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Mercia

ercia was an area of England in the times of the Anglo-Saxons and was situated in the centre of country. In Saxon times the area we now know as England was divided up into seven regions with a powerful ruler controlling each. The other areas were Wessex, Sussex, Kent, Northumbria, Essex and East Anglia. These seven regions are known as the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. These separate kingdoms finally came under the control of one king in the reign of Edgar I who reigned from 959 until 975.

This map shows the areas of England in 1065 that the most important Earls controlled.

Timeline

865

A large army of Danes landed in East Anglia led by King Ivar the 'Boneless' and King Halfdan. No attempts were made to get rid of the invaders.

867

Armies from Northumbria attacked the Danes at York but were defeated. The Danes moved south attacking Nottingham and taking the city. The king of Mercia asked Ethelred and Alfred for assistance and an army from Wessex went to help.

868

Alfred marries the daughter of a Mercian nobleman.

Ethelred and Alfred married Mercian noble women whilst assisting the King of Mercia with the Danes on his land. A peaceful settlement was reached with the Danes and a Danegeld was paid for them to leave.

924

Edward the Elder died (at Farndon in Mercia). He was succeeded by his son Athelstan.

925

Aethelstan became King of Wessex and Mercia. His coronation took place at Kingston-upon-Thames. At this point Aethelstan was not king of all England. He had to wait until 927 to become overlord of the other regional rulers.

1013

Swein Fork-Beard and his son Canute sailed from Denmark to attack England. Again London defended itself and the Vikings moved elsewhere, taking Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria.

1015

Canute invaded England taking control of Mercia and Northumbria. Aethelred was ill and England was in the hands of Edmund (Ironside).

1017

Canute had the treacherous Ealdorman Eadric Streona of Mercia killed.

1035

King Canute died at Shaftesbury leaving the rule of the country in dispute between Harthacnut (the son of Emma) and Harold Harefoot (the son of Aelfgifu). The Earls of Northumbria and Mercia supported Harold's claim while Earl Godwine supported Harthacanute's. Canute's body was taken to Winchester to be buried. Harthacnut was in Denmark at the time of his father's death and was unable to travel to England because of invasion threats.

1067

William returned to Normandy taking as guests Edgar the Aetheling (the grandson of Edmund Ironside), Stigand (Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earls of Mercia and Northumbria and the brothers Edwin and Morcar.

1071

After Eadwin, the Earl of Mercia, was killed in the revolt against William his castle and lands at Dudley were given to William's Norman followers.

Selection of references used:

  • 1. Ronald McNair Scott, Alfred the Great, ISBN:0-86332-832-6
  • 2. Richard Humble, The Fall of Saxon England
  • 3. David Bates, William the Conqueror, ISBN:0-540-01175-4
  • 4. Timbs & Gunn, Abbeys, Castles & Ancient Halls of England & Wales

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