Hlothhere of Kent facts for kids
Hlothhere (pronounced HLOHTH-here) was a king of Kent, an important kingdom in early English history. He ruled for about 12 years, from 673 to 685.
Contents
Becoming King
Hlothhere became king in 673. He took over after his brother, Ecgberht I, passed away. Their parents were Eorcenberht of Kent and Seaxburh of Ely. Seaxburh was the daughter of Anna of East Anglia, another powerful king.
Facing an Invasion
In 676, a big problem arose for Kent. Æthelred, the king of Mercia, invaded Kent. His army caused a lot of damage. Even churches and monasteries were destroyed. The city of Rochester was completely ruined.
The damage was so bad that the bishop of Rochester, named Putta, left his job. His replacement, Cwichhelm, also resigned. This was because the area was too poor to support a bishop.
Ruling with Eadric
Despite the invasion, Hlothhere managed to keep his throne. For a while, he even ruled alongside his nephew, Eadric. Eadric was the son of Hlothhere's brother, Ecgberht I. They worked together to create a set of laws. This collection of rules is known as the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric. It is one of the oldest law codes from that time.
The End of His Reign
In 685, Eadric, who had been ruling with Hlothhere, went into exile. He gathered support from the South Saxons. Eadric then led an attack against Hlothhere. Hlothhere was defeated in battle and sadly died from his injuries.
Ancient Records
Most of what we know about Hlothhere comes from the writings of a monk named Bede. However, Hlothhere is also special because some of the oldest real documents from a Kentish king still exist from his time. One important document is a charter from 679. A charter is like an official written agreement or record. This charter from King Hlothhere is still in its original form today.
See also
- Charter of 679
- List of monarchs of Kent
- Chronology of Kentish Kings
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