alfred's scholars
Preserved but no longer current.
When Alfred the Great set about the restoration of letters in England he founded a school and gathered around him learned men from all parts; these became known as "Alfred's scholars"; the chief among them are: Werfrith, Bishop of Worces- ter; Ethelstan and Werwulf, two Mercian priests; Plegmund (a Mercian), afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury; Asser, a Welsh- man; Grimbald, a French scholar from St. Omer, and John the Old Saxon.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “alfred's scholars” mean?
When Alfred the Great set about the restoration of letters in England he founded a school and gathered around him learned men from all parts; these became known as "Alfred's scholars"; the chief among them are: Werfrith, Bishop of Worces- ter; Ethelstan and Werwulf, two Mercian priests; Plegmund (a Mercian), afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury; Asser, a Welsh- man; Grimbald, a French scholar from St. Omer, and John the Old Saxon.
Is “alfred's scholars” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.