7th Century in England - Events

Events

• 601
  • The Bishopric of Canterbury is raised to an Archbishopric.
• 604
  • The first Bishop of London and Bishop of Rochester are consecrated; King Æthelberht of Kent founds St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London.
  • King Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira under one ruler to create the Kingdom of Northumbria.
  • 26 May - Death of Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Laurence.
• 614
  • Cynegils and Cwichelm of Wessex fight on the same side at Beandun, defeating the Welsh.
• 616
  • Battle of Chester: King Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeats Powys.
  • Battle of the River Idle: King Rædwald of East Anglia kills Æthelfrith of Northumbria, and conquers the Kingdom of Elmet.
• 619
  • 2 February - Death of Laurence, the second Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Mellitus.
• 624
  • 24 April - Death of Mellitus, the third Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Justus, who dies at a date prior to 631 and is succeeded by Honorius.
• 627
  • Paulinus consecrated as the first Bishop of York, and converts Northumbria and the Kingdom of Lindsey to Christianity, baptising King Edwin of Deira on 11 April.
• 628
  • Battle of Cirencester: King Penda of Mercia defeats Wessex and captures lands along the River Severn.
• 631
  • Felix of Burgundy and the Irish monk Fursey convert the Kingdom of East Anglia to Christianity.
• 633
  • 12 October - Battle of Hatfield Chase (near Doncaster): Gwynedd and Mercia attack and defeat Northumbria; Elmet and Ebrauc temporarily return to Celtic rule.
• 634
  • Eanfrith of Bernicia is killed while attempting to negotiate peace with Cadwallon ap Cadfan, King of Gwynedd.
  • Battle of Heavenfield (near Hexham): Northumbrian forces led by Oswald of Bernicia decisively defeat the larger forces of Gwynedd under Cadwallon (who is killed). Oswald reunites the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira under his single rule.
  • Aidan founds the priory at Lindisfarne.
• 635
  • Birinus, first Bishop of Dorchester, begins the conversion of Wessex to Christianity. King Cynegils of Wessex is baptised at about this time.
• 638
  • King Oswald of Northumbria captures Edinburgh.
• 642
  • 5 August - Battle of Maserfield: King Penda of Mercia kills Oswald of Northumbria and divides his realm. Oswald's brother Oswiu becomes king of Bernicia, subject to Penda.
• 643
  • Widsith, the earliest surviving example of English heroic prose, is composed.
• 652
  • Cenwalh of Wessex wins a battle at Bradford-on-Avon.
• 653
  • Sigeberht the Good succeeds Sigeberht the Little as king of Essex.
  • The Northumbrian monk Cedd begins the conversion of Mercia and Essex to Christianity.
  • 30 September - Death of Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Deusdedit.
• 653 or 654
  • Battle of Bulcamp (near Blythburgh): King Anna of East Anglia is killed by Penda of Mercia and succeeded by his brother Æthelhere of East Anglia.
• 655
  • 15 November - Battle of the Winwaed: King Oswiu of Bernicia kills King Penda of Mercia, giving himself rule over all of Northumbria and Mercia. He installs Penda's son Peada as client king of Mercia south of the River Trent. Æthelhere of East Anglia is also killed in the battle and succeeded by his brother Æthelwold.
• 656
  • Easter - Peada of Mercia is killed through the treachery of his wife (Oswiu's daughter).
• 657
  • Saint Hilda founds Whitby Abbey.
• 658
  • (Between 657 and 659) - Three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebel against Northumbrian rule and instal Wulfhere (Penda's son) as king of all Mercia, its first Christian ruler.
  • Battle of Peonnum: King Cenwalh of Wessex conquers Dorset and Somerset, pushing the Britons into Devon and Cornwall.
• 660
  • First Bishop of Winchester (Wine) consecrated.
• 664
  • Synod of Whitby: King Oswiu of Northumbria rules that his kingdom will calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome rather than those of Celtic Christianity.
  • 14 July - Death of Deusdedit, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Wighard who dies before his consecration.
  • Theodore of Tarsus succeeds Wighard as Archbishop of Canterbury.
• 669
  • Theodore of Tarsus enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury and tasked with re-organising the English Church.
  • First Bishop of Mercia (Diuma) consecrated, with his see at Repton.
• 672
  • King Ecgfrith of Northumbria defeats the Picts.
  • 26 September - Synod of Hertford gives the Archbishop of Canterbury authority over the whole of the English Church.
• 674
  • Construction of Ripon Minster, in the Italian style, begins.
  • Benedict Biscop founds Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey.
• 676
  • First Bishop of Hereford (Putta) consecrated.
• 677
  • Wilfrid, the Bishop of York, expelled from Northumbria after resisting re-organisation of the Church.
• 678
  • Battle of the River Trent: Mercia defeats Northumbrian invasion.
• 680
  • Wilfrid converts the last Saxon pagan realm, the Kingdom of Sussex, to Christianity.
  • First Bishop of Worcester (Bosel) consecrated.
• 681
  • Centwine of Wessex pursues the Britons to the sea.
• 684
  • Cuthbert becomes Bishop of Hexham.
  • King Ecgfrith of Northumbria campaigns in Ireland.
• 685
  • 20 May - Battle of Dunnichen: Picts kill Ecgfrith, ending Saxon rule north of the River Forth.
  • King Cædwalla of Wessex takes control of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and the Isle of Wight.
• 688
  • Cædwalla baptised in Rome, but dies shortly after and is succeeded by Ine.
  • Re-foundation of Glastonbury Abbey.
• 690
  • 19 September - Death of Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Berhtwald.
• 691
  • Wilfrid exiled again, to Mercia.
• 694
  • King Ine of Wessex writes a new code of laws.
• 698
  • Creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels begins.