Æscwine of Wessex
Æscwine was a King of Wessex from about 674 to 676, but was probably not the only king in Wessex at the time.
| Æscwine | |
|---|---|
| King of Wessex | |
| Reign | 674–676 |
| Predecessor | Seaxburh |
| Successor | Centwine |
| Died | After 676 |
| House | Wessex |
| Father | Cenfus |
Bede writes that after the death of King Cenwalh in 672: "his under-rulers took upon them the kingdom of the people, and dividing it among themselves, held it ten years".[1] According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Cenwalh was succeeded as ruler for about one year by his wife Seaxburh.[2] Æscwine reigned from about 674 to 676.[3] Another source claims that Æscwine's father, Cenfus (Old English: Cēnfūs), ruled for two years after Seaxburh.[4]
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle supplies a genealogy, making him a fifth-generation descendant of Cynric. Bede's dismissal of Æscwine as a mere sub-king may represent the views of the supporters of the King Ine of Wessex, whose family ruled Wessex in Bede's time,[5] as Ine's family were bona fide descendants of Cynric through Ceawlin's son Cuthwine.
In 675, Æscwine defeated an invasion of Wessex led by the Mercian King Wulfhere at Biedanheafde,[6] a location which has not been certainly identified.
Æscwine was succeeded by Centwine of Wessex.
Notes
- Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Book IV, chapter 12.
- Barbara Yorke, Cenwalh, Oxford Online Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
- Rulers of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, Oxford Online Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
- Kirby, D.P. (1992). The Earliest English Kings. London: Routledge. p. 52. ISBN 0-415-09086-5. Cenfus is not listed in modern king lists, e.g. Yorke, Barbara, Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England, pp. 133–134.
- Kirby, pp. 52–53.
- Kirby, p. 52
External links
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Seaxburh as Queen of Wessex |
King of Wessex 674–676? |
Succeeded by Centwine |