Anglo-Saxon Kings

After the Roman evacuation of Britain in the early
fifth century began the Celtic inhabitants to employ Germanic
mercenaries to defend themselves. These later seized power and initiated
a migration of Germanic peoples to Britain which would wipe out,
displace or assimilate the Celtic population. The start of the Germanic
invasion has traditionally been dated to AD 449 and it comprised mainly
of three tribes,
namely Saxons, Angles and Jutes. These tribes eventually formed several
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of which the more long-lasting, and thus more famous,
were the so called Heptarchy. The oldest kingdom was Kent, where the
Jutes settled (they also created a kingdom on the Isle of Wight which
was conquered by Wessex). The Saxons are associated with three kingdoms
called Wessex (West Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons)
and Essex (East Saxons). The Angles from who England is named after is
said to have formed the kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria
The lists below records the kings of the smaller
kingdoms of
Essex, Sussex and Kent. The other kingdoms have their own pages with
links to them under the map. Be aware that all early dates are
approximate since very little is know of the Anglo-Saxons oldest
history.
Kingdom of Essex
527-587
587-604
604-616
616
616
616-617
617-653
653-660
660-665
665-683
665-695
695-c. 715
695-c. 715
709
c. 715-738
738-746
746-758
758-798
798-812
812-825
825-870
870-916
916- |
Ęscwine
Sledda
Sębert
Sęward
Sexbald
Sexred
Sigeberht I the Little
Sigeberht II the Blessed
Swithhelm
Sighere (
= of Kent c. 686-688)
Sebbi
Swęfred (
= of Kent 688-694)
Sigeheard
Offa
Swaefbert
Saelred
Swithred
Sigeric I
Sigered (ealdorman 812-825)
Part of
Mercia
Part of Wessex
Part of East Anglia
Part of
England |
Kingdom of Sussex
|
477-514
514-?
?-685
685-686
685-?
686-688
?-692
692-c. 714
c. 714-720
c. 720-725
725-c. 750
c. 750-771
c. 765-771
c. 765-771
c. 765-771
771-825
825- |
Ęlla |
|
Cissa
Ęthelwalh
Berhtun (ealdorman)
Andhun (ealdorman)
Part of
Wessex
(Cędwalla)
Wattus
Nothelm
Ęthelstan
Nunna (identical with Nothelm?)
Ęthelbert
Osmund (ealdorman c. 772)
Oslac (ealdorman c. 772)
Ęlfwald (ealdorman c. 772)
Ealdwulf (ealdorman till c. 791)
Part of
Mercia
Part of Wessex (England) |
Kingdom of Kent
|
455-488
488-512
512-540
540-560
560-616
616-640
640-664
664-673
673-685
685-686
686-687
688-690
690-725
725-762
762-764
764-765
765-772
772-776
776-785
784-785
785-796
796-798
798-807
807-823
823-824
824-839
839-851
851-860
860- |
Hengest
Ęsc (Oeric Oisc)
Octa
Eormenric
Ęthelbert I |
|
Eadbald
Earconbert
Ecgbert I
Hlothere
Eadric
Mul (Wessex sub-king)
Oswine
Wihtraed
Aethelbert II
Eanmund
Heabert (Mercian sub-king)
Ecgbert II Mercian sub-king)
Part of Mercia
Ecgbert II (again Mercian sub-king)
Ealhmund (Mercian sub-king)
Part of Mercia
Eadbert Praen
Cuthred (Mercian sub-king)
Part of Mercia
Baldred (Mercian sub-king)
Ęthelwulf (Wessex sub-king)
Ęthelstan (Wessex sub-king)
Ęthelbert (Wessex sub-king)
Part of Wessex (England) |
Kentish co-kings in Dorchester
(mentioned as kings of Kent but probably rulers of a
separate kingdom comprising the diocese of Dorchester)
|
c. 560-616
c. 616-640
c. 640-673
673-686
c. 686-688
688-694
694-725
725-748
748-762
748-762
762-764 |
Eadbald
Ęthelwald
Eormenred
Eadric
Sighere (
= of Kent 665-683)
Swaefheard (
= of Kent 695-715)
Ęthelbert
Eadbert I
Eadbert II
Eardwulf
Sigered |
|