Ceolwulf I of Mercia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ceolwulf I of Mercia |
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Coelwulf I depicted on a silver penny c.822
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| King of Mercia, East Anglia and Kent | |
| Reign | 821 - 823 |
| Predecessor | Coenwulf |
| King of Mercia | |
| Reign | c. 821 - 823 |
| Successor | Beornwulf of Mercia |
| Spouse | Unknown |
| Issue | Ælfflæd of Mercia |
| Father | Cuthberht of Mercia |
| Mother | Unknown |
Ceolwulf I was a king who ruled over several important parts of England. He was King of Mercia, East Anglia, and Kent. His time as king was from 821 to 823.
Ceolwulf became king after his brother, Coenwulf, passed away. However, Ceolwulf's reign was short. He was later removed from power by another ruler named Beornwulf.
Some historians, like William of Malmesbury, thought that Mercia was not very important during this time. They believed nothing exciting happened. But this wasn't entirely true!
In the year 822, an old record called the Annales Cambriae tells us something different. It says that the Saxons (people from Mercia) destroyed a fortress called Degannwy. This fortress was in Gwynedd, which is in modern-day Wales. The Saxons also took control of the kingdom of Powys. This shows that Mercia was still a strong kingdom during Ceolwulf's rule.
Another old document, a charter, describes some problems during Ceolwulf's time. It says that after King Coenwulf died, there were "many disagreements and countless disputes." These arguments were among important people like kings, bishops, and church leaders.
In 823, Ceolwulf was overthrown. This happened sometime after May 26th of that year. On that day, he had given some land to Archbishop Wulfred. In return, he received a special gold and silver cup. After this, Ceolwulf was replaced by Beornwulf. We don't know much about Beornwulf's family background.
Ceolwulf ruled Kent directly. This means he was the main boss there. In his official documents, he was called "King of the Mercians and of the men of Kent."
Ceolwulf's Family Life
Ceolwulf was the son of Cuthberht of Mercia. He had two brothers: Coenwulf of Mercia and Cuthred of Kent.
His brother Coenwulf was King of Mercia from 796 until he died in 821. Coenwulf had made their other brother, Cuthred, king of Kent in 798. Cuthred ruled Kent until he died in 807. After Cuthred's death, Kent became part of Mercia again. When Coenwulf died in 821, Ceolwulf became the new king.
We don't know the name of Ceolwulf's wife. But we do know they had one daughter:
- Ælfflæd of Mercia, who passed away around 840.
An old story from a place called Evesham says that Ceolwulf's daughter, Ælfflæd, married Wigmund. Wigmund was the son of Wiglaf, who was King of Mercia from 827 to 839.
After Wiglaf, Beorhtwulf became king. Beorhtwulf's son, Berhtfrith, wanted to marry Wigmund's widow (Ælfflæd). He hoped this would help him become king. But Wigstan, who was the son of Wigmund and Ælfflæd, disagreed. Sadly, Berhtfrith killed Wigstan in 849.
Some historians also think that Ceolwulf II might have been another son of Ælfflæd. If so, he would have been Ceolwulf I's grandson. Ceolwulf II became king in 874 after the Vikings drove out King Burgred.
See also
In Spanish: Ceolwulf de Mercia para niños
- Kings of Mercia family tree
- List of monarchs of Kent
- Chronology of Kentish Kings
