Wiglaf
King of Mercia
Wiglaf's name in the 825 entry of the [C] manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Reign	827–829, 830–839
Died	839
Buried	Repton, Derbyshire
Predecessor	Ludeca
Successor	Beorhtwulf
Issue	Wigmund

Wiglaf (died 839) was King of Mercia from 827 to 829 and again from 830 until his death. Repton is a large Village in Derbyshire, England between Derby and Burton upon Trent, situated at the edge of the River History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Ludeca was the nineteenth King of Mercia, from 826 to 827 He became king after the death of Beornwulf in battle against the rebellious East Angles, but Beorhtwulf (died 852 (also Berhtwulf, was King of the Mercians from 840 to 852 Wigmund may have briefly reigned in Mercia in about 840, in succession to his father Wiglaf of Mercia. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. His ancestry is uncertain: the 820s were a period of dynastic conflict within Mercia and the genealogy of several of the kings of this time is unknown. Wigstan, his grandson, was later recorded as a descendant of Penda of Mercia, so it is possible that Wiglaf was descended from Penda, one of the most powerful seventh-century kings of Mercia. Penda (died November 15 655 was a 7th-century King of Mercia, a kingdom in what is today the English Midlands.

Wiglaf succeeded Ludeca, who was killed campaigning against East Anglia. Ludeca was the nineteenth King of Mercia, from 826 to 827 He became king after the death of Beornwulf in battle against the rebellious East Angles, but East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. His first reign coincided with the continued rise of the rival Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex under Egbert. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. Egbert (also spelt Ecgberht) (died 839 was King of Wessex from 802 until 839 Egbert drove Wiglaf from the throne in 829, and ruled Mercia directly for a year. Wiglaf recovered the kingdom in 830, probably by force although it may be that Wiglaf remained subject to Egbert's overlordship. Mercia never regained the south-eastern kingdoms, but Berkshire and perhaps Essex came back into Mercian control. Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South The Kingdom of Essex ( Est Seaxna "East Saxons" was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded The causes of the fluctuating fortunes of Mercia and Wessex are a matter of speculation, but it may be that Carolingian support influenced both Egbert's ascendancy and the subsequent Mercian recovery. The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Although Wiglaf appears to have restored Mercia's independence, the recovery was short-lived, and later in the century Mercia was divided between Wessex and the Vikings.

Wiglaf died in about 839, and was probably succeeded by Beorhtwulf, though one tradition records his son, Wigmund as having reigned briefly. Beorhtwulf (died 852 (also Berhtwulf, was King of the Mercians from 840 to 852 Wigmund may have briefly reigned in Mercia in about 840, in succession to his father Wiglaf of Mercia. Wiglaf is buried at Repton, near Derby. Repton is a large Village in Derbyshire, England between Derby and Burton upon Trent, situated at the edge of the River Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England.

Historical context

A map of what is now England during Wiglaf's reigns; the remnants of Offa's Dyke are shown, running roughly along the modern border between England and Wales. Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales.

Mercia had been the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom for most of the 8th century, with Offa, who died in 796, the most powerful king of his time. Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796 ^[1] Coenwulf, who took the Mercian throne shortly after Offa's death, was able to retain Mercian influence in the kingdoms of Kent, East Anglia and Essex,^[2] and made frequent incursions across Offa's Dyke into what is now Wales. The Kingdom of Kent was a kingdom of Jutes in southeast England and was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon heptarchy. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Kingdom of Essex ( Est Seaxna "East Saxons" was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales. ^[3] However, Coenwulf's death, in 821, marked the beginning of a period in which the political map of England was dramatically redrawn. ^[4] Although one eleventh-century source claims that Coenwulf's son, Cynehelm, briefly succeeded to the throne, it is more likely that Ceolwulf, Coenwulf's brother, was the next king. Saint Kenelm (or Cynehelm) was an Anglo-Saxon Saint, venerated throughout medieval England, and mentioned in the Canterbury Tales Ceolwulf I was King of Mercia and Kent from 821 to 823. He was the brother of Cœnwulf, his predecessor and was deposed by Beornwulf ^[5] He reigned for only two years before being deposed. ^[6]

The next king, Beornwulf, was of no known royal line, though it has been conjectured on the basis of the common initial letter B that he was connected to the later kings Beorhtwulf and Burgred. Beornwulf (died 825 was King of Mercia (now the Midlands of England) from 823 to 825 Beorhtwulf (died 852 (also Berhtwulf, was King of the Mercians from 840 to 852 Burgred or Burhred or Burghred was the king of Mercia (852 - 874 ^[7] It was probably Beornwulf whose defeat of the kingdom of Powys and destruction of the fortress of Deganwy are recorded in a Welsh chronicle, the Brut y Tywysogion, in 823, and it is clear that Mercia was still a formidable military power at that time.   Brut y Tywysogion ( English: Chronicle of the Princes) is one of the most important Primary sources for Welsh history. However, in 825 Beornwulf was decisively defeated by Egbert of Wessex at the battle of Ellendun, and died the next year in an unsuccessful invasion of East Anglia. Egbert (also spelt Ecgberht) (died 839 was King of Wessex from 802 until 839 Ellandun was the site of the Battle of Ellandun between Egbert of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. His successor, Ludeca, of unknown lineage, also invaded East Anglia, and like Beornwulf died while campaigning there, in 827. These defeats, in rapid succession, are likely to have exacerbated the apparent dynastic contention for Mercian royal authority. Outside Mercia, the power of the kingdom of Wessex, to the south, was strong and growing when Wiglaf came to the throne. ^[6]

Ancestry

Wiglaf's ancestry is not known for certain. There are two main theories regarding the ancestry of Mercian kings of this period. One is that descendants of different lines of the royal family competed for the throne. In the mid-7th century, for example, Penda had placed royal kinsmen in control of conquered provinces. Penda (died November 15 655 was a 7th-century King of Mercia, a kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A Wigheard, who witnessed a charter in the late 7th century, was possibly a member of this line. ^[7] The other theory is that a number of kin-groups with local power-bases may have competed for the succession. The sub-kingdoms of the Hwicce, the Tomsæte, and the unidentified Gaini are examples of such power-bases. The Hwicce (also spelt Hwicca or Wiccia) were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England. Marriage alliances could also have played a part. Competing magnates, those called in charters "dux" or "princeps" (that is, leaders), may have brought the kings to power. In this model, the Mercian kings are little more than leading noblemen. ^[8]

A medieval tradition preserved at Evesham^[9] records that Wiglaf's grandson Wigstan was a descendant of Coenred, who was a grandson of Penda. Evesham ( is a middle-sized rural Market town in Worcestershire, UK in the Local Authority District of Wychavon. Wigstan (died 840 also known as Saint Wystan, was the son of Wigmund of Mercia and Ælfflæd daughter of King Ceolwulf I of Mercia. Cenred (or Coenred, Coinred, Kenred) ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Wigstan's grandfathers were Wiglaf and Ceolwulf I; the tradition might be interpreted to mean that Wiglaf descended from Penda, but it might also be Wiglaf's wife, Cynethryth, who was descended from Penda. ^[10] Cynethryth's name is known from two of Wiglaf's charters, dated 831 and 836,^[11][12] and historian Pauline Stafford notes that her name "seems to hark back to the kin of Coenwulf if not earlier royal lines", but as with Wiglaf himself, nothing certain is known of her ancestry. Pauline Stafford is the Professor of Early Medieval History at Liverpool University in England ^[13][14] A different connection is mentioned in the medieval Life of St. Wigstan, which asserts that the "B" and "W" families were related. ^[15]

Known descendants of Wiglaf include his son, Wigmund, and his grandson, Wigstan,^[10] both of whom share the "Wig-" at the start of his name; alliterative family names are frequent in Anglo-Saxon dynasties and are often thought to suggest possible kinship. Wigmund may have briefly reigned in Mercia in about 840, in succession to his father Wiglaf of Mercia. ^[16] Other possible descendants of Wiglaf include the last Mercian king, Ceolwulf II. Ceolwulf II (probably died 881 was King of Mercia. He succeeded Burgred of Mercia who was deposed in 874 ^[17] A large number of duces or praefecti (ealdormen) with similar names are found as witnesses in Mercian charters of the late 8th and early 9th centuries, including Wigbald, Wigberht, Wigcga, Wigferth, and Wigheard, but there is no evidence beyond the similarity of names to show that there was a relation between these nobles. An ealdorman (modern Alderman) was the prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire from 900 to the time of the Danes. ^[18]

First reign and defeat by Wessex

The entry for 825 in the [C] manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, recording Wiglaf's accession. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records Wiglaf's accession in the entry for 827 (erroneously recorded under the year 825). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. ^[19] The entry reads "Her Ludecan Myrcna cing 7 his fif ealdormenn mid him man ofsloh, 7 Wiglaf feng to rice",^[20] which means "Here Ludeca, King of Mercia, was killed, and his five ealdormen with him, and Wiglaf succeeded to the kingdom". In 829, Egbert of Wessex successfully invaded Mercia and drove Wiglaf from his throne. ^[21] The immediate consequence of Egbert's defeat of Beornwulf in 825 at the battle of Ellendun had been the loss of Mercian control over the south-eastern kingdoms of Kent, Sussex, Essex and East Anglia; Beornwulf's and Ludeca's disastrous military expeditions against East Anglia in 826 and 827 also confirmed Mercia's loss of control of that kingdom. The Kingdom of Sussex, ( Suth Seaxe, ie the South Saxons was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms the boundaries of which coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom ^[6][22] Egbert's defeat of Wiglaf in 829 completed his domination of southern England,^[6] and Egbert went on to receive the submission of Eanred of Northumbria at Dore, on the northern border of Mercia, later that year. Eanred was king of Northumbria in the early ninth century Very little is known for certain about Eanred Dore ( is a village in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies on a hill above the River Sheaf, and until 1934 was part of Derbyshire ^[23] These events led the anonymous scribe who wrote the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to describe Egbert as the eighth bretwalda, or "Ruler of Britain". Bretwalda, also Brytenwalda, Bretenanwealda, is an Anglo-Saxon term the first record of which comes from the late ninth century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ^[21]

Egbert remained in control of Wessex until some time in 830. He was in power there long enough to issue coins (struck in London) bearing the title "Rex M", for "Rex Merciorum", or "King of Mercia". ^[24]

Second reign

The Chronicle reports that in 830, Wiglaf "obtained the kingdom of Mercia again". ^[25] Wiglaf's return to the throne has generally been taken by historians to indicate the end of Egbert's overlordship of Mercia. ^[26] In particular, historian Frank Stenton argued that the wording of the Chronicle makes it probable that Wiglaf recovered the kingdom by force, and that if Egbert had given the kingdom to Wiglaf this would have been recorded. Sir Frank Merry Stenton (1880 &ndash 15 September 1967 was a noted 20th century historian of Anglo-Saxon England. ^[27] A charter of 836 has also been cited as evidence that Wiglaf was acting as an independent ruler at that time; it records a council at Croft, in Leicestershire, attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury and eleven bishops, including some from West Saxon sees. Croft is a small village in the District of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, off the old Fosse Way. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Wiglaf refers to the assembly as "my bishops, duces, and magistrates", indicating not only a recovery of control over his own territory, but some level of authority over the southern church. ^[28] It is significant that Wiglaf was still able to call together such a group of notables; the West Saxons, even if they were able to do so, held no such councils. ^[29][30] Essex, which had been a Mercian dependency, may have been brought back under Mercian overlordship: a King Sigeric of the East Saxons, described as a minister of Wiglaf's, witnessed a charter in Hertfordshire at some point between 829 and 837. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of ^[31] London, where Egbert apparently lost control of the mint, remained a Mercian town through Wiglaf's second reign and beyond. ^[28] Berkshire also appears to have returned to Mercian control, though it is possible that this did not occur until after Wiglaf's reign. ^[6] Perhaps more surprisingly, given the new strength of Wessex, it appears that the territory along the middle Thames which had formed the heartland of the Gewisse (the precursor people of the 9th-century West Saxon state) remained firmly in Mercian hands. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Gewissae or Gewisse was a tribal grouping of the upper Thames region of England which formed one of the bases of the kingdom of Wessex. ^[28] In the west, either Wiglaf or his successor, Beorhtwulf, brought the Welsh back under Mercian control at some point prior to 853, when a rebellion against Mercia is recorded. ^[6]

A charter of 831, which Wiglaf calls "the first year of my second reign", was issued at Wychbold near Droitwich; it is significant that Wiglaf makes no reference to any overlordship of Egbert's in this charter, issued within a year of his recovery of power,^[28] and that he acknowledges his temporary deposition. Wychbold is a village in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. Droitwich Spa is a Town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe and has a population of 22585 (2001 ^[32] In East Anglia, King Æthelstan minted coins, possibly as early as 827, but more likely c. See also Guthrum of East Anglia who was sometimes known as Athelstan 830 after Egbert's influence was reduced with Wiglaf's return to power in Mercia. This demonstration of independence on East Anglia's part is not surprising, as it was probably Æthelstan who was responsible for the defeat and death of both Beornwulf and Ludeca. ^[6]

Both Wessex's sudden rise to power in the late 820s, and the subsequent failure to retain this dominant position, have been examined by historians looking for underlying causes. ^[6] Dynastic uncertainty has been suggested as the reason for Mercia's collapse; the 820s were certainly years of instability in the royal line. ^[33] The lack of detailed information about Mercian and Wessex administration makes other theories hard to evaluate: for example it has been suggested that the West Saxons had a stable tributary system that contributed to its success, or that Wessex's mixed Saxon and British population, natural frontiers, and capable administrators were key factors. ^[6]

Another proposed explanation for the events of these years is that Wessex's fortunes were to some degree dependent on Carolingian support. The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the The Rhenish and Frankish commercial networks collapsed at some time in the 820s or 830s, and in addition, a rebellion broke out in February 830 against Louis the Pious, the first of a series of internal conflicts that lasted through the 830s and beyond. Louis the Pious (778 &ndash 20 June 840) also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor These distractions may have reduced Louis's ability to support Egbert. In this view, the withdrawal of Frankish influence would have left East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex to find a balance of power not dependent on outside aid. ^[6]

Wiglaf's recovery, however, was not complete. Egbert's influence was certainly reduced after 830, but Mercia never recovered control of the south-east, except possibly for Essex; and East Anglia remained independent. ^[6] It appears that Wulfred, the archbishop of Canterbury at the time of Egbert's victory, remained loyal to Mercia: his coinage terminates when Egbert's Kentish coinage begins; and since a charter of 838 shows Egbert agreeing to return property to the church in Canterbury it is evident that he had seized property from the church earlier. Wulfred was Archbishop of Canterbury from 805 to 832 Biography Wulfred is believed to have come from Middlesex and was a member of a wealthy ^[33] Æthelwulf, Egbert's son, was king of Kent during his father's reign, and fear of continuing Mercian influence in Kent may have been the reason he gave estates to Christ Church, Canterbury. Æthelwulf, also spelled Aethelwulf or Ethelwulf; Old English: Æþelwulf, means 'Noble Wolf' (c Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a ^[6]

Coinage and charters

Coins from Wiglaf's reign are very rare. They can be divided into portrait and non-portrait types; and of these, only the two non-portrait coins may be from Wiglaf's second reign. Other than these, there is no evidence of any Mercian coinage until the reign of Wiglaf's successor, Beorhtwulf, which began in about 840. ^[34] This may show that Wiglaf remained subject to Egbert's overlordship after 830, though most historians consider Wiglaf to have recovered his independence at that time. ^[35]

Charters survive from Wiglaf's reign; these were documents which granted land to followers or to churchmen, and were witnessed by the kings who had power to grant the land. ^[36][37] One such charter of Wiglaf's, granting privileges to the monastery of Hanbury in 836, does not exempt the monks from the duty of constructing ramparts, indicating a concern for defence. Hanbury may refer to Hanbury Staffordshire Hanbury Worcestershire Hanbury Botanical Gardens Liguria Wessex charters do not begin to show such exemptions until 846. These clauses are explained by the increasing Viking presence throughout Britain: Viking raids had begun at least as early as 793, Viking armies were in Kent by 811, and from 835 Viking raids were a concern for the kings of Wessex. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas ^[38]

The 836 charter also contains an early reference to the trimoda necessitas, the set of three obligations that kings of the era placed on their subjects. Trinoda necessitas is a Latin term used in Anglo-Saxon times meaning threefold tax. These duties were the building of royal residences, the obligation to pay feorm, or food-rent, to the king, and hospitality to the king's servants. ^[39][40] The privileges granted came at a cost: Wiglaf and one ealdorman received life interests in estates, and another ealdorman was paid six hundred shillings in gold. ^[41][42] It is perhaps notable that in common with many other Mercian charters of the 9th century, this grant is of privileges rather than land: the chronicler Bede had commented a century earlier that excessive grants of land to monasteries were leaving kings without land to grant to the nobility, and the Mercian kings may have been responding to this problem. Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c ^[42]

Succession

A 19th century engraving of the crypt at Repton where Wiglaf was interred.

The date of Wiglaf's death is not given directly in any of the primary sources, but it can be determined from the known chronology of his successors. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Burgred was driven out of Mercia by the Vikings in 874, after a reign of twenty-two years, and charter evidence indicates that Burgred succeeded in the first half of 852. Burgred or Burhred or Burghred was the king of Mercia (852 - 874 A regnal list credits his predecessor, Beorhtwulf, with a reign of thirteen years, which is consistent with date references in his charters. Hence it would appear that Wiglaf's reign ended in 839. A tradition records the death of Wigstan in 849, and refers to Wigstan's father, Wigmund, the son of Wiglaf, as having been king, but this is the only evidence for Wigmund having reigned and must be regarded with suspicion. The descent of Beorhtwulf is not known, but it appears that dynastic tension was a continuing factor in the Mercian succession, in contrast to Wessex, where Egbert established a dynasty that lasted with little disturbance throughout the 9th century. ^[43]

Wiglaf was buried at Repton, in a crypt which still can be seen. Repton is a large Village in Derbyshire, England between Derby and Burton upon Trent, situated at the edge of the River ^[44] The monastery church on the site at that time was probably constructed by Æthelbald of Mercia to house the royal mausoleum; other burials there include that of Wigstan, Wiglaf's grandson. Æthelbald (also spelled Ethelbald, or Aethelbald) (died 757 was the King of Mercia, in what is now the English Midlands ^[45][46][47] The vault and columns in the crypt are not original and may date from Wiglaf's time rather than Aethelbald's. ^[44]

See also

• Kings of Mercia family tree

Notes

References