The Kingdom of Sussex, (Suth Seaxe, i.e. the South Saxons), was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, the boundaries of which coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of that district, however, was covered in early times by the forest called Andred. It was ruled by the kings of Sussex. The Regnenses or Regni is a British Celtic kingdom formed only after the Roman invasion of Britain, located in modern West Sussex. ... Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ... List of Kings of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Sussex Many of the dates of this time are unreliable and the list contains substantial gaps. ...

History

Foundation

According to the traditional account given in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it was in 477 that a certain Ælle led the invaders ashore at a place called Cymenes ora and defeated the inhabitants. A further battle at a place called Mearcredes burne is recorded under the year 485, and in the annal for 491 we read that Ælle and his son Cissa sacked Anderitum (Pevensey Castle) and slew all the inhabitants. Ælle is the first king of the invading race whom Bede describes as exercising supremacy over his fellows, though little weight can be attached to the dates and events given by the Chronicle, which was not compiled until some centuries later. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Great Britain. ... Ælle was king of the South Saxons from 477 to perhaps as late as 514, and was named Bretwalda by Bede, who adds that he was overlord of the English south of the Humber river. ... Cissa, mythical King of Sussex, supposed eponym of Chichester. ... View from the castle inner bailey showing the outer Roman curtain wall. ... Pevensey Castle is a castle at Pevensey, near Eastbourne in Sussex, England. ...

7th century

The history of Sussex now becomes a blank until 607, in which year Ceolwulf of Wessex is found fighting against the South Saxons. In 681 Wilfrid of York, on his expulsion from Northumbria by Ecgfrith, retired into Sussex, where he remained until 686 converting its pagan inhabitants. According to Bede, Æðelwealh, king of Sussex, had been previously baptized in Mercia at the suggestion of Wulfhere, who presented him with the Isle of Wight and the district about the Meon. After Wilfrid's exertions in relieving a famine which occurred in Sussex, Æðelwealh gave lands in Selsey to him on which to found Selsey Abbey, that later became the seat of the South Saxon bishopric, and remained so until 1075. Ceolwulf of Wessex (died 611) was King of Wessex (597-611). ... Wilfrid (c. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... Ecgfrith (645–May 20, 685) was the King of Northumbria from 670 until his death. ... Look up pagan, heathen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bede (IPA: ) (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin) Beda (IPA: )), (ca. ... Aethelwalh, or, more correctly, Æðelwealh, was the first historic King of Sussex. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... Wulfhere (d. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ... Selsey is an English seaside town, about 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Chichester, West Sussex. ... Selsey Abbey was an abbey at Selsey, Sussex, England. ... Arms of the Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. ...

Shortly afterwards, however, Æðelwealh was slain and his kingdom ravaged by the exiled West Saxon prince Caedwalla. The latter was eventually expelled by two Ealdormen named Berhthun and Andhun, who thereupon assumed the government of the kingdom. In 686 the South Saxons attacked Hlothhere, king of Kent, in support of his nephew Eadric, but soon afterwards Berhthun was killed and the kingdom subjugated for a time by Ceadwalla, who had now become king of Wessex. Caedwalla (c. ... Berthun, or, more correctly, Berhthun, was an Ealdorman of Sussex under King Æðelwealh, who was slain by the Wessex prince Caedwalla, when he invaded and ravaged the kingdom. ... Andhun was an Ealdorman of Sussex under King Æðelwealh, who was slain by the Wessex prince Caedwalla, when he invaded and ravaged the kingdom. ... Hlothhere (died February 6, 685) was a King of Kent who ruled from 673 to 685. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Eadric (died August 686?) was a King of Kent (685 - 686). ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ...

Of the later South Saxon kings we have little knowledge except from occasional charters. In 692 a grant[1] is made by a king called Noðhelm, or Nunna, to his sister, which is witnessed by another king called Watt. Nunna is described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the kinsman of Ine of Wessex who fought with him against Geraint, King of the Britons, in 710. According to Bede, Sussex was subject to Ine for a number of years. Nothelm was king of Sussex, England, from AD 692 to AD 714. ... Watt was a King of Sussex, reigning jointly with Noðhelm. ... Ine (died 728) was the King of Wessex from 688 to 726, noted particularly for his code of laws. ... Geraint was a King of Dumnonia who ruled in the early eighth century. ...

8th century

A charter [2], dated 775 in error for 725, purports to be a grant by Noðhelm to Eadberht, Bishop of Selsey, and to this too Watt appears as a witness. But this charter is now believed to be a forgery from the late 10th century or early 11th century, and is therefore of no value. Nothelm was king of Sussex, England, from AD 692 to AD 714. ... Eadberht of Selsey was an Abbot of Selsey, later promoted to become the first Bishop of Selsey, though neither the date of his consecration nor of his death are known (Kelly 1998). ... The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. ... Watt was a King of Sussex, reigning jointly with Noðhelm. ...

There is an undated charter of Noðhelm [3] that is witnessed by a certain Osric, without indication of rank or territory, but presumably another king, as his name is listed before, and he therefore ranked higher than, Eadberht, Bishop of Selsey, whose rank and see are also omitted. The charter can be approximately dated to some point between about 705 and 717. Osric was possibly a King of Sussex, reigning jointly with Noðhelm. ... Eadberht of Selsey was an Abbot of Selsey, later promoted to become the first Bishop of Selsey, though neither the date of his consecration nor of his death are known (Kelly 1998). ...

Noðhelm’s last surviving charter, which is dated 714 in error for 717, [4], is witnessed by a King Æðelstan. Æðelstan was a King, presumably of Sussex, reigning jointly with Noðhelm. ...

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "In 722 Ealdberht fled into Surrey and Sussex, and Ine fought against the South Saxons".

A little later, Æðelberht, was King of Sussex, but he is known only from charters. The dates of Æðelberht’s reign are unknown beyond the fact that he was a contemporary of Sigeferth, Bishop of Selsey from 733, as Sigeferth witnessed an undated charter of Æðelberht [5] in which Æðelberht is styled Ethelbertus rex Sussaxonum. Aethelbert, or, more correctly, Æðelberht, was King of Sussex, but is known only from charters. ... Sigeferth, called Sicgga for short, was the 3rd Bishop of Selsey, consecrated in 733 by Archbishop Tatwine, and was still bishop in 747, when he attended the Synod of Clofesho. ...

After this we hear nothing more until about 765, when a grant [6] of land is made by a king named Ealdwulf and with two other kings, Ælfwald and Oslac, as witnesses. Ealdwulf was a King of Sussex, but is known only from his charters. ... Ælfwald was a King of Sussex, who reigned jointly with Ealdwulf and Oslac, and probably also with Oswald and Osmund. ... Oslac was a King of Sussex. ...

In 765 [7] and 770 [8] grants are made by a King Osmund, the latter of which was later confirmed by Offa of Mercia. Osmund was a King of Sussex, apparently reigning jointly with Oswald, Ælfwald, and Oslac. ... Offa (died July 26/29, 796) was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death. ...

Offa also confirmed two charters of Æðelberht, and in 772 [9] he grants land himself in Sussex, with Oswald, dux Suðsax', as a witness. It is probable that about this time Offa definitely annexed the kingdom of Sussex, as several persons, Osmund, Ælfwald and Oslac, who had previously used the royal title, now sign with that of dux. Aethelbert, or, more correctly, Æðelberht, was King of Sussex, but is known only from charters. ... Oswald was an Ealdorman of Sussex, jointly with three former kings: Osmund, Ælfwald, and Oslac. ... Osmund was a King of Sussex, apparently reigning jointly with Oswald, Ælfwald, and Oslac. ... Ælfwald was a King of Sussex, who reigned jointly with Ealdwulf and Oslac, and probably also with Oswald and Osmund. ... Oslac was a King of Sussex. ...

9th century

In 825 the South Saxons submitted to Ecgberht, and from this time they remained subject to the West Saxon dynasty. The earldom of Sussex seems later to have been held sometimes with that of Kent. Egbert (also Ecgbehrt or Ecgbert) (c. ...

900-1066

The death of Eadwine, Ealdorman of Sussex, is recorded in 982, because he was buried at Abingdon Abbey in Berkshire, where one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was compiled. According to the abbey’s records, in which he was called princeps Australium Saxonum, Eadwinus nomine, he bequeathed estates to them in his will, although the document itself has not survived. Earlier in the same year he witnessed a charter of King Ethelred the Unready[10] as Eaduuine dux. His name was also added to a forged charter dated 956 (possibly an error for 976) [11]. The death of Eadwine, Ealdorman of Sussex, is recorded in 982, because he was buried at Abingdon Abbey in Berkshire, where one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was compiled. ... Ethelred II (c. ...

In the next generation, Wulfnoth Cild, Thegn of Sussex, played a prominent part in English politics. In 1009 his actions resulted in the destruction of the English fleet, and by 1011 Sussex, together with most of South East England, was in the hands of the Danes. In an early example of local government reform, the Anglo-Saxon ealdormanrys were abolished by the Danish kings and replaced a smaller number of larger earldoms. Wulfnoth Cild was the father of Godwin, who was made Earl of Wessex in 1020. His earldom included Sussex. When he died in 1053, Godwin was succeeded as Earl of Wessex (including Sussex) by his son Harold, who had previously been Earl of East Anglia. Wulfnoth Cild Thegn of Sussex was the father of Earl Godwin and the grandfather of King Harold II of England. ... Godwin (sometimes Godwine, Goodwin, Godwyn, Goodwyn and sometimes known as Godwin of Wessex) (c. ... Harold II of England (Harold Godwinson; c. ...

Links and References

• Based on a 1911 encyclopedia article.