Talk:Osburh

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Dates of birth and death

I have added citation needed as 810 seems late for her birth considering that Æthelstan, who is thought to have been her son, was made underking in 839, and Asser gives no date for her death. Dudley Miles (talk) 23:22, 1 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Date of birth and further details

Osburh's birth is not recorded anywhere and there is no reason to suppose that she was born in 810. All we know about her is that she was Alfred the Great's mother and that according to Asser she was a Jutish descendant of Stuf and Wihtgar. According to legend - as reported by Asser - these two were nephews of Cerdic and killed all the British inhabitants of the Isle of Wight in the early sixth century.

There is no evidence at all that Osburh was the mother of any of Alfred's siblings - ie Ethelstan, Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethelswith and Ethelraed.

Osburh is recorded by William of Malmesbury as being present at Athelney in 878: if so, she was a concubine of Ethelwulf's who lived on after he married in 856 and probably not the mother of any of Alfred's siblings. The table listing her issue is therefore speculative and probably inaccurate.

The information about her father and his position is accurate, though I am not aware of any contemporary source which gives them possession of any particular manor.

Dantes Warden (talk) 21:37, 7 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Descendant of Stuf & Wihtgar?

It is certain that Asser says this is so, but Bede says that the Jutes in the Isle of Wight under King Arwald were wiped out in 686, some 200 years before Asser, so they had no descendants (except one). Also there is some doubt as to whether "Wihtgar" even existed other than as a back formation from "Wihtwarasbyrg" meaning " Fort of the Men of Wight"- now Carisbrooke Castle. However Arwald's sister (name unknown)had married the Jutish King of Kent, so Alfred WAS descended from Stuf, but not through Osburga but through his father's line. ----Streona (talk) 01:58, 18 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]