People and Events

Saxon Period


650 (663) Synod of Whitby

675 (687) Death of St Cuthbert (685-688) King Ine of Wessex

700 (713) Death of St Swithin

725 (731) Bede's "Ecclesiastical History"; (735) Death of Bede

750 (c. 790) Construction of Offa's Dyke (757-796) Offa of Mercia

775 (793) Viking Raid on Lindisfarne

800 (800) Imperial Coronation of Charlemange: (c. 800) Writings of Nenius

825 (830's) Increase in Viking attacks on Ireland; (835) Viking attack on Sheppey (829) Egbert (of Wessex)

829-839 EGBERT


829 - Egbert, Saxon King of Wessex, becomes 'Overlord' of all England 853 - Vikings occupy London c867 - Vikings capture York

871-899 ALFRED


800's-880's - Famous King ALFRED THE GREAT subdues and Christianises the Vikings, dividing the country under 'Danelaw'

850 (850) Vikings overwinter on Thanet; (865) First record of Danegeld being paid (839) Ethelwulf;

(858) Ethelbald


875 (869) Martydom of King Edmund; (879) Treaty of Wedmore (866) Ethelberrt; (871) Alfred the Great

900 (913) Fortifications at Tamworth, Slafford, Hereford and on the River l.ca (899) Edward the Elder

925 (917)Re-conquest of Derby; (923)Re conquest of York (925) Athelstan

924-940 ATHELSTAN


937 - Athelstan defeats combined Vikings and Scots at BRUNANBURH 930's - King raises age from 12 to 15 for execution of children


940-978 5 'BOY-KINGS'

940-46 Edmund The Elder


946-55 Edred


955-59 Edwy The Fair


959-75 - Edgar The Peaceful


975-78 - Edward The Martyr


950 (963) St AEthelwold B. of Winchester & St Dunstan Archbishop of Canterbury (939) Edmund;

(946) Edred; (955) Edwy; (959) Edgar

975 (c.975) Regularis Concordia; (991) The Battle of Maldon (975) Edward the Martyr; Ethelread II (Unready)

1000 (1002) Payment of £24,000 Danegeld; (1007) Payment of £30,000 Danegeld (1013) Sven

Forkbeard; (1014) Ethelread II; (1016) Edmund Ironside

978-1013 ETHELRED


1013 - ETHELRED THE UNREADY


He flees, deposed by Forkbeard The Dane 1014 - Ethelred briefly restored

1013-1014 FORKBEARD


1013 - Forkbeard The Dane mounts full-scale invasion of England and gains recognition as its King 1014 - Death of Forkbeard

1025 (1040) King Harold I (Harefoot) dies at Oxford (1016) Cnut: (1035) Harold I (Harefoot)

1016-1035 CANUTE


1016 - King Canute, the son of Forkbeard the Dane, takes possession of the throne, and rules over England, Denmark and Norway

1042-1066 EDWARD


1050's - Pious King Edward 'The Confessor' makes William of Normandy heir c1050 - King establishes Palace and Abbey at Westminster

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