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Anglo Saxon

Viking

Time Line Saxon Conquest

Anglo Saxon Time Line

	Previous Time Line
406	The 20th Legion quit Deva it then reverted to the Britons,
429	Germanus (St.) visits Britain
430.	Saxons fighting in Britain.
440	English land in Britain.
449.	Landing of Hengist and Horsa in Kent
c. 450	The adventus Saxonum : Hengest and Horsa settle in Kent ( traditional date ) .
455	Hengist and Aesc become kings of the Kentishmen. - Hengest rebels against Vortigern
476	Fall of Roman Empire in the West
477	Landing of South Saxons, Aella and Cissa in Sussex - Saxon settlement of Sussex
491.	Siege of Anderida. - Aella called king of the South Saxons.
495.	Landing of West Saxons Cerdic and Cynric in Hampshire.
495	Saxon settlement of Wessex (traditional date)
c.500	Battle of Mons Badonicus
519.	Cerdic and Cynric called kings of the West Saxons
520	British victory at Mount Badon.
526.	Aescwine first king of the East Saxons..
547.	Ida first king of the Northumbrians in Bernicia..
547	Ida founds kingdom of Bernicia
552	West Saxons take Old Sarum.
560	Aella first king of the Northumbrians in Deira.
	Æthelberht, King of Kent, ( who died 616 ).
568	Æthelberht, driven back by West Saxons.
571.	Uffa first king of the East Angles.
	West Saxons march into Mid-Britain
577	The West Saxons capture Gloucester, Cirencester and Bath
	conquer at Deorham.
584.	Crida first king of the Mercians.
	defeated at Faddiley.
588	Æthetlric creates Kingdom of Northumbria.
593	Æthelfrith, King of Northumbria, ( who died 617 ) .
c. 597	597 Augustine's temporary conversion of Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity
	success in Essex , it reverted back to atheism in 616
603	Battle of Daegsastan.
c. 604	Augustine (St ) of Canterbury died an Italian churchman , the first Archbishop of Canterbury chosen by
	Pope Gregory I. conversion of England to Christianity
604 ( 606 )	In this year Gregory died ten years after he sent baptism. His father was called Gordianus and his mother
	Sylvia [ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ]
( 605 )	Æthelfrith led his army to Chester and there killed a countless number of Britons . And thus was fulfilled
	Augustine's prophecy , by which he said , ' If the Britons do not wish to have peace with us , they shall perish at the hands of the Saxons ' There also were killed 200 priests who had come there to pray for the army of the Britons . Their leader was called Brocmail , and he escaped with 50 men
A. D. 607	The Britons defeated after great slaughter under the walls of Chester , and the city taken by Ethelred , King
	of Northumberland . ( Bagshaws Directory of Cheshire 1850 )
607	In this year Ceolwulf fought against the Saxons ( Anglo-Saxon Chronicle )
613	Battle of Chester - Assembly of the Britons at Chester , and Cadwan elected King
	( Bagshaws Directory of Cheshire 1850)
615	5,800 years has passed from the beginning of the world ( Anglo -Saxon Chronicle )
616	Raedwald of East Anglia , as over king , makes Edwin King of Northumbria .
617	Eadwine, King of Northumbria, ( who died 633 ).
	In this year Aethelfrith , king of the Northumbrians , was killed by Raedwald ,
	king of the East Angles, and Edwin , the son of Aelle , succeded to the kingdom and conqured all Britain except the people of Kent alone, and drove out the athelings, Aethelfrith's son's namely Eanfrith, Oswald, Oswiu, Oslac, Oswudu, Oslaf and Offa . ( Anglo -Saxon Chronicle )
c.624	Death of Raedwald, and his probable burial in the Sutton Hoo barrow
626	Eadwine, King of Northumbria overlord of Britain.
	Penda., King of the Mercians, ( who died 635 ).
627	Eadwine becomes Christian.
627	Conversion of Edwin and the Northumbrjan court
633	Eadwine slain at Hatfield.
633	Oswald of Northumbria - defeats Welsh at Battle of Hevenfeld.becomes over-king
	Oswald, King of Bernicia, ( who died 642 ).
	Aidan settles at Holy Island - Conversion of Wessex.
	Conversion of King Cynegils of Wessex
642	Oswald slain at Maserfeld at Oswestry by King Penda of Mercia
651	Oswiu, King of Northumbria, ( who died 670 )
655	Oswy of Northumbria, defeats and kills Penda at Winwaed and becomes over-king
658	West Saxons conquer as far as the Parret.
659	Wulfhere King in Mercia.
661	Wulfhere King in Mercia, drives West Saxons over Thames.
664	Council of Whitby.
	Caedmon (Synod) of Whitby.
668	Theodore made Archbishop of Canterbury
670	Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria ,died 685
675	Æthelred, King of Mercia, died 704.
681	Wilfrid converts South Saxons.
682	Centwine of Wessex conquers Mid-Somerset.
685	Ecgfrith defeated and slain at Nectansmere.
688	Ine, King of West Saxons ( who died 726 ) .
669	Arrival of Archbishop Theodore
672	The writing of the great English poem Beowulf
672	Synod of Hertford; battle of the Trent, marking the beginnings of the rise of Meria
685-8	Expansion of Wessex under Caedwalla to include Kent, Surrey and Sussex
715	Ine, King of West Saxons defeat of Ceolred of Mercia at Wanborough
716	Æthelbald, King of Mercia (who died 757 );
731	Bede completes his Ecclesiastical History
733	Mercian conquest of Wessex.
735	Death of Baeda.
753	Death of Boniface.
775	Subdues Kentish men at Otford.
746-7	First Council of Clofesho
754	Wessex, recovers freedom in battle of Burford
756	Eadberht of Northumbria takes Alcluyd.
757	Death of Ethelbald;
758	Offa, King of Mercia, ( who died 796 ) .
779	Offa, defeats Went Saxons at Bensington.
786	Offa, places; Beorhtric on throne of Wessex..
787	Offa creates Archbishopric at Lichfield.
	First landing of Danes in England.
786	Legatine Council held under Offa
793-5	Danish raids on Lindisfarne, Jarrow, and lona
796	Death of Offa
796	Cenwulf, King of Mercia, (who died 821) .
800	Charlemagne crowned as Holy Roman Emperor
802	Ecgberht becomes King in Wessex, (who died 839).
803	Cenwulf suppresses Archbishopric of Lichfield.
808	Charles the Great restores Eardwulf inNorthumbria.
815	Ecgberht subdues the West Welsh to the Tamar.
821	Civil war in Mercia.
825	Ecgberht ( Egbert ) defeats Mercians at Ellandun.
	overlord of England south of Thames. - Revolt of East Anglians against Mercia
827	Defeat of Mercians by East Anglians.
828	Mercia and Northumbria submit to Ecgberht.
	Ecgberht overlord of all English kingdoms. - invades Wales.
828-30	The Britons, had, regained possession, and continued to hold Chester untill they were dispossessed in
	828-30 by Egbert, who, as sole monarch, added Legancester, as it was called by the Saxons, to his other dominions;
837	Defeats Danes at Hengestesdun.
835	Big Danish raid on Kent
839	Æthelwulf, King of Wessex, (who died 858) .
849	Alfred (Ælfred) born.
851	Danes defeated at Aclea
853	Ælfred sent to Rome.
855	Æthewulf goes to Rome.
857	Æthelbald, king of Wessex, (who died 860).
860	Æthelberht, King ofWessex, (whodied 866 ).
866	Æthelred, King of Wessex, ( who died 871) .
867	Danes conquer Northumbria.
868	Peace of Nottingham with Danes.
870	Danes conquer and settle in East Anglia.
871	Danes invade Wessex,
	Alfred ( Ælfred ) the Great, King of Wessex, ( who died 901 ).
874	Danes conquer Mercia.
876	Danes settle in Northumbria.
877	Alfred ( Ælfred ) defeats Danes at Exeter.
878	Danes overrun Wessex.
883	Alfred ( Ælfred ) victor at Edington. - Peace of Wedmore.
	Alfred ( Ælfred ) sends envoys to Rome and India.
	Continues

To judge from what is told us of the southern kingdoms, settlements and conquests probably preceded the assumption of the title of king by a victorious leader (alderman or heretoga.)

Other accounts antedate the arrival of Hengist and Horsa by twenty years, and all the earlier dates of the conquest cannot of course be certainly accepted as accurate.

The student should observe the long space of time during which Britain had been exposed to piratical attack, before the era of Low German conquest and settlement began. It is probable that much of the coast outside the fortified towns had become depopulated, explaining its subsequent pure Teutonic character. Teutonic conquest moreover, extended to both shores of the Channel, cutting the communications between the rest of Britain and the Roman world.