List of monarchs of Northumbria
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Northumbria, a kingdom of Angles, in what is now northern England and south-east Scotland, was initially divided into two kingdoms: Bernicia and Deira. The two were first united by Aethelfrith around the year 604, and except for occasional periods of division over the subsequent century, they remained so. The exceptions are during the brief period from 633 to 634, when Northumbria was plunged into chaos by the death of King Edwin in battle and the ruinous invasion of Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. The unity of the Northumbrian kingdoms was restored after Cadwallon's death in battle in 634.
Another exception is a period from about the year 644 to 664, when kings ruled individually over Deira. In 651, King Oswiu had Oswine of Deira killed and replaced by Aethelwald, but Aethelwald did not prove to be a loyal sub-king, allying with the Mercian king Penda; according to Bede, Aethelwald acted as Penda's guide during the latter's invasion of Northumbria but withdrew his forces when the Mercians met the Northumbrians at the Battle of Winwaed. After the Mercian defeat at Winwaed, Aethelwald lost power and Oswiu's own son, Alchfrith, became king in his place. In 670, Aelfwine, the brother of the childless King Ecgfrith, was made king of Deira; by this point the title may have been used primarily to designate an heir. Aelfwine was killed in battle against Mercia in 679, and there was not another separate king of Deira until the time of Norse rule.
Kings of Bernicia
Reign | Incumbent | Notes | |
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c. 500 | Esa (Oesa)[1] |
Doubtful historicity as a king. | |
c. 520 | Eoppa | Doubtful historicity as a king. Son of Esa. | |
547 to 559 | Ida | The Historia Brittonum calls Ida the first king of Bernicia. Son of Eoppa. | |
Glappa (Clappa) |
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Adda | Order and dates uncertain. | ||
568? to 572? | Æthelric | Order and dates uncertain. Son of Ida. | |
(order and dates uncertain) | Theodric (Deoric) |
son of Ida | |
(order and dates uncertain) | Frithuwald (Frithewlf) |
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585[?] to 592[?] | Hussa | Order and dates uncertain.[2] | |
593(?) to 616 | Æthelfrith | son of Æthelric, also ruled Deira, killed in battle | |
Deira Dynasty | |||
616 to 12/14 October 632 | Edwin | son of Ælla of Deira, which he also ruled, killed in battle by Penda, King of Mercia | |
Bernicia Dynasty | |||
late 632 to 633 | Eanfrith | son of Æthelfrith | |
634 to 5 August 642 | Oswald | son of Æthelfrith, also ruled Deira, killed by Penda, King of Mercia; Saint Oswald | |
late 642 to 654 | Oswiu | son of Æthelfrith, became King of united Northumbria |
Kings of Deira
Reign | Incumbent | Notes | |
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559/560 to 589 | Ælla (Aelli) |
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589/599 to 604 | Æthelric (Aedilric) |
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Bernician Dynasty | |||
593/604? to 616 | Æthelfrith | also king of Bernicia, killed in battle | |
Deira Dynasty | |||
616 to 12/14 October 632 | Edwin | son of Ælla, also ruled Bernicia, killed in battle by Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia; Saint Edwin | |
late 633 to summer 634 | Osric | ||
633 to 5 August 642 | Oswald | son of Æthelfrith, also ruled Bernicia, killed by Penda, King of Mercia; Saint Oswald | |
642 to 644 | Oswiu | son of Æthelfrith, also ruled Bernicia | |
644 to 651 | Oswine | son of Osric, murdered | |
summer 651 to late 654 or 655 | Æthelwold | son of Oswald | |
654 to 15 August 670 | Oswiu | restored | |
656 to 664 | Alchfrith | ||
670 to 679 | Ælfwine | Sub-king under his brother Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria. Killed in the Battle of the Trent against King Æthelred of Mercia |
Kings of Northumbria
Reign | Incumbent | Notes |
---|---|---|
654 to 15 February 670 | Oswiu | Hither of Bernicia and Deira |
February 670 to 20 May 685 | Ecgfrith | son of Oswiu, killed in battle against the Picts |
May 685 to 14 December 704 | Aldfrith (Ealdfrith, Aldfrid) |
son of Oswiu |
late 704 to early 705 | Eadwulf | usurper |
705 to 716 | Osred I | son of Aldfrith, killed in battle or murdered |
716 to 718 | Coenred | distant descendant of Ida of Bernecia |
718 to 29 May 729 | Osric | son of Aldfrith, adopted Ceolwulf as his heir |
729 to 731 | Ceolwulf | brother of Coenred, deposed; Saint Ceolwulf |
731 to 737/8 | Ceolwulf | restored; abdicated to become a monk |
737 to 758 | Eadberht | son of Eata, a descendant of Ida of Bernicia, abdicated to become a monk |
758 to 759 | Oswulf (Osulf) |
son of Eadberht, murdered by his servants |
759 to 765 | Æthelwald Moll | deposed |
765 to 774 | Alhred | distant descendant of Ida of Bernicia, deposed and exiled |
774 to 779 | Æthelred I | son of Æthelwald Moll, deposed |
779 to 23 September 788 | Ælfwald I | son of Oswulf, murdered |
788 to 790 | Osred II | son of Alhred, deposed and exiled |
790 to 18 April 796 | Æthelred I | restored |
796 | Osbald | exiled after a reign of 27 days |
14 May 796 to 806/8 | Eardwulf | deposed |
806/8 to 808/10 | Ælfwald II (Elfwald II) |
|
808 to 810 | Eardwulf | restored |
810 to 841 | Eanred | son of Eardwulf |
840/1 to 844 | Æthelred II | son of Eanred, deposed |
844 | Rædwulf (Redwulf) |
usurper |
844 to c. 848/9 | Æthelred II | restored |
c. 848/9 to 862/3 | Osberht (Osbert) |
deposed |
862/3/7 to 23 March 867 | Ælle II | usurper, killed by the Danes with Osbeorht |
867 to 21 March 867 | Osberht (Osbert) |
killed by the Danes with the usurper Ælle |
Kings of Northumbria in the Norse era
Reign | Incumbent | Notes |
---|---|---|
867 to 872 | Ecgberht I | puppet king of the Danes |
872 to 876 | Ricsige | |
876 to 877 | Halfdan Ragnarsson | Hálfdan in Old Norse, Halfdene or Healfdene in Old English, Albann in Old Irish. Norse ruler in York. The northern part of Northumbria remained under Anglo-Saxon rule. |
877 to 883 | Interregnum | |
c. 883 to 895 | Guthred | Guðrøðr in Old Norse |
late 9th century/early 10th century[3]: 79 | Siefredus | Sigfroðr in Old Norse. |
late 9th century/early 10th century[3]: 79 | Cnut | Knútr in Old Norse. Sigfroðr and Knútr may have been joint kings for part or all of the period between 895 and 905[3]: 79 |
fl. c. 900—902[3]: 79 | Æthelwold | |
c.902-910[3]: 87 | Hálfdan and Eowils | Another king, Ingwær, their brother, may have also ruled. All three were killed at the Battle of Tettenhall. |
914 (or before) to 921[4]: 144–8 | Ragnall | Probably controlled much of Northumbria before finally becoming king of York in 918. |
921 to 927[4]: 148–51 | Sigtrygg | Known as Sitric Cáech in Irish chronicles. |
927 | Gofraid ua Ímair | Guthfrith in Old English. Guðrøðr in Old Norse. |
927 to 939 [4]: 151, 74 | Æthelstan of Wessex | As King of the English |
939 to 941[4]: 174, 81 | Olaf Guthfrithson | son of Gofraid ua Ímair, known as Amlaíb mac Gofraid in Irish chronicles |
941 to 943 or 944[4]: 181–2 | Amlaíb Cuarán | son of Sigtrygg, known in England as Olaf Sihtricson. Óláfr Sigtryggsson in Old Norse. |
943 to 944 (with Amlaíb Cuarán?)[4]: 182 | Ragnall Guthfrithson | Old Norse: Røgnvaldr Guðrøðsson; Old Irish: Ragnall mac Gofraid. Son of Gofraid ua Ímair |
roughly 944 to 946[4]: 182, 86 | Eadmund of Wessex | As King of the English |
c. 947 to 948[4]: 186–8 | Eric Bloodaxe | |
949 to 952[4]: 186, 88 | Amlaíb Cuarán | restored |
952 to 954[4]: 188–90 | Eric Bloodaxe | restored |
from 954[4]: 190 | Eadred of Wessex | Claiming and enforcing rule from 946;[4]: 185–90 Kingdom absorbed permanently into England after 954[4]: 190 |
Family tree
- Kings of Bernicia; - Kings of Deira; - Kings of Northumbria
Esa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eoppa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ida d. 559 r.c.547–559 | Yffi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Glappa d. 560 r.559–560 | Adda d. 568 r.560–568 | Æthelric d. 572 r.568–572 | Theodoric d. 579 r.572–579 | Ælle d. 588 r.569–588 | Frithuwald d. 585 r.579–585 | Hussa d. 592 r.585–592 | Æthelric r.589/599–604 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Æthelfrith d. 616 r.592–616 | Acha of Deira | Eadwine b.c.586; d. 633 r.616–633 | Osric I d. 634 r.633–634 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eanfrith b.c.595; d. 634 r.633–634 | Oswald b.c.604; d. 642 r.634–642 | Oswiu b.c.612; d. 670 r.642–670 | Oswine d. 651 r.644–651 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Talorgan King of the Picts | Æthelwald I d. 655 r.651–655 | Ealhfriht d. 664 r.655–664 | Ecgfriht b.c.645; d. 685 r.670–685 | Ealdfriht d. 704 r.685–704 | Ælfwine b.c.661; d. 679 r.670–679 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Osred I b.c.697; d. 716 r.704–716 | Osric II d. 729 r.718–729 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
Notes
References
- Mackenzie, E; Ross, M (1834). An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County Palatine of Durham. Vol. I. Newcastle upon Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent. p. xi. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- Downham, Clare (2007), Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014, Edinburgh: Dunedin, ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0, OCLC 163618313
- Woolf, Alex (2007), From Pictland to Alba, 789–1070, The New Edinburgh History of Scotland, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, ISBN 978-0-7486-1234-5, OCLC 123113911