Happy St Ealswitha's Day!
Ealswitha (or Elswith or Ealhswith) was Queen of Wessex as the wife of Alfred the Great. She was also the mother of a queen regnant (Aethelflaed of Mercia).
Described as the “true and dear lady of the English”, Ealswitha was sainted following her death.
One of her links to Somerset is spending part of 878 AD hiding at Athelney from the Vikings.
For more, check out Unsung Women in Somerset.
#20july #onthisday #Somerset #anglosaxon #history ##histodon

