Page images
PDF
EPUB

A.D. 796.

Edbert, surnamed Præn", becomes king in Kent.

Ethelred of Northumbria is killed by Wada and others, April 19. Eardwulf succeeds to the kingdom, May 14; is crowned at York, May 26.

before. Certain it is, that many Ost- | European colonies in the East in more man settlements existed along the recent times. coast a few years after, which seem to have been independent of each other, and sometimes hostile, but the natives, from the inferiority of their arms, were unable to expel them. After a time, Anlaf the White, a Dane, who arrived with a powerful fleet at Dublin, was acknowledged as chief by all the Ostmen. He so firmly established their power, that from that period to the time of the English conquest, not only from Irish authorities, but by their coins, a constant succession of Danish kings can be traced in Dublin, and for a great part of the time also in Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. They eventually became Christian, and had bishops of their own, who received consecration at Canterbury, while the native Irish prelates acknowledged the supremacy of the archbishop of Armagh.

The Ostman settlements are still the most important and commercial cities of Ireland, and indeed they would seem to have been selected quite as much with mercantile as political views. Each "kingdom" appears to have consisted in reality of but a single strongly fortified town and a small surrounding district, and its power was chiefly maritime; but from being better furnished with ships and arms, and more skilled in their use, its people possessed a preponderating influence over the adjacent country somewhat similar to that of

Offa of Mercia dies, July 29. Egferth, his successor, dies shortly after. Cynulf becomes king.

A.D. 797.

Siric, tributary king of East Anglia, goes to Rome.

A.D. 798. Cynulf ravages Kent; he takes Præn prisoner, and mutilates him.

Wada, having rebelled against Eardwulf, is defeated and put to flight at Hwealleage or Billingahoth (Whalley, in Lancashire,) April 2.

London burnt.

Man and the Hebrides ravaged by the Northmen.

A.D. 800.

The Empire of the West re-established by the coronation of Charlemagne, Dec. 25.

A.D. 802.

Brihtric of Wessex dies; Egbert is chosen to succeed him.

EGBERT.

EGBERT, the fourth in descent from Ingils, brother of Ina, and the son of Ealhmund, sub-king of Kent, being banished by Brihtric, sought refuge at the court of Charlemagne, and was in his company at Rome when the French king received the dignity of

Ostman, or Eastman, probably as coming from the opposite coasts of England and Scotland, rather than direct from the North.

* An Irish Chronicle mentions, under the year 852, that the Dark strangers came to Dublin, destroyed the colony of the Fair strangers, and carried many of them into captivity.

• Patrick was consecrated to Dublin in 1074 by Lanfranc, as was his successor Donagh in 1085. The consecrations of Samuel of Dublin (1096), Malchus of Waterford (1096), Gregory of Dublin (1121), and Patrick of Limerick (1140), all took

emperor of the West. On the death of Brihtric Egbert was recalled to Wessex, and ascended the throne. He warred successfully with the Britons, and thus increased the power of his kingdom while the other Saxon states were falling into ruin from their

place at Canterbury before the invasion of Ireland by De Clare and his associates.

A priest. He had been ordained, but being of the royal blood, was chosen to succeed on the death of Ealhmund, whose son Egbert had been driven into exile by Brihtric.

In the interval, Osbald, a noble, had usurped the throne, but after a reign of 27 days he was driven out, and obliged to submit to the tonsure.

He was poisoned by his wife Edburga. She retired first to France, then to Italy, and died miserably at Pavia.

ceaseless dissensions. At length in 821 he commenced a formal course of conquest, which in the course of eight years made him sole monarch, when he granted Kent to his son Ethelwulf, but allowed the more remote states of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria to be ruled by tributary kings.

This change being accomplished in the year 827, the ancient title of "Bretwalda" seems to have been revived, but Egbert dates the years of his ducatus from 816. He married Redburga, a lady whose parentage is not ascertained, and left by her, Ethelwulf, his successor in the monarchy; Athelstan, who is styled king of Kent; and Ethelbald. Egbert died most probably in the year 839, but different MSS. of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ascribe the length of 36, 37, and 38 years to his reign.

The arms in the margin, "Azure, a cross patonce or," have been ascribed to Egbert; but it is now generally agreed that any thing resembling personal heraldic bearings was unknown till the twelfth .century.

Arms ascribed to Egbert.

A.D. 802.

The Hwiccians', a people of Mercia, invade Wessex, but are defeated by the men of Wiltshire at Kempsford.

A.D. 807.

Cuthred of Kent dies.

A.D. 808.

Eardwulf of Northumbria, driven from his kingdom, retires to the court of Charlemagne.

The Northmen plunder Hii, and murder the monks. They repair to Ireland the next year, and advance far inland, plundering the churches and monasteries.

• According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 819; but there seems reason to believe that there is an error of two or three years in some of its entries about this time.

Inhabiting the modern counties of Gloucester
Monmouth.

A.D. 815.

Egbert laid waste West Wales (Devon and Cornwall) from eastward to westward."

A.D. 817.

The English school at Rome burnt.

A.D. 821.

Cenwulf of Mercia dies. Ceolwulf succeeds.

A.D. 823.

Ceolwulf of Mercia deprived of his kingdom. Beornwulf succeeds.

A.D. 825.

Egbert defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellendune (near Wilton).

Ethelwulf, son of Egbert, drives Baldred of Kent beyond the Thames.

A.D. 826.

"The men of Kent, and the men of Surrey, and the South Saxons and the East Saxons, submitted to Egbert; for formerly they had been unjustly forced from him. And the same year the king of the East Angles and the people sought the alliance and protection of King Egbert for dread of the Mercians; and the same year the East Angles slew Beornwulf, king of Mercia."

A.D. 828.

Ludeca of Mercia is slain. Wiglaf succeeds.

"King Egbert conquered the kingdom of the Mercians, and all that was south of the Humber; and he was the eighth king who was Bretwalda.... And Egbert led an army to Dore (near Dronfield, Derbyshire,) against the Northumbrians, and there they offered him obedience and allegiance, and with that they separated.”

A.D. 830.

Wiglaf re-obtains Mercia, as a tributary to Egbert.

Égbert makes war successfully on the North Welsh.

A Northman, called Turgesius (probably Thorkill), comes to Ireland. He

This served not only as a school, but as a place of entertainment for the English pilgrims; it was situate near St. Peter's, but had its own church, dedicated to St. Mary.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Oslac, of the stem of Cerdic, he left four sons, who all became kings, and two daughters. His second marriage, and the coronation of his young queen, Judith, gave deep offence to his sub

ETHELWULF is said, though on very doubtful authority, to have been designed for the Church, but at his father's death he succeeded to the kingdom, and granted the administration of the southern and eastern por-jects, and he was obliged to cede the tions to his brother Athelstan. Ethelwulf's reign is chiefly remarkable for the ceaseless ravages of the Northmen, and his own journey to Rome, and

Ethelwulf's Ring.

liberal benefactions to the Church. By his first wife, Osburga, the daughter of

greater part of his dominions to his eldest son. Ethelwulf died shortly after, and was buried at Winchester.

[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

Wiglaf of Mercia dies. Beorhtwulf succeeds.

Kent, East Anglia, and Lincolnshire ravaged by the Northmen.

Ethelwulf defeated at Carrum (Charmouth) by the Northmen.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

descendant of the last chief rulers of
the northern and eastern districts, suc-
ceeded to power, and marrying the
heiress of the south he brought the
whole country under his hand. He,
however, undid his own work by again
dividing it among his three sons, giving
Gwynneth (North Wales) to Anarawd,
Dynevor (South Wales) to Cadel, and
Powys (the eastern portion, then ex-
tending far into what is now reckoned
England) to Mervin *. Roderic or-
dained that Gwynneth should be the
paramount state, to which the others
should pay tribute, but this arrange-gainst the North Welsh.
ment did not long endure.
being killed by the Northmen, Powys
was seized by the ruler of Dynevor,
and that state, under Howel Dda,
about 910 became the chief kingdom.

there made the greatest slaughter
among the heathen army that we have
heard tell of unto the present day, and
there got the victory."

Athelstan of Kent dies.

Anlaf the White attempts in vain
to levy tribute on the Northmen in
Ireland.
A.D. 852.

A.D. 842 (circa).

Mervin

[blocks in formation]

These princes and their successors are often styled in the Welsh Chronicles, from the names of their capitals, the kings of Aberfraw (in Anglesey), of Cardigan, and of Mathraval (near Meivod, in Montgomeryshire), in the same way as their cotemporaries, the English kings, are called the kings of London. The South Wales state was the largest ; but the greater part of its territory was held by the lords of Dyved (Pembroke), Morganwg (Glamorgan) and Gwent (the district on the Severn and Wye), who were only nominal dependents on the king of Cardigan.

The same name as Olaf or Olaus. It was very common in the North, and for that reason

Beorhtwulf of Mercia dies; Burgred succeeds.

A.D. 853 or 854.

Ethelwulf assists the Mercians a

The Northmen in Thanet unsuccessfully attacked by Ealhere and Huda, the ealdormen of Kent and Surrey, who are both killed.

Burgred marries Athelswith, the daughter of Ethelwulf.

[blocks in formation]

great confusion has hitherto prevailed concerning several of the Northman invaders of Britain and Ireland. The researches of the Rev. Dr. Todd, in his translation of the Wars of the Gael, have however thrown much light on the subject, and Anlafs who lived a century apart from each other need no longer be confounded.

This grant, which is only to be taken as a proof of the personal piety of Ethelwulf, in bestowing a tenth of his private estate on the Church, is often incorrectly spoken of as if it were the origin of tithes in England. See notice of Anglo-Saxon Laws, p. 72.

[blocks in formation]

Ethelbert dies early in the year and Ethelred suc

Ethelbald succeeds in Wessex, and Ethelbert in the rest of Ethelwulf's is buried at Sherborne.

dominions.

ceeds.

ETHELRED.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »