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.

Mercia (IPA: /ˈmɝsiə/) was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands. The name is a Latinisation of the Old English Mierce, meaning "border people". Image File history File links Kingdom_of_Mercia. ... Image File history File links Kingdom_of_Mercia. ... For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... A map showing the general locations of the Anglo-Saxon peoples around the year 600 Britain and Ireland around the year 802 Heptarchy (Greek: seven + realm) is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the south and east of Great Britain during late antiquity and the early... For other uses see Trent River. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In literature, latinisation is the practice of writing a name in a Latin style when writing in Latin so as to more closely emulate Latin authors, or to present a more impressive image. ... Old English redirects here. ...

Mercia's neighbours included Northumbria, Powys, the kingdoms of southern Wales, Wessex, Sussex, Essex, and East Anglia. Its name is still in use today by many bodies, including the West Mercia Constabulary, commercial radio station Mercia FM in Coventry, and two regiments of the British Army - the new Mercian Regiment, and the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry. 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... Medieval kingdoms of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... The Kingdom of Sussex, (Suth Seaxe, i. ... The Kingdom of the East Seaxe (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded around 500 AD and covered the territory currently occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Middlesex. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... West Mercia Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the counties of Shropshire (including Telford and Wrekin), Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. ... Mercia FM is an Independent Local Radio broadcasting from Coventry. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Mercian Regiment is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army. ... The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons, four of which bear the cap badge of an old yeomanry regiment: HQ Squadron A (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron B (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron C (Cheshire Yeomanry) Squadron D (Duke of...

Early history

Mercia's exact evolution from the Anglo-Saxon invasions is more obscure than that of Northumbria, Kent, or even Wessex. Archaeological surveys show that Angles settled the lands north of the River Thames by the sixth century. The name Mercia is Old English for "boundary folk" (see marches), and the traditional interpretation was that the kingdom originated along the frontier between the Welsh and the Anglo-Saxon invaders, although P. Hunter Blair has argued an alternative interpretation that they emerged along the frontier between the kingdom of Northumbria and the inhabitants of the Trent river valley. For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... White cliffs of Dover in England White cliffs of Rugen down the Baltic coast from Schleswig The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestor of Angeln, a modern district located in Schleswig, Germany. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded... Old English redirects here. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to a border region, e. ... This article is about the country. ... Peter Hunter Blair is an English academic. ... Trent is the name of several Places: Trento in Italy, famous for the Roman Catholic Council of Trent Trent, Texas, USA Trent, South Dakota, USA Trent, Dorset, UK Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen, Germany Rivers: River Trent in the UK, or one of several other...

The earliest king of Mercia about whom we know any details was Creoda, said to have been the great-grandson of Icel (see List of monarchs of Mercia). He came to power about 585 and built a fortress at Tamworth, which became the seat of the Mercian kings. He was succeeded by his son Pybba in 593. Cearl, a kinsman of Creoda, followed Pybba in 606; in 615, Cearl gave his daughter Cwenburga in marriage to Edwin, king of Deira whom he had sheltered while he was an exiled prince. The next Mercian king was Penda, who ruled from about 626 or 633 until 655. Some of what is known about Penda comes through the hostile account of Bede, who disliked him both for being an enemy king to Bede's own Northumbria, but also for being a pagan. However, Bede admits that it was Penda who freely allowed Christian missionaries from Lindisfarne into Mercia, and did not restrain them from preaching. After a reign of successful battles against all opponents, Penda was defeated and killed at the Battle of Winwaed by the Northumbrian king Oswiu in 655. Creoda (or Crida) (died 593) was an early King of Mercia (c. ... Icel (or Icil) (? - c. ... A list of the Kings etc. ... For other places named Tamworth, see Tamworth (disambiguation). ... Pybba (570?–606/15) (also Pibba, Wibba, Wybba) was an early King of Mercia. ... Cearl was the third king of Mercia, from about 606 to about 626. ... Saint Edwin (alternately Eadwine or Æduini) (c. ... Deira (which later absorbed the Brythonic kingdom of Ebrauc) was a kingdom in Northern England during the 6th century AD. It extended from the Humber to the Tees, and from the sea to the western edge of the Vale of York. ... Stained glass window from the cloister of Worcester Cathedral showing the death of Penda of Mercia. ... For other uses, see Bede (disambiguation). ... 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... Pagan and heathen redirect here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... Map of the UK showing the location of Lindisfarne at 55. ... The Battle of the Winwaed was fought on November 15, 655 between King Penda of Mercia and Oswiu of Bernicia, ending in the Mercians defeat and Pendas death. ... Oswiu (612–February 15, 670), also written as Oswio, Oswy, and Osuiu was an Anglo-Saxon Bretwalda. ...

The battle led to a temporary collapse of Mercian power. Penda was succeeded first by his son Peada (who converted to Christianity at Repton in 653), but in the spring of 656 he was murdered and Oswiu assumed control of the whole of Mercia. A revolt in 658 resulted in the appearance of another son of Penda, Wulfhere, who ruled Mercia until his death in 675. Wulfhere was initially successful in restoring the power of Mercia, but the end of his reign saw a serious defeat against Northumbria. The next two kings, Æthelred and Cœnred son of Wulfhere, are better known for their religious activities; the king who succeeded them (in 709), Ceolred, is said in a letter of Saint Boniface to have been a dissolute youth who died insane. So ended the rule of the direct descendants of Penda. Peada (died Easter 656) was King of southern Mercia from 654 or 655 until his death. ... Repton is a small village in Derbyshire between Derby and Burton-upon-Trent. ... Wulfhere (d. ... For the later earl, see Earl Aethelred of Mercia. ... Cenred (or Coenred, Coinred, Kenred) ruled the Anglo_Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 704 to 709. ... Ceolred (d. ... For the Roman general of this name, see Bonifacius. ...

At some point before the accession of Æthelbald, the Mercians conquered the region around Wroxeter, known to the Welsh as "The Paradise of Powys." Elegies written in the persona of its dispossessed rulers record the sorrow at this loss. Ethelbald (or Æthelbald) (died 757) was the King of Mercia in England from 716 until his death. ... Wroxeter is a village in the county of Shropshire, England, on the east bank of the River Severn, at grid reference SJ563082. ...

The next important king of Mercia was Æthelbald (716-757). For the first few years of his reign he had to face the obstacles of two strong rival kings, Wihtred of Kent and Ine of Wessex. But when Wihtred died in 725, and Ine abdicated his throne the following year to become a monk in Rome, Æthelbald was free to establish Mercia's hegemony over the rest of the Anglo-Saxons south of the Humber. Because of his prowess as a military leader, he acquired the title of Bretwalda. Æthelbald suffered a setback in 752, when he was defeated by the West Saxons under Cuthred, but he seems to have restored his supremacy over Wessex by 757. Wihtred (died April 23, 725) was a King of Kent (690 - 725). ... Ine (died 728) was the King of Wessex from 688 to 726, noted particularly for his code of laws. ... For other uses, see Monk (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... River Hull tidal barrier. ... Bretwalda is an Anglo-Saxon term, the first record of which comes from the late ninth-century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. ... Cuthred of Wessex or Cuþræd (died 756) was the monarch of Wessex from 740 (739 according to Simeon of Durham, 741 according to Florence of Worcester) until 756. ...

Reign of Offa and rise of Wessex

Following the murder of Æthelbald by one of his bodyguards in 757, a civil war followed, which was concluded with the victory of Offa. Offa was forced to build the hegemony over the southern English of his predecessor anew, but he not only did so successfully, he became the greatest king Mercia ever knew. Not only did he win battles and dominate southern England, he also took an active hand to administering the affairs of his kingdom by founding market towns and overseeing the first major issues of gold coins in Britain, assumed a role in the administration of the Catholic church in England, and even negotiated with Charlemagne as an equal. Offa is credited with the construction of Offa's Dyke, marking the border between Wales and Mercia. Offa (died July 26/29, 796) was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death. ... The market town is a medieval phenomenon. ... This article is about monetary coins. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Rough cross-section of Offas Dyke, showing how it was designed to protect Mercia against attacks/raids from Powys. ...

Offa exerted himself to ensure that his son Ecgfrith of Mercia would succeed him, but after his death in July 796, Ecgfrith survived for only five more months, and the kingdom passed to a distant relative named Coenwulf in December 796. In 821, Coenwulf himself was succeeded by his brother Ceolwulf, who demonstrated his military prowess by his attack on and destruction of the fortress of Deganwy in Powys. The power of the West Saxons under Egbert was rising during this period, however, and in 825 Egbert defeated the Mercian king Beornwulf (who had overthrown Ceolwulf in 823) at Ellendun. Ecgfrith (died December 796) was a King of Mercia who briefly ruled in the year 796. ... Coenwulf (or Cenwulf) (died 821) was King of Mercia from 796 to 821. ... Ceolwulf I was the seventeenth King of Mercia, from 821 to 823. ... Deganwy is a small town in the county borough of Conwy. ... Powys is a local government principal area and a preserved county in Wales. ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... Egbert (also Ecgbehrt or Ecgbert, means roughly The shining edge of a blade) (c. ... Beornwulf (died 826) was the King of Mercia from 823 to 826. ... Ellandun was the site of a battle between Egbert of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. ...

The Battle of Ellendun proved decisive. Beornwulf was slain suppressing a revolt amongst the East Angles, and his successor, a former ealdorman named Ludeca, met the same fate. Another ealdorman, Wiglaf, subsequently ruled for less than two years before being driven out of Mercia by Egbert. In 830, Wiglaf regained independence for Mercia, but by this time Wessex was clearly the dominant power in England. Wiglaf was succeeded by Beorhtwulf. Ludeca was the nineteenth King of Mercia, from 826 to 827. ... Wiglaf, son of the late king Beornwulf, was King of Mercia from 827 to 829 and again from 830 until his death in 840. ... Beorhtwulf was the twenty-fourth king of Mercia, from 840 to 852. ...

Arrival of the Danes

In 852, Burgred came to the throne and with Ethelwulf of Wessex subjugated north Wales. In 868, Danish armies occupied Nottingham. The Danes drove Burgred, the last king of Mercia from his kingdom in 874. In 886, the eastern part of the kingdom became part of the Danelaw, while Mercia was reduced to its western portion only. The Danes appointed a Mercian thegn, Ceolwulf II, as king in 873 while the remaining independent section of Mercia was ruled by Æthelred of Mercia, called an ealderman, not a king. He ruled from 883 until 911, in a close and trusting alliance with Wessex. Æthelred had married Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great of Wessex. She gradually assumed power as her husband sickened after about 900, possibly as a result of his wounds gained at the decisive battle against the Vikings at Tettenhall where the last large Viking army to ravage England suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the combined Mercian and Wessex army. After Aethelred's death she ruled alone until her death in 918 when her brother, Edward the Elder of Wessex became king. Æthelflæd freely gave London and Oxford to her brother in Wessex as a token of loyalty, and concentrated on fortifying Mercia's existing borders — east towards Nottingham, north to Chester, along the Welsh marches, and down to the Severn estuary. Burgred or Burhred or Burghred was the last king of Mercia (852 - 874). ... Ethelwulfs first tombstone, in the church porch at Steyning - the two incised crosses indicate a royal burial Ethelwulf, Old English: Æþelwulf, (c. ... This article is about the country. ... Events 11 May: Printing of The Diamond Sutra, the oldest dated printed book. ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ... Gold: Danelaw The Danelaw, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also known as the Danelagh, (Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a name given to a part of Great Britain, now northern and eastern England, in which the laws of the Danes[1] held predominance over those of the Anglo... Map of runestones raised over a thegn. ... Ceolwulf II was the twenty-sixth king of Mercia, during 873 to 879. ... For the later earl, see Earl Aethelred of Mercia. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... Statue of Ethelfleda Ethelfleda (alternative spelling Aethelfled, Æthelfleda or Æthelflæd) (872/879?-918) was the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and his wife Ealhswith. ... For the 10th century Bishop of Sherborne, see Alfred (bishop). ... Tettenhall is a historic part of the city of Wolverhampton, England. ... Edward the Elder (Old English: Ä’adweard se Ieldra) (c. ... “Severn” redirects here. ...

Mercian dialect

Main articles: Mercian (Anglo-Saxon) and AB language

J.R.R. Tolkien is one of many scholars who have studied and promoted the Mercian dialect of Old English, and introduced various Mercian terms into his legendarium - especially in relation to the Kingdom of Rohan, otherwise known as the Mark (a name cognate with Mercia). Not only is the language of Rohan actually the Mercian dialect of Old English, but a number of its kings have the same names as monarchs who appear in the Mercian royal genealogy, e.g. Fréawine, Fréaláf and Éomer (see List of kings of the Angles). Mercian was spoken in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. ... In English philology, AB language refers to the early Middle English dialect of Ancrene Wisse and the Katherine Group (13th century). ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon[1], Old English: ) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... Tolkiens Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7) is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F. Hostetter on the History of Middle-earth series of books relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. ... For other uses, see Rohan (disambiguation). ... In J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium, Fréawine was the fifth King of Rohan. ... In J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium, Fréaláf Hildeson was the tenth King of Rohan, and the first King of the second line. ... Éomer is a supporting character in J. R. R. Tolkiens legendarium. ... The Angles were the dominant Germanic tribe in the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, and gave their name to the English. ...

Subdivisions of Mercia

For knowledge of the internal composition of the Kingdom of Mercia, we must rely on a document of uncertain age (possibly late 7th century), known as the Tribal Hidage - an assessment of the extent (but not the location) of land owned (reckoned in hides), and therefore the military obligations and perhaps taxes due, by each of the Mercian tribes and subject kingdoms by name. This hidage exists in several manuscript versions, some as late as the 14th century. It lists a number of peoples, such as the Hwicce, who have now vanished, except for reminders in various placenames (see map at the head of this article). The major subdivisions of Mercia were as follows: The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The Tribal Hidage is a list of territorial assessments in Anglo-Saxon England which lists regions and the number of hides those regions contained. ... The hide was a variable unit of land area used in medieval England, defined according to its arable yield and taxable potential rather than its exact dimensions. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon Britain. ...

• South Mercians

The Mercians dwelling south of the River Trent. Smaller folk groups within included the Tomsæte around Tamworth and the Pencersæte around Penkridge (approx. S. Staffs. & N. Warks.). For other places named Tamworth, see Tamworth (disambiguation). ... , Penkridge is a market town in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 (Census 2001). ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ...

• North Mercians

The Mercians dwelling north of the River Trent (approx. N. Staffs., S. Derbys. & Notts.). Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ...

• Outer Mercia

An early phase of Mercian expansion, possibly 6th century (approx. S. Lincs., Leics., Rutland, Northants. & N. Oxon.). For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ... Leicestershire ( IPA: (RP), IPA: (locally)), abbreviation Leics. ... Oakham Castle Rutland is traditionally Englands smallest county and is bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Northamptonshire. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ...

• Lindsey

Once a kingdom in its own right, disputed with Northumbria in the 7th century before finally coming under Mercian control (approx. N. Lincs.). Lindsey or Linnuis is the name of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom that lay between the Humber and the Wash, forming its inland boundaries from the course of the Witham and Trent rivers (with the inclusion of an area inside of a marshy region south of the Humber known as the... 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... For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ...

• Middle Angles

A collection of many smaller folk groups under Mercian control from the 7th century, including the Spaldas around Spalding, the Bilmingas and Wideringas near Stamford, the North Gyrwe and South Gyrwe near Peterborough, the West Wixna, East Wixna, West Wille and East Wille near Ely, the Sweordora, Hurstingas and Gifle near Bedford, the Hicce around Hitchin, the Cilternsæte in the Chilterns and the Feppingas near Thame (approx. Cambs., Hunts., Beds., Herts., Bucks. and S. Oxon.). Position of the Middle Angles in relation to other ethnic groups, c. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the city in the United Kingdom. ... Statistics Population: 15,102 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TL535799 Administration District: East Cambridgeshire Shire county: Cambridgeshire Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Cambridgeshire Historic county: Cambridgeshire Services Police force: Ambulance service: East of England Post office and telephone Post town: ELY... This article is about the English county town. ... , Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, and has an estimated population of 30,360. ... The Chiltern Hills are a chalk escarpment that stretches in a south_west to north_east diagonal across several counties of southern England, but is most prominent in Buckinghamshire. ... Statistics Population: 10,886 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SP710060 Administration District: South Oxfordshire Shire county: Oxfordshire Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Oxfordshire Historic county: Oxfordshire Services Police force: Thames Valley Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South Central Post office... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Huntingdonshire (abbreviated Hunts) is a part of England around Huntingdon, which is currently administered as a local government district of Cambridgeshire. ... Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a county in England that forms part of the East of England region. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ...

• Hwicce

Once a kingdom in its own right, disputed with Wessex in the 7th century before finally coming under Mercian control. Smaller folk groups within included the Stoppingas around Warwick and the Arosæte near Droitwich (approx. Gloucs., Worcs. & S. Warks.). The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon Britain. ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... Warwick (pronounced or War-ick (silent w in middle)) is the historic county town of Warwickshire in England and has a population of 25,434 (2001 census). ... Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... For the condiment, see Worcestershire sauce. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ...

• Magonsæte

A people of the Welsh border, also known as the Westerna, under Mercian control from the 7th century. Smaller folk groups within included the Temersæte near Hereford and the Hahlsæte near Ludlow (approx. Herefs. & S. Shrops.). Magonsaete was a minor sub-kingdom of the greater Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, thought to be coterminous with the Diocese of Hereford. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... This article is about the town in Shropshire, England. ... Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county and unitary district (known as County of Herefordshire) in the West Midlands region of England. ... Shropshire (pronounced /, -/), alternatively known as Salop[6] or abbreviated Shrops[7], is a county in the West Midlands of England. ...

• Wreocansæte

A people of the Welsh border under Mercian control from the 7th century. Smaller folk groups within included the Rhiwsæte near Wroxeter and the Meresæte near Chester (approx. N. Shrops., Flints. & Cheshire). The Wreocensæte or Wocensæte were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon Britain. ... Wroxeter is a village in the county of Shropshire, England, on the east bank of the River Severn, at grid reference SJ563082. ... , For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... Shropshire (pronounced /, -/), alternatively known as Salop[6] or abbreviated Shrops[7], is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... Flintshire (Welsh: ) is a principal area and county in north-east Wales. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ...

• Pecsæte

An isolated folk group of the Peak District, under Mercian control from the 7th century (approx. N. Derbys.). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ...

• Land Between Ribble & Mersey

A disorganised region under Mercian control from the 7th century (approx. S. Lancs.). Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ...

• Middle Saxons

Taken over from Essex in the 8th century, including London (approx. Middlesex). The Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and was the second smallest (after Rutland). ... The Kingdom of the East Seaxe (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded around 500 AD and covered the territory currently occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Middlesex. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and was the second smallest (after Rutland). ...

After Mercia was annexed by Wessex in the early 10th century, the West Saxon rulers divided it into shires modelled after their own system, cutting across traditional Mercian divisions. These shires survived mostly intact until 1974, and even today still largely follow their original boundaries. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... A shire is an administrative area of Great Britain and Australia. ...

Heraldic symbols

The silver, double-headed eagle surmounted by a gold, three-pronged Saxon crown has long been used by various units of the British Army as a heraldic device for Mercia, and is derived from the arms assigned to Leofric, Earl of Mercia in the 11th century by later medieval heralds. The examples on the left are from the Mercian Regiment and the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry respectively (the latter, being a merged unit, also sports the Lancastrian red rose and crown). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Saint_Alban's_cross. ... Arms of St Albans City and District Council, Herts. ... Leofric (born 968, died 31 August or 30 September 1057) was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... The Mercian Regiment is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army. ... The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons, four of which bear the cap badge of an old yeomanry regiment: HQ Squadron A (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron B (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron C (Cheshire Yeomanry) Squadron D (Duke of...

On the right is the Cross of St Alban, a device attributed to the Kingdom of Mercia by mediaeval heralds. St Alban was a native of what would later become Mercia, whose feast day was, and is, celebrated on 22 June. Heraldically the cross is described as Azure, a saltire Or, i.e. gold (yellow) saltire on a blue field, and is still flown from Tamworth Castle, the ancient seat of the Mercian kings, to this day. The cross has also been incorporated into a number of coats of arms of Mercian towns, such as St Albans (shown), Tamworth, Leek and Blaby. . The term Saint Albans Cross refers to a flag in the form of a yellow saltire on a blue field. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... see St Albans (disambiguation) for place names Shrine of Saint Alban in St Albans Cathedral Saint Alban was the first Christian martyr in Britain. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tamworth Castle is a small castle, located next to the River Tame, in the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire England. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35km) north of central London. ... For other places named Tamworth, see Tamworth (disambiguation). ... Leek is a town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

• J. R. R. Tolkien
• List of monarchs of Mercia
• Mercian – Anglo-Saxon dialect
• Old English
• Wessex
• Repton
• Tamworth

Tolkien redirects here. ... A list of the Kings etc. ... Mercian was spoken in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. ... Old English redirects here. ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... Repton is a small village in Derbyshire between Derby and Burton-upon-Trent. ... For other places named Tamworth, see Tamworth (disambiguation). ...

Further reading

• Ian W. Walker. Mercia and the Making of England (2000) ISBN 0-7509-2131-5 (also published as Mercia and the Origins of England (2000) ISBN 0-7509-2131-5)

• Sarah Zaluckyj & Marge Feryok. Mercia: The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Central England (2001) ISBN 1-873827-62-8

• Michelle Brown & Carol Farr (eds). Mercia: An Anglo-Saxon Kingdom in Europe (2005) ISBN 0-8264-7765-8

• Margaret Gelling. 'The Early History of Western Mercia'. (p. 184-201; In: The Origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. S. Bassett. 1989) (Western Mercia and the upper Trent being the probable cradle of early Mercia).

• Simon Schama. 'A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? - 3000 BC-AD 1603 Vol 1' BBC Books 2003

Trent is the name of several Places: Trento in Italy, famous for the Roman Catholic Council of Trent Trent, Texas, USA Trent, South Dakota, USA Trent, Dorset, UK Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen, Germany Rivers: River Trent in the UK, or one of several other...

External links

• Mercian History: History Project
• Simon Keynes' bibliography (and brief notes) on the Mercian kingdom
• Recensions of manuscripts of the "Hidage"