This is a chronological list of the monarchs of Kingdom of East Anglia, formally known as The Kingdom of the East Angles, one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was founded in the 6th century and ceased being independent in 918, having been conquered by Wessex, another member of the Heptarchy.
Many of the dates of this time are considered unreliable, often being based on computation from known dates. Regnal years may be counted twice, since all or part of a year may be attributed: for instance, the period attributed below to Ricberht (the East Anglian apostasy) is said by the contemporary author Bede to have lasted for three years, and is computed allowing all or part of the years 627, 628 and 629 to this interregnum or unknown reign.
The names are given in modern English form, followed by the names and titles (as far as is known) in contemporaneous Anglo-Saxon English and Latin, being the recorded languages of the time. Note that the title 'REX' is not recorded specifically for any East Anglian ruler before Rædwald: the earlier names derive from the genealogical tally (not regnal list) in the Anglian Collection and the Historia Britonum. They are normally styled rulers of the East Angle people (Angli Orientales), not of East Anglia (Anglia Orientalis). The title Rex Anglorum is used of Rædwald, and Rex Ang. (indeterminate, probably Anglorum) of Aethelstan and Eadmund in their coinage.
This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a document. A number of variations of the details below exist. Amongst these are the preference between þ and ð (voiceless and voiced th).
A character resembling '7' (the so-called Tironian et) was used as the ampersand '&' in contemporary Anglo-Saxon writings. The era pre-dates the emergence of forms of writing accepted today, notably minuscule, and the letters 'W' and 'U'. Where W was followed by U this was generally rendered as 'VV' (which was also used for 'W' alone).
List of the Kings of the East Angles[]
| Reign | Incumbent | Contemporary title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ??? to ??? | Wehha | VVEHHA VVILHELMING ESTANGLE CYNING VVEHHA REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
'The first to rule over the East Angles' (Historia Britonum) |
| ante 571 to 578 | Wuffa | VVFFA VVEHHING ESTANGLE CYNING VVFFA REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Eponymous ancestor of the Wuffing dynasty, 'ruling' in 571 (Roger of Wendover) |
| 578 to 599 | Tytila | TYTTLA VVFFING TYTTLA REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
'Took up the helm of the kingdom' (Roger of Wendover) |
| 599 to 624 | Rædwald | RÆDVVALD TYTTLING ESTANGLE CYNING RÆDVVALD REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Imperium; Rex Anglorum (Bede). Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle). |
| 617 to 618 | Eni | ENI TYTTLING ESTANGLE CYNING ENI REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
not known to have reigned |
| c.624 to c.627 | Eorpwald | EORPVVALD RÆDVVALDING ESTANGLE CYNING EORPVVALD REX ANGLORUM ORIENTALIUM |
Murdered by Ricberht. |
| c.627 to c.629 | Ricberht | RICBRYHT REX ANGLORUM ORIENTALIUM | not known to have reigned |
| c.629 to ?634 | Sigeberht | SIGEBRYHT RÆDVVALDING ESTANGLE CYNING SIGEBRYHT REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Joint king with Ecgric; abdicated; Slain in battle; Saint Sigeberht. Son or Stepson of Rædwald. |
| ante 634 to ?636 | Ecgric | ECGRIC ESTANGLE CYNING ECGRIC REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Slain in battle; kinsman of Sigeberht presumed son of Rædwald or Eni. |
| 636 to 654 | Anna | ANNA ENING ESTANGLE CYNING ANNA REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Slain in battle |
| 654 to 15 November 654 | Æthelhere | ÆÞELHERE ENING ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELHERE REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| late 654 to 664 | Æthelwold | ÆTHELVVOLD ENING ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELVVOLD REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| 663 or 664 to 713 | Ealdwulf | EALDVVLF ESTANGLE CYNING EALDVVLF REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| c.713 to 749 | Ælfwald | ÆLFVVALD ESTANGLE CYNING ÆLFVVALD REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| 749 to ? | Hun | HVN ANGLORUM ORIENTALIUM | Joint ruler (possibly mythic) |
| 749 to c.760 | Beorna | BEORNA ESTANGLE CYNING BEORNA REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Joint king |
| 749 to ? | Alberht | ALBERHT ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM | Joint ruler; also known as Æthelberht I |
| ?c.760 to ?c.779 | Æthelred I | ÆÞELRED ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELRED REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Possibly mythic |
| ?779 to 794 | Æthelberht II | ÆÞELBRYHT ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELBRYHT REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Saint Æthelbert. Executed at the command of Offa |
| Mercian Dynasty Dynasty | |||
| c.760 to 796 | Offa | OFFA ÞINCFRIÞING MIERCNA 7 ESTANGLE CYNING OFFA REX MERCIA ET ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS OFFA REX ANGLORVM |
Held dominion over East Angles |
| East Anglian Dynasty | |||
| after 794 to ? | Eadwald | EADVVALD ESTANGLE CYNING EADVVALD REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| Mercian Dynasty | |||
| c.796 to 821 | Coenwulf | COENVVLF MIERCNA 7 ESTANGLE CYNING COENVVLF REX MERCIA ET ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Held dominion over East Angles |
| 821 to 823 | Ceolwulf | COELVVLF MIERCNA 7 ESTANGLE CYNING COELVVLF REX MERCIA ET ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Held dominion over East Angles |
| 823 to 826 | Beornwulf | BEORNVVLF MIERCNA 7 ESTANGLE CYNING BEORNVVLF REX MERCIA ET ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Held dominion over East Angles |
| East Anglian Dynasty | |||
| c.821 to c.839 | Æthelstan | ÆÞELSTAN ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELSTAN REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
styled Rex Anglorum (coins) |
| c.839 to 855 | Æthelweard | ÆÞELVVEARD ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELVVEARD REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
|
| 855 to 20 November 870 | Eadmund | EADMVND ESTANGLE CYNING EADMVND REX ANGLORVM ORIENTALIVM |
Martyred; Saint Edmund. Styled Rex Anglorum (coins) |
| Sub-kings under Norse Suzerainty | |||
| 870 to 876 | Oswald | OSVVALD ESTANGLE CYNING OSVVALD REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Died 876 |
| 876 to 879 | Æthelred II | ÆÞELRED ESTANGLE CYNING ÆÞELRED REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Replaced by Alfred the Great of Wessex in 879 |
| 879 to 890 | Guthrum the Old | AÞELSTAN ESTANGLE CYNING AÞELSTAN REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Norse ruler Guthrum the Old, took name Æthelstan at baptism |
| 890 to 902 | Eohric (Eohric) |
ERIC ESTANGLE CYNING ERIC REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Killed in battle December 902 |
| 902? | Æthelwold of Wessex | AÞELWALD ESTANGLE CYNING AÞELWALD REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Killed in battle December 902? |
| 902 to 916 | Guthrum II | GUTHRUM ESTANGLE CYNING GUTHRUM REX ANGLIÆ ORIENTALIS |
Killed in battle 916 |
After 917, East Anglia was under the rule of Wessex, with subsequent rulers downgraded to the status of Earl of East Anglia.
See also[]
- Ralph de Guader, dubbed Prince of the East Angles
References[]
- Keynes, Simon, "Kings of the East Angles" in M. Lapidge, et al., (eds), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford: Blackwell, 1999. ISBN 0-631-22492-0
- Ashley, Mike, The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens New York: Carroll & Graff, 1998. ISBN 0-7967-0692-9