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Source: Ceolwulf I - The Mammoth book of British kings & queens by Ashley, Michael

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Type	Valeur
Titre	Ceolwulf I - The Mammoth book of British kings & queens by Ashley, Michael

Entrées associées à cette source

Personnes
ELFLEDA De Mercia
WIGMUND of Mercia
CEOLWULF King of Mercia

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Notes


Page 260 K16] CEOLWULF (I) ruled Mercia and Kent, 821-3. He was the brother of Cenwulf whom he succeeded late in 821. There was an auspicious coronation on 17 September 822, but within a few months he was deposed and ousted from the kingdom by a rival claimant, beornwulf. Just why Ceolwulf was dethroned is not clear. He was old, probably in his early fifties, and after years in the shadow of his brother, he may have been seen as a weak king. Certainly the few surviving records show that there was considerable discord in Mercia in Ceolwulf s day. His successor was a much more vigorous king. Page 261 [K17] BEORNWULF ruled 823-6. Beornwulf was probably the key player in the dethronement of ceolwulf (i), whom he succeeded in the summer of 823. We know little of Beornwulf, but it is likely he was related to the rival royal family of the Middle Angles, previously represented by beornred. Early in his reign Beornwulf showed his authority by a powerful campaign against Powys, which may have been started by Ceolwulf. The dating of the campaign is uncertain, but by 823 Powys was under Mercian control {see under cyngen ap cadell). Beornwulf supported the election of BALDRED as king of Kent. However, Egbert of Wessex also had designs on Kent which had been ruled by his father ealhmund. In 825 the emerging power of Egbert caused Beornwulf to confront him at Ellendun (now Wroughton, near Swindon), where Beornwulf was defeated. Beornwulf s power began to weaken. Egbert hammered home his success in Kent and Essex and this led to a revolt in East Anglia under athelstan. When Beornwulf endeavoured to crush the rebellion he was killed. [K19] WIGLAF ruled 827-9, 830-9 Wiglaf was a Mercian ealdorman who claimed the kingship after the death of LUDECA. There is a possibility that Wiglaf s wife, Cynefrith, was related to the Mercian royal family, and he had almost certainly married her some years before. In fact Wiglaf wasprobably well into his forties when he came to the throne. He did not suffer the same immediate misfortune of his predecessor, but in 829 Egbert of Wessex invaded Mercia and deposed Wiglaf. Egbert's success, though, was short- lived, for in 830 Wiglaf regained the throne. Many have wondered how Egbert's supremacy could have so easily been overturned, and it seems likely that the Prankish support that he had previously been receiving had now faded. Egbert did not seek to reimpose his authority over Mercia, and while the previous Mercian supremacy was never regained, Wiglaf did succeed in recovering a degree of control over Essex and thus over London. Wiglaf further sought to tie his dynasty in to the old ruling house by marrying his son Wigmund to Elfleda, the daughter of CEOLWULF (i) and the only surviving heiress. Wiglaf s ability to sustain the kingdom of Mercia is impressive. He was buried at Repton, the church of the former king ATHELBALD, to whom he may thus have been related. [K20] WIGMUND ruled c839-840? It is only local tradition in Evesham that holds Wigmund ever reigned as king. It is possible his father, WIGLAF, made him sub-king in the former territory of the Hwicce, but this is not confirmed. His death must have occurred either soon before or soon after Wiglaf's, because BEORHTWULF sought to marry his son Beorhtric to Wigmund's widow Elfleda, in order to secure his succession. Wigmund was buried at Repton, as was his son Wigstan. Page 262 [K-21] BEORHTWULF ruled 840-52 Beorhtwulf seems to have assumed the kingship on the death of WIGLAF or possibly his son WIGMUND. Wigstan, the son of Wigmund was supported by the people as heir, but Wigstan was devoted to the church and did not wish to rule, but instead declared his mother Elfleda as regent. According to the later Life of St Wigstan Beorhtwulf sought to marry his son Beorhtric to Elfleda to legitimize their link with the ruling family, but Wigstan refused. The result was that in 849 Wigstan was murdered. Much of this may be later embellishment to glorify the memory of Wigstan. Beorhtwulf claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan, and may have been descended from Beornwulf, who had deposed Elfleda's father Ceolwulf (i). Beorhtwulf may have recognized Athelwolf of Wessex as his overlord, as a joint coin was minted. Throughout his reign Beorhtwulf was preoccupied with conflict with Powys, whose king Cyngen ap Cadell strove to regain territory in Shropshire and Herefordshire. At the end of his reign Beorhtwulfs forces were defeatedby a Viking invasion of London in 851, though the Vikings moved on into Surrey rather than Mercia. [K23] CEOLWULF II ruled 874-c83. Ceolwulf was the puppet king of the Vikings under halfdan and guthrum, who installed him after they ejected burgred. Later chroniclers claimed Ceolwulf had royal descent, and it has been conjectured that he may have been the son of WIGMUND and Elfleda, and thus a grandson of ceolwulf l Some records attribute Ceolwulf a reign of only five years, but this five years might run from 877 when the Danes partitioned Mercia and gave a portion to Ceolwulf for his loyalty. Some might regard Ceolwulf as a traitor, but he did in fact protect Mercia from an all-out invasion. After Guthrum's defeat by alfred, Ceolwulf found he still retained part of Mercia - the heartland around Worcester - which he Page 263 continued to rule subject to Alfred. The impressive joint coinage issued by the two kings is at least some evidence of Ceolwulfs position. It is not entirely clear whether Ceolwulf died or abdicated. If he was a younger brother of Wigstan he may well havebeen in his sixties by 883 and thus died of old age. Indeed his age may have been a key reason why the Vikings accepted him as their client ruler, because he was too old to cause trouble, yet his royal pedigree made him acceptable to the Mercians.

Page 260

K16] CEOLWULF (I) ruled Mercia and Kent, 821-3.
He was the brother of Cenwulf whom he succeeded late in 821. There was an auspicious coronation on 17 September 822, but within a few months he was deposed and ousted from the kingdom by a rival claimant, beornwulf. Just why Ceolwulf was dethroned is not clear. He was old, probably in his early fifties, and after years in the shadow of his brother, he may have been seen as a weak king. Certainly the few surviving records show that there was considerable discord in Mercia in Ceolwulf s day. His successor was a much more vigorous king.

Page 261
[K17] BEORNWULF ruled 823-6.
Beornwulf was probably the key player in the dethronement of ceolwulf (i), whom he succeeded in the summer of 823. We know little of Beornwulf, but it is likely he was related to the rival royal family of the Middle Angles, previously represented by beornred. Early in his reign Beornwulf showed his authority by a powerful campaign against Powys, which may have been started by Ceolwulf. The dating of the campaign is uncertain, but by 823 Powys was under Mercian control {see under cyngen ap cadell). Beornwulf supported the election of BALDRED as king of Kent. However, Egbert of Wessex also had designs on Kent which had been ruled by his father ealhmund. In 825 the emerging power of Egbert caused Beornwulf to confront him at Ellendun (now Wroughton, near Swindon), where Beornwulf was defeated. Beornwulf s power began to weaken. Egbert hammered home his success in Kent and Essex and this led to a revolt in East Anglia under athelstan. When Beornwulf endeavoured to crush the rebellion he was killed.

[K19] WIGLAF ruled 827-9, 830-9
Wiglaf was a Mercian ealdorman who claimed the kingship after the death of LUDECA. There is a possibility that Wiglaf s wife, Cynefrith, was related to the Mercian royal family, and he had almost certainly married her some years before. In fact Wiglaf wasprobably well into his forties when he came to the throne. He did not suffer the same immediate misfortune of his predecessor, but in 829 Egbert of Wessex invaded Mercia and deposed Wiglaf. Egbert's success, though, was short- lived, for in 830 Wiglaf regained the throne. Many have wondered how Egbert's supremacy could have so easily been overturned, and it seems likely that the Prankish support that he had previously been receiving had now faded. Egbert did not seek to reimpose his authority over Mercia, and while the previous Mercian supremacy was never regained, Wiglaf did succeed in recovering a degree of control over Essex and thus over London. Wiglaf further sought to tie his dynasty in to the old ruling house by marrying his son Wigmund to Elfleda, the daughter of CEOLWULF (i) and the only surviving heiress. Wiglaf s ability to sustain the kingdom of Mercia is impressive. He was buried at Repton, the church of the former king ATHELBALD, to whom he may thus have been related.

[K20] WIGMUND ruled c839-840?
It is only local tradition in Evesham that holds Wigmund ever reigned as king. It is possible his father, WIGLAF, made him sub-king in the former territory of the Hwicce, but this is not confirmed. His death must have occurred either soon before or soon after Wiglaf's, because BEORHTWULF sought to marry his son Beorhtric to Wigmund's widow Elfleda, in order to secure his succession. Wigmund was buried at Repton, as was his son Wigstan.

Page 262
[K-21] BEORHTWULF ruled 840-52
Beorhtwulf seems to have assumed the kingship on the death of WIGLAF or possibly his son WIGMUND. Wigstan, the son of Wigmund was supported by the people as heir, but Wigstan was devoted to the church and did not wish to rule, but instead declared his mother Elfleda as regent. According to the later Life of St Wigstan Beorhtwulf sought to marry his son Beorhtric to Elfleda to legitimize their link with the ruling family, but Wigstan refused. The result was that in 849 Wigstan was murdered. Much of this may be later embellishment to glorify the memory of Wigstan. Beorhtwulf claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan, and may have been descended from Beornwulf, who had deposed Elfleda's father Ceolwulf (i). Beorhtwulf may have recognized Athelwolf of Wessex as his overlord, as a joint coin was minted. Throughout his reign Beorhtwulf was preoccupied with conflict with Powys, whose king Cyngen ap Cadell strove to regain territory in Shropshire and Herefordshire. At the end of his reign Beorhtwulfs forces were defeatedby a Viking invasion of London in 851, though the Vikings moved on into Surrey rather than Mercia.

[K23] CEOLWULF II ruled 874-c83.
Ceolwulf was the puppet king of the Vikings under halfdan and guthrum, who installed him after they ejected burgred. Later chroniclers claimed Ceolwulf had royal descent, and it has been conjectured that he may have been the son of WIGMUND and Elfleda, and thus a grandson of ceolwulf l Some records attribute Ceolwulf a reign of only five years, but this five years might run from 877 when the Danes partitioned Mercia and gave a portion to Ceolwulf for his loyalty. Some might regard Ceolwulf as a traitor, but he did in fact protect Mercia from an all-out invasion. After Guthrum's defeat by alfred, Ceolwulf found he still retained part of Mercia - the heartland around Worcester - which he

Page 263

continued to rule subject to Alfred. The impressive joint coinage issued by the two kings is at least some evidence of Ceolwulfs position. It is not entirely clear whether Ceolwulf died or abdicated. If he was a younger brother of Wigstan he may well havebeen in his sixties by 883 and thus died of old age. Indeed his age may have been a key reason why the Vikings accepted him as their client ruler, because he was too old to cause trouble, yet his royal pedigree made him acceptable to the Mercians.