Cuthred of Wessex
| Cuthred | |
|---|---|
| King of Wessex | |
| Reign | 740–756 |
| Predecessor | Athelheard |
| Successor | Sigeberht |
| Died | 756 |
| House | House of Wessex |
Cuthred († c. 756) was a West Saxon nobleman and atheling. He was King of Wessex from 740 to 756. Cuthred succeeded in restoring much of the prestige of Wessex.
King of Wessex[change | change source]
At the death of King Athelheard, his kinsman Cuthred became king.[1] During the time of Athelheard much of Wessex had been lost to King Aethelbald of Mercia.[2] Cuthred made it known he was not as weak a ruler as Athelheard and struggled against Aethelbald being his overlord.[1] In the first three years of Cuthred's rule he warred with Mercia. In 743 Cuthred joined Aethelbald in fighting the Welsh.[3] By all appearances this was a friendly alliance between the two kings. But the friendship soon ended.[3] In 748 Cuthred's son, Cynric, tried to depose his father and died in the rebellion.[4] According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the rebellion was encouraged by the Mercian king.[5]
Two years later in 750 Cuthred put down another rebellion by Athelhun, one of his ealdormen.[6] In the day-long battle, Athelhun had fewer men but was winning until he was severely wounded.[4] In 752, Cuthred again tried to get free of King Aethelbald.[6] This led to a battle at Burford[a] where Cuthred, assisted by a now faithful Athelhun, met Aethelbald and his army.[3] The battle ended up with Aethelbald fleeing the battlefield.[4] From that time on Cuthred maintained independence from Mercia for the rest of his reign.[2] Cuthred died in 756.[2] But he left a much stronger Wessex free of Mercian rule.[6] He was succeeded by Sigeberht.[6]
Family[change | change source]
The name of Cuthred's wife is unknown. His son:
- Cynric was killed in 746.[3]
Notes[change | change source]
- ↑ This battlefield has not been identified. Earlier speculation that it was the same as Burford in Oxfordshire had been disproved.[2]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens (New york: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 310
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 204
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sharon Turner, The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1841), p. 267
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, ed. & trans. Thomas Forester (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853), p. 129
- ↑ Sharon Turner, The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1841), p. 267, note i
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens (New york: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 311
Other websites[change | change source]
- Britannia: Kings of Wessex Archived 2013-07-27 at the Wayback Machine