Æthelred of Wessex of Mercia, appealed to him for help against the Vikings. Æthelred and his brother, the future Alfred the Great, led a West Saxon army to Nottingham, but there was no decisive battle, and Burgred bought off the Vikings. In 874 the Vikings defeated Burgred and drove him into exile. In 870 the Vikings turned their attention to Wessex, and on 4 January 871 at the Battle of Reading, Æthelred suffered a heavy defeat. Although he was able to re-form his army in time to win a victory at the Battle of Ashdown, he suffered further defeats on 22 January at
George Ashdown 1906, Ashdown was selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for the resulting by-election. As the opposition Liberal Party did not nominate a candidate by the close of nominations on May 18, Ashdown was acclaimed to office on that date. Ashdown ran again in the 1907 election, but was defeated by Benjamin McConnell of the Liberals. Following his defeat, he retired from the Morden store in 1911, returning to Winnipeg and working in real estate and as manager of his brother's store. He died in Winnipeg on May 14, 1939. George Ashdown George Ashdown (April 8, 1851 - May 14, 1939)