Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

The East Engle (East Angles / East Anglia)

Settling first in the north, where the earliest evidence of their arrival has been found, the Angles in the region probably gained ascendancy between 475-495 from a possible British territory of Caer Went. The kingdom of the East Angles was founded in circa AD 575 as a result of the uniting of the North and Suth Folk (still remembered today in the Norfolk and Suffolk regions of East Anglia).

In the early stages of settlement, the Anglians were not totally dominant in the area; there was also a sizable Saxon presence, although evidence supports the fact that many Saxons were settled in this area as foederati before the collapse of Roman rule. The Saxons and the newly-arriving Angles appear to have intermingled and merged even before the British walled town of Venta Icenorum (Caistor-by-Norwich) had been abandoned.

The Angles were skilled in the use of shallow vessels and used the East Anglian rivers as routes into Britain. The easily navigable Nene, Ouse and Cam valleys were the first to be colonised and by AD 500 colonisation had reached as far east as Cambridgeshire. The Cam tributaries saw early settlements being founded at Linton, Haslingfield and from Newmarket to Balsham. The Angles took over British sites giving them English names. Only a half-dozen Celtic place names remained in the region, such as Girton, Comberton and Chatteris.

Neglect of the Roman engineering works and land subsidence after AD 450 reduced drained fenland to marsh, isolating Ely and other islands. Within these areas lived an independent people with dark-hair, called the Gywre, who were possibly Celtic in origin.

During the sixth century, Cambridgeshire was disputed territory with the Middil Engle, but the East Engle gradually gained the upper hand in the region. Heavily wooded country lying along the northern border of the East Seaxe kingdom became a political frontier between the two kingdoms, as well as with the Middil Engle.

c.475 - 495

Angles arrive and begin to take over control of the region, settling first in the north. They intermingle with the Saxon descendants of Roman foederati.

c.495 - 560s

The Anglian settlers secure their hold on the region, forming into two main groups in the north and south (North and South Folk). Roman-British administration collapses and Venta Icenorum is abandoned.

It seems probable that the ancestors of the later East Anglian kings (the Wuffingas) emerge at this time and begin to build a power base. This seems to be centred on Rendlesham, near the coast in the south east of the territory, indicating that the Wuffingas were Suth Folk. The nearby river is even named Ufford, a name which derives from the Anglo-Saxon name Uffa or Wuffa.

c.510s

Hrype

c.530s

Wilhelm

Son.

c.560s

Wehha

May have consolidated the takeover of British Caer Went.

571 - 578

Wuffa

Son.

571 - 578

Wuffa founds the kingdom of the East Engle by uniting the North Folk and Suth Folk. His descendants are known as the Wuffingas (probably 'the Wolf-people').

578 - 593

Tyttla

Son.

593 - 625/7

Raedwald

Son. Bretwalda (616-625/7).

c.600 - 630

The East Engle begin to push back the Middil Engle, centred on modern Leicestershire, gradually taking control of much of their territory.

625

Raedwald is almost certainly the king who is buried, or commemorated, by Sutton Hoo. This semi-pagan burial mound lies close to Rendlesham, unverified location of a royal hall of the Wuffingas, Ipswich, a vital trading port, and Walton Castle, originally a Roman Saxon Shore fort, many of which were controlled by the Anglo-Saxons from the early days of the migration period.

c.624 - 627

Earpwald

Third son of Raedwald. Killed by Ricberht.

627 - 630

Ricberht

Second son of Raedwald. Pagan king.

c.630

The captured territory of the Middil Engle is conquered by Mercia.

630 - c.636

Sigeberht

First son of Raedwald. Abdicated.

634 - 636/7

Ecgric

Son of Eni (d.617), son of Tyttla, and brother of Raedwald.

635? - 654

Annah / Anan / Anna

First son of Eni. Killed in battle.

c.650

Annah's daughter, Ethelreda, is given in marriage to Tonbert of the Gywre. She is later re-married to Egfrith of Northumbria before retiring to Ely to found a monastery.

654

The Mercian king Penda defeats the East Angles at Blytheburgh, probably killing Annah in the process.

654

Aethelhere

Second son of Eni. Ruled until 15th Nov. Killed in battle.

654

Aethelhere joins Penda of Mercia in an invasion of Northumbria. Both are killed by Oswiu of Northumbria at the battle of Winwaed.

654 - 664

Aethelwold

Third son of Eni.

663/4 - 713

Aldwulf

Son of Aethelhere.

713

After Aldwulf's death the East Angles fall into a period of comparative obscurity. As the kingdom is subsequently ruled by the son of an East Saxon king, the East Angles may have fallen under their domination.

713? - 747

Selraed of the East Saxons

Son of Sigeberht, King of the East Saxons.

713/747 - 749

Aelfwold

Descendent of Ecgric.

749

The kingdom is ruled by three kings, although only Beonna has coins minted in his name, so the other two are probably sub-kings ruling in his name. Ipswich is expanded as a trading centre and there is an attempt to mint silver coinage, suggesting a degree of recovery within the kingdom.

749 - c.758

Beonna / Beorna

749

Hun

749

Alberht

c.758 - 779

Aethelred

Son of Beonna.

779 - 793

Aethelbert

Descendent of Aelfwold. Killed by Offa of Mercia.

?793

Eadwald

793 - 796

Offa conquers East Anglia, and it is ruled by Mercia.

796 - 799

Eadwald

Restored?

799 - 827

East Anglia is ruled by Mercia.

821

Athelstan of East Anglia makes his first attempt to regain Anglian independence upon the death of Coenwulf of Mercia. The king's brother, Ceolwulf, ousts him and restores Mercian control.

825

Upon the defeat of the mighty Mercians at the Battle of Ellandon by Egbert of Wessex, Athelstan begins to re-assert Anglian independence. King Beornwulf of Mercia invades, but is killed in battle.

827

Athelstan secures the kingdom's independence and establishes himself as king after killing Ludecan of Mercia.

827 - 839

Athelstan

839 - 854?

Aethelweard

854? - 855

Beorhtric

855 - 869

Edmund (St)

Descendent of Aethelbert. Killed by Danes 20 Nov.

869

Edmund is violently murdered by the army of Ivarr the Boneless, from the Viking kingdom of Dublin, following his conquest of Northumbria, and a native sub-king is inserted to govern the territory while Guthrum and his Danish army concentrate on subduing Mercia and Wessex. Ivarr returns to York and then invades Alt Clut in 870.

869 - 876

Oswald

Sub-king under Danish rule.

876 - 879

Aethelred

Sub-king under Danish rule.

879

Once the Danelaw is established by the Peace of Wedmore in 878, Guthrum formalises his rule of East Anglia and the sub-kings are no longer required. The Danish kingdom of East Anglia is founded to exist alongside the similarly-formed Scandinavian kingdom of York.

Danish Kingdom of East Anglia

Founded as the southern half of the Danish conquests in England, and much extended from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom to cover a sizeable proportion of the eastern midlands (former Mercia) and all of Essex. Guthrum accepted baptism as part of the Peace of Wedmore, taking the Christian name of Æthelstan with Alfred of Wessex his godfather. The northern half of the conquered territory quickly became the Scandinavian kingdom of York. However, Wessex quickly recovered its strength and, united with the remaining Mercian lands which it now controlled, made swift inroads into East Anglian territory.

(Additional information by Mick Baker.)

879 - 890

Guthrum / Æthelstan

Fought Alfred the Great as leader of the Danish Army.

886

The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum is formalised between East Anglia and Wessex, which defines the boundaries of both kingdoms and makes provision for peaceful relations between the English and the Danes.

890

Having upheld his part of the Peace of Wedmore in withdrawing his troops from the frontier with Wessex and reassuring his subjects that they would be ruled by a Christian king rather than a heathen barbarian by accepting Christianity, Guthrum dies peacefully and is buried at Headleage (probably Hadleigh in Suffolk).

Two sides of a coin issued by Guthrum which imitated Alfred the Great's 'two-line' design

890 - 902

Eric / Eohric

Son. Killed in battle.

902 - 918

Guthrum II

Killed in battle against Edward of Wessex.

914 (916)

Edward the Elder of Wessex receives the submission of the Danish Jarl Thurketel of Bedford. (The Peterborough Chronicle, dealing with local territory, is regarded as more accurate than the ASC (Peterborough dates are in red.)

915 (917)

Edward advances to the Danish-held fortress of Bedford, taking direct control. Although Jarl Thurketel had offered submission in 914 (917), Edward wants to ensure his control is made effective in practice.

916 (917)

Thurketel is allowed by Edward to leave England for the continent.

917 (918)

The Vikings organise a counter-offensive consisting of three separate strikes: a) an army from Northampton, Leicester and the North attacks the new ‘Burh’ at Towcester (from 24 July to 1 August); b) an army from Huntingdon and part of East Anglia under the Danish king, Guthrum II, with Jarl Toglos and his son Jarl Manna, advances to Tempsford, where they construct a new fortress from which they launch an attempt to recover Bedford; and c) an army from East Anglia attempts to seize the new ‘Burh’ of Wigingamere in Essex.

The failure to apply a concentrated force means that the Danes are defeated on all three fronts. They lose a large number of men - particularly at Bedford, where a sortie organised by the besieged English garrison inflicts a severe defeat upon them and puts their army to flight. A local account recalls how the townswomen are instrumental in swaying things their way, when they rush out and attack the Viking force. Later that year (the following year), Edward attacks Tempsford and inflicts a heavy defeat upon the Vikings, killing their king, Guthrum II, together with Jarls Toglos and Manna.

Edward of Wessex becomes overlord of East Anglia, and by default overlord of its dependent territory of Essex and the eastern half of Mercia.