Alberht of East Anglia facts for kids

Alberht (also called Ethælbert or Albert) was a ruler of the kingdom of East Anglia in the 700s. He ruled from 749 to about 760. He shared his kingdom with another king named Beonna. There might have been a third ruler named Hun, but historians are not sure.

Historians believe Alberht was a real king. He might have been related to the previous king, Ælfwald. When Ælfwald died in 749, East Anglia was split between Alberht and Beonna. Beonna might have been from Mercia, a powerful neighboring kingdom. He seemed to be the main ruler, making coins and working with Æthelbald, the king of Mercia.

Alberht was still ruling when King Æthelbald of Mercia was killed in 757. After that, Offa became the new king of Mercia. The discovery of just one coin from Alberht shows he had some power. However, Offa's power in East Anglia quickly grew, making Alberht less important.

East Anglia's Royal History

The list of East Anglian kings from an old document called the Anglian collection.

Alberht became king of the kingdom of the East Angles after King Ælfwald died in 749. Ælfwald had ruled for 36 years. During his time, East Anglia was stable and grew. However, it was also under the control of the powerful Mercian king, Æthelbald. King Æthelbald ruled Mercia from 716 until he was killed in 757.

Ælfwald was the last king from the Wuffingas family. This family had ruled East Anglia since the 500s. An old document called the Anglian collection lists the East Anglian kings. It traces their family line all the way back to a Germanic god named Woden. This document was probably written around 725 or 726, during Ælfwald's rule.

Sharing Power with Beonna

For a long time, Alberht was a very mysterious figure in history. People only knew about him from one old record. This record came from a medieval book called the Historia Regum. It said that in 749, "Hunbeanna and Alberht divided the kingdom of the East Angles."

Until the 1980s, this was the only real clue about Alberht. There was also just one coin linked to Beonna. But then, over a hundred coins belonging to Beonna were found. Many of these coins were found during archaeological digs. This proved that a ruler named Beonna really did exist and ruled East Anglia at that time.

Historians now believe that these old records were correct. East Anglia was indeed ruled by more than one king after 749. This means Alberht was a real king. We don't know why the kingdom was divided or if there were two or three rulers. Some historians think each king might have ruled a different part of the kingdom. But the political situation in 749 is still not fully understood.

The name "Beonna" is not a typical East Anglian royal name. It might suggest a connection to the Mercian royal family. However, "Alberht" sounds similar to other Wuffingas names like "Æthelberht." This suggests Alberht might have continued the Wuffingas family line after Ælfwald died.

Many coins with Beonna's name show that he was in charge of making coins. This suggests he had a lot of power as king. The East Anglians, led by Beonna, even fought alongside Mercia in the Battle of Burford Bridge in 752. This battle was against Cuthred of Wessex, the king of Wessex. Some historians also think Beonna might be the same person as Beornred. Beornred ruled Mercia for a few months after King Æthelbald was killed in 757.

Alberht's Coin

The only known coin that belongs to King Alberht.

Making coins in East Anglia likely started during Beonna's rule. Coins continued to be made even when Mercia was very powerful. They were also made when East Anglia was independent, until the Vikings invaded in the late 800s.

The most important proof that Alberht was a real historical figure is the discovery of a single coin. This coin is believed to be the only one of its kind. It was found during a careful archaeological dig at Burrow Hill in Butley, Suffolk.

This special coin was found in a layer of earth that also contained other old coins. These included coins with runes and coins made by Beonna. The place where it was found was a good defensive spot on an estuary island. It was also close to Rendlesham, a known center of Wuffingas power. This site is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Sutton Hoo, another important historical site.

The coin has clear runes that spell out the name of the coin maker, "Tiælred." The other side of the coin reads "Ethælbert." The coin is about 42% silver. It is very similar to coins made for Beonna. This strong similarity suggests that it was made for a king who ruled East Anglia around the same time as Beonna.

This unique coin was given to the British Museum in 1992. It was a gift to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the British Museum Society.

See Also

• List of monarchs of East Anglia