THE EARLY HISTORY OF BRITAIN
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Paleolithic man. 200,000 to 50,000 B.C.
post Ice Age Neolithic man. 10,000 to 1000 B.C.
First Celtic (Bronze Age) 1000 B.C. to 500 B.C.
Second Celtic ( Iron Age) 500 B.C. to 43 A.D.
Roman Empire 43 A.D. to 407 A.D.
Dark Ages Heptarchic period. 407 A. D. to 800 A.D.
Egbert 802-839 First of continuous rulers
Ethelwolf 839-858 Son of Egbert
Ethelbald 858-860 Son of Ethelwolf. First king to be called King of
Britain
Ethelbert 860-866 Son of Ethelbald and brother to Ethelbald
Ethelred I 871-890 Son of Ethelwolf and brother to Ethelbert
Alfred 871-900 Son of Ethelwolf and brother to Ethelred I
Known as "Alfred
the Great"
Edward I 900-924 Son of Alfred the Great,
known as "Edward the Elder"
Athelstan 924-960 Son of Edward the Elder
Edmond I 940-946 Son of Edward the Elder and brother to Athelstan
Edred 946-955
Son of Edward the Elder -Brother to Edmond I
Edwig 955-959
Son of Edmond I and nephew to Edred
Edger
957-975 Son of Edmond I and brother to Edwig
Edward II 975-978 Son of Edger
known as "Edward the Martyr "
Ethelred II 978-1016 Son of Edger and brother to Edward the Martyr
known as "Ethelred the Unready"
Edmond II 1016 Son of Ethelred II
known as "Edmond Ironsides"
Canute 1016-1035 Danish king King of England through conquest
marred to Emma widow of Ethelred II
Harold I 1035-1040 Son of Canute
Harthacnut 1040-1043 Son of Canute and brother to Harold I
Edward III 1042-106 Son of Ethelred II and Emma of Normandy
known as "Edward the Confessor"
Harold 1066 King by
election when Edward III dies without issue.
Harold son of Godson most powerful noble in the
land and son-in-law to Canute
William I 1066-1087 King by conquest. Duke of Normandy
Known as "William the Conqueror
William II 1087-1100 Son of William the Conqueror
Henry I 1100-1135 Son of William the conqueror and brother to
William II
Stephen 1135-1154 King by
election. Son of Adela, daughter of William I
Henry II
1154-1189 Son of Matilda grandson of William the Conqueror
Richard I 1189-1199 Son of Henry II Known as
"Richard the Lionhearted"
John 1199-1216 Son of Henry II and brother to Richard I
Henry III 1216-1272 Son of John
Edward I 1272-1307 Son of Henry III
Edward II 1307-1327 Son of Edward I. Murdered by wife, Isabella
Edward III 1327-1377 Son of Edward II
Richard II 1377-1399 Son of Edward III.
Eldest son, Edward the black
Prince killed in battle in France. .
Henry IV 1399-1413 King by election
when Richard deposed by nobles.
Henry is Duke of Lancaster son of John of Gaunt
Henry V 1413-1422 Son of Henry IV
Henry VI 1422-1461 Son of Henry IV. Henry (House of Lancaster) opposed
by Edward (House of York.) War of the roses 1470-1471
Edward IV 1461-1470 King by conquest in the war of the roses.
Royal
lineage as great grandson on Edward I.
Richard III 1483-1485 King by election.
Brother to Edward IV.
Henry VII 1485-1509 King by conquest.
Scandals around Richard
lead to Henry, defeating Richard at Bosworth in 1485
Henry VIII 1509-1547 Son of Henry VII.
King when eldest son of Henry VII,
Arthur , precedes father in death.
Edward VI 1547-1553 Son of Henry VIII
Mary I 1553-1558 Daughter of Henry VIII.
First Queen of England.
Known as Bloody Mary.
Elizabeth I 1558-1603 Daughter of Henry VIII
, sister to Mary.
Non Catholic Queen
James I 1603-1625 King by election.
Elizabeth I dies without issue.
James is King of Scotland and son of Mary, Queen of Scots,
and his grandmother, Margaret is sister to Henry VIII
Charles I 1625-1649 Son of James I.
Charles I is Catholic which leads to
great unrest. Civil war starts in 1642. In 1649 he is tried and
executed by the Commonwealth Government
Commonwealth 1649-1660 The civil war between 1642 and 1649 leads to the
deposing of Charles I and the establishment of the
Commonwealth lead by Oliver Cromwell
Charles II 1660-1685 King by election when the commonwealth does not
fulfill the demands of the people nor the nobles
James II 1685-1688 Son of Charles I , brother to Charles II.
Converts to
Catholicism in 1660. In 1686 proposes to return Catholicism
to England, causing great outcry. Flees to France in 1688.
William and
Mary 1689-1702 When James II flees to France the nobles and
parliament invite William of Orange (Holland)
and his wife Mary to assume joint rule.
Mary dies in 1694 and William rules until 1702
Anne 1702-1714 Daughter of James II and sister to Mary.
George I 1714-1727 King by election.
When Anne dies without issue
dispute over succession arises. 1701 act prohibits a Catholic
James Frances Edward, The Old Pretender, son
of James II and brother to Anne is Catholic and is
bypassed . George of Hanover is Elected.
George is son of Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth,
daughter of James I.
George II 1727-1760 Son of George I.
Fought and defeated Charles
Edward (Bonny Prince Charlie) son of James Frances Edward the
Old Pretender, to end Catholic line.
George III 1760-1820 Grandson to George II.
His father Frederick Louis
Prince of Wales, dies in 1751 leaving George heir
George III looses the war with the United Stated
George IV 1820-1830 Son of George III
William IV 1830-1837 Son of George III and brother to George IV
Victoria 1837-1901 Daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, son of George III
Victoria becomes Queen when William dies without issue
Edward VII 1901-1910 Son of Victoria
George V 1910-1936 Son of Edward VII,
eldest son of Edward VII, Albert,
dies in 1892
Edward VIII 1936 Son of George V.
Abdicated throne in 1936 when
parliament denies permission the marry a divorced
woman, Wallis Simpson
George VI 1936-1952 King when brother, Edward VIII, abdicated throne.
Second Son of George V
Elizabeth II 1952- Daughter of George VI
HISTORY Of BRITAIN
PRE ROMAN EMPIRE
The oldest evidence of human occupation of the island comes from
archaeological findings at Swanscombe where pre- Ice Age man, (Paleolithic
man), left evidence of his existence. Carbon dating from this site is
dated 200,000 years ago. Found at this site were spearheads, flints,
scrapers and other stone implements. These "Old Stone Age" men
were of a "Long headed" race. This is from the fact that their
skulls measure almost twice as long front to back as from ear to ear. This
is characteristic of Neanderthal Man. The
most notable thing about these people is their great skill in drawing.
Many of the artifacts recovered have carvings of the animals that they
hunted or at least lived among. Found are engraved drawings of fish, seal,
an ox, an ibex, the cave bear, reindeer, and the mammoth or woolly
elephant. With the arrival of the Ice Age Paleolithic man was forced to
move South. He was forced to abandon the island to the great sheet of ice
that covered the land except for the very southern end.
Following the end of the Ice Age, which ended around 10,000 years ago, the migration of continental peoples back to the island began. The ice retreated and the people moved into the new land. The new people were advanced technologically beyond those before the Ice Age. They were of a different race and are of the "Round Headed" type; that is their skull measures almost the same front to back and ear to ear. This is Neolithic or "New Stone Age" man that inhabited the island for almost 9000 years. He had advanced beyond the stone age and had learned to weave cloth, build houses, and breed cattle. The origin of these people is unknown, but they go by the names Turanians, Iberians, and Silurians by different investigators to connect them with known races. What is known is that they were of a non-Aryan race. The best known fact about these people is that they built Stonehenge. This gives an insight to the fact that they were not just savages but an advanced society , for the time, capable of communal effort and organization.
Around the year 1000 B.C. the island and its Neolithic population were
confronted with the migration of Bronze Age people from the North of
Germany. These people were of the Aryan or Alpine race. This is the race
of people that migrated from the East to dominate all of Europe and is the
foundation for all present day Europeans except the Hungarians and Finns.
The invasion or rather the infiltration was spread over many centuries and
it is only when twenty or thirty generations have passed that any notable
change can be discerned. These Bronze Age people were the first of two
migrations of the tribes known as "the Celts."
The Celts having mastered the art of Bronze making had superior
weapons and therefore dominated the stone age Neolithic residents. The
fact to remember is that though the Celts dominated the land they did not
annihilate the populace. There was over a long period a melding of the two
races into one. These Celtic people are the Gaelic Celts and are the
ancestors to the modern Scots and Irish. They spoke a dialect of Gaelic or
Erse. The people lived either in isolated farms or in villages situated
for the most part on the gravel river banks. Each settlement was
surrounded by small fields tilled either with a foot plow or at best with
a light ox drawn plow which scratched the soil without turning the sod.
The dead were burnt and their ashes were preserved in urns and buried in
regular cemeteries. They made rude pottery and used flint for such things
as arrow heads . There existed an itinerant bronze foundry able to make
swords, spears, axes and carpenter tools . Their life was simple and
undeveloped though there was a distinction between rich and poor.
Around the year 500 B.C. the second migration of Celts occurred. This
group came from the North of France in modern day Belgium and Holland.
They go by the names Cymric, Brythons, and Belgrae. The term Brythons has
held sway as the most accepted and is the source of the name of the
island, Britannia. This is the name that was known to the Romans at the
time of their conquest in 55 B.C. These Celts were of the Iron Age and
more advanced socially compared to their cousins the Bronze Age Gaelic
Celts. Their arrival drove the Gaelic Celts North into present day
Scotland and West into present day Wales leaving the southern end to the
Brythons. This as with the other invasions took place over an extended
period of time. The changes to the lifestyle was minor with the major
change being the building of hilltop forts. Around 100 B.C. the most
advanced of the new people arrived. They were people of chariots and
horsemen. They built new towns in the valleys . They introduced for the
first time coinage of silver and copper. They established a tribal
aristocracy, the first in Britain. In the East they built Wheathamspstead,
Verulam (St. Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester); in the South Calleva (Silchester)
and Venta Belgarum (Winchester).
The first written description of inhabitants of the island is from Julius Ceaser about the Brythons of southern England whom he encountered in 55 B. C. He was not an unbiased observer, but he wrote the following: "The interior of Britannia is inhabited by people who claim to be aboriginal; the coast by Belgic immigrants who came to plunder and make war-nearly all of them retaining the names of the tribes from which they originated- and later settled down to till the soil. The population is excessively large, the ground thickly studded with homesteads, closely resembling those of the Gauls and the cattle very numerous. For money they use either bronze or gold coins or iron ingots of fixed weights. Tin is found inland, and small quantities of iron near the coast; copper must be imported. There is timber of every kind, as in Gaul. Hares, fowl, and geese they think it unlawful to eat, but rear them for pleasure and amusement. By far the most civilized inhabitants are those living in Kent, whose way of life differs little from that of the Gauls. Most of the tribes in the interior do not grow corn but live on milk and meat, and wear skins. All Brythons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue color, and gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle. They wear their hair long and shave the whole of their bodies except the head and upper lip. Wives are shared between groups of ten or twelve men, especially between brothers and between fathers and sons; But the offspring of these unions are counted as the children of the man with whom a particular woman cohabited first."
The traditions of the Celts did not contain the conception of King. They
were a tribal society and each tribe had a leader, usually the most
successful at war. Battles between the tribes in the South produced a
dominate leader and his name was Cassivellaunas. This is of course the
Latin name he has carried through history, his Saxon name was some
precursor of this. When Julius Caesar came to the island the first time,
this is the leader with which he fought. He was the leader of
the tribe of Catuvellauni who occupied the area around modern day Bedfordshire
and Oxfordshire in middle England.
In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar (he was the proconsul of Gaul -modern France),
had conquered all the land to the English Cannel. From the people of
northern Gaul he obtained information of the island and the people that
lay across the water. Their stories told of a land with great wealth.
Moreover Britannia, as the island was known, was the prime center of the
Druidical religion which in various forms influenced the life of both Gaul
and Germany. This lead Caesar to believe the conquering of the land would
afford him great renown. This had great appeal to him, being an ambitious
man, for he had his sights on becoming the Emperor of Rome. He gathered a
legion of about 8000 men and 80 ships to transport them. He sailed for the
island on August 26, 55 B.C. The native Brythons were on the cliffs
watching the arrival of the fleet. When Caesar landed, the Brythons
defended them selves in accord with their established fighting methods.
The force would move into position on horse back, unmount and form a wall
of men with battle axes and shields. They would then advance is unison to
engage the foe. In back of the advancing wall would be archers who
would shoot over the wall into the ranks of the enemy. If the initial
thrust was not completely successful, they would retreat in a manner that
would appear to be a complete surrender. This was done hoping to lure the
enemy into chasing after them too fast and fall into the trap.
Caesar did manage to land his troops and did make some progress into the
inland but not too far. The Brythons defended themselves very well.
After
only two days in the island Caesar retreated to his ships and returned to
Gaul. Even in his own writings he did not consider the landing a success.
The one most important piece of information he learned was that the island
was indeed rich in crops and could support an army during an invasion.
The
reason, he thought, for the unsuccessful campaign was that his legion was
too small. So he set out to put together a larger army. The following year
he initiated a second invasion with five legions (12,000 men) and 800
ships. This invasion included cavalry to match the Brythons.
The Brythons were overawed at the sight of this armada.
They had never
seen such a force and withdrew inland and did not encounter the Romans at
the shore. Their strategy this time was to engage the Romans in the woods
and swamps of the inland where their strength lay. After a twelve day
delay, while Caesar repaired ships damaged in a storm, he marched inland
to start the conquest. After easily destroying the forest stockades that
the British had built he crossed the Thames near Brantford. He then began
his march up the Thames. Cassivellaunus, the British leader, understood
that the invaders were much stronger and that outright confrontation would
be disastrous. He then used his mobile forces to stay just out of the
reach of the Romans and avoid battle. He followed the
Romans on their march up the Thames keeping distance between them. Nonetheless
Caesar captured a stronghold of the British and the tribes
began to make terms for themselves. At this juncture, Cassivellaunus
negotiated a treaty. The terms included a surrender of hostages, a promise
of tribute and submission. In return Caesar was to quit the island and
return to Gaul. This Caesar did the following day. This time he claimed
complete victory and later leads the captive Brythons through the streets
of Rome in a parade of triumph.
In spite of Caesar's claim of complete victory there was to pass 97 years
before another Roman was to step foot in Britain. The wisdom of
Cassivellaunus was to pay off. During this time the islanders remained
unmolested. The Brython cities developed a life of their own and the
warrior tribes enjoyed their feuds. There existed the comforting illusion
that no one was likely to attack them again. Their contacts with the
mainland and the civilization of the Roman Empire grew and trade
flourished in a wide range of commodities. Roman traders established
themselves in many cities of the South and carried back to Rome tales of
the wealth and possibilities of Britannia, if only a stable government was
set up.
In 41 A.D. Claudius became Emperor and the advantages of conquering the
recalcitrant island were paraded before the new monarch. He gave the order
that this dramatic and possibly lucrative enterprise should proceed.
In 43
A.D. 20,000 men were prepared for the subjugation of Britain.
In about 20 AD, the over lordship of the Brythons had passed to Conobelinus, successor to
Cassivellaunus, with his capitol at Colchester. Conobelinus is the
Cymbeline of Shakespeare fame. In his old age dissensions had sprung up
and was impairing his rule. Upon his death in 40 AD, he was succeeded by his two
sons Caractacus and Togodumnus. Their rule was not everywhere recognized
and during this period of disarray Plautius and the Roman Legions arrived.
The Brythons relied on the tactics of Cassivellaunus, to move about and
not engage the Romans. They felt that this would lead to the same results
as before, Pay tribute and the Romans will go home and leave them alone.
Therefore, Plautius had more trouble finding the Brythons than fighting
them. When he did find them victory was sure. First he defeated Caractacus
and then his brother in battles in East Kent. Plautius then marched up the
same path that Caesar had marched. Coming upon the river Medway, the
Brythons thought the Romans could not cross the river, and built their
camp on the other side. Plautius sent a detachment of Germans that were
accustomed to swimming with heavy armor and surprised the Brythons.
They captured
their horses, precluding retreat or attack. The main legion then crossed
the river and captured the majority of Brythons. With this victory a
stronghold of the Roman Legion was established on British soil and thus
began a 350 year domination of the island.
This is the beginning of the
Roman Empire in England.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
43 A. D. to 407 A. D.
With the battle at river Medway the Romans had established themselves as
permanent occupants of the island but the battles continued. Caractacus
fled West to the province of Wales. There he united the tribes and
maintained an indomitable resistance to the Romans for six years. In 50
A.D. he was finally defeated by the Roman general Ostorius who subdued the
West up to the Severn River. Caractacus fled North to the tribe of
Brigantes located at present day Chester. The Queen of the
Brigantes,
Cartimandua, handed him over to the Romans fearing retribution for
opposing the advancing army. Caractacus was taken prisoner and he and his family were taken to Rome
and paraded through the streets as a sample of Roman victory in Britain. When he was before Claudius he gave a memorable speech which impressed all
who heard:,
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Hengst and Horsa arrive. Start of Saxon period
473 Aesc king of Kent after death of Hengst
Aesc is the only Saxon name used in the Arthur legend
Octha rules 516
Eormenric possible grandson of Aesc
565 Ethelbert King. Married to Bertha daughter of Charibert King of the
Franks and she is Christian. Ethelbert is the son of Eormenric
568 Ethelbert defeated by Ceawlin of West Saxon but still King.
597 St. Augustine arrives
604 Ethelbert builds church in Londonia dedicated to St. Paul
605 St. Augustine dies in Rome.
616 Ethelbert dies and Kent goes into decline
640 Eadbald dies insane
640-664 Eorcenbert first Christian king rules, disorder in
the land
Married to Seaxburh, daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia.
Power center moves to The Kingdom of East Anglia
THE KINGDOM OF EAST ANGLIA
Ricula the sister of Ethelbert, King of Kent, married a nobleman of
East Anglia and her son, Saberct, rose to be the King of East Anglia in
604. Saberct was succeed by Redwald who could be the son of Saberct but
this is not known. Redwald expanded his influence over a wide area which
covered the lands from the Dee in the North to the Humber in the South.
Thus the influence of Redwald was second only to Ethelbert in Kent. During
the rein of Redwald the power of East Anglia was at its greatest. Upon the
death of Ethelbert in Kent, Redwald is recorded as the next Bretwalda.
It is
strongly felt that the historic relics found at Sutton Soo and housed
today at the British Museum in London are those of Redwald. Redwald aided
and backed the efforts of Edwin of Northumbria to ascend to that throne.
Anglia never was a dominate Kingdom but played a part in the unfolding
history of the kingdom of Kent to the south and Mercia to the West in
minor roles. Anglia played a major part in the history of Northumbria to
the North. The history and power now flows to Northumbria.
The Kingdom of Northumbria
The Kingdom of Northumbria is made up of two sub-kingdoms, those of
Bernicia and Deira. The history is one of ebb and flow of the power
struggle between these two areas and the unification of them. In 547 to
560 Ida was king of Bernicia and Aelle is King of Deira. In 560 upon the
death of Ida , Aelle assumes throne of both kingdoms. When Aelle dies in 588
a struggle ensues and the son of Ida, Ethelric, claims the throne of both
lands. Ethelric sends the son of Aelle, Edwin, into exile lest he be
killed. Refuge is taken in the palace of Redwald of East Anglia. In 593
Ethelric dies and the throne is assumed by his son Ethelfrid. Owing to the
fact that Redwald has given refuge to Edwin, hereditary heir to the throne
equal to Ethelfrid, there is constant fighting between Northumbria and
East Anglia. In 617 Ethelfrid is killed in battle with Redwald who is also
killed in same battle. With this event the throne is assumed by Edwin.
With the death of Redwald and the assumption of the throne of Northumbria
by Edwin the power of Northumbria is supreme over all six English
kingdoms. Edwin becomes the third Britwalda. Edwin is married to Ethelburga the daughter of Ethelbert, King
of Kent. The only Kingdom not directly under his rule was Kent.
Under
Edwin's rule there existed a peace not known since the arrival of the
Germanic peoples 200 years before. It is said " that a woman could
walk with her new born babe throughout the Island from sea to sea without
receiving any harm." The King took such care for the good of his nation
that in several places where he had seen clear springs near the highways
he caused stakes to be fixed with proper drinking vessels hanging on them
for the refreshment of travelers, and no man did touch them for any
other purpose than that for which they were designed , either for the
great fear they had of the King or for the affection which they bore him.
Edwin was killed in battle with Penda King of Mercia. More of
Penda and Mercia will follow later.
In 625, during the rein of Edwin, Christianity was brought to the kingdom.
The wife of Edwin, Ethelburga, was a Christian and in her train from
Canterbury to the court in York she brought the first Roman missionary to
northern England. The leader of the Christian missionary was Paulinus a
member of the group that arrived with St., Augustine in 596. With the
conversion of the kingdom to Christianity coupled with the rise in power
and dominion over its neighbors leads to great conflict with Mercia and
its heathen king Penda. This lead to ongoing battles between the two
Kings. The heathen Penda joined forces with an odd ally, the British king
Cadwallon. This alliance between the Saxon heathen and the Celtic
Christian created a formidable army against the Northumbrian Christians.
It is during the ensuing battle that Edwin is slain.
In 634 with the death of Edwin , Oswald the son of Ethelfrid the
arch enemy of Edwin, assumes the throne. He finds himself head of a newly
Christianized nation but he is from the Northern kingdom of Bernicia which
had not embraced the faith as heartily as the Southern kingdom of Deria, and this leads to a split between the leaders
and the people. Also he is faced by hostile aggression from the heathen
Mercians. Following the battle in which Edwin was killed there was a split
between Penda and his odd comrade the British King Cadwallon . Oswald and
Cadwallon fought a battle in 634 along the Roman Wall wherein
the British forces were thoroughly defeated and Cadwallon the last of the
great British war leaders is killed. This is the last battle
between the British and Saxon peoples bringing to an end over 250 years of
conflict.
The destruction of Cadwallon and the clearance from Northumbria of the
Western Britons, whose atrocities had united all the Saxon forces in the
North, was a prelude to the struggle with King Penda. The Mercian king
Penda is a true heathen. He has not given up the pagan ways of old, and
detests the Christian way and any people who are Christian. This Leads to
many battles between Mercia and her neighbors.
In 642, in a battle
with Penda, King Oswald was killed. The record of the day says that Penda
decapitated and dismembered the King and scattered his pieces to the wind.
With the death of Oswald his brother, Oswy, assumed the throne of Bernicia
and Oswin, a descendent of ancient Aelle, ascended to the throne of Deria
thereby splitting the Northumbria kingdom into the two separate
subkingdoms. The ensuing struggle between the two kings was unavoidable
and in 651 Oswy defeats and kills Oswin in battle. There being no heirs in
the line of Aelle, the throne of Deria is taken by Ethelwald the son of
Oswald and Nephew of King Oswy. This made Oswy the dominate king of the
kingdom. The only enemy then existing was the heathen kingdom of Mercia.
In 659 King Oswy kills King Penda in battle thus bringing to close the
bloody life of one of the cruelest kings in English history. King Oswy
ruled over the mightiest Kingdom in the Island for the rest of his life
and dies a natural death in 671. Upon the death of Oswy he is succeeded by
his son Egfrid.
With the killing of Mercia king Penda the dominance of Northumbria over
its Southern rival takes on a mood of cruelness for previous Mercian
atrocities . One action to show total dominance is the marriage of Penda's
daughter Cyneburga to King Egfrid.
The primacy of Northumbria was menaced and finally ended by the inherent
geographical and physical weakness of its position. It was vulnerable from
every quarter; from the North by the Picts, on the West by the British
kingdom of Strathclyde, in the south by Mercia, whose jealous Midlands
still smarting from the suppression of Penda and the punishments inflicted
upon his adherents. These antagonisms were too much for Northumbria to
bear, and although great efforts were made, its collapse as the leading
kingdom was inevitable. King Egfrid died in battle in 685 fighting the
Scots at Forfar. History will record that with the defeat of Egfrid by the
Scots the decline of Northumbria begins. He was succeeded by Aldfrid who
was his son or nephew which is not know for sure. While Aldfrid ruled as
King of Northumbria there was returned to a sub-throne in Deria Alchfrid
who was a son of Oswy. This shows that the kingdom is declining into a
period of unrest and can not be ruled by one King. Fighting between the
people and the Picts of the North is a constant fact of life and its toll
is great on both life and moral. At this point in history the dominance of
Northumbria is still the greatest in the Island but has deteriorated to
the point where other kingdoms have the freedom to grow and usurp
dominance from Northumbria in the regions of there home lands. In 705 King
Aldfrid dies and is succeeded by Osred his son who reigns from 705 till
729 when he dies. Osred is succeeded by Ceowolf his son and reigns 729
till 737 when he abdicates the throne to his cousin Eadbert who reins 737
till 758 when he dies. Eadbert is succeeded by his son Oswulf who reins
758 till 774 when he is thrown off the throne and the throne is usurped by
Ethelwald Mull who reins till 779. When in 779 Ethelwald Mull dies he is
succeeded by his son Ethelred who reins till 796 when he is assassinated.
This is the end of notable rulers of Northumbria for by this time the
dominance of the Island had passe to Mercia and Wessex and the trials and
tribulations of the north kingdom were of minor consequences.
The gradual decline of Northumbria makes it hard to find an end point but
it is undisputable that the defeat in 685 was the beginning. By 716 during
the rein of King Osred the decline is great enough to allow the rise of
competing kings in Mercia and Wessex. It can be said that with the
kingship of Ethelbald in Mercia in 716 the power had shifted to Mercia
which takes us to their period in the history.
Summary of Northumbria
560 Ida ruling King of Bernicia dies and rival king Aelle , king of Deria
assumes kinship of both sub-kingdoms
588 Aelles line is ousted and Ethelric, son of Ida, is king
593 Ethelric dies and is succeeded by his son, Ethelfrid who is fierce
pagan king.
603 Ethelfrid fights Aidan, King of Scots. first mention in history of
Scots as nation of the north. Battle of Dawson Rig and Scots beaten badly.
613 Ethelfrid fights Britons of the West and wins battle at Chester.
Destroys city.
617 Ethelfrid fights Redwald of Anglia and dies in battle. Edwin son of
Ella and brother-in-law to Ethelfrid is King.
618 Edwin new king makes York his capitol. Ancient Roman city of Eburacum
and Anglican city of Eoforwic.
624 Edwin marries Ethelburga, Christian daughter of Ethelbert King of
Kent.
626 Assassination attempt against Edwin by agents of Wessex king Cynegils.
633 Edwin fights Mercian king Penda at Hatfield Chase and is killed in
battle. Ethelburga and sons flee to Kent. Osric is king in Deria. Osric is
son of Elfric brother to Edwin. Eanfrid, son of Ethelfrid is king in
Bernicia.
634 Oswald succeeds brother, Eanfrid as king of Bernicia. fights battle
with British king Cadwallon and wins battle ending British influence in
North. Assumes total kingship when Osric pledges fidelity.
642 Oswald fights Penda at Masterfield and is killed. Kingdom is now split
again. Oswy, brother to Oswald, is now king in Bernicia. Oswin son of
Osric king in Deria
651 Oswin is killed in battle with Oswy and leaves no heirs. Oswin assumes
total kingship of both kingdoms
655 Oswy defeats Penda in battle of West Riding in Yorkshire
making him mightiest king in the Island.
664 Plague his Island for the first time and many die.
671 Oswy dies and Egfrid, his son, is king.
672 Egfrid fights Picts and wins battle.
679 Egfrid fights Ethelred of Mercia and wins back peace between the two
kingdoms.
684 Egfrid invades Ireland and inflicts great damage to the harmless
island and its people.
685 Egfrid invades Picts of the north. In battle of Forfar the Picts
win battle and Egfrid killed. Scots win land north of the Cheviot
Mountains. Decline begins. Egfrid succeeded by Aldfrid, his son or nephew
it is not know which.
705 Aldfrid dies and is succeeded by Osred his son who is eight
years old. Kingdom is in great decay and confusion
729 Osred dies and Ceolwulf his son is King.
737 Ceolwulf abdicates throne and becomes monk in monastery. Eadbert
his brother is king.
756 Ceolwulf attacks Picts and suffers a great defeat with most of
his army killed.
758 Ceolwulf abdicates throne and becomes monk in monastery. Oswulf
his son is king.
758 and after is a period of kings coming and kings going but by
this time the history has passed to the kingdoms of the South.
The only noteworthy event is the recording of the first invasion
by the Vikings in 793 on the coast of Northumbria.
THE KINGDOM OF MERCIA
Anglican migration began around the year 400 to 425 and eventually gained
dominance in the area from Chester south to Oxford and between the Welsh
marsh and the High Peak district. History is unrecorded until the rise to
the Kingship by Penda in 626. Penda was a pagan king worshiping the
ancient god Woodin. This put him at great odds with his neighbor kings of
Northumbria and Anglia when they converted to Christianity. This in turn
lead to many battles and long lasting feuds.
In 633 Penda forms an alliance with the British king Cadwallon and
attacks Northumbria and slays "Christians" in great number.
Penda kills the Northumbrian king Edwin, in battle. This establishes Penda
as one of the major Kings of the land. He is still not as powerful as the
Northumbrian kings. In 637 he attacks King Sigebert of Anglia and kills
him in battle. In 642 Penda attacks King Oswald of Northumbria and kills
him. Also in 642 Penda's daughter, Cyneburga, marries Alchfrid the King of
Northumbria. From this marriage the influence of the Christian faith was
brought close to Penda and his family.
With the defeat and death of Penda in 655, Mercia fell under the dominance
of its powerful and conquering neighbor to the North . For the next 50
years the Mercian kingdom was in a rebuilding and reuniting mode. With the
death of Penda the throne was assumed by his son Peada who held it from
655 till 659. Under the influence of his sister, Peada was converted to
Christianity in 653. When he succeeded to the throne in 655 he was the
first Christian king of Mercia. He was killed in battle in southern Mercia
fighting the West Saxons in 659. He was succeeded by his brother Wulfhere
who ruled from 659 till 675 when he died. He was succeeded by the youngest
brother Ethelred. Ethelred was king of Mercia from 675 till 690.Ethelred
was married to Osthryo the daughter of Eanfrid of Northumbria. Upon his
death he was succeeded by his son Ceolred . Ceolred had heredity rights to
the throne but suffered from mental problems and finally died insane in
716. Needless to say the kingdom did not prosper under his rule. He dies
without children. The throne is then open and is taken by Ethelbald a
descendent of Creoda who was one of the original Angles settling in the
land in 590 and had established a noble family line. With the succession
of Ethelbald to the throne the line of the heathen king Penda comes to an
end.
Ethelbald reins as king from 716 till 757 and proves to be a great leader.
By this time the Northumbrian kingdom has declined and the kingdom of
Mercia is now the most powerful kingdom in the Island. The rise in power
is attributable to the leadership of Ethelbald. While Ethelbald was young
the land of Mercia is ravaged by the Northumbrian conquerors and young
Ethelbald is sent to the continent by his parent to escape the dangers at
home. While living on the continent he learned from monks and holy men the
Christian faith and even lived with a hermit. When he returned to Mercia
and assumed the throne he did not discard his new learned faith. Thus he
was the first real Christian ruler of Mercia. However his new faith did
not remove his earthly desires. " St. Guthlac comforted him in
misfortune and poverty, but St., Boniface was given to rebuke him for his
immorality." The moral sense had grown so strong in matters of sex
that churchmen could now brand a king as licentious. Boniface of Germany
censured Ethelbald for the " two-fold sin " which he committed
in nunneries by using the advantages of royal position to gain himself
favors. This is the first recorded time that the church was in a powerful
enough position to stand up to a king in the Island.
In 733 Ethelbald invaded the kingdom to the South, Wessex, and in 740 he
laid parts of Northumbria waste. After these raids he began to call
himself "King of Britain" the first to do so, and in the lands
south of the Humber the claim was good. In 757 King Ethelbald was murdered
by his guards who were strict Christians and felt that he was too much a
heathen still. Ethelbald was succeeded by Offa who was a distant Cousin to
Ethelbald. Not much is written about Offa but his influence during his
rein was great both at home and on the Continent. Offa was a contemporary
of Charlemagne and held in great respect.
In a testimony to Offa 's position there are records of negotiations
between Charlemagne and Offa in regards to the marriage of there sons and
daughters. There are agreements on trade between the two countries for
European goods and English coal. So here we have an English King who ruled
over the greatest part of the Island and whose trade was important, and
whose daughters were fit consorts for the sons of Charles the Great.
During his rein he defeated the West Saxons in Oxford shire and subjugated
Berkshire. He decapitated the King of East Anglia and was the master of
London. He over through the throne of Kent and put down a Kentish uprising
with extreme severity. This leads to a quaint twist of history. After
subjugating Kent He captured their mint and inscribed his name on the
coins he found there. One of the coins was a gold dinar nicely copied from
an Arabic die and Off a over stamped "Rex Offa" on the face. He
would have been outraged if he knew that the coin also read in Arabic
" There is no God but one and Mohamed is his prophet".
Offa established a good relationship with the Pope and was called
"Rex anglorum". The papal envoys were received in the halls of
Off a in 787. in 779 Offa defeats the West Saxons at Benson and is
regarded as overlord of all England. With all the seeming importance of
Offa there should be more known about him but history is very scant. The
only real lasting tribute to Offa is the earthen dike he had built between
Mercia and the hostile British in Wales. This dike is still visible today
for most of its length. Offa dies in 796 and is succeeded by his son
Ecgferth. After only four months on the throne, Ecgferth dies and is
succeeded by Cenwulf I who is a distant cousin of the line of Offa
springing from Cenwealh the brother of Penda. Cenwulf reins from 796 till
821 and rules over Mercia, Kent, Essex Suffex and Anglia. Cenwulf's only
son is killed by political opponents which shows the turmoil in the land.
Upon Cenwulf's death in 821 he is succeeded by an usurper named Beornwulf
whose heredity is unknown. Beornwulf rules 821 till 827.
In 822 Egbert of Wessex wins a major battle over the Mercians. In 827
Beornwulf is killed in battle with East Anglia. Beornwulf is succeeded by
his son Burhred who rules 827 till 860. In 852 the Welsh under Rhodri Mawr
invade Mercia and King Ethelwulf of Wessex is asked to help defend the
land. This results in Mercia being a sub protectorate of Wessex. Burhred
marries Ethelwulf's daughter thereby completing the dominion of Wessex. In
869 the Viking's invaded the land and again Wessex is called to defend the
land.. In 871 Burhred goes on pilgrimage to Rome and dies in 874 in Rome.
With the rise of Egbert as King in Wessex in 802 the power shifted away
from Mercia and rested in Winchester and the throne of Wessex. From that
point Mercia is in decline and the history moves to Wessex.
Summary of Mercia
400 Area settled by Anglian settlers
626 Penda is elected King.
633 Penda in alliance with Cadwallon, British King in Wales
battle Edwin of Northumbria and kill Edwin at Hatfield
Chase (Doncaster)
642 Penda fights King Oswald of Northumbria and kills him.
Mercia established as power. Cyneburga Penda's
daughter marries Alchfrid, son of Oswy new king of
Northumbria and Christian.
653 Peada son of Penda converts to Christianity under the
influence of his wife Alchfleda , daughter of Oswy.
655 Penda killed in battle with Oswy succeeded by his son
Peada
659 Peada killed in battle with Ethelred his brother who
succeeds him as king.
659 Ethelred marries Osthryu daughter of Eanfled King of
Northumbria.
690 Ethelred dies and is succeeded by his son Ceolred
716 Ceolred dies insane without issue and is succeeded
by Ethelbald descendent of noble ancient Anglian
family. Mercia rises to most powerful kingdom under
Ethelbald and replaces Northumbria.
757 Ethelbald dies and is succeeded by Offa a distant
cousin and only living heir. Under Ethelbald and Offa
Mercia dominate history and establish trade with
continent and bring prosperity to land.
779 Off a defeats West Saxons at Benson becomes overlord
of all England.
780 Offa begins building the Dike between Wales and
England, showing great organization.
796 Offa dies and is succeeded by his son Ecgfirth who dies
after only four months as King and is succeeded by
Cenwulf who has heredity back to Penda.
821 Cenwulf dies after expanding the kingdom to include
Kent, Sussex, Essex, and East Anglia. Cenwulf's only
son is murdered by pagan enemies. His only brother is
exiled to Rome. Throne is usurped by Beornwulf.
822 Egbert wars against Beornwulf and wins major battle.
826 Beornwulf is killed in battle against East Anglia and is
succeed by his son Burhred.
853 Welsh under Rhodre Mawr invade Mercia and King
Ethelwulf of Wessex is called to help defend land.
Welsh repelled and Burhred marries daughter of
Ethelwulf.
869 Vikings invade at Chester and Burhred again asks help
of Wessex to defend land. Front is put up but Dane's
establish foothold without battle being fought.
871 Vikings expand presence and move to larger area and
Burhred goes to Rome on pilgrimage.
874 Burhred dies in Rome last of independent kings of
Mercia.
We now come to the end of four hundred years of history since the Germanic
tribes started their migration to the Island. For the first 150 years the
history was one of battles with the Romanized Celtic tribes ,now called
the British, to establish dominion. The land then dominated by the
invaders and the British tribes were driven North into Scotland and West
into Wales. The island was divided in seven kingdoms; Kent, East Anglia,
East Saxons, South Saxons, West Saxons, Mercia and Northumbria. Each
kingdom waged battle with its neighbors to establish dominance. This lead
to a shifting of dominance depending upon the period at hand, First Kent
was dominate followed by East Anglia for a short period. Then Northumbria
rose to the front and was replaced by Mercia. With the arrival of the
start of the Ninth century the power shifted to the West Saxons. The West
Saxon kingdom is to be the dominate power for the next 250 years and
indirectly precursor to the holders of the throne up to the present day.
The current holder of the throne, Elizebeth II, has heredity lines back to
Egbert the West Saxon king who was crowned in 802.
Summary of the history of Wessex prior to Egbert.
495 Cerdic and son, Cynric land in Portsmouth with title of
"Ealdorman" not king
508 Cerdic defeats British king named Natanleod at
Netley and establishes kingdom on West Saxons
519 Cerdic now called king defeats British at Salisbury
534 Cerdic dies at royal residence at Winchester and is
succeeded by Cynric.
560 Cynric dies and is succeeded by his son Ceawin. He
expands kingdom north to include Oxford ; west to Bath
and south to include Somerset, cutting "Welshmen" off
from their brothers in the modern day Wales.
593 Caewin is killed in battle with his brother Ceolrec who
assumes throne. Subservience to Ethelbert of Kent.
597 Ceolrec dies and is succeeded by Coelwulf his son.
St. Augustine arrives in Canterbury.
597 to 610 is dark history; not much recorded
610 Cynegils is king of Wessex and is assumed to be the
son of Coelwulf
626 dual kings of Wessex are Cynegils and Cwichelm
assumed to be father and son.
Cwichelm sends assassin to kill Edwin of Northumbria
but fails and Edwin invades Wessex and defeats the
dual kings and makes Wessex subservient to him.
628 Cynegils and Cwichelm invade Mercia and King Penda
They fight battle at Cirencester and lose. Treaty cedes
land north of the Thames to Mercia.
641 Cynegils dies and is succeeded by Cenwalh who is
brother of Cwichelm. Fate of Cwichelm unknown but
best guess is he was killed in battle with Penda.
Cenwalh is married to Penda's daughter
644 Cenwalh divorces wife as unfit woman.
645 Penda offended by divorce and attacks Wessex and
exiles Cenwalh to East Anglia under rule by King
Anna. Cenwalh converts to Christianity while there.
648 Cenwalh returns to Wessex as Christian King. Has
capitol at Dorchester not Winchester.
672 Cenwalh dies and kingdom falls into chaos. Throne is
assumed by Cadwalla who is fourth generation of
Ceawlin ( the race of the Gewissas) and tries to unite
lands and end chaos.
688 Cadwalla dies while on pilgrimage to Rome. He is
succeeded by I ne who it is recorded as a descendent of
Cerdic but not Ceawlin.
710 King Ine fights West Welshmen and wins battle.
715 King Ine fights Ceolred of Mercia and wins battle,
however there seems to be no change of lands.
720 King Ine issues " dooms" first written laws of the land
recorded in history.
726 King Ine abdicates throne to Ethelheard whose heredity
is unknown and goes on pilgrimage to Rome where he
dies.
726 - 740 Ethelheard rules with nothing of note recorded.
740-756 Cuthred II Could be brother to Ethelheard
756-757 Segebert voted out of kingdom for "his unlawful acts"
757-786 Cynewulf whose lineage is listed only as
" back to Cerdic", assumes throne after defeating
Segebert in battle in 756. He is murdered by
enemies
786 Cynewulf is succeeded by his son Beorhtic.
Beorhtic is married to Eadburh, daughter of Offa King
of Mercia. Eadburh is very power hungry woman and
offends many and is exiled to France.
787 Egbert has design on throne and is exiled by Beorhtic ;
can't go to Mercia because Beorihtic's wife is daughter
of King Offa and he can't go to Northumbria because
King Ethelred is also married to Offa"s daughter, Elfleda.
He frees to the court of Charles the Great in Europe.
802 Egbert is elected King of Wessex.
With the enthronement of Egbert as King of Wessex we begin the part of our
history where there exists written accounts of events in enough detail to
establish credibility to extend beyond general major events. This detail
is most notably from the Anglo-Saxon chronicles written during the rein of
Alfred the Great in about 892. Being written within 90 years of the events
as they happened the account is considered accurate. As previously noted
an event occurred at this point in history that was to have a major impact
on the Island. In the year 789 news was carried to the King ( Beorhtic )
at his palace in Dorchester that three ships had arrived on the coast,
probably Portsmouth. The King's Reeve " leapt on his horse and rode
with a few men to the harbor, thinking that they were merchants and not
enemies, commands they be sent to the King's town to pay homage".
However, the "merchants" killed the reeve on the spot and all
who were with him. They then sacked the town. This was a foretaste of the
murderous struggle which was to devastate England for two hundred and
fifty years. It was the beginning of the Viking Age.
A second major fact that will play a major role in the history is the one
of the conversion to Christianity. By the beginning of the Ninth century
the influence of Christianity covered all of Europe including the British
Isle. This was the only international organization which existed. It was
indeed the only coherent surviving structure and at the head was the
Bishop of Rome the revived head, in a spiritual way at least, of the power
of the Caesars. The Christian Church became the sole repository of
learning and knowledge. The virtual monopoly of learning and the art of
writing made the Churchmen indispensable to the chieftains of all lands.
The clerics became the civil servants and often the statesmen of the King.
They fell naturally into the role previously held by the Roman
magistrates, in fact they began to wear the robes of the Roman
magistrates, a garb they wear even to this day.
The history of Britain for the next 250 years will be dominated by the
Vikings with their invasions and the interplay between the Kings and the
now powerful Church. From both of these forces will come many bloody
events.
With the rise of Egbert to the throne of Wessex in 802 we begin the
continuous history of Britain. The kingdom of Wessex, while languishing in
relative obscurity for most of the time the Saxons ruled the island, it
was destined to become the lasting and dominate kingdom. In 822 Egbert
fought and defeated the usurper King of Mercia, Beolwulf, at the battle of
Ellandun and established himself as ruler of that kingdom. Shortly
afterward he set his son, Ethelwulf, on the throne of Kent. The kingdom of
Northumbria submits to his over lordship. Thus it might be said that Egbert
is the first King to rule all the lands south of the Humber thereby the
first King of England, although he never called himself that. In 835
Egbert fights and loses to an invading party of Danes in Kent. At this
time the Danes are merely looters and are not interested in settlement ,
so a lose in battle merely means that the Danes got their loot and went
home. In 839 Egbert fights an invasion by Danes in the district of
Cornwall at Hingston Down and defeats them. While on the way back from
this battle Egbert dies. He is succeeded by his son , Ethelwulf, the King
of Kent. Between the years 839 and 854 history is filled with continuous
battles between the Saxons and the Danes. In 855 Ethelwulf makes a
pilgrimage to Rome, taking his five year old son Albert. Ethelwulf ,
returning from Rome, stops at the court of Charles the Bald, King of the
Franks. While there, he is taken by the 13 year old daughter of Charles,
Judith, and makes her his wife. When he returns to Winchester great uproar
is made over this marriage. In 858, however, Ethelwulf dies and ends the
uproar. He is succeeded by his oldest son Ethelbald. Ethelbald is enamored
with his stepmother, who is only 3 years older than himself, and marries
her. In 860 after ruling only 2 years Ethelbald dies and Judith returns to
France. When she gets back to her father's court she tells him that she
has always loved the the Kings forester named Baldwin and is given
permission to marry him. Charles the Bald gives the newlyweds land in the
North and the title Duke of Baldwin. This is the foundation of the nation
of Belgium. Upon the Death of Ethelbald his brother, Ethelbert is made
King of the West and East kingdom. The kingdom of Mercia is given to a
younger brother Ethelred as sub-king to his brother. The fighting with the
invading Danes goes on.
In 866 Ethelbert dies and Ethelred becomes King as Ethelred I. By this
time the Danes have established a permanence in Kent. In 867 the Danes
march north into East Anglia and ravage the land. They establish a
permanent settlement there. They continue their march North until they
reach York, which by this time has become a Danish city. In 869 the King
of Anglia, Edmund , is captured during battle with the Danes and tortured
to death. This makes him a martyr to the Anglians. At this time the East
coast of the Island is controlled by the Vikings from Kent to York.
In 871 Ethelred I is killed in battle at Merton Field fighting the Danes.
He is succeeded by his brother Alfred. The Danes march into Somerset and
Cornwall and engage the English in battle. Many encounters are made but
neither side wins a decisive battle. In 875 a peace treaty is made where
by the Danes will return to the north and the English will not bother
them. This will result in four years of peace.
In 878 the Danes again invade the South. This time they have a much larger
force and gain the upper hand against the Saxons. King Alfred is driven in
to hiding. He takes up refuge on the Isle of Athelney. It is at this point
that the famous story about the cakes takes place. The story goes like
this. The King was forced to assume the dress and actions of a serf in
order to avoid Danish capture. The King was housed in a serf house where
the lady of the house did not know his real position. One day while making
bread the bread burnt and she admonished the King with " Alack, man,
why have you not turned over the bread when you see that it is burning,
especially as you so much like eating it hot". This story took on a
special place in the folklore of the Saxon people because it shows the
humility of the great King. In 879 Alfred rally's support and forms an army
to fight the Danes. The Saxon are successful and subdue the Danes and
their General, Guthrum, at the battle of Ethandune in Wessex. Alfred in a
gesture of peace and Christian devotion persuades Guthrum to be baptized
in the Christian faith and also becomes the God-Parent to Guthrum's two
sons. A peace treaty is negotiated where by the Danes will go back North
and the Saxons will not interfere with them, this is known as the Treaty
of Wedmore. This treaty results in 14 years of peace between the two
peoples. I n 886 Alfred captures London from the Danes and begins to
rebuild the city, which had fallen into great decay. At this point Alfred
is recognized as King of England, however the Danes rule the East coast
and the North countries of Northumbria.
Alfred is a " learned man" and has a great interest in improving
the level of learning among the Saxons. He is aware that many years of
battle has resulted in the decline of literacy and knowledge in the land.
He states the people of Europe at one time came to the Island to learn and
get instruction, but now no one comes to get instruction. The English must
go to Europe to get instruction and knowledge. He ordered the writing of
the " Anglo Saxon Chronicles" and other books of history. These
books were made available in all churches and people were encouraged to
come and learn to read them. He also had a " dooms" written and
distributed to all the cities wherein the laws could be read and know to
them. This is an update of the dooms of King Ine 200 years earlier. He was
very interested in the improvement of the lives and living condition of
his people. This is why he is the only King of England to have been
granted the title of "The Great". In 894 to 896 Alfred
translated the world history of Orostius and also the History of the
English Nation by the Venerable Bede. It is this last tome that most of
the history of the time comes to use today.
There was to be one last battle with the Danes by Alfred. In 981 Guthrum
the Dane dies. Also in 891 the Viking invaders were finally driven out of
France by Count Odo after a siege of six years. The Vikings were an angry
lot at being denied the booty of Paris and were anxious for victory and
loot. This angry army sailed north to the shores of Kent. In 892 two
hundred and fifty ships appeared off Lympne in Kent with the "Great
Heathen Army". The battles between the Danes and the English began
anew. During a battle at Benfleet , south of London, the English defeated
the Danes and captured many including the wife and two sons of the Viking
General named Haesten. The English saw them as precious hostages but King
Alfred sent the wife back to Haesten and had the two sons baptized with
him being the godfather to one and his ally King Ethelred of Mercia
godfather to the other. This made them Christian brethren and therefore
removed from the wrongs of their heathen father.
This was very hard for the Ninth century mind to understand but is one of
the reasons Alfred was later called The Great. The war went on but there
is no mention of Haesten again. It may be that mercy and chivalry were not
in vain. By 896 the battles were grinding to a halt. The Danes were
loosing there energy to continue the war and saw that coexistence was
better than dyeing. In 899 King Alfred dies. He is succeeded by his son
Edward the Elder. When Edward becomes King his cousin Ethelwald, the son
of King Ethelred brother of Edwards father Alfred, feels that his claim to
the throne is superior to Edwards. This claim has merit because under the
linage rule later to be addopted this is the way it would be. Ethelwald
flees North to York and forms an alliance with the King Denmark and raises
an army to challenge Edward. In the ensuing battle Edward defeats the
latest Danish excursion and kills Ethelwald in the process. Guthrum II is
installed as King of the Danelaw with conditions similar to the treaty of
886.
After a 10 year peace, the Danes in 910 break the peace and invade Mercia.
Again Edward must fight and in a battle at Tettenhall in Staffordshire the
Danes were soundly defeated. Edward's sister, Ethelfleda, was married to
Ethelred, King of Mercia, and was a extraordinary woman for her time. She
was known as "the Lady of the Mercians". In 911 when her husband
Ethelred dies she becomes the ruler of that land. This alliance of blood
and common interest between Edward of Wessex and his sister the Lady of
the Mercians formed an indomitable combination. They quickly set out to
complete the conquest of the Danes once and for all. This task occupied
the next 10 years of history. In 918 Edward defeated the Danes at
Tempsford near Bedford and King Gutrum II is killed and the Danish
resistance in East Anglia is at an end. Also in 918, Ethelfreda conquered,
the Danes in Leicester and received from the Danes in York their letters
of submission. At this moment of triumph the Lady of the Mercians dies and
the nobles of Mercia invite Edward to occupy the throne.
Alfred's son in now the undisputed King of England holding dominion over
all lands south of the Humber. The British princes in Wales both North and
South offer perpetual allegiance. Edward built forts at Manchester,
Thelwall in Cheshire and at Bakewell in the Peak Country. The Danes of
Northumbria saw their end approaching. Edward reined for five more years
and died in 925 at Farndon . Sixteen days later his oldest son , Elfweard
,also dies before he can be made King. This then leaves the throne to
Athelstan the only remaining son. Athelstan was the third of the great
West Saxon Kings to rule the land. In 925 Athelstan invades and subdues
Northumbria and its Danish king, Sihtic, and is acknowledged overlord by
the Northern Nobles. Danish king Sihtic is followed by Guthrum son of
Sihtic but vows allegiance to Athelstan. The last vestiges of rebellion
boiled to overflow in 937 when the whole of North Britain united. Celtic,
Danish, and Norwegian, Pagan, and Christian . Under Constantine, King of
the Scots, and Olaf of Dublin with Viking reinforcements from Norway a
united front was formed against the Saxon King. This time there was no
maneuvering for position , no small battles to establish rights no
negotiating and no sparring; both armies formed and faced each other to
engage in one single battle with winner take all. The battle was fought at
Brananburh and the rebels were overwhelmingly defeated by Athelstan. It
was the greatest victory and the most decisive in all the battles that
ravaged the last 125 years of fighting between the Saxons and the Danes.
Ethelstan styled himself as "King of all Britannia". This claim
was accepted by all on the Continent. The three sisters of Ethelstan were
married (1) Edgive to Charles the Simple King of the Franks, (2) Eadhila
to Hugh Capen known as Hugh the Great, Duke of France and father of soon
to be King of France and (3) Edgitha to Otto, the Saxon, King of Germany
and future Holy Roman Emperor. Eadhila who is married to Hugh the Great of
France as noted above sends her son Louis to be raised at the Court of her
brother Athelstan. This son Louis will become Louis IV , King of France.
Ethelstan installed his nominee as Norwegian Prince and has him baptized
at York and received his allegiance. Athelstan dies in 939 and is
succeeded by his half brother Edmund I who is only 18 years of age at the
time. Because of his age the rebels of the Danish North were invigorated
to rebellion and several battles had to be waged. In all these Edmund I
held his own and lost nothing. In 946 after only 6 years on the throne a
thief broke into a banquet where the King was eating and stabbed the King
a wound from which he died. He is succeeded by his brother, Edred.
Edred
rules as King 946 till 955 during which time the battles with the Danes
continues. There are no major victory's nor defeats for either side. There
seems to be a general decline of uprisings by the Danes and some feel that
the battles are coming to an end. Historians select the year 954 as the
end of the first great episode in the Viking history in England. A hundred
and twenty years have passed since the Vikings first invaded the Island.
For forty years English Christian
society has struggled for life. For eighty years five Saxon Kings (
Alfred, Edward, Athelstan, Edmund and Edred) fought and defeated the
Danes. The English rule was now established over the whole country. Yet
under the English rule there was now a Danish settlement covering the
great eastern plans of East Anglia and Northern Northumbria in which
Danish blood and Danish customs survived . Under the rule of Edgar the
consolidation of rule was step by step moved forward on a very conscious
path. The Shires were reorganized, each with its sheriff or reeve ( a
royal officer ) directly responsible to the Crown. The hundreds ( a civil
subdivision of the shire) were created to give a voice to the citizens.
The towns were prepared for defense. An elaborate system of courts were
established to maintain law and order and punish criminals. Taxation was
reassessed and levied on a more equitable base. Thus the foundation of the
civil system that is in use today has its roots during the ancient period.
The beginnings of English literature and arts have there roots also during
this period. The "Catholic Homilies of Aelfric, Abbot of Eynshan"
is written and is recorded as the first achievement of the English
language as a literary language; the earliest vernacular to reach eminence
in the whole of Europe.
In 955 Edred dies. The reign of Edred, as noted, is one of general peace even though
many small battles with the Danes is waged. Poor Edred suffered
with Dyspepsia ( a congenital condition resulting in trouble digesting
food resulting is constant stomach upset) and therefore could not devote
full attention to the tasks of being King. Edred is buried at Winchester
and is succeeded by Edwy ( or Eadwig) who is son of Edmund I brother of
Edred. Edwy's brother, Edgar, is made sub-king in Mercia. There seems to
be some problem with Edwy as king. A record of the coronation party
records that the new King who is a lad of 18 years leaves the gathering to
go to his room . This is breach of etiquette and the Bishop is sent to
return him to the banquet. The Bishop finds the new king in the company of
" two women, one older and one younger" and in very close embrace. The younger woman is noted as Ethelgiva and the older is called
Elgiva. Later it is recorded as "King Edwy marries one named
Ethelgiva" and it is assumed to be the same person. Subsequently in
958 it is recorded the the Bishop of Cantabury , Oda, causes the King to
be separated from his wife because " of being too close in kin".
In other records the genealogy of Edwy shows that he is son of Edmund I
and his wife is Elgia. Edmund and Elgia also have a daughter named
Ethelgiva. This seems to indicate that the problem with Edwy is that he
marries his sister. In the following year 959 Edwy dies, and is succeeded
by his brother Edgar the sub-king of Mercia. The rein of Edgar continues
in a period of peace with only minor problems with the Danes. Edgar
becomes known as " Edgar the Peaceful". It is during the rein of
Edgar that church reformation begins. There is general movement to instill
a more strict level of mores. Fundamentalism has its roots during the period. The church during the previous periods has
fallen into a morass of corruption and graft. There is then a movement to
clean up the church; the morals of the people can not be greater than the
morals of the church leaders who are to be the example of good.
After a period of 13 years with Edgar being King, he is finally crowned in
a ceremony at Bath in 973. This is the ceremony that has been the
foundation of the crowning ceremony of all Kings and Queens of England to
this day. History does not record the reason for the delay in crowning
Edgar, but historians feel that there was a question as to his possible
envolement in the seeming untimely death of his brother, Edwy. This would
be knotty problem for the time. First there is a problem with Edwy and the
marriage to his sister and the subsequent turmoil followed by the
implication that his murderer is now the King, this then leaves the people
of the day with the dilemma of leaser of two evils. Edgar dies in 975 which
has lead some to speculate that Edgar in his later years repented for acts
done and was therefore given permission to be crowned. Edgar is succeeded
by Edward his son by his second wife Ethelfled, The Duck. At the time of
succession Edward is 13 years old. This then leads to his mother, The
Duck, being the real power who rules as regent. This is further
complicated by the fact that there is also a son of Edgar , (Ethelred ),
by his first wife Elfreda, who is also alive and claims superior succession
rights. Ethelred and his mother ( Elfreda ) form a counter movement to the
Kingship of Edward. In the year 978 three years after becoming King,
Edward is murdered at Corfe Castle in Donetshire by agents of Ethelred and
his mother Elfreda. Thus at the age of 10 years Ethelred is crowned as
King at Kingston-on-Thames . From this beginning it is not surprising that
we now embark upon a period that is recorded as the most inept of all
time. With the kingships of Edwy and Edgar and their questionable morals
much decay was inflected into the ruling faction. This followed by the
infighting between the heirs, Edward and Ethelred, caused more decay and
disjointed leadership. All this was to naturally give the Danes much
encouragement to renew their efforts to gain control of the Island. During
the first twelve years of Ethelred II `s rein the history is one long list
of battles between the Saxon's and the Danes. Battles are fought and
ransoms are paid to the Danes followed by more battles and more bribes.
There exists a complete absence of any direction or plan. The King is surrounded
by able advisors but he seems to ignore them and embark upon
non-understandable plans and actions. All this leads some to ask " is
the King completely bereft of reason? ". In the year 994 the King of
Denmark, Sweyn Forkbeard sails up the Thames and besieges London. This
leads Ethelred to pay a large ransom for the city. After payment, Sweyn
returns to Denmark. In 1002 Ethelred is guilty of his biggest lapse of judgment.
On St. Brice Day he orders all Danes living in England to be slain. One of the victims was Gunnhild, wife of Pallig a chief Viking and also the sister of the Danish King. This massacre naturally upsets the Danes beyond self constraint. Therefore it is not surprising to record that the King of Denmark, Sweyn Forkbeard, in the year 1003 invades England by sailing up the Humber and sets up a camp. Sweyn has sworn revenge upon the islanders. Sweyn is accompanied by his son Canute, which much will be heard from later. By late 1014 Sweyn has gained control of the North up to Edinburgh , West to Bath, South to London leaving only the Southwest un-conquered. All the areas of his march record massacres which shows how widely he applied retaliation. At this point Ethelred II flees to Normandy to the protection of his Brother-in-law Richard, Dude of Normandy. Sweyn is proclaimed King of England. One month after becoming King of England Sweyn dies. The Nobles of England, called Wittin is Saxon, recall Ethelred to be king on condition he will be " a better king than before". So in 1015 the land is divided with Ethelred ruling the North with his son, Edmund ruling Northumbria, and Canute ruling the South ( Wessex, Somerset, South Mercia and Kent). In 1016 Ethelred II dies at the age of 49, bringing to an end to this sorry era. History will give Ethelred the title of the "unready" which is a take off on the real name of " redeless " rede is Saxon for council. The young Danish prince, Canute, set forth to claim the English crown. At this time the flame of Alfred's line rose again in Ethelred's son, Edmund- Edmund Ironside. At twenty years of age he was famous. He had, while acting as general for his father, gathered forces and in a brilliant campaign struck a succession of heavy blows against the Danes. He liberated London and large areas around London. Following Ethelred's death in 1016 the Witins proclaimed Edmund King. Canute is King of the Danes in the North. In spite of all odds Edmund Ironside was strong enough to partition the realm and make peace with Canute. This follows a battle at Ashingdon in Essex where Canute defeats Edmund but a treaty is made whereby they split the land with an agreement that Canute will succeed Edmund. Edmund Ironsides then set himself to rally his forces for the renewal of the struggle; but in 1016 at the age of twenty two years , Edmund Ironside died. His death considering his young age was probably the result of murder at the hands of forces of Canute. With his death the entire realm abandoned itself to despair. This despair was present even before Edmund was king. The aristocracy of the day along with the leaders of the church had decried the decay that existed in the royal line. At Southampton in 1016 while Edmund was still alive the nobles both lay and spiritual had agreed to excise the royal line of Ethelred from the throne. Edmund was to be last King from the house of Wessex.
Canute was declared
king by the witten in 1016 upon Edmund's death. Canute sends the two sons
of Edmund Ironsides, ( Edward and Edmund ) to the King of Sweden with orders to have them executed. The king of
Sweden has no stomach for this and sends the two lads to Hungary for
protection. Edmund dies while in Hungary at a young age. Edward known as
The Exile marries the niece of Henry III of Germany and has a daughter
named Margaret who marries Malcom III of Scotland. This line will be the
common thread of heredity between ancient Saxon and modern kings. In 1017
Canute orders the murder of Edwy son of Ethelred by his first wife and
half brother to Edward and Alfred exiled in Normandy with their mother
Emma Thus the only remaining direct heirs of Ethelred still living are the
exiles in Normandy. The only other heirs are the two sons of Edmund
Ironsides, Edmund and Edward , both living in Hungary. At this
point ( in the year 1017) Canute marries the widow of Ethelred, Emma, and
the mother of the heirs to the house of Wessex ,12 year old Alfred and 10
year old Edward. This action was effective in forestalling any effort by
Robert the Duke of Normandy to enter into actions to uphold the rights of
his nephew's, Edward and Alfred. Canute thus became the ruling sovereign
of the Southern half of the Island as King of England. He was already the
King of Denmark and had made good on his claim as King of Norway. Scotland
offered their homage and the princes of Wales gave their submission to his
over lordship. His daughter, Gunhild, was married to Henry III King of
Germany who was to expand the kingdom to its largest dominance in Europe.
Canute liked the Saxon way of life and therefore chose England as his
residence. He embarked on a course to instill good government in his rein.
He built churches and professed high devotion to the Christian faith. He
honored the memory of St. Edmund the Saxon martyred king of East Anglia
killed by the Danes. He also honored the murdered Bishop of Canterbury,
St. Alphege. who was killed by the Danes when he refused to order the
payment of bribes. In 1027 Canute made a pilgrimage to Rome to attend the
coronation of the Pope. From Rome he wrote his people promising to
administer equal justice and laying particular emphasis on the payment of
Church dues. All in all he was a good king and ruled with justice and
brought peace to a ravaged land.
In 1035 Canute dies. He left three sons; two by Elgiva of Northampton his
first wife, Swyn and Harold; and one named Hardicanute by Emma the widow
of Ethelred and Canute's second wife. Upon the death of Canute Hardicanute
becomes King of Denmark, Swyn becomes the King of Norway, and Harold
becomes the King of England. All three sons are a through-back to the
heathen Viking ways. They are ignorant and boorish which leads to a
longing for a return of the old Saxon line. Harold ruled from 1035 till
1040 with cruelty and abandon. Hardicanute ruled 1040 till 1042 of which
it is recorded " he never did anything worthy of a king while he
reined" .
In 1036 Alfred the son of Ethelred and Emma comes to
England from Normandy ostensibly to visit his again widowed mother.
While
traveling towards London he and his party are detained by a force of men under the
leadership of the Earl of Wessex, Godwin. All in the party are killed and
the prince, Alfred, is blinded by hot pokers being thrust into his eyes.
He is taken to the Abby at Ely where he dies from the wounds. Guilt for
the crime is generally ascribed to Godwin. Godwin's history is clouded but
he seems to have been a landowner when the Danish army marched across
Essex. He assisted the Danish general and gave them his homage. In return
the Danes rewarded him with larger land grants probably in Kent. By the
time of the murder of Alfred, Godwin was the leader of the Danish Party in
England and chief advisor to King Harold. He is married to Gytha the
sister of Ulf a Danish Earl who is married to Canute's sister. This makes
Godwin a brother-in-law to Canute. In as much as the King, Harold, is
ineffective the power of Godwin is great. In 1040 Harold dies and the
throne is assumed by Hardicanute who comes over from Denmark. He is not
any better than his brother and unrest continues to build. In 1042
Hardicanute dies and the throne of England is vacant and the sons of
Canute have no heirs. Living in Normandy is the remaining son of Ethelred
II and Emma the brother of the murdered Alfred , the quiet and sickly
Edward. In these days of reviving anarchy all men's minds turned to the
search for some stable institution. This could only be found in the line
of Alfred the Great. This line possessed unequaled claims to longevity. It
was the line that produced six generations of greatness and had provided
the resistance to the Danes. This Saxon line was the oldest in Europe. The
rulers of France, the Capets, two generations back were little more than
just lords of Paris; the powerful Dukes of Normandy were little more than
roving marauders two generations previous. The German Kings, called the
Holy Roman Emperors, were masters of only small provinces and cities.
While the house of Wessex had ruled as Kings for over three hundred years.
The ever ambitious Godwin sees that he can consolidate his power by
uniting the Danes and the Saxons together under the kingship of Edward. He
goes to Normandy and bargains with Edward. He uses the threat of putting a
nephew of Canute's on the throne if Edward does not meet the conditions of
Godwin which include the exclusion of Norman advisors in England. Edward
makes no difficulty with Godwin and is welcomed home to England and is
crowned King in 1042. Edward was a quiet and reflective man who had spent
all his life in the solitude of the monastery and knew nothing but
religion and prayer. Such a man was no match for Godwin and his drive for
power. For the next 24 years with a short interlude Godwin and his sons
ruled the land and it is recorded in the Chronicle of Florence of Worcester
" He had been to such an extent exalted as if he were King of
England".
Edward known to later ages as the "Confessor" was a kindly,
weak, chubby, albino. He was quiet and pious without a" liking for
war nor of much aptitude for administration". Norman prelates appeared in the
English Church and in the government to the degree allowed by Godwin.
Edward in 1045 was obliged to marry Godwin's daughter, Edith. We are
assured by contemporary writers that the marriage was no more than formal
and Edward probably died a virgin. The marriage of course had no children.
Godwin ruled much as a dictator and as was the custom in that day nepotism
was the way of life. Large land grants and titles were bestowed on
Godwin's sons. This resulted in a rift between the increasing power of the
Norman advisors and Godwin and in 1051 the Norman party succeeded in
driving Godwin into Exile. The murder of Alfred was the foundation of the
trial and subsequent disgrace of Godwin. He fled to Count Baldwins Court
(Flanders) for refuge. During the absence of Godwin the Duke of Normandy,
William, paid a visit to Edward during which it is argued that Edward
promised the throne of England to William upon his death. The following
year 1052 Godwin in concert with his sons returns to England and forced
Edward to restore his lands and titles. In 1053 Godwin dies after 35 years
of power and influence in England greater than any non king before or
since. As a side note, in 1052 Edward begins the construction of
Westminster Abbey the site of the coronation of every monarch of England
since 1066. It is also the resting place of most of the kings and queens
since that time .
With the death of Godwin his estate is divided up between his three sons. Harold receives the land in the South Kent , Wessex and Somerset. Swyn gets Mercia and Tostig becomes the Earl of Northumbria. Swyn gets into trouble when he rapes a nun and has to flee to the continent. Harold assumes the power of " advisor to the King " . In 1064 Harold Godwinson visits the court of William of Normandy and is reported to have given an oath to support William's claim to the throne. In 1066 on January 5 Edward the Confessor dies and leaving no heirs ends the line of Saxon Kings which have ruled the land for over six hundred years. Upon his deathbed Harold claims that Edward had conveyed the throne to him. The nobles quickly bestow the crown on Harold as King of England. William in Normandy prepares to invade to claim the throne he feels was promised to him. Trouble is also brewing in the North where Tostig , Harold's exiled and revengeful half brother, is feeling that he has a claim and forms an alliance with the King of Norway , Harold Hardrada a descendent of Canute, who feels that Harold Godwinson is an usurper of the Danish throne in England and together they mount an uprising in the North. Harold Godwinson with the King's army march north to meet the uprising. In September he heard that the rebels had sailed up the Humber and beaten the forces of the Earl Edwin and Morcar and then marched north to York. Harold in a very fast march surprises the invaders ten miles West of York at Stamford Bridge and the battle began. At first the Norwegian army held and deflected the English. Harold using a feinted retreat, a common tactic of the day, drew the invaders out of their defenses. This was Harold's break and he then made his advance. Harold Hardrada was killed by an arrow to the throat and Tostig assumed the command. Harold offered his half brother peace but the offer was refused. A reinforcement of Norsemen arrived from the ships but their march had left them exhausted and not much help. The battle was fierce but the English won a decisive victory. Almost all the invaders were killed . Harold buried the body of Harold Hardrada in six feet of English soil with the remark that " that is all he will own". Tostig was also killed but how is not noted. The son of Hardrada, Olaf, was sent back to Norway.
The battle at Stamford Bridge was a great victory, however it is
overshadowed by Hastings and does not get the historical note that it
deserves. It marks the last invasion by Vikings in English history ending
over 200 years of strife. It also marks the last victory by the Saxon
English against the forces trying to take the land they themselves took
over 600 years before. The victory however was not long to be enjoyed for
the day after the battle Harold received news that William the
"Bastard" had landed in the South.
A summary of the Norman history is now required in order to show the
interplay of all European history. The history of the Scandinavian's from
550 to 780 is nonexistent. The only facts known is that tribal settlement
fell into three or four main groups, the Norwegians on the western coast
of the Scandinavian peninsula, the Danes in Jutland (Denmark) , the Swedes
and the Goths facing the Baltic Sea in the Eastern part of the peninsula.
All of these tribes were seafarers and fishermen from the earliest of
times. There civilization was a blend of primitive barbarism and some
culture. There strongest organization was the group, usually made up of
family members, with its blood feuds with a strong eye for an eye justice.
Women held an equal place in society and a woman could hold high office
and Queens were not uncommon. Because of the lack of arable land and the
fisherman history the general means of survival became the raiding of
neighboring lands and making off with goods and treasure. This became the
mark of a good and brave man when he was successful in plunder. The basic
creed was that every man was to rely on himself and his own wisdom and
cunning. There developed an acceptance of any means employed to gain in
wealth and position, leading to the custom of great deceit and cruelty.
There main God was Woden ( Odin ) the God of War a wily and inspired chief
of the war band and lover of battle, adventure, feasting and minstrels,
who called the slain heroes of war to the hall of fame in Valhalla. The
second most God was Thor a rough, fighting farmers god, with his
invincible thunder-hammer, who protected the boundaries and warred with
the clumsy giants of the frost . Both gods were appeased at times by human
sacrifice.
By the years 793 and 794 the Norsemen began the western push and commenced
to raid the shores of Northern England and the coastal towns in Northern
Germany and France. By the year 834 the raids had become wider in scope
and more frequent. Charlemagne both fought and bribed the Vikings in an
effort to control the constant irritant. The Saxons in England did the
same as we have recorded above. By the year 866 the Vikings had advanced
to the point were raids on Paris were made and the city was burnt to the
ground great ransom was paid to get rid of the raiders only to have it
repeated in 877 and another ransom paid. There arose a strong opponent in
the person of Robert, The Strong, Marquess of Neusria and the Vikings
withdrew from France where strong opposition now existed and chances of
success were small. There was a better opportunity in the island in the
north , England. This lead to the almost 100 year battle between the
Saxon's and the Viking's. Back in France Charles "the
Bald" made piece with the Viking's and their leader Rollo by giving
them land to the north of Paris. There they formed what was to
become Normandy named after the Northmen as the French called them
The story takes a break here because the balance "as written" was lost in a
hard drive crash and is the process of reconstruction.
It will be
uploaded when available.