116 PORTLAND. 



A.D. 837 or 839. 



" Therefore Adelwlf in the first year of his reign when he 

 " himself stood firmly against the aforesaid enemy in one 

 " part of his Kingdom whither from all sides there was 

 "a massing together of the pagan hosts, sent the Consul 

 " Alfhard with part of his army that he might overthrow 

 " the Dacians who with 33 ships had effected a landing 

 " near Hamton where a great slaughter of the enemy 

 " having taken place he triumphed brilliantly. The King 

 "Adelwlf also sent the Consul Edelhelm to fight against 

 " another army near Port with the army of Wessex. And 

 " when the two met together in battle, the aforesaid Consul 

 " having been slain, the Dacians stood forth victors." 

 Previous to this it has been stated that in the reign of King 



Brethric, A.D. 787, Haretha came over in three ships and is 



supposed to have landed at Portland. 



Again A.D. 982, page 66, it is further recorded that 



"Anno DCCCCLXXXII. Ad provincias Dorsetsensium 

 "tres naves piratarum applicuerunt et Portland 

 " devastaverunt. Civitas Lundonia igne cremata est." 

 " In the year 982. To the provinces of Dorset steered three 

 "ships of the pirates to land and ravaged Portland. The 

 " city of London was also destroyed by fire." 

 The Anglo Saxon Chronicle, page 103, confirms this A.D. 



982 



" Anno DCCCCLXXXII. In this year arrived in Dorset- 

 " shire three ships of Vikings and ravaged in Portland." 

 The same authority, page 150, records 



"Anno MLII. (10e52). In this year died Alfgyfu Sunna, 

 "the mother of King Edward and King Harthcnut Earl 

 " Godwin together with his fleet hoisted his sails and they 

 "at once betook themselves to Wight and there landed 

 " . . . and then they went westward until they came to 

 " Portland and then they landed and did whatever harm 

 " they could do." 



