Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

The Iclingas

From circa AD 520, and the beginnings of the East Engle domination of the eastern coast, this band of Angles gradually moved into the East Midlands, alongside other groups who eventually came to be known as the Middil Engle.

c.500

Eomaer

c.520

Icel

Son. Founder of the Iclingas kings in a small Midlands domain.

c.540

Cnebba

c.560

Cynewald

c.580 - 593

Creoda

Son. Same Creoda as the leader of the Lindisware?

593 - 606

Pybba

Son.

c.600 (or 584)

By this time the various Angle and Saxon peoples which migrated westwards have formed settlements and perhaps even minor kingdoms of their own around the Midlands, of which the Iclingas are just one. The Iclingas gradually extend the range of their power by slowly amalgamating these peoples. This includes the North Engle in modern Nottinghamshire, the South Engle in modern Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and the Pecsaetan in the Peak District. It is possible that the latter move into the Peak District as a client unit of the Iclinga kingdom.

The Iclingas eventually become known by the March (border) territory they are conquering, and Mercia evolves into a major Anglo-Saxon kingdom.

Mercia (Myrcna)

From circa AD 600 the Iclingas began absorbing the Saxon and Anglian kingdoms and tribes of the eastern Midlands into their territory, and became known as Mercians, meaning Lords of the March. One definite date given for this transformation is 584, which is when the term Mercian is first used, but it probably occurred over a space of a generation or so.

The early Mercians held the main border between the Britons, and the Saxons and Angles in the emerging Engla-land, and were instrumental in pushing back the borders of British kingdoms such as Cynwidion and Pengwern (which at this time still stretched out to the east of modern Birmingham). Pengwern became a strong ally in the fight against the Bernicians from 613-656.

Mercia's kings liked to spend Christmas at Tamworth, an old and well-established part of their domain where they felt particularly safe. The original Mercian Bishopric was nearby at Lichfield.

606 - 626

Cearl

Son of Creoda. His widow married Edwin of Deira.

c.610 - 630

The Iclingan Mercians help to force the collapse of the British kingdom of Cynwidion.

626 - 654

Penda

Son of Pybba. Ruled until 15 November.

? - 644

Eoba [Eawa]

Death recorded by Annales Cambriae.

628

Penda overruns the Hwicce and makes them a client sub-kingdom. By this time the Mercians also gain control of most of the former Middil Engle territory centred on Leicestershire, taking much of it from the East Engle.

633

Penda, allied to Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd, and High King of the Britons, kills Edwin of Northumbria.

654

Penda defeats the East Engle at Blytheburgh.

654

Along with Aethelhere of the East Engle, Penda is killed by Oswiu of Northumbria at the battle of Winwaed. Penda may have inherited a claim on Elmet from his former British ally, but this defeat marks the final end of any such claim.

654 - 658

Oswiu of Northumbria

Occupied Mercia and crushed Pengwern.

655 - 656

Peada

Son of Pybba. Betrayed by his wife.

658 - 675

Wulfhere

Son of Penda.

675

Wulfhere fights the battle of Bedwyn against Aescwine of the West Seaxe, but he is repelled.

c.658 - c.675

Mercia absorbs the eastern half of the former Pengwern territory and in the east gains dominance over the Lindisware.

670

Mercia is by now recognised as the overlord of the Ciltern Saxons and the Suther-ge.

675 - 685

Berthwald

Brother.

c.680 - 874

Mercia regains dominance over the Lindisware.

674 - 702

Ethelred

Son of Wulfhere. Became a monk in 704. d.716.

686

Mercia loses the Suther-ge to the West Seaxe.

c.700

By this time, Mercia has absorbed the Saxon kingdoms of the Wrocenset and Magonset (occupying the rest of the territory of former British Pengwern) to the west, and are dominant over the Middle Angles to the east.

702 - 709

Coenred (Cenred)

Son of Wulfhere.

709 - 716

Ceolred

Son of Ethelred.

716 - 757

Aethelbald

Son of Alweo. Bretwalda (c.735-757).

c.730

By now Mercia gains control of the Middle Saxons from the East Saxons.

757

Beornraed

Line of Cenwalh.

757 - 796

Offa

Son of Thingfrith, son of Eanulf. Bretwalda (757-796).

772 - 825

The Mercians control Sussex, appointing sub-kings there.

786 - 796

Offa rules Kent directly through the Mercian, Cuthred.

c.790

The Hwicce come to be absorbed directly into Mercia.

793 - 829

Offa conquers East Anglia, and Mercia rules it directly.

796

Ecgfrith (Ecgferth)

Son of Offa. Ruled from July to December.

796 - 821

Coenwulf

Line of Cenwalh. Ruled from December 796.

798 - 807

Mercia again rules Kent directly through Cuthred.

821

Coenwulf dies in Basingwerk, while preparing for another assault on Powys, and is buried in Winchcombe Abbey. His son, Cenelm, is chosen to succeed him, but he is killed, probably fighting the Welsh (although his death is also attributed to the treachery of his jealous sister, Cwenthryth). He is also buried at Winchcombe Abbey and later revered as a saint. The Mercian throne passes to Coenwulf's brother, Ceolwulf. One Athelstan makes a push for the East Anglian throne, but is halted by Ceolwulf.

821 - 823

Ceolwulf I

Brother. Line of Cenwalh.

823 - 825

Beornwulf (Beornulf)

Descendent of Beornraed.

825

Egbert of Wessex defeats the mighty Mercians at the Battle of Ellandon. The Mercians lose the sub-kingdoms of Essex, Sussex and Suthrige, and are allowed to retain Berkshire, with its boundaries being formally set. Athelstan of East Anglia begins to re-assert East Anglian independence. Beornwulf of Mercia invades East Anglia, but is killed in battle. He is succeeded by Ludecan.

825 - 827

Ludecan (Ludeca)

827

Athelstan of East Anglia establishes himself as king there after killing Ludecan.

827 - 829

Wiglaf

Father-in-law of Ceolwulf's daughter.

829 - 830

Wessex overcomes the kingdom and rules it directly. Wiglaf is ousted.

830 - 840

Wiglaf

Restored.

840 - 852

Beorhtwulf (Brihtwulf)

Descendent of Beornwulf.

852 - 874

Burgreda (Burhed)

874

Most of the kingdom is overcome by Halfdan of the Viking Kingdom of Dublin, and submits to the overlordship of Wessex. Even so, much of eastern Mercia is lost to what, in 878, becomes the Danish Kingdom of East Anglia.

874 - 879

Ceolwulf II

Possible descendant of Ceolwulf I.

878

Following the defeat of Guthrum's Vikings at the hands of Alfred of Wessex, the Peace of Wedmore allows a Christian Guthrum to return to East Anglia, where he rules what had been East Anglia, Essex and eastern Mercia.

879

Following Ceolwulf II's death, Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons, shows just how much greater his influence over the Mercians now is when he places his son-in-law on what remains of the throne of Mercia. Although Aethelred holds a king's sway he is known as the 'Lord of Mercia'.

Lords of Mercia

Mercia was effectively downgraded once it had to look to the West Saxons for protection and, despite the hopes of its people, it never regained independence. Aethelred held the titles of Lord of Mercia and Eorlderman of the Hwicce.

879 - 911

Aethelred II

Son-in-law of Alfred the Great of the West Saxons.

883

Alfred of the West Saxons takes London from the Danes and entrusts its safety to Aethelred.

886

By this time Alfred of the West Saxons is apparently acknowledged king of all English not under Danish rule (the latter being exercised from the Danish Kingdom of East Anglia). Aethelred governs the remnants of Mercia in Alfred's name as an earldorman.

911 - 918

Aethelflaed

Wife. Lady of the Mercians. Died 12 June.

918 - 919

Elfwynna / Aelfwynn

Daughter. Lady of the Mercians. Ruled only temporarily.

919

On the death of Aethelflaed, control of Mercia passes to her brother, Edward, king of Wessex, and more junior members of the Wessex royal family are given the task of governing Mercia, including Athelstan in 924.

Athelstan rules Mercia for sixteen days at which point his half-brother, Ælfweard, king of Wessex, dies. Athelstan assumes the Wessex crown in addition to his Mercian title. With the submission of Viking York, Scotland, Strathclyde, English Northumbria (Bamburgh), Dumnonia and the Welsh kingdoms, Athelstan becomes the first king of England.