 The earliest extant manuscript , the Winchester Chronicle , was written by a single scribe up to the year 891 . The scribe wrote the year number , DCCCXCII , in the margin of the next line ; subsequent material was written by other scribes . This appears to place the composition of the chronicle at no later than 892 ; further evidence is provided by Bishop Asser 's use of a version of the Chronicle in his work Life of King Alfred , known to have been composed in 893 . It is known that the Winchester manuscript is at least two removes from the original Chronicle ; as a result , there is no proof that the Chronicle was compiled at Winchester . It is also difficult to fix the date of composition , but it is generally thought that the chronicles were composed during the reign of Alfred the Great ( 871 – 99 ) , as Alfred deliberately tried to revive learning and culture during his reign , and encouraged the use of English as a written language . The Chronicle , as well as the distribution of copies to other centres of learning , may be a consequence of the changes Alfred introduced . 
