List of Monarchs of Mercia - Kings of The Mercians

Kings of The Mercians

The traditional rulers of Mercia were known as the Iclingas, descendants of the kings of the Angles. When the Iclingas became extinct in the male line, a number of other families, labelled B, C and W by historians, competed for the throne.

Iclingas
C-dynasty (traditionally a branch of the Iclingas, probably instead descended from Wessex king Cenwalh and his Inclinga wife)
B-dynasty (so-called – a conjectural grouping based on names alone)
W-dynasty (Wiglaf and his descendants, later intermarried with C)
Unknown dynastic affiliation
Mercia under external occupation
Æthelred II and family (recognising West Saxon overlordship)

Ruler Reign Biographical notes Died
Cearl c.606–c.626 Named as king by Bede, not included in later regnal lists c.626
Penda c.626–655 Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last pagan ruler of Mercia. Killed in battle by Oswiu of Northumbria. 15 Nov 655
Eowa c.635–642 Son of Pybba. Co-ruler. Killed in battle. 5 Aug 642
Peada c.653–656 Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered. 17 Apr 656
Oswiu of Northumbria 655–658 Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the death of Penda. Also King of Northumbria (655–670). 15 Feb 670
Wulfhere 658–675 Son of Penda. Restored Mercian dominance in England. First Christian king of all Mercia. 675
Æthelred I 675–704 Son of Penda. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney. 716
Cœnred 704–709 Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome. ?
Ceolred 709–716 Son of Æthelred I. Probably poisoned. 716
Ceolwald 716 Presumed son of Æthelred I (may not have existed). 716
Æthelbald 716–757 Grandson of Eowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 736. Murdered by his bodyguards. 757
Beornred 757 No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa. Possibly burnt to death in 769 in Northumbria. 769
Offa 757–796 Great-great-grandson of Eowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himself King of the English in 774, built Offa's Dyke, and introduced the silver penny. 26 or 29 Jul 796
Ecgfrith 787–796 Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father. 14 or 17 Dec 796
Cœnwulf 796–821 Seventh generation descendant of Pybba, probably through a sister of Penda. Assumed the title of 'emperor'. 821
Cynehelm c.798–812 Son of Cœnwulf. Co-ruler. Allegedly murdered, and later canonised (St Kenelm). 812
Ceolwulf I 821–823 Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Beornwulf. ?
Beornwulf 823–826 Conjectured kinsman of Beornred. Killed in battle against the East Anglians. 826
Ludeca 826–827 No known relation to his predecessors. Killed in battle against the East Anglians. 827
Wiglaf 827–829 No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Ecgberht of Wessex. 839
Ecgberht of Wessex 829–830 Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the deposition of Wiglaf. Also King of Wessex (802–839). 4 Feb 839
Wiglaf 830–839 Restored. Although Mercia regained its independence, its dominance in England was lost. 839
Wigmund c.839–c.840 Son of Wiglaf and son-in-law of Ceolwulf I. Probably co-ruler. c.840
Wigstan 840 Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Beorhtwulf. Canonised (St Wystan). 849
Ælfflæd 840 Daughter of Ceolwulf I, wife of Wigmund and mother of Wigstan. Appointed regent by Wigstan. ?
Beorhtwulf 840–852 Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Usurped the kingship and forced Ælfflæd to marry his son, Beorhtfrith. 852
Burgred 852–874 Conjectured kinsman of Beorhtwulf. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion. ?
Ceolwulf II 874–879 Possibly a descendant of the C-dynasty of Ceolwulf I, perhaps via intermarriage with W-dynasty. Lost eastern Mercia to the Danes in 877. 879
Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians c.883–911 Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Regarded as an 'ealdorman' by West Saxon sources. 911
Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians 911–918 Wife of Æthelred and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. Reconquered eastern Mercia together with her brother, Edward the Elder. 12 Jun 918
Ælfwynn, Second Lady of the Mercians 918 Daughter of Æthelred II and Æthelflæd. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder in late 918, who annexed Mercia to Wessex. ?

Read more about this topic:  List Of Monarchs Of Mercia

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