TheKingdom of Merciawas a state in theEnglish Midlandsfrom the 6th century to the 10th century. For some two hundred years from the mid-7th century onwards it was the dominant member of theHeptarchyand consequently the most powerful of theAnglo-Saxonkingdoms. During this period its rulers became the firstEnglishmonarchs to assume such wide-ranging titles asKing of BritainandKing of the English.
Spellings varied widely in this period, even within a single document, and a number of variants exist for the names given below. For example, the soundthwas usually represented with theOld Englishlettersðorþ.
For the Continental predecessors of the Mercians inAngeln,seeList of kings of the Angles.For their successors seeList of English monarchs.
Kings of the Mercians
editThe traditional rulers of Mercia were known as the Iclingas, descendants of the kings of theAngles.When the Iclingas became extinct in the male line, a number of other families, labelled B, C and W by historians, competed for the throne.[1]
Iclingas
B-dynasty (so-called – a conjectural grouping based on names alone)
C-dynasty (traditionally a branch of the Iclingas, probably instead descended from theWest SaxonkingCenwalhand his Iclinga wife)
W-dynasty (Wiglaf and his descendants, later intermarried with C)
Unknown dynastic affiliation
Mercia under external occupation
Æthelred II and family (recognising West Saxon overlordship)
All the following arekings,unless specified. Those initalicsare probably legendary, are of dubious authenticity, or may not have reigned.
| Ruler | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icel | c.515-c.535 | Son ofEomer,last King of theAnglesinAngeln.Led his people across theNorth SeatoBritain. | c.535 |
| Cnebba | c.535-c.554 | Son ofIcel of Mercia | c.554 |
| Cynewald | c.554-c.584 | Son ofCnebba. | c.584 |
| Creoda | c.584–c.593 | Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress atTamworth. | c.593 |
| Pybba | c.593–c.606 | Son of Creoda. Extended Mercian control into the westernMidlands. | c.606 |
| Cearl | c.606–c.626 | Named as king byBede,not included in later regnal lists. | c.626 |
| Penda | c.626–655 | Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Lastpaganruler of Mercia. Killed in battle byOswiu of Northumbria. | 15 Nov 655 |
| Eowa | c.635–642 | Son of Pybba. Co-ruler. Killed in battle. | 5 Aug 642 |
| Peada | c.653–656 | Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered. | 17 Apr 656 |
| Oswiu of Northumbria | 655–658 | Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the death of Penda. Also King of Northumbria (655–670). | 15 Feb 670 |
| Wulfhere | 658–675 | Son of Penda. Restored Mercian dominance in England. First Christian king of all Mercia. | 675 |
| Æthelred I | 675–704 | Son of Penda. Abdicated and retired to a monastery atBardney. | 716 |
| Cœnred | 704–709 | Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired toRome. | ? |
| Ceolred | 709–716 | Son of Æthelred I. Probably poisoned. | 716 |
| Ceolwald | 716 | Presumed son of Æthelred I (may not have existed). | 716 |
| Æthelbald | 716–757 | Grandson of Eowa. Proclaimed himselfKing of Britainin 736. Murdered by his bodyguards. | 757 |
| Beornred | 757 | No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa. | ? |
| Offa | 757–796 | Great-great-grandson of Eowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himselfKing of the Englishin 774, builtOffa's Dyke,and introduced the silverpenny. | 29 Jul 796 |
| Ecgfrith | 787–796 | Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father. | 17 Dec 796 |
| Cœnwulf | 796–821 | Seventh generation descendant of Pybba, probably through a sister of Penda. Assumed the title of 'emperor'. | 821 |
| Cynehelm | c.798–812 | Son of Cœnwulf. Although he existed, his status as co-ruler and his murder are legendary. Canonised (St Kenelm). | 812 |
| Ceolwulf I | 821–823 | Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Beornwulf. | ? |
| Beornwulf | 823–826 | Conjectured kinsman of Beornred. Killed in battle against the East Anglians. | 826 |
| Ludeca | 826–827 | No known relation to his predecessors. Killed in battle against the East Anglians. | 827 |
| Wiglaf(1st reign) | 827–829 | No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed byEcgberht of Wessex. | 839 |
| Ecgberht of Wessex | 829–830 | Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the deposition of Wiglaf. Also King of Wessex (802–839). | 4 Feb 839 |
| Wiglaf(2nd reign) | 830–839 | Restored. Although Mercia regained its independence, its dominance in England was lost. | 839 |
| Wigmund | c.839–c.840 | Son of Wiglaf and son-in-law of Ceolwulf I. Probably co-ruler. | c.840 |
| Wigstan | 840 | Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Beorhtwulf. Canonised (St Wystan). | 849 |
| Ælfflæd(Queen) | 840 | Daughter of Ceolwulf I, wife of Wigmund and mother of Wigstan. Appointed regent by Wigstan. | ? |
| Beorhtwulf | 840–852 | Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Usurped the kingship and forced Ælfflæd to marry his son, Beorhtfrith. | 852 |
| Burgred | 852–874 | Conjectured kinsman of Beorhtwulf. Fled to Rome in the face of aDanishinvasion. | ? |
| Ceolwulf II | 874–879 orc.883 | Possibly a descendant of the C-dynasty, of which Ceolwulf I was a member, perhaps via intermarriage with W-dynasty. Lost eastern Mercia to the Danes in 877. | 879 orc.883 |
| Æthelred II(Lord) | c.883–911 | RecognisedAlfred of Wessexas his overlord. Regarded as an 'ealdorman' by West Saxon sources. | 911 |
| Æthelflæd(Lady) | 911–918 | Wife of Æthelred II and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. Possibly descended from earlier Mercian kings via her mother. With her brother,Edward the Elder,reconquered eastern Mercia. | 12 Jun 918 |
| Ælfwynn(Lady) | 918 | Daughter of Æthelred II and Æthelflæd. Deposed by her uncle,Edward the Elder,Dec 918, who annexed Mercia to Wessex. | ? |
Titular kings following Mercia's annexation
edit| Ruler | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Æthelstan | 924 | Son of Edward the Elder and nephew of Æthelflæd. Became King of Mercia on Edward's death (Jul 924), and King of Wessex about 16 days later. | 27 Oct 939 |
| Eadgar | 957–959 | Nephew of Æthelstan. Seized control of Mercia and Northumbria in May 957, before succeeding to the reunited English throne in Oct 959. | 8 Jul 975 |
Ealdormen and Earls of the Mercians
editThe chief magnate of Mercia as an English province held the title ofealdormanuntil 1023/32, andearlthereafter. Both offices were royal appointments, but the latter in effect became hereditary.
Ealdormen of the Mercians (non-dynastic)
Earls of the Mercians (descendants of Leofwine)
| Ruler | Reign | Biographical notes | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ælfhere | 957–983 | Appointed ealdorman of Mercia in 957 by Eadgar, when the English kingdom was disunited. | 983 |
| Ælfric Cild | 983–985 | Brother-in-law of Ælfhere. Deposed byÆthelred the Unreadyin 985. | ? |
| Wulfric Spot | ?–1004 | Possibly ealdorman of Mercia after the deposition of Ælfric Cild. | 22 Oct 1004 |
| Eadric Streona | 1007–1017 | Appointed by Æthelred. A notorious turncoat, he was later murdered byCnutfor his treachery. | 25 Dec 1017 |
| Leofwine | 1017–1023/32 | Possibly appointed by Cnut as ealdorman of Mercia, he was also ealdorman of theHwicce. | 1023/32 |
| Leofric | 1023/32–1057 | Son of Leofwine, appointed by Cnut as earl. Chiefly remembered for his famous wife, Godgifu (Lady Godiva). | 31 Aug or 30 Sep 1057 |
| Ælfgar | 1057–1062 | Son of Leofric. Had previously been Earl of East Anglia until succeeding his father to Mercia. | 1062 |
| Eadwine | 1062–1071 | Son of Ælfgar. Submitted toWilliam the Conquerorin 1066, but later rebelled, and was betrayed by his own men. Mercia was then broken up into smaller earldoms. | 1071 |
Earls of March
editThe titleEarl of March(etymologically identical to 'Earl of Mercia') was created in the western Midlands forRoger Mortimerin 1328. It has fallen extinct, and been recreated, three times since then, and exists today as a subsidiary title of theDuke of RichmondandLennox.
Kings of Mercia family tree
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References
edit- ^Zaluckyj, Sarah & Feryok, Marge.Mercia: The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Central England(2001)ISBN1-873827-62-8