KING ÆTHELSTAN – THE FIRST KING OF ALL ENGLAND

In the tapestry of England’s history, one thread glimmers with a story untold, a narrative of a king and a town that forged a nation. This is the tale of King Æthelstan and the historic market town of Kingston upon Thames.

Nestled at the confluence of the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, Kingston upon Thames, with its bustling market and strategic location, played an unsung yet crucial role in England’s saga. It was here, amidst the tides of change in the early 10th century, that Eduard was crowned, presiding over southern England while Viking and Saxon rulers vied for power. Yet, it was his son, Æthelstan, who would etch a deeper legacy.

Crowned in Kingston in 925, Æthelstan’s vision was grand: a united England. His coronation set the stage for a transformative reign, during which he reformed the currency, revitalized laws, invigorated culture, spread Christianity, and championed fair governance. The fabric of the nation was forever altered under his rule.

Æthelstan’s impact on England’s early medieval period was profound. His accomplishments laid the foundations of a realm that would endure centuries. And so it is whispered in history’s ear, “Kingston is where England began”- the birthplace of a kingdom united, a legacy that began with Æthelstan’s crown.

Over the centuries, as political and economic centres shifted – first to Winchester, then to Westminster and London – Kingston’s once-central role in national affairs diminished.
Despite this, the town has preserved its historical legacy through landmarks like the Coronation Stone, a tangible connection to the era when it was at the heart of England’s formative history.

Coronation Stone in the Guildhall garden at Kingston upon Thames (The stone on which King Æthelstan was crowned)

Many people believe that KINGSTON is named after the Coronation Stone – it being the ‘KING’S STONE’. Hence Kingston. Not so. The name KINGSTON comes from the Olde English words cyninges & tun – (Cyniges tun) meaning the king’s manor or estate.
Interestingly, the name Æthelstan derives from the Old English Æðelstān meaning Noble Stone. So already there’s a connection between the Coronation Stone and the first King of all England to be crowned upon it. So how did our story begin? And why a stone?
But first….

The Roman encampment at Kingston – chosen because Kingston was the first viable river crossing after London Bridge.

The departure of the Romans from England at the beginning of the 5th Century brought about the advent of the Anglo-Saxons, Germanic tribes from present-day Denmark and Germany, known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. And from 500 onwards, England was made up of disparate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, each ruled by its own family of kings.

Saxons fighting Saxons

Then in the late 8th Century, the Vikings arrived to settle, trade and raid, and seeing the plunder to be gained in our fair land, brought with them larger armies with the intention of conquering territory and constructing settlements.

Viking Raiders

So by the time we get to the reign of King Æthelstan in 924, the Vikings were all powerful in middle England, with the Saxon kingdoms at war with the Vikings – and each other.

King Aflfred the Great

 

Perhaps the best known Saxon king, was Alfred, the king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. He was highly regarded for his military leadership and defending Wessex against Viking invasions.

Alfred the Great’s reign was marked by pivotal clashes and intellectual triumphs. He clashed with Mercian King Æthelred at the Battle of Wilton in 871 and vanquished Viking Leader Guthrum at Edington in 878, cementing his dominance and shielding Wessex from foreign invasions. (Later on, Alfred formed a truce with Æthelred by marrying off his daughter -Æthelflæd.)

Off the battlefield, Alfred’s legacy shines in his commitment to learning, enshrining him as one of the most esteemed Anglo-Saxon monarchs.

King Edward the Elder – son of King Alfred

Edward the Elder, son of King Alfred the Great, and brother of Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, was crowned King of Wessex in 900 AD. His son Æthelstan was born to Edward’s first wife, Ecgwynn.

King Alfred and the young Prince Æthelstan

King Alfred bestowed upon young Æthelstan the honour of knighthood at the tender age of six. Recognising the boy’s exceptional bravery and noble character, Alfred saw great potential in Æthelstan’s future. By bestowing this prestigious title upon him, Alfred sought to inspire and guide the young knight on a path of chivalry, honour, and leadership, ensuring that the legacy of his kingdom would be carried forward by this remarkable child.

Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians

However, it was Æthelstan’s aunt, Æthelflæd, who undertook the task of raising the boy and    instructing him in the arts of kingship. Æthelflæd’s husband, Æthelred, was known as the Lord of the Mercians. After he fell in battle, Æthelflæd assumed his position, thereby becoming the Lady of the Mercians. She took the young Æthelstan under her wing, and under her guidance, the prince soon became battle-hardened and an expert in warfare.

Prince Æthelstan in battle with The Lady of the Mercians

Coming back to Kingston upon Thames, in the year 900, Æthelstan’s father, King Edward the Elder, was crowned in a small Saxon chapel in the market place. And 24 years later, when Æthelstan rose to kingship, after his father’s death, he sought to have his own coronation in the very same market square.

But Æthelstan wanted his coronation to be a public spectacle rather than an exclusive event for a select few. Consequently, he chose to host his ceremony al fresco, in front of the chapel.

Æthelstan’s vision was a ceremony reflecting the sanctity and grandeur of his forebears’ indoor rites, but with the accessibility of an outdoor event. He aimed to connect his reign with the divine, ensuring his rule was seen as both legitimate and blessed. To symbolize this, he required an emblem of deep spiritual importance that would resonate with the people and echo through history, a centre piece for a coronation that was as much a celebration of unity as it was a religious investiture.

Jacob resting on his ‘pillow’ – the Stone of Scone (As written in Genesis Ch V )

It was well known that the Scottish kings were crowned on the Stone of Scone, also known  as Jacob’s Pillow, as the result of a dream where Jacob on his way to Bethel in Judea, and feeling tired, laid his head on a wayside stone and went to sleep. In the dream, Jacob climbed a stairway to heaven and was greeted by angels and God himself. As a result of Jacob’s dream, the stone was blessed with holy oil and became known as Jacob’s pillow.

The Arc of the Covenant resting on Jacob’s Pillow

According to Jewish legend, the stone was to become the pedestal of the Ark of the Covenant, until Moses entrusted it to the Athenian prince Gathelus around the year 1000 BC, after which it found its way to Portugal, and then Ireland, where the ancient kings of that country used it for their coronations. From there it was captured by Celtic Scots upon the orders of their chief, Fergus, son of Erc, and taken to Scotland where it became integral to the coronations of the Scottish kings.

But invading Scotland in order to take the stone for his own coronation was an act too far for Æthelstan.

However…

The wizard Merlin supervises a giant rebuilding Stonehenge

 

 

Æthelstan and the Archbishop of Canterbury choose a stone from Stonehenge

The Coronation of Æthelstan took place in the Market Place of Kingston upon Thames on the 5th of September in the year 925. The ceremony itself was unique in as much that it was the first time in English history that an actual crown was used to seal the coronation.

The Crowning of Æthelstan by the Archbishop of Canterbury

King Æthelstan’s place in the history of England, his choosing of what was to become Kingston’s Coronation Stone, and indeed the geographical relevance of Kingston upon Thames, should not be underestimated, as Kingston provided the foundation for all that England is.

Æthelstan frees a slave

King Æthelstan’s ascension to the throne commenced with a poignant act of humanity – the liberation of a slave. This gesture set the tone for his rule, which was characterized by a steadfast aim to unify the bickering, battle-scarred territories that made up England.

King Æthelstan signing a charter

Off the battlefield, Æthelstan’s rule was transformative. His reign marked a period of unprecedented law and order across the kingdom. His numerous charters, crafted in an ornate Latin style, were indicative of a highly evolved secretariat for the era. They also conferred upon the king formal titles that served to emphasize his distinctive dignity and stature.

Coins bearing a crown on the head of King Æthelstan

 

Æthelstan’s reign was characterized by a series of far-reaching reforms, among which his transformative currency regulations stood out. He was the first English king to depict a crown on a coin of the realm, a pioneering move that established a new standard for royal representation. Further emphasizing the sovereignty of the monarchy, he decreed that only the King’s visage should adorn the currency. This marked a significant departure from previous practice, where Bishops, Abbots, and Barons were privileged to have their faces featured on the coinage.

Ancient Kingston Market Place

 

Æthelstan adjudicated land disputes, and granted towns the right to conduct weekly markets. He put into place a prohibition against Sunday trading, and his central courts evolved into what could be considered national assemblies, attracting magnates from all corners of England.
Æthelstan undertook the modernization of a multitude of civil laws, particularly those concerning the prosecution of children below the age of 15. He also made significant strides in religious education, overseeing the translation of the Bible into English to enhance its accessibility and comprehension. Furthermore, he established a formal organization for masons, which ultimately led to the foundation of Freemasonry in England.

His court was a magnet for scholars from Ireland, Germany, France, and Italy, and he skilfully built alliances, facilitated by the marriages of his sisters to high-ranking European rulers.

It was only later in his reign that Æthelstan’s military accomplishments came to the forefront. He demonstrated formidable prowess on the battlefield, with his victory at the Battle of Brunanburh marking a significant turning point. This triumph led to him being proclaimed the King of the English and eventually, the King of all England.

Æthelstan at the Battle of Brunanburh

Æthelstan’s victory preserved the unity of England. The historian Æthweard wrote around 975 that “the fields of Britain were consolidated into one, there was peace everywhere, and abundance of all things”. Alfred Smyth has called the battle “the greatest single battle in Anglo-Saxon history before Hastings. The poem Battle of Brunanburh in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recounts that there were “never yet as many people killed before this with sword’s edge… since the east Angles and Saxons came up over the broad sea”.

Lord Tennyson at his desk

Lord Tennyson was to write in his poem – Battle Of Brunanburh… Almighty the Meridian, Æthelstan King, Lord among Earls, Lamp of the Lord God, Glory in Battle, There by Brunanburh.

In spite of his prowess on the field of battle, Æthelstan was one of the most pious West Saxon kings, and was known for collecting religious relics and founding churches.

His household was the centre of English learning during his reign, and it laid the foundation for the Benedictine monastic reform later in the century.
Æthelstan’s government reforms turned England into something approaching a modern nation-state rather than a collection of squabbling kingdoms.

Many facets of our contemporary laws and traditions, including our coinage system, owe their existence to King Æthelstan’s reign. His impactful rule has left an indelible mark on the England we know today.

A romantic vision of an English King

Æthelstan’s vision was clear and unwavering – to unify the fractious, war-torn territories that composed England. In the theatre of battle, Æthelstan’s prowess was unmatched. His victories were monumental, earning him the titles King of the English, and ultimately, King of all England. His triumph at the Battle of Brunanburh was a defining moment that cemented these titles.

THE BALLAD OF KING ÆTHELSTAN
King Æthelstan, ascending to greatness through ambition and tenacity, unified England and extended his influence beyond its borders. His reign marked the dawn of a nation’s identity, woven from the tapestry of diverse kingdoms. Remembered as a ruler who sought more than power – striving for legitimacy and unity – he left a legacy of a sovereign who shaped the very concept of English kingship. His coronation, steeped in both spectacle and sanctity, became the blueprint for the pageantry of power, echoing through the annals of history as the embodiment of a king who was both a warrior and a unifier.

A KINGSDAY® PRESENTATION