Alfred, a King of Wessex
ALFRED (849-901), who became King of Wessex in 871, saved England from conquest by the Vikings. He was not only a fighter but also a teacher and author. He worked very hard and planned every part of his day giving eight hours in turn for study, work and rest.
Since in those days there were no clocks, he marked long candles into parts which took an hour to burn. Alfred founded schools and monasteries, invited scholars from abroad and worked earnestly for the advancement of learning.
He ordered monks to translate the Bible into Anglo-Saxon and to write books in the same language. The most important is the story of Britain beginning with the birth of Christ. Its title is “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”. It is also the first history of any Teutonic people in their own language.