In 853 Burgred sent messengers to
Æthelwulf, king of the
West Saxons, seeking his help to subjugate the Welsh, who lived between Mercia and
the western sea, as they were rebelling against his rule. Immediately King Æthelwulf advanced with Burgred against the Welsh, and successfully repressed the rebellion. After Burgred left, the Vikings appointed a Mercian
Ceolwulf to replace him, demanding oaths of loyalty to them. Burgred retired to
Rome and died there. He was buried, according to the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, "in the church of Sancta Maria, in the school of the
English nation" (now
Santo Spirito in Sassia) in
Rome. In 1998 a hoard with Burgred coins was found by the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit near
Banbury Castle. ==See also==