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East
Seaxe (East Saxons / Essex)
Incorporating the Daenningas, Gegingas, Haeferingas, &
Rodingas
The region of the East Seaxe was settled by
Saxons
from circa AD 500,and it occupied the former (probable)
British territory of
Caer Colun
(previously the Trinovantes
tribe), north and east of London. There was probably already a Saxon
population in the area from the late fourth century; the descendants
of Roman foederati.
Although Æscwine is reputed to have founded the kingdom in AD 527 (Roger
of Wendover, in the 'Flores Historiarum'), the length of his reign (to 587)
is suspiciously long. It seems more likely that, although Æscwine may
have been involved in unifying the East Seaxe, they seem to have been
forged into a kingdom by Eormenric of the
Cantware. He appears to have
ruled the region direct from Kent at a time when Saxon tribes were still
forging west and fighting the Britons. It seems likely that his son,
Ethelbert, continued to rule the East Seaxe - either direct or through
Æscwine - for a time before he married his sister, Ricola, to Æscwine's
son, Sledda, while he governed the rest of the
Angles and
Saxons as
Bretwalda.
The reasons for this apparent division of territory is unclear. Perhaps
the the task of controlling one enlarged kingdom on both sides of the Thames
was too much to contemplate (especially at a time when the first bridge was as
far west as Roman London, and possibly even that was in a poor state of
repair), or perhaps the Saxons had not yet envisaged larger, unified
kingdoms in their newly conquered homeland. The third possibility is that
Ethelbert was acknowledging a de facto division, and managed to
secure some kind of influence and control in the newly independent
kingdom by making sure his sister was installed there, if only as the
king's wife.
Thanks to this arrangement, the East Saxons seem to have maintained their
strong links with Kent for over a century. They controlled the
Middel Seaxe London region
itself from circa 600-730, although the city was mostly abandoned for
a century or so around 600. Heavily wooded country lying along the kingdom's
northern border became a political frontier between the East Seaxe and the
East and
Middil Engle,
and many of the Roman roads through the woods fell into total disuse. Amongst
the East Seaxe peoples themselves could be found the Rodingas, based
on the modern group of Roding villages in Essex (possibly the
Germanic
Rondings of
pre-migration Denmark?);
the Gegingas, positioned immediately to the east of the Rodingas on the other
side of the Roman road; the Daenningas, between Colchester and the coast at
Bradwell; plus the Haeferingas.
It seems likely that there was not always one ruler of the East Saxons, and
power and territory were sometimes shared or divided (as based on the Kentish
model), although the kings were of a common dynasty. Because of this, reignal
dates often overlap. It is probable that the lesser ruler governed the Middel
Seaxe as a sub-king.
(Additional information from The Oxford History of England: The English
Settlements, J N L Meyers, from The Oxford History of England:
Anglo-Saxon England, Sir Frank Stenton, from A History of the
English Church and People, The Venerable Bede (Leo Sherley-Price
translation - revised by R E Latham), and from External Link:
Southend burial site 'UK's answer to Tutankhamun' (BBC News).) |
c.500 |
Saxons
move into the
British
territory on the north bank of the Thames Estuary. They find that the
Saxon descendants of Roman laeti have already been settled there
for well over a century.
The local British administration based at the important
sub-Roman
town of
Caer Colun
(Roman Camulodunum, modern Colchester), seems in some way to have been
subduing or holding off the new settlers, as shown by the lack of
Anglo-Saxon relics in the area from this date, and this surviving pocket
of British power may last well into the mid-500s. Very little fighting
seems to take place in the territory, suggesting some kind of peaceful
arrangement is reached, at least initially. An alternative option to an
'arrangement' is the theory that a Romano-British count of the Saxon Shore
forts is using Camulodunum as his forward base. Such a base would certainly
require a good regional defence which would deter casual Saxon settlers. |
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c.540 - c.550 |
The Cantware appear to be the ones
to lead the 'fight' against the
British,
perhaps as part of a new wave of more aggressive territorial expansion.
Once the defenders have capitulated, it is probably Eormenric who
forges a kingdom of the East Seaxe. In fact, it is quite possible that he is
acclaimed king of the East Seaxe while they are still fighting the Britons
of Caer Colun.
By this stage the invaders almost certainly control a large swathe of the coast
area, marshy though much of it may be away from the Thames Estuary section. |
540 - 560 |
Eormenric |
King of the
Cantware. |
560 - c.580 |
Ethelbert I (Saint) |
Son. King of the
Cantware. Probable ruler of the East Seaxe. |
c.560? - 587? |
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Æscwine / Erkenwine / Eorcenwine |
Reputed founder of the kingdom. |
c.560? |
Æscwine's name has
Jutish
origins, so it appears he may not even have been
an East Seaxe himself. Instead, it is possible he is of the
Cantware and is now
placed in a position of authority in the territory by Eormenric or
Æthelbert. |
c.580 |
Æthelbert of the
Cantware marries his sister, Ricola,
to the East Seaxe Prince Sledd. He claims descent from Gesecg Seaxneting, a
name not linked to other
English genealogies. 'Seaxneting' contains an English form of Saxnot,
the name of a god still worshipped by the Continental
Saxons
in the eighth century. The East Saxons may be of a strain that originates
from farther south than the mainstream immigrants into
Britain, who for
the most part appear to link themselves to Woden, a 'god' who may have been
a king of the
Angles.
The Cantware still claim overlordship of the East Seaxe at this time. |
587? - c.600 |
Sledd / Sledda |
Son. m Ricola/Ricula,
Cantware princess. |
c.580 |
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Ricula / Ricola |
Daughter of Eormenric of the
Cantware (born 569?). |
c.600 - 616 |
Sæberht |
Son of
Sledda & Ricola. Baptised. |
c.600 |
By this time the East Seaxe control the
Middel Seaxe who are situated
in the countryside around old Londinium. They also appear to dominate the
southern region of the Middel Seaxe, the
Suth-ge. Around 604 Sæberht
is the first East Seaxe king to be baptised (by Mellitus, first bishop of
London, consecrated by Augustine of
Canterbury himself), but
upon his death the kingdom reverts to paganism. |
c.605 |
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Seaxa |
Brother. Baptised. |
c.575 - 605 |
Seaxa is probably the occupier of the Prittlewell tomb 'by the Prittle
stream' on the inside of a corner formed by the A1159, near Southend in
Essex (resulting in the modern nickname 'The Prince of Prittlewell'). A
vastly important tomb, filled with expensive grave goods not only from
England but including
various articles imported from the Continent, it clearly points to the
burial of an early Christian king (or a pagan king buried by Christians,
although this is less likely). No trace other than a few teeth remain of the
body itself, but the clearly Christian items within the wooden coffin and
carbon dating which places the tomb a little early for Sæberht means that
the best candidate for a princely burial is Seaxa.
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The 'Prince of Prittlewell' was laid to rest between about
575-605 according to carbon dating, which makes it about a
decade too early for the occupant to be Sæberht - instead the
best guess by the archaeological team that spent fifteen years
unearthing its treasures was that it was the king's brother,
Seaxa
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The fact that the Christian items are placed out of sight in the
coffin, while the impressive grave goods are on display in the tomb itself,
where they remain on show for a time (effectively a lying in state so that
the dead king's subjects can pay their respects), suggests that this
Christian king is buried by pagan kinsmen who perhaps respect his choice of
beliefs but refuse to openly display them. Possibly, Mellitus is present
when the king's body is laid to rest in the tomb, placing two
Byzantine crosses on his closed eyes. |
616 - c.623 |
Sexred |
Son
of Sæberht. Killed in battle against the
West Seaxe. |
616 - c.623 |
Sexred shares power with his two brothers. It is possible that they rule by
committee, but it is equally possible that they each hold one of the three
seats of power in the kingdom, and perhaps in order of seniority, these
being East Seaxe, Middel Seaxe, and
Suth-rig.
The
three rulers take an equal share in making decisions regarding the kingdom,
jointly agreeing to expel Mellitus, and his Gregorian missionaries and
inadvertently ensuring that Canterbury remains the centre of Christianity in
England. They also reject Kentish overlordship. Eadbald, the new king of the Cantware, is not able to
enforce his claim. |
616 - c.623 |
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Sæweard |
Brother. Killed in battle against the
West Seaxe. |
616 - c.623 |
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Seaxbald |
Possible brother.
Killed in battle against the West Seaxe. |
c.623 |
All three kings are killed in battle against the
West Seaxe. It has been realistically conjectured that the dispute
concerns the control of Suth-rig.
As this would have constituted a direct threat to at least one of the kings,
all of them would have been involved in its defence. |
c.623 - 653? |
Sigeberht I Parvus (the Small) |
Probable son of Sæward. |
before 653 - 660 |
Sigeberht II Sanctus (the Holy) |
Possible son of Sæward,
but no written evidence remains. |
c.653 |
A friend of Oswiu of
Bernicia,
Sigeberht is persuaded by him to restore Christianity from Canterbury
in the kingdom. He is murdered by two brothers, possibly Swithelm and
Swithfrith, because, according to Bede, 'he was too ready to pardon his
enemies. |
c.660 - c.664 |
Swithelm |
Son of Seaxbald. |
c.660 - ? |
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Swithfrith |
Possible brother. Bede implies he died before Swithelm. |
c.664 |
A great plague hits the country, and Swithelm is one of its better known
victims, along with Cadwaladr of Gwynedd. |
c.664 - c.689? |
Sighere |
Son of Sigberht I. Ruled
Kent (687-688). |
c.664? - c.689? |
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Sæbbi |
Son of Saeward. Probable sub-king of the
Middel Seaxe to 689. |
c.664 - c.683 |
Following the great plague, Barbara Yorke ('Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England') suggests
that conflict between Sigehere and Sæbbi '. . . provided opportunities for
foreign intervention and the rival candidates appear to have looked to
different outside kingdoms for support. Sigehere may have thrown in his lot
with Cædwalla of West Seaxe. A charter of
Cædwalla, which Sigehere appears to have witnessed, refers to Sigehere's
conquest of Kent. As any such conquest would
have occurred at about the same time that Cædwalla's brother Mul became
ruler of Kent it is possible that the two men worked together and briefly
ruled Kent between them. Sæbbi, on the other hand, seems to have sided with
the Mercian kings, and may have done
so as early as 664. After Cædwalla's abdication in 668 Mercian support
ensured the supremacy of Sæbbi's family.' |
c.689? - 694 |
Sæbbi |
Former sub-king. |
c.689? - 694 |
Upon the death of Sighere,
Sæbbi becomes overall king of the East Saxons. This may occur in 688,
explaining why Sighere's direct rule of Kent ends.
Sæbbi's son, Swæfheard (Suaebhard or Waebheard in Kentish records),
is placed in West Kent
as a sub-king, and governs the kingdom up to 694 at the latest, by which
time he is expelled by the Cantware themselves.
Sæbbi's second son, Sigeheard, appears to become a sub-king in the East
Saxon kingdom (probably ruling the Middle
Saxons), and attests a charter with the title of king in 690. He appears
to retain the sub-kingdom upon the death of his father, with his younger
brother, Swæfred, gaining the East Saxon throne. Between about 700-709 the
brothers rule their domains without reference to each other, suggesting a
degree of alienation. |
694 - 709 |
Sigeheard |
Son. King of the Middle Saxons. |
before 693 - 709 |
Swæfred |
Brother. King of the East Saxons. |
after 694 - 709 |
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Offa |
Son of Sighere.
A lesser heir although still possessing power. |
694 - 709 |
Although Offa signs some charters with the title of king he should probably
be seen as a sub-king. He grants land in Hemel Hempstead as king and also
gives land as sub-king in the kingdom of the
Hwicce. He abdicates (or is perhaps deposed) in 709 and journeys
to Rome in the company of Coenred of
Mercia, who may also have been deposed. He is the last East Saxon king
to be mentioned by Bede. His name is only one of three which doesn't begin
with an 's', and his pedigree is preserved in a West Saxon manuscript.
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This Anglo-Saxon silver sceat dates to about AD 700
and was found in East Hertfordshire in England, territory on the
border between the East Saxon kingdom and Mercia
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c.689? - 709 |
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Oethelred |
Kinsman of Sæbbi.
Witnesses charters along with Offa. |
c.709 - 746 |
Saelred |
Son of Sigeberht. Slain. |
c.709 - 738 |
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Swæfberht |
Of unknown parentage. |
c.730 |
The East Saxons appear to lose control of the
Middle Saxons to
Mercia. |
746 - 759 |
Swithred |
Son of Sigemund. Grandson of Sigeheard. |
759 - 798 |
Sigeric / Siric |
Son of Swæfberht. Abdicated and went to
Rome. |
798 - 829 |
Sigered I |
Son. |
c.812 |
Sigered
is reduced in rank by his Mercian
overlords from king to dux (effectively a sub-king). |
825 |
Ecgberht of
Wessex defeats the
mighty Mercians
at the Battle of Ellandon. The sub-kingdoms of
Sussex and
Surrey submit
to him and become dependencies, ruled by his son Æthulwulf as king
of Kent. London is
swiftly seized by Ecgberht and Essex remains a dependency, albeit
with its own sub-king. |
829 |
Ecgberht deposes Sigered. |
829 - 855/860? |
Sigered II |
Possible son. |
829 - 855/860? |
Sigered II
appears as 'minister' of King Wiglaf of
Mercia
between 829 and 837. His 'reign' marks the end of an independent Essex
as Mercia appears to regain temporary control over the kingdom before Wessex
integrates it totally into its own territory. Essex is governed from
Kent by the king's son. |
878 - 918 |
Ceded
by Wessex under the Peace of
Wedmore to the Danelaw,Essex falls under the control of the
Danish Kingdom
of East Anglia. |
902 - 903 |
Æthelwald the rebel son of Æthelred I of
Wessex returns, arriving on
the Essex coast with
Danish
support, either from York or from
Denmark
itself. He ravages west as far as
Mercia.
Alternatively called 'prince', 'elected king', 'King of the Danes', and even
'King of the Pagans', in 903 (sometimes shown as 902) he is brought to battle
against Edward in a major confrontation somewhere in Cambridgeshire. Many fall
on either side, including Eohric, king of the Danelaw and Æthelwald himself.
However, Edward has to give the Danes silver to buy peace (and to buy time),
while his own battered forces recover. |
912 - 913 |
Edward the Elder, king of
Wessex, establishes two burhs
in the borderland between Anglo-Saxon London and the Danish kingdom of
East Anglia
in 912 and 913 as part of the ongoing campaign to reconquer the east. These
burhs form the earliest basis for the later county of Hertfordshire, which
is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1011. |
914 (916) |
Edward the Elder of Wessex receives
the submission of the
Danish Jarl Thurketel of
Bedford, close to Essex territory. (The Peterborough Chronicle, which deals with local
events in local territory, is
regarded as more accurate than the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Peterborough dates are
shown 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. |
917 (918) |
The
Danes
of
East Anglia 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.
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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.
Lindsey, if it had been part of the Danelaw, is possibly taken by
York. |
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