdom, and so paid the penalty for the injuries which they had previously inflicted upon the church of St. Cuthbert: for Osbert had dared with sacrilegious hand to wrest from that church Wercewurde and Tillemuthe, and Aella had done the like for Billingham, Ileclif, and Wigeclif, and Crece.
    Page: Identifies Ella/Aila as the successor of Osbryht/Osbert as king of Northumbria. Placed on the throne after Osbert was removed in 862' United with his brother Osberht to oppose the heathen army and died in the same battle on 21 March 867