Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

Bernicia

Situated around modern Durham and Northumbria, the kingdom was founded in AD 547. Bernicia is the Angle form of the earlier Bernaccia, the preceding Celtic kingdom, which was established early in the fifth century.

Bernicia was settled by Angles, probably as laeti a century before, and possibly in the region between the Forth and the Tyne. That dating seems to suggest that they might have arrived almost at the same time as the Jutes in Kent, and perhaps for the same reason, to help defend the borders against devastating Pictish and Scotti raids. The fact that it seems to have taken them so long to mount a takeover bid probably speaks volumes of the readiness of the Northern British to defend their territory.

While the Angles seemed to have taken over with very little fuss, during a power gap, the former British ruler continued to fight on from outside his former lands until at least 590. It also seems possible that the Bernician Angles had a hand in founding Deira as an independent kingdom, as tradition and King Ida's date of death indicate fighting against British Ebrauc was undertaken. Nennius (whatever his unreliability) seems to back this up in 550 and 561).

Bernician royal residences were at Bamborough and Yeavering. An impressive assembly of wooden structures has been excavated at Yeavering.

c.500

Esa / Oesa

Probably settled his people in the area as laeti.

c.520

Eoppa

Son.

547 - 559

Ida

Son. Became king during a British power gap.

559

Given Ida's date of death of 559, it seems highly probable that one of two circumstances are true: that he took a hand in the initial uprising and may have led the first assaults on Ebrauc; or that he was against fighting his British neighbours, and the Angles had to wait until his son commanded the kingdom before they found someone willing to lead them into battle.

It seems more than coincidental that the Angles in Deira asserted their full independence at the same time. Up to now their new leader, Aelle, may have had a role as one of Ida's generals or allies who chooses this moment to assert his own independence.

559 - 560

Glappa / Clappa

Son of Ida.

560 - 568

Adda

Son of Ida.

568 - 572

Aethelric

Son of Ida.

572 - 579

Theobald / Theodoric / Deoric

Died 603.

577 or 579

The Bernicians fight Urien Rheged's & Elmet's northern coalition.

579 - 585

Frithuwald

585 - 593

Hussa

590

Elmet and Rheged form a Confederation of British Kings, primarily based and operating in the north. The dispossessed Morcant Bulc of Bernaccia, and Riderch Hael of Alt Clut both join the confederation in operations against the Angles, and are present at the siege of Ynys Metcaut (Lindisfarne) in this year.

593 - 616

Æthelfrith

Subdued Deira. Killed 617 by the East Engle.

595

A resurgent Bernicia apparently conquers the minor British kingdom of Dunoting, and probably The Peak at the same time. Elmet is now surrounded.

c.597

The Battle of Catreath is a disaster for the Britons. The flower of the Northern British warrior class is decimated by the superior numbers of the Bernician Angles. Goutodin, as well as the other kingdoms of the North, probably including Elmet, are all fatally weakened by the defeat.

613

In one of the bloodiest and hardest fought battles of its time, several British kings form a coalition to halt Æthelfrith at the Battle of Caer Legion (Chester). Iago of Gwynedd, and Selyf of Powys are both killed, and the battle is a British defeat. Bledric ap Custennin, King of Dumnonia dies at the Battle of Bangor-is-Coed, which follows very soon afterwards, and South Rheged falls to Æthelfrith.

616 - 632

Edwin (St) of Deira

Son of Aelle. Bretwalda.

c.616

Edwin forces the collapse of the British kingdom of North Rheged, although some of it survives and continues as an isolated enclave. The rest is absorbed into Bernicia. He also conquers Ynys Manau.

617

Edwin conquers the British kingdom of Elmet.

c.620 - c.658

The increasingly powerful Bernician / Deiran throne begins to dominate the Lindisware.

632/3

Edwin is killed by Penda of Mercia while the latter is allied to Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd, and High King of the Britons.

632 - 633

Eanfrid / Eanfrith

Son of Ethelfrith. Heathen. His son became king of North Pictland.

633

Ynys Manau is lost.

633 - 641

Oswald (St)

Ruled a united Northumbria, and was Bretwalda.

634

Oswald defeats High King Cadwallon at Heavenfield, thus removing any British claims to the conquered Elmet.

638

The greatly weakened British kingdom of Goutodin is conquered.

641 - 654

Oswiu

Bretwalda.

654

Following his victory in battle over Penda of Mercia and Aethelhere of the East Engle, and his conquest of Mercia, Oswiu cements the increasingly accepted union of Deira with Bernicia to create a single kingdom of the Angles north of the Humber, known, as with most Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, by its geographical location - Northumbria.

The Northumbrians (Humbrenses / Hymbronenses)

Uniting the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira after the two had increasingly become dominated by the Bernicians to the north, it was known by Anglo-Saxons of the time by the names in brackets. This means 'the people of the river', referring to the Humber, which at the time was applied to the entire region which was drained by the tributaries of the Humber river system, from the Ouse as far north as York to at least the lower course of the Trent. It may have been Oswiu's victory against Mercia at the battle of Winwaed in 654 which sealed his dominion over the north.

654 - 670

Oswiu

Bretwalda.

656

Oswiu destroys the British royal family of Pengwern, creating a power vacuum in the West Midlands.

At some point (perhaps after the union of Bernicia and Deira) Oswiu marries Rienmelth ferch Royth of the Royal House of Rheged and legally inherits the Rhegedian throne.

664

The Synod of Whitby sees Oswiu accept the Catholic church of Rome and its representative at Canterbury in preference to the Celtic church based at Iona, thereby sidelining the latter. The seat of the church in Northumbria is moved from Lindisfarne to York.

670 - 685

Ecgfrith

Son of Oswiu. Killed by the Picts.

c.675 - c.679

The Northumbrians dominate the Lindisware.

685

Attempting to consolidate thirty years of occupation in southern Pictland, Ecgfrith leads a huge army against the Picts at the Battle of Nechtansmere, probably including forces fron his sub-kingdom at Dunbar. The Picts defeat them and massacre the entire army including Ecgfrith, and proceeds to clear Pictland of the remaining Northumbrians who had settled there, killing or enslaving them.

685 - 704

Aldfrith / Alcfrith

Probable bastard son of Oswiu. Ruled May 685 - 14 Dec 704.

685

Alcfrith is the great-grandson of Rhoedd map Rhun map Urien Rheged, and inherits the remains of North Rheged (possibly long before he gains the Northumbrian throne).

704 - 705

Eardwulf I

705 - 716

Osred I

Ruled from December 704 or early 705. Killed by Cenred.

716 - 718

Coenred / Cenred

718 - 729

Osric

Ruled until 9 May.

729 - 737

Ceolwulf

731

The Venerable Bede completes his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum at Jarrow in Northumbria; five books and 400 pages on the history of England.

737 - 758

Eadbert / Eadbriht

758

Oswulf / Osulf / Oswald

Son. Murdered.

758 - 765

Ethelwald Moll

From 5 August to 30 October.

765 - 774

Alchred / Alhred

774 - 779

Aethelred I

Departed throne.

779 - 788

Elfwald / Alfwold I

788 - 790

Osred II

Exiled. d.792.

790 - 796

Aethelred I

Restored to throne. Ruled until April.

793

In what is the first major attack by Vikings on English territory, Lindsfarne Monastery is sacked by raiders and the monks are slaughtered. The age of enlightenment and learning in Britain in which Lindisfarne had played a major role now begins a steep decline.

796

Osbald

796 - 806

Eardwulf II

Ruled from 26 May. Departed throne.

806 - 808

Elfwald II

808?

Eardwulf II

Returned to throne.

808 - 840

Eanred

840 - 844

Ethelred II

Departed throne.

844

Redwulf

844 - 849

Ethelred II

Restored to throne.

849 - 862

Osbert / Osbriht

Deposed by Ælla. Died 867 alongside Ælla.

862 - 867

Ælla / Ella

Last independent Old English King of Northumbria.

867

An army from the Viking kingdom of Dublin under Ivarr the Boneless gains control of the kingdom of Northumbria (as loosely shown in the 1958 feature film, The Vikings). English ealdormen continue to rule Bernicia under the Viking aegis while they directly control Deira. In or around 878 a Scandinavian monarchy is established, ending the necessity of an English puppet ruler.

867 - 873

Egbert I

Installed by Ivarr the Boneless.

867 - 870

Ivarr takes his army southwards to conquer East Anglia.

873 - 876

Ricsig

876 - 878

Egbert II

878

Egbert II is the last recorded English king of Northumbria. By now the 'kingdom' is little more than the former territory of Bernicia. Much of the rest of it comes under the rule of the Scandinavian kings of York, while the high reeves of Bamburgh rule the northernmost part. From time to time the kings of Wessex, under whose control falls the rest of England, push the Scandinavians out of York and rule a partially united country.

High Reeves of Bamburh / Bamburgh (Bernicia)

While the Scandinavian kingdom of York governed the vast majority of the former territory of Northumbria in the tenth century, the high reeves of Bamburgh may have started to lay a quiet claim to the Northumbrian crown. They may also have ruled the area north of the Tees (former Bernicia) almost as an independent kingdom between 878-927, being referred to, or referring to themselves as sub-kings.

The title of high reeve seems to be influenced by a Scots word and may have been equivalent to a high steward. It was certainly a lesser position than that of an earl. After the full unification of England they continued to serve in their lesser capacity until 1041. It is unknown whether they bore any descent from the kings of Northumbria, and the history of Northumbria itself in this period is fairly poorly recorded.

(Additional information by Mick Baker.)

877 - 883

Halfdan is expelled from York and there follows an apparent interregnum. However, even without a ruler in York itself, the Vikings there retain governorship of former Deira (southern Northumbria) and the vassalage of Bernicia (northern Northumbria), which now centres on Bamburgh.

879

Once the Danelaw is established by the Peace of Wedmore in 878, Guthrum formalises his rule of East Anglia. A Danish kingdom is founded to exist alongside the similarly-formed Scandinavian kingdom at York.

883

The close relations between the new king of York, Guthfrith, and the monastery of Saint Cuthbert force the vassal region of Bernicia to accept the direct control of York, although locals still govern in the king's name at Bamburgh.

886

Formal recognition is made in the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum of the Danish and Anglo-Saxon spheres of control in England. The treaty defines the boundaries of both kingdoms and makes provision for peaceful relations between the two peoples.

? - 913

Eadwulf / Eadulf I

High Reeve of Bamburgh. Claimant to the throne at York.

910 - 913

It is very possible that Eadwulf gains the throne in York after the Danish kings are killed at the Battle of Tettenhall in 910. Coins minted during this period carry no name, but Eadwulf's death in 913 is of major importance, being noted in the chronicle of Æthelweard and by the Irish Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Clonmacnoise. He is named 'king of the Saxons of the north' by the Irish, while Æthelweard states he rules as 'reeve of the town called Bamburgh' (perhaps deliberately downplaying his role).

The eleventh century Norman Bamburgh Castle which replaced the original British and Anglian fortifications

913 - 930

Ealdred I Ealdulfing

Son. Ruled in York (913-918)?

918/919

A powerful Norse-Irish dynasty from Dublin seizes control of York, potentially destroying the slow Anglo-Saxon recovery of the region. Ealdred is driven back into his own lands, suggesting a greater level of authority has been enjoyed by Bamburgh until this date.

920 - 921

At the same time that Ragnald, king of Dublin and York, accepts Edward, king of Wessex, as father and lord, Ealdred does the same.

927

Athelstan marches north after subduing the Scandinavian kingdom of York and expels Ealdred (perhaps because he is a rival for the throne at York). Ealdred becomes the king's man and is reinstated.

930 - 963

Oswulf / Osulf

Son. Helped defeat Eric Bloodaxe in York. Earl of York (954-963).

954

A coalition of northern forces tributary to Eadred of Wessex defeats Eric Bloodaxe, king of York, in battle, due in no small part to Oswulf's vital allegiance. Northumbria falls under the rule of the kings of England and is administered by Oswulf.

955 - 959

There is a successional rift between King Edred's two sons, Edwy and Edgar. The latter takes control of Mercia and Northumbria, while Edwy rules in the south until his death in 959. Edgar then seizes complete control and becomes the second king of England.

959 - 960

Oswulf is signing charters as dux and then eorl of York, but following his death in 963, the territories under his control are divided, with one Oslac being handed York by King Edgar the Peaceful of England, while Oswulf's son succeeds him in Bamburgh.

963 - 995

Waltheof

Son. Became Waltheof I, earl of York (975-995).

993

The original British Bernaccian and Anglian Bernician fortifications at Bamburgh are destroyed during a Viking attack.

995 - 1016

Uchtred the Bold

Son. Also earl of York.

1016

After Uchtred, the high reeves lose their position of power in York as the arrival of the new Danish kings of England changes the political balance of power in the country.

1016 - 1019

Edulf II / Eadwulf Cudel

Brother.

1019 - 1038

Eldred II

Son of Uchtred.

1038 - 1041

Edulf III / Eadwulf

Betrayed by King Hardicanute and killed.

1041 - 1066

With the help of a betrayal of Edulf by Hardicanute, Danish king of England, Siward, earl of York, begins to govern Bernicia without any local officials under him, fully uniting north and south Northumbria under one 'ruler' and ending the line of high reeves, his main source of competition.

Earls of Northumbria / Northumberland

From 1041, Siward, the Scandinavian earl of York who had arrived in England following Canute's capture of the throne, managed to remove his rivals in Bamburgh in northern Northumbria and unite the two regions under his control, creating a powerful earldom of Northumbria. Following the Norman invasion of 1066, this vast territory was broken up into York and Northumberland.

1041 - 1055

Siward / Sigurd 'the Stout'

Earl of York (1031-1041).

1046

Siward, father-in-law to the late Duncan, king of Scotland, succeeds in momentarily expelling MacBeth from Lothian, and briefly installing Duncan's brother Maldred on the Scottish throne. MacBeth swiftly recovers his lost lands.

1050

During the revolt of Earl Godwin of Wessex, Leofric of Mercia and Siward remain loyal to the king. Godwin's army is defeated and Godwin and his family leave the country and go into exile.

1054

Siward and Malcolm Ceann Mor set off on a campaign to defeat MacBeth. They do so at Dunsinnen, wresting Lothian and possibly Strathclyde from him, but they fail to depose him. Ceann Mor is set up as Malcolm III, at least of Cumbria (generally part of Strathclyde), a client king of the English.

1055 - 1065

Tostig

Brother of Harold II of England. Fled and later killed in battle.

1065

Earl Tostig, the rebellious younger brother of King Harold, flees the country.

1065 - 1066

Morcar

1066

Harold's army defeats an attempted invasion of England by the Norwegian king, Harald Hadrada, who has sided with Harold's rebellious younger brother, Earl Tostig. Almost immediately afterwards, Harold has to march his tired army south to face a second invasion by William, duke of Normandy. Harold is narrowly defeated at Hastings on 14 October, and the Anglo-Saxon line of kings comes to an end. Northumbria (York and Bamburgh) is broken up into the earldoms of Northumberland and York.

1067

Copsi

Quickly appointed to secure Northumbria. Murdered.

1067

Osulf II

Son of Edulf II of Bamburgh. Usurped earldom and then killed.

1067 - 1068

Gospatric / Cospatrick

Cousin. Purchased earldom from King William.

1068 - 1069

Robert Comine

Replacement when Gospatric joined the rebellion. Killed.

1069 - 1070

With the death of Robert Comine at the hands of the rebels in the north of England, the title of earl of Northumberland falls vacant during the Harrying of the North under William of Normandy.

The Harrying of the North began after Earl Robert Comine and his men ignored advice to pull back from Durham and were then slaughtered by the rebel army

1070 - 1072

Gospatric

Reappointed by King William.

1072 - 1075

Waltheof II

Son of Siward. Executed.

1075

The 'Revolt of the Earls' is ended by William of Normandy with the execution of Waltheof. This completes William's conquest of England.

1075 - 1080

William Walcher

Prince-bishop of Durham.

1080 - 1086

Aubrey de Coucy

1086 - 1095

Robert de Mowbray

1095 - 1139

The title again falls vacant until Stephen of England is pressured into appointing a new earl by David of Scotland.

1139 - 1152

Henry of Scotland

1152 - 1157

William of Scotland

1157 - 1189

William is deprived of his title and lands by the powerful Henry II of England. The title remains in the king's hands until it is purchased by Hugh de Puiset, bishop of Durham in 1189, sold by Richard I who is keen to raise funds for his Crusade.

1189 - c.1191

Hugh de Puiset

Bishop of Durham.

c.1191

The title falls vacant in or around 1191 and remains so until the First Barons' War, when the barons of Northumberland and York pay homage to Alexander II of Scotland in 1215-1217. In 1217, the barons surrender to Henry III of England, and the crown holds the title until it is granted to the Percy family in 1377.