8th century in England

8th century in England

Other centuries

7th century | 8th century | 9th century

Events from the 8th century in England.

Events

• 700
  • Osgyth, Abbess of Chich in Essex, is killed.
  • Approximate date – Beverley Minster is founded by John of Beverley.
• 704
  • Æthelred of Mercia abdicates to become a monk at Bardney and is succeeded as king by his nephew Coenred.
• 705
  • Wilfrid is re-instated as Bishop of Ripon.[1]
  • Bede completes his first chronological work.[1]
  • Approximate date
    • The Diocese of Sherborne is created from part of that of Winchester with Aldhelm as first bishop.
    • John of Beverley is elevated from Bishop of Hexham to Bishop of York.
• 709
  • Coenred of Mercia abdicates to become a monk in Rome and is succeeded as king by his cousin Ceolred.
• 710
  • Picts unsuccessfully invade Northumbria.[2]
• 715
  • Approximate date of completion of Lindisfarne Gospels.
• 716
  • Æthelbald becomes King of Mercia on the death of Ceolred, marking the beginning of that kingdom's ascendancy over the other Saxon realms.[1]
  • The 'Codex Amiatinus', the earliest surviving complete manuscript of the Vulgate, produced at Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey, is taken to Italy as a gift to the Pope.
• 721
  • Death of Bishop Eadfrith of Lindisfarne.
• 722
  • King Ine of Wessex fails to conquer Cornwall, being defeated at the three battles of Hehil, Garth Maelog, and Pencon.[3]
• 725
  • 23 April – King Wihtred of Kent dies leaving the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent to his three sons: Æthelberht II, Eadberht and Alric.[4]
• 726
  • King Ine of Wessex abdicates to travel to Rome and is succeeded by Æthelheard.
• Before 730
  • Northumbria annexes Rheged.
• 731
  • Bede completes his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People).[1]
  • 13 January – death of Berhtwald, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Tatwine.
• 732
  • Wilfrid II resigns the Bishopric of York and is succeeded by Ecgbert who establishes a library and school in York.
• 734
  • 30 July – death of Tatwine, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Nothhelm.
• 735
  • Bishopric of York elevated to an Archbishopric; Ecgbert becomes the first Archbishop.[1]
• 736
  • King Æthelbald of Mercia describes himself as "King of Britain".[1]
• 739
  • 17 October – death of Nothhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Cuthbert.
• 740
  • Approximate date – Æthelheard of Wessex is succeeded by Cuthred.
• 747
  • First Council of Clofeshoh reforms the Church.[1]
• 749
  • Edict of Gumley: Church freed from its economic obligations to the King of Mercia.[1]
• 750
  • King Eadberht of Northumbria invades the Kingdom of Strathclyde, capturing Kyle.[1]
• 752
  • Battle of Beorhford: Cuthred of Wessex defeats Æthelbald of Mercia at Battle Edge, Burford, Oxfordshire.[1]
• 753
  • Cuthred of Wessex fights the Cornish.
• 756
  • King Eadberht captures Dumbarton, capital of Strathclyde.[1]
• 757
  • King Æthelbald of Mercia murdered; succeeded by Offa.[1]
  • King Sigeberht of Wessex deposed and murdered; succeeded by Cynewulf.[5]
  • Wat's Dyke constructed.[1]
• 758
  • King Eadberht of Northumbria abdicates to enter a monastery at York; succeeded by his son Oswulf.
• 759
  • 24 July – King Oswulf of Northumbria is murdered at Market Weighton; succeeded by Æthelwald Moll (crowned 5 August).
• 760
  • Battle of Hereford: Battle between Mercia and the Welsh; Dyfnwal ap Tewdwr dies.[3]
  • 26 October – death of Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Bregowine (consecrated 27 September 761).
• 761
  • 6 August – Battle of Eildon: King Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria defeats and kills a rival, Oswine, in a 3-day battle in Scotland.
• 764
  • Offa conquers Kent.[1]
  • August – death of Bregowine, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Jænberht (consecrated 2 February 765 at Offa's court).
• 765
  • 30 October  – King Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria deposed; succeeded by Alhred.
• 771
  • Offa conquers Sussex.[1]
• 774
  • Offa first uses the title "King of the English".[1]
  • King Alhred of Northumbria is deposed; succeeded by Æthelred.
• 776
  • Battle of Otford: Kent expels the Mercians.[1]
• 778
  • Offa raids Dyfed.[3]
• 779
  • Æthelred I of Northumbria is deposed for the first time; succeeded by Ælfwald I of Northumbria
• 779
  • Hygeberht becomes Bishop of Lichfield.
• 784
  • Offa raids Wales.[3]
  • Construction of Offa's Dyke begins.[1]
• 786
  • Papal legates hold councils in Mercia and Northumbria.[1]
  • Mercia regains control of Kent.[1]
  • King Cynewulf of Wessex is killed in a surprise attack at his mistress's house in Marten or Merton by Cyneheard the Ætheling (brother of the deposed Sigeberht), who also dies in the attack; Beorhtric takes the throne with the support of his father-in-law Offa.
• 787
  • Offa issues the first silver penny.[1]
  • At a Synod of Chelsea, Offa has his son consecrated as King; the first such ceremony in England.[1]
• 788
  • 23 September – Ælfwald I of Northumbria is murdered, probably at Chesters, by ealdorman Sicga and succeeded by his first cousin Osred II as king of Northumbria.
  • At Offa's urging, the Pope elevates the Bishopric of Lichfield (under Hygeberht) to an Archbishopric.[1]
• 789
  • Charlemagne establishes a trade embargo on the English after failed negotiations for his daughter to marry Offa's son.[1]
  • Norse activity in the British Isles: Viking raid on England, at Portland.[2]
• 790
  • Æthelred is restored as king of Northumbria following the deposition of Osred II and institutes minting of the styca to replace the silver sceat.
• 792
  • 12 August – death of Jænberht, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Æthelhard.
  • October – Osred, the deposed king of Northumbria, returns from exile and is murdered.
• 793
  • 8 June – Vikings raid Lindisfarne.[1]
• 794
  • 6 January? – Vikings raid Jarrow.[1]
  • 20 May – King Æthelberht II of East Anglia is beheaded on the order of King Offa of Mercia at Sutton Walls, Herefordshire.[2]
• 796
  • 18 April – Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered at Corbridge by a group led by ealdormen Ealdred and Wada. Osbald succeeds him as king of Northumbria for 27 days before going into exile, initially in Lindisfarne.
  • 14 May – Eardwulf succeeds as king of Northumbria.
  • 29 July – Offa of Mercia dies having raided Dyfed[1] and possibly fought in the Battle of Rhuddlan Marsh[2] (perhaps against Caradog ap Meirion). He is buried, maybe at Bedford, and succeeded by his son Ecgfrith who reigns only until December; Wessex regains its independence.[2]
  • December – Ecgfrith is succeeded by Coenwulf of Mercia.
  • Kent rebels against Mercia again.[1]
• 798
  • Kentish rebellion suppressed.[1]
  • Saxons kill Caradog ap Meirion, King of Gwynedd.[3]

Births

• c. 700 – Lullus, Archbishop of Mainz (d. 786)

References

1. Palmer, Alan; Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 34–37. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
2. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
3. Annales Cambriae
4. Bede (1990). Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Translated by Leo Sherley-Price, rev. R. E. Latham, ed. D. H. Farmer. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044565-X. V:23.
5. Dated 755 in the very full entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.