ulf ; ▁ Æ th el w ulf ▁is ▁un ident ified , ▁but ▁a ▁possible ▁candidate ▁is ▁King ▁Alfred ▁the ▁Great ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁the ▁e ald orm an ▁of ▁the ▁G ain i ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 9 0 1 . ▁ Æ th elf r ith ▁was ▁father ▁to ▁four ▁e ald orm en : ▁ Æ th el stan ▁Half - K ing ▁( E ast ▁Ang lia ), ▁ Æ l f stan ▁( Mer cia ), ▁ Æ th el wald ▁( K ent ), ▁and ▁E ad ric ▁( W esse x ). ▁ ▁" In ▁ 9 0 3 ▁it ▁happened ▁to ▁ Æ th elf r ith , ▁du x , ▁that ▁all ▁his ▁de eds ▁of ▁title ▁per ished ▁in ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁a ▁fire . ▁Therefore ▁imp elled ▁by ▁such ▁a ▁necessity , ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁du x ▁asked ▁King ▁Edward , ▁also ▁ Æ th el red ▁and ▁ Æ th elf l æ d , ▁who ▁then ▁held ▁r ul ership ▁and ▁power ▁over ▁the ▁Mer cian ▁people ▁under ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁king , ▁also ▁all ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁w itan , ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁permit ▁him ▁and ▁give ▁author isation ▁for ▁the ▁re writing ▁of ▁replacement ▁char ters ▁for ▁him ." ▁Among ▁the ▁char ters ▁re iss ued ▁was ▁one ▁" con c ern ing ▁that ▁land ▁of ▁ten ▁h ides , ▁namely ▁at ▁Is ling ton , ▁which