This article concerns the English kingdom, not the The Westland Wessex was a turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 Chocktaw, developed under license by Westland Aircraft, initially for the Royal Navy. The Wessex was built at Yeovil in Somerset. The design was adapted in the early 1960s for the RAF to become a general-purpose helicopter... Westland Wessex helicopter

Wessex was one of the seven major The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. Origins of the word The term Anglo_Saxon goes back to the time of King Alfred, who seems to have frequently... Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy (from Greek: ἑπτά seven + ἀρχία sovereignty) is the name applied by historians to the period in the English history after the Anglo-Saxon conquest of the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, named Angleland (England) by them, up to the... Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK... England. It was named after the West Saxons and situated in the south and southwest of England. It existed as a kingdom from the (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... 6th century until the emergence of the English state in the ( 8th century - 9th century - 10th century - other centuries) Events Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century Reign of Charlemagne, and concurrent (and controversially labeled) Carolingian Renaissance in western Europe Viking attacks on Europe begin Oseberg ship burial The... 9th century, and as an earldom between Events George Tsul, ruler of Khazaria, is captured by a combined Byzantine- Rus force, which effectively ends Khazarias existence. Norman knights arrive in Sicily. Edmund II is king of England after Ethelreds death. Canute of Denmark and Edmund II divide England. After Edmunds death, Canute is left... 1016 and Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned King of England the day after Edward the Confessor dies. Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardraada of Norway invade England. September 25 - Harold II defeats Tostig and Harold Hardraada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, killing both. September 28 - Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror... 1066. "Wessex" has never had any official existence since that time, but it remains a familiar term. It is associated with the novels of This article is about the British novelist. For other people with the same name, please see Thomas Hardy (disambiguation). Photograph of Hardy Thomas Masterson Hardy (2 June 1840 - 11 January 1928) was a novelist and poet, generally regarded as one of the greatest figures in English literature. Biography Thomas Hardy... Thomas Hardy, and some wish to see it restored as a The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest level of local government in England. There are nine regions, each with a government office and a few associated institutions, including a Regional Development Agency (RDA). London is a special case because it has an elected mayor and... region of England.

History

Wessex was, according to the The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of (mainly) secondary source documents narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Britain. Much of the information in these documents consists of rumours of events that happened elsewhere and so may be unreliable. However for some periods and places... Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (ASC), founded by Cerdic of Wessex (c. 467–534), the Patriarch of the Blood Royal of Saxony, was an early King of Wessex (519–534). He is first mentioned in the Anglo_Saxon Chronicle when he landed in Hampshire in 495 and in 519 gained a great victory at Charford, but Hengest... Cerdic and Cynric of Wessex ruled as king of Wessex from 534 to 560. He was either the son or grandson of Cerdic. Among the few statements made about his life were that he captured Searobyrig or Old Sarum, near Salisbury, in 552, and that in 556 he and his son Ceawlin... Cynric, although the specifics given by the ASC are considered to be suspect. Archaeological evidence points to an origin in the upper Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Thames and The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the heart of England, a hilly area reaching nearly 300 m or 1000 feet. The area has been designated as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A district of Gloucestershire is named Cotswold after the hills. Description... Cotswolds area and the ASC origin myth may have been political propaganda designed to justify a later invasion of the The Jutes were a Germanic people who are believed to have originated in Jylland (Jutland) in modern Denmark and part of the Frisian coast. The Jutes, along with the Angles, Saxons and Frisians, were amongst the Germanic peoples who sailed across the North Sea to raid and eventually invade England... Jutish province in southern Hampshire is a county on the south coast of England. The 2001 census gave the population of the administrative county as 1.24 million; the population including Portsmouth and Southampton was around 1.6 million. It borders on Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Hampshire is a popular holiday... Hampshire and the The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England opposite Southampton. Colloquially, it is known as The Island by its residents. Its population was 132,731 in the 2001 census (and 126,600 in 1991). The island has a single MP (currently Andrew Turner), and is... Isle of Wight. The first certain event in Wessex is the baptism of Cynegils of Wessex (-643) was King of Wessex (611-643). He was son of King Ceol of Wessex. He succeeded his uncle King Ceolwulf upon his death. In 614, Cynegils and his son Cwichelm, defeated the Welsh at Brampton. In 628, the two fought King Penda of Mercia at Cirencester... Cynegils around the year Events May 28 - Severinus becomes pope, but dies the same year. December 24 - Severinus is succeeded by John IV. Muslims capture Alexandria. Tulga succeeds his father Suinthila as king of the Visigoths. Births Aldhelm, Bible translator Musa bin Nusair, Umayyad general and governor Deaths 2 August - Pope Severinus 12 September... 640.

Wessex expanded its boundaries and clashed with its neighbours, including Celtic The Dumnonii is the Latin name for a Celtic tribe which emerged in the wake of the Roman withdrawal from England during the 4th century AD. Their territory spanned Somerset, Devon and Cornwall with further holdings in Dorset. They were possibly the most powerful of all the British Celtic tribes... Dumnonia (essentially modern day This page is about the English county, for alternative meanings see Devon (disambiguation). Devon is a county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. The name Devonshire was common but is now rarely used, although it does feature in some names... Devon and Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar. Also associated with Cornwall are the Isles of Scilly. It is an administrative and ceremonial county of England, although the constitutional status of Cornwall is the subject... Cornwall, which it eventually came to dominate), and with Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. Mercias neighbours included Northumbria, Powys, the kingdoms of southern Wales... Mercia. After Egbert (also Ecgberht or Ecgbert) (c. 770–839) was King of Wessex from 802 until his death. Under Egbert, Wessex rose to become the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, overthrowing the supremacy of Mercia. A somewhat difficult question has arisen as to the parentage of Egbert. Under... Egbert defeated Mercia in Events Egbert of Wessex defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellandun. Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex submit to Wessex and East Anglia acknowledges Egbert as overlord. Emperor Louis the Pious of the Franks wars against the Wends and Sorbs. Births Louis II, emperor Deaths Categories: 825 ... 825 and the Northumbrians accepted his overlordship in Events Egbert of Wessex conquers Mercia and is recognized as Bretwalda. Ansgar is appointed missionary to Sweden by Louis the Pious, at the request of the Swedish king Björn at Hauge. Theophilus succeeds Michael II as emperor of Byzantium. The Saracens ravage the coast of Dalmatia. Oldest known mention... 829 Egbert became the first King of England.

The Burghal system of fortified towns (the "burhs") under Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ælfred) was king of England from 871 to 899, though at no time did he rule over the whole of the land. Alfred is famous for his defence of the kingdom against the Danes (Vikings), becoming as a result the only English... Alfred the Great, described in both Asser (d. 908/909) was a Welsh monk who became Bishop of Sherborne during the 890s. It is not certain whether his birth name was Gwyn (or Guinn), which is Welsh for blessed (or blessedness), or Asser (or Asher), which is Hebrew for blessed and the name of Jacobs... Asser and the ASC and documented in a unique hidage, [1]  (http://www.ogdoad.force9.co.uk/alfred/alfhidage.htm) helped to prevent the conquest of southern England by the The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu) was an area of England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. The term is also used to describe the set of legal terms and definitions established between Alfred the Great and the... Danish invaders in the Centuries: 8th century - 9th century - 10th century Decades: 820s - 830s _ 840s - 850s - 860s - 870s - 880s - 890s - 900s - 910s - 920s Years: 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 Events and trends The Danes invade England (870) and conquer East Anglia. Several battles are fought with Wessex, but... 870s. The hidage identifies thirty-three forts, which ensured that no one in Wessex was more than a long day's ride from a place of safety.

The Borough or Southwark(e) (pronounced suthuk or suthark) is the area of London immediately south of London Bridge and part of the larger London Borough of Southwark. It has been called The Borough since the 1550s, to contrast it with the neighbouring City, but now mainly to distinguish it... Southwark is included, but London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. Founded as Londinium, the capital of... London fell beyond West Saxon territory. Important West Saxon settlements included old Roman settlements such as The main road through Dorchester Dorchester is a market town in south west Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome and A35 road 20 miles west of Poole and five miles north of Weymouth. In 2001 the town had a population of 16,171 and a catchment population of approximately... Dorchester, or Winchester Cathedral as seen from the Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire, with a population of around 35,000. It is the seat of the City of Winchester local government district which covers... Winchester, which Alfred made the capital in Events Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. Of two of them the place and date are not recorded, the others were: Englesfield (31 December 870) Reading (4 January) Ashdown (8 January) Basing (22 January) Merton (22 March) Wilton (May) Alfred the Great succeeds as king of Wessex... 871, and new burhs such as Wallingford is a small town in Oxfordshire in southern England. It is a strategically important crossing point on the River Thames, where the invading armies of the Norman conquest of 1066 crossed the Thames from south to north. Wallingford itself sits on the western side of the Thames; across the... Wallingford.

There is some evidence that kingship in Wessex was not rigidly hereditary. The strongest candidate from the pool of the senior families was elected or forced his control on the lesser kings. The internal feuding produced by this may have delayed the rise of Wessex as a full kingdom, but this is conjecture.

After the Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. Mercias neighbours included Northumbria, Powys, the kingdoms of southern Wales... Mercian conquest of its original territories in Gloucestershire (pronounced glostersher or sometimes glostersheer) is a ceremonial and administrative county in southwest England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire of the Forest of Dean. The county town is Gloucester, and other principle towns... Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. It is divided into five local government districts - Oxford, Cherwell, Vale of the White Horse (after the Uffington White Horse), West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire. The county has... Oxfordshire, its northern boundary was probably the Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. For other meanings of the word Thames, see Thames The Thames (pronounced /temz/) is... River Thames, and its heartland was the present-day counties of Hampshire is a county on the south coast of England. The 2001 census gave the population of the administrative county as 1.24 million; the population including Portsmouth and Southampton was around 1.6 million. It borders on Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Hampshire is a popular holiday... Hampshire, A bridge over the river Avon at Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. Considered as a ceremonial county it borders those of Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, and contains the unitary authority of Swindon. Wiltshire is a mostly rural landscape... Wiltshire, Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, centred in the south of the county at 50° 43′ 00″ N 02° 26′... Dorset, This page is about the county of Somerset in the United Kingdom. For other meanings of Somerset, see Somerset (disambiguation). Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. Somerset adjoins Gloucestershire to the north east, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south east and Devon to the... Somerset, and For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (pronounced Barkshe(e)r; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. It is also known as Royal Berkshire, and... Berkshire.

Revival

The English author This article is about the British novelist. For other people with the same name, please see Thomas Hardy (disambiguation). Photograph of Hardy Thomas Masterson Hardy (2 June 1840 - 11 January 1928) was a novelist and poet, generally regarded as one of the greatest figures in English literature. Biography Thomas Hardy... Thomas Hardy used a fictionalised south-west as a setting for many of his novels, reviving the term 'Wessex' for southwest England. His Wessex included all the counties mentioned in the previous paragraph apart from Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, along with This page is about the English county, for alternative meanings see Devon (disambiguation). Devon is a county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. The name Devonshire was common but is now rarely used, although it does feature in some names... Devon. He gave the counties the following fictionalised names: Berkshire = North Wessex; Devon = Lower Wessex; Dorset = South Wessex; Hampshire = Upper Wessex; Somerset = Outer Wessex; Wiltshire = Mid-Wessex. Neighbouring Cornwall was described as Off-Wessex or Lyonesse.

There is a movement in modern day south-central England to create a regional cultural and political identity in Wessex. This consists of three distinct but interlinked organisations. The The Wessex Regionalist Party is a minor political party that seeks the establishment some form of legislative and administrative devolved system for the area known as Wessex, in the south-west of England. It was formed by Alexander Thynn in 1974 in response to growing demands for home rule in... Wessex Regionalist Party is a registered political party which contests elections. The The Wessex Constitutional Convention is an all party pressure group with the following stated aims: To achieve the broadest consensus on the form of self-government appropriate for Wessex. To campaign for the implementation of that consensus at the earliest possible opportunity. To oppose the continuing partition of Wessex between... Wessex Constitutional Convention is an all-party A special interest is a person, group, or organization attempting to influence legislators or other public officials in favor of one particular interest or issue. In the UK, a group which specifically aims to influence public policy is known as a pressure group. Examples of special interests might include a... pressure group in which those sympathetic to Wessex devolution who are not members of the Wessex Regionalist Party can also be represented. The The Wessex Society is a cultural society that aims to promote a regional identity for Wessex. It was founded in 1999, and its activities have included the promotion of the flag of Wessex [1], the creation of Wessex merchandise and the commissioning of an anthem for Wessex, with music by... Wessex Society is a cultural society which promotes a cultural identity for Wessex while remaining neutral on questions of political devolution.

The boundaries of Wessex were unclear and subject to dispute. The Wessex Constitutional Convention and Wessex Society add Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to Hardy's list; and the Wessex Regionalists, who currently use Hardy's definition of Wessex, are likely to follow suit in the near future. This definition of Wessex has been criticised from a number of quarters. For example a number of people within Devon, southern Somerset and parts of Dorset see those areas as sharing a Dumnonian Celtic identity with Cornwall, whereas some regard Hardy's definition as correct on the grounds that the counties north of the Thames, along with Berkshire and north-east Somerset, were part of Mercia for most of the Anglo-Saxon period. There are also a few in Hampshire who argue that southern Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were once a Jutish province in their own right and deserve to be treated differently to the rest of Wessex. The Wessex regionalist movements defend their 8-shire definition of Wessex as being justifiable in terms of both history and modern regional geography, and point to the impossibility of pleasing everyone as an argument against change at the present time, though they do not rule out the possibility of change in the future if the popular will demands it.

The present South West England region

The government office region of South West England is one of the regions of England. It is in the south-west of the United Kingdom, and covers the area known as the West Country and much of the historical area of Wessex, although omitting Hampshire. Although referendums are planned on whether elected assemblies should be... South West England covers a different area, consisting of Hardy's Wessex less For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (pronounced Barkshe(e)r; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. It is also known as Royal Berkshire, and... Berkshire, Hampshire is a county on the south coast of England. The 2001 census gave the population of the administrative county as 1.24 million; the population including Portsmouth and Southampton was around 1.6 million. It borders on Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Hampshire is a popular holiday... Hampshire and the The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England opposite Southampton. Colloquially, it is known as The Island by its residents. Its population was 132,731 in the 2001 census (and 126,600 in 1991). The island has a single MP (currently Andrew Turner), and is... Isle of Wight, but including Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar. Also associated with Cornwall are the Isles of Scilly. It is an administrative and ceremonial county of England, although the constitutional status of Cornwall is the subject... Cornwall and Gloucestershire (pronounced glostersher or sometimes glostersheer) is a ceremonial and administrative county in southwest England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire of the Forest of Dean. The county town is Gloucester, and other principle towns... Gloucestershire. Wessex groups are currently campaigning for boundary revisions to the The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest level of local government in England. There are nine regions, each with a government office and a few associated institutions, including a Regional Development Agency (RDA). London is a special case because it has an elected mayor and... regions in order to more closely match their definitions of Wessex.

Earl of Wessex

In an unusual move HRH The Earl of Wessex His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor), styled HRH The Earl of Wessex (born March 10, 1964), is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title... Prince Edward was made The Earl of Wessex is an Earl in the English and later British nobility. The title has been created twice: First creation The title of Earl of Wessex was conferred on Godwin by Canute the Great. The Earldom had previously been reserved by the king. The Earldom passed to Godwin... Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn in honour of his marriage to HRH The Countess of Wessex Her Royal Highness The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex (Sophie Helen Mountbatten-Windsor, née Rhys-Jones), styled HRH The Countess of Wessex (born January 20, 1965), is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the... Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. The title Earl of Wessex had not been in use for over 900 years. The last earl, Name Harold Godwinson Lived c. 1022—October 14, 1066 Reigned 1066 Parents Godwin, Earl of Wessex Gytha Thorkelsdóttir Predecessor Edward the Confessor Successor Edgar Ætheling Wives Ealdgyth Swan-neck (handfast marriage, not approved by the Church) Edith Place of Birth Wessex, England Buried Waltham Abbey, body now lost... King Harold, was famously killed at the The Battle of Hastings was the decisive Norman victory in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Prelude On September 28, 1066, William of Normandy, bent on asserting by arms his claim to the English crown, landed unopposed at Pevensey. On hearing the news, the Saxon King Harold, who had... Battle of Hastings in Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned King of England the day after Edward the Confessor dies. Tostig Godwinson and Harald Hardraada of Norway invade England. September 25 - Harold II defeats Tostig and Harold Hardraada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, killing both. September 28 - Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror... 1066.

See also

• This is a list of monarchs of Wessex until 924. For later monarchs, see the list of British monarchs. While the details of the later monarchs are confirmed by a number of sources, the earlier ones are in many cases obscure. The names are given in modern English form followed... Monarchs of Wessex

External links

• The Case for Wessex (devolutionary movement) (http://www.zyworld.com/wessexsociety/caseforwessex.htm)
• The Burghal Hidage (http://www.ogdoad.force9.co.uk/alfred/alfhidage.htm)