List of monarchs of Mercia: Difference between revisions
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==Éaldormen & Earls of Mercia== |
==Éaldormen & Earls of Mercia== |
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''From the mid-[[10th century]] the chief Mercian magnate usually held the title of [[ealdorman|éaldorman]], or [[earl]] from the early [[11th century]]. |
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''From [[919]] Mercia became part of the newly created [[Kingdom of England]]. In ''c.''[[956]] King [[Edwy of England|Edwy]] appointed an éaldorman for Mercia, but this office lapsed in [[985]]. It was revived in [[1007]] by King [[Ethelred the Unready]], and transformed into an earldom by King [[Canute the Great|Canute]] in [[1017]]. |
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===Éaldormen=== |
===Éaldormen=== |
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!width="44%"|Biographical notes |
!width="44%"|Biographical notes |
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!width="18%"|Died |
!width="18%"|Died |
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|'''[[Wulfsige|Wulfsige Maur]]''' |
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|[[942]]-? |
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|Granted large tracts of land in Mercia by [[Edmund I of England|Edmund]] after the latter had cleared the area of a Danish incursion. May not have held the title of éaldorman. |
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|? |
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|'''[[Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia|Ælfhere]]''' |
|'''[[Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia|Ælfhere]]''' |
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|Son (or in some sources brother-in-law) of Ælfhere. Unsuccessfuly rebelled against [[Ethelred the Unready]], by whom he was then exiled. |
|Son (or in some sources brother-in-law) of Ælfhere. Unsuccessfuly rebelled against [[Ethelred the Unready]], by whom he was then exiled. |
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|? |
|? |
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|'''[[Wulfric|Wulfric Spot]]''' |
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|?-[[1004]]/[[1010]] |
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|Probable son of Wulfsige Maur. He was the chief Mercian landowner, and is listed in some sources as either éaldorman or earl. |
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|[[October]] [[1010]] |
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|'''[[Leofric, Earl of Mercia|Léofric]]''' |
|'''[[Leofric, Earl of Mercia|Léofric]]''' |
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|[[1017]]/[[1030]]-[[1057]] |
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|Certainly earl by ''c.''[[1030]], and possibly since [[1017]]. Chiefly remembered for his famous wife, Godgifu ([[Lady Godiva]]). |
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|[[31 August]] or<br>[[30 September]] [[1057]] |
|[[31 August]] or<br>[[30 September]] [[1057]] |
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|'''[[Ælfgar]]''' |
|'''[[Ælfgar]]''' |
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|[[1057]]-[[1062]] |
|[[1057]]-[[1062]] |
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|Son of Léofric. |
|Son of Léofric. Married Ælfgifu, the god-daughter of Wulfric Spot. |
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|[[1062]] |
|[[1062]] |
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Revision as of 07:56, 16 October 2007
The Kingdom of Mercia was an important state in the English Midlands from the 6th century to the 10th. For some two hundred years from the mid 7th century onwards it was the dominant member of the Heptarchy and consequently the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. During this period its rulers became the very first English monarchs to assume such wide ranging titles as King of Britain and King of the English.
This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a single document, and a number of variants exist for the names given below. For example, the letter þ was sometimes replaced with ð, which stood for exactly the same sound: th.
Kings of the Mercians
For the Continental predecessors of the Mercians in Angeln, see List of kings of the Angles.
Iclings (House of Icel)
King | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Icel | c.488-c.501 | Son of Éomer, last King of the Angles in Europe. Led his people across the North Sea to Great Britain. | c.501 |
Cnebba | c.501-c.566 | Son of Icel. | c.566 |
Cynewald | c.566-584 | Son of Cnebba. | 584 |
Créoda | 584-593 | Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth. | 593 |
Pybba | 593-606 | Son of Créoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands. | 606 |
Céorl | 606-626 | Possibly a brother or cousin of Pybba. | 626 |
Penda | 626-655 | Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last pagan ruler of England. Killed in battle by Oswy of Northumbria. | 655 |
Éowa | c.635-642 | Brother of Penda. Co-ruler. Killed in battle. | 642 |
Péada | c.653-656 | Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered. | 656 |
Wulfhere | 658-675 | Brother of Péada. Restored Mercian dominance in England. | 675 |
Æþelred I | 675-704 | Brother of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney. | 716 |
Cœnred | 704-709 | Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome. | ? |
Céolred | 709-716 | Son of Æþelred I. Probably poisoned. | 716 |
Céolwald | 716 | Brother of Céolred. May not have existed. | 716 |
Æþelbald | 716-757 | Grandson of Éowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 746. Murdered by Béornred. | 757 |
Usurper
King | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Béornred | 757 | No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa. Possibly burnt to death in 769 in Northumbria. | 769 |
Iclings (House of Offa)
King | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Offa | 757-796 | Supposedly a great-great-grandson of Éowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himself King of the English in 774, built Offa's Dyke, and introduced the silver penny. | 26 or 29 July 796 |
Egfriþ | 787-796 | Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father. | 14 or 17 December 796 |
Iclings (House of Cœnwulf)
King | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Cœnwulf | 796-821 | Claimed to be a seventh generation descendant of Pybba. Assumed the title of 'emperor'. | 821 |
Cynehelm | 812 or 821 | Son of Cœnwulf. Co-ruler. Murdered and later canonised as St Kenelm. | 812 or 821 |
Céolwulf I | 821-823 | Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Béornwulf. | ? |
Elected Kings
King | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Béornwulf | 823-826 | Possible relation of Béornred. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle. | 826 |
Ludeca | 826-827 | Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle. | 827 |
Wigláf | 827-829 & 830-840 | Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Deposed by Egbert of Wessex. Later restored to the kingship, but from this time onwards Mercian dominance in England was lost. | 840 |
Wigmund | c.840 | Son of Wigláf, and son-in-law of Céolwulf. Probably co-ruler. | c.840 |
Wigstan | 840 | Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Béorhtwulf. | 849 |
Béorhtwulf | 840-852 | Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. | 852 |
Burgred | 852-874 | Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion. | ? |
Céolwulf II | 874-883 | Possibly a son of Wigmund. Set up by the Danes as a puppet ruler. | 883 |
Æþelred II | 883-911 | Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Sometimes listed as 'éaldorman' rather than 'king', especially by the West Saxons. | 911 |
Ladies of the Mercians
Lady | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Æþelflæd | 911-918 | Widow of Æþelred II and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. | 12 June 918 |
Ælfwynn | 918-919 | Daughter of Æþelflæd and Æþelred II. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder, who annexed Mercia to Wessex thus creating the Kingdom of England. | ? |
Éaldormen & Earls of Mercia
From the mid-10th century the chief Mercian magnate usually held the title of éaldorman, or earl from the early 11th century.
Éaldormen
Éaldorman | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Wulfsige Maur | 942-? | Granted large tracts of land in Mercia by Edmund after the latter had cleared the area of a Danish incursion. May not have held the title of éaldorman. | ? |
Ælfhere | c.956-983 | Appointed by Edwy. In 957 he switched allegiance to Edwy's brother Edgar, who subsequently succeeded to the English throne. | 983 |
Ælfric | 983-985 | Son (or in some sources brother-in-law) of Ælfhere. Unsuccessfuly rebelled against Ethelred the Unready, by whom he was then exiled. | ? |
Wulfric Spot | ?-1004/1010 | Probable son of Wulfsige Maur. He was the chief Mercian landowner, and is listed in some sources as either éaldorman or earl. | October 1010 |
Earls
Earl | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
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Éadric Stréona | 1007-1017 | Appointed by Ethelred the Unready (with the title 'éaldorman' until 1017 when it was upgraded to 'earl' by Canute). Later murdered by Canute for his treachery. | 25 December 1017 |
Léofric | 1017/1030-1057 | Certainly earl by c.1030, and possibly since 1017. Chiefly remembered for his famous wife, Godgifu (Lady Godiva). | 31 August or 30 September 1057 |
Ælfgar | 1057-1062 | Son of Léofric. Married Ælfgifu, the god-daughter of Wulfric Spot. | 1062 |
Éadwine | 1062-1071 | Son of Ælfgar. Submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066, but later rebelled, and was betrayed by his own men. Mercia was then broken up into smaller earldoms. | 1071 |