ATHELSTAN

also spelled Aethelstan, or Ethelstan died Oct. 27, 939 Athelstan, detail of a manuscript illumination, 10th century; in the collection of Corpus Christi first West Saxon king to have effective rule over the whole of England. On the death of his father, Edward the Elder, in 924, Athelstan was elected king of Wessex and Mercia, where he had been brought up by his aunt, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Crowned king of the whole country at Kingston on Sept. 4, 925, he proceeded to establish boundaries and rule firmly. His dominion was significantly challenged in 937 when Constantine of the Scots, Owain of Strathclyde, and Olaf Guthfrithson, claimant of the kingdom of York, joined forces and invaded England. They were routed at Brunanburh. Six of Athelstan's extant codes of law reveal stern efforts to suppress theft and punish corruption. They are notable in containing provisions intended to comfort the destitute and mitigate the punishment of young offenders. The form and language of his many documents suggest the presence of a corps of skilled clerks and perhaps the beginning of the English civil service.