List of monarchs of Mercia facts for kids
The Kingdom of Mercia was an important state in the English Midlands from the 500s to the 900s. For about 200 years, starting in the mid-600s, it was the strongest kingdom among the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Its rulers were some of the first to call themselves "King of Britain" or "King of the English."
During this time, spellings of names often changed, even in the same document. For example, the "th" sound was written using Old English letters like ð or þ.
This article focuses on the kings of Mercia. For earlier rulers from Angeln, see List of kings of the Angles. For later English kings, see List of English monarchs.
Contents
Kings of Mercia: Who Ruled?
The first traditional rulers of Mercia were called the Iclingas. They were believed to be descendants of the kings of the Angles. When the Iclingas family no longer had male heirs, other families, which historians call B, C, and W, tried to take the throne.
Here's a guide to the colors used in the table below, showing which family each king belonged to: Iclingas (the original royal family) B-dynasty (a group of kings possibly related by name) C-dynasty (thought to be related to the Iclingas, but perhaps from the West Saxon king Cenwalh) W-dynasty (Wiglaf and his family, who later married into the C-dynasty) Unknown family (no clear family ties) Mercia was ruled by an outside kingdom Æthelred II and his family (they accepted the West Saxon kings as their overlords)
All the people listed below were kings, unless noted otherwise. Those names in italics might be legendary, or their rule might not be fully proven.
| Ruler | Years of Reign | Important Facts | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icel | c. 515-c.535 | Son of Eomer, the last King of the Angles in Angeln. He led his people across the North Sea to Britain. | c.535 |
| Cnebba | c. 535-c.554 | Son of Icel of Mercia. | c.554 |
| Cynewald | c. 554-c.584 | Son of Cnebba. | c.584 |
| Creoda | c. 584–c. 593 | Son of Cynewald. He likely started the Mercian royal fort at Tamworth. | c. 593 |
| Pybba | c. 593–c. 606 | Son of Creoda. He helped Mercia gain more land in the western Midlands. | c. 606 |
| Cearl | c. 606–c. 626 | The historian Bede mentioned him as king, but later lists don't include him. | c. 626 |
| Penda | c. 626–655 | Son of Pybba. He made Mercia the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom. He was the last pagan ruler of Mercia. He died in battle against Oswiu of Northumbria. | 15 Nov 655 |
| Eowa | c. 635–642 | Son of Pybba. He ruled alongside Penda. He died in battle. | 5 Aug 642 |
| Peada | c. 653–656 | Son of Penda. He ruled part of the southeast Midlands. He was killed. | 17 Apr 656 |
| Oswiu of Northumbria | 655–658 | He took control of Mercia for a short time after Penda's death. He was also King of Northumbria. | 15 Feb 670 |
| Wulfhere | 658–675 | Son of Penda. He brought Mercia back to power in England. He was the first Christian king of all Mercia. | 675 |
| Æthelred I | 675–704 | Son of Penda. He gave up his throne and went to live in a monastery. | 716 |
| Cœnred | 704–709 | Son of Wulfhere. He gave up his throne and went to Rome. | ? |
| Ceolred | 709–716 | Son of Æthelred I. He died suddenly, possibly poisoned. | 716 |
| Ceolwald | 716 | Thought to be the son of Æthelred I, but his existence is uncertain. | 716 |
| Æthelbald | 716–757 | Grandson of Eowa. He declared himself "King of Britain" in 736. He was killed by his bodyguards. | 757 |
| Beornred | 757 | His family ties are unknown. He was removed from power by Offa. | ? |
| Offa | 757–796 | Great-great-grandson of Eowa. He was one of the most powerful Mercian kings. He called himself "King of the English" in 774, built Offa's Dyke (a large earthwork), and started using the silver penny coin. | 29 Jul 796 |
| Ecgfrith | 787–796 | Son of Offa. He ruled alongside his father and died suddenly a few months after him. | 17 Dec 796 |
| Cœnwulf | 796–821 | A distant descendant of Pybba. He took the title of 'emperor'. | 821 |
| Cynehelm | c. 798–812 | Son of Cœnwulf. He was a real person, but his role as co-ruler and his death are part of a legend. He became a saint (St Kenelm). | 812 |
| Ceolwulf I | 821–823 | Brother of Cœnwulf. He was removed from power by Beornwulf. | ? |
| Beornwulf | 823–826 | Thought to be a relative of Beornred. He died in battle against the East Anglians. | 826 |
| Ludeca | 826–827 | His family ties are unknown. He died in battle against the East Anglians. | 827 |
| Wiglaf (1st reign) | 827–829 | His family ties are unknown. He was removed from power by Ecgberht of Wessex. | 839 |
| Ecgberht of Wessex | 829–830 | He took direct control of Mercia for a short time after Wiglaf was removed. He was also King of Wessex. | 4 Feb 839 |
| Wiglaf (2nd reign) | 830–839 | He was restored to the throne. Mercia became independent again, but it was no longer the most powerful kingdom in England. | 839 |
| Wigmund | c. 839–c. 840 | Son of Wiglaf and son-in-law of Ceolwulf I. He likely ruled alongside his father. | c. 840 |
| Wigstan | 840 | Son of Wigmund. He did not want to be king and was later killed by Beorhtwulf. He became a saint (St Wystan). | 849 |
| Ælfflæd (Queen) | 840 | Daughter of Ceolwulf I, wife of Wigmund, and mother of Wigstan. She was appointed to rule for Wigstan. | ? |
| Beorhtwulf | 840–852 | He claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. He took the throne by force and made Ælfflæd marry his son. | 852 |
| Burgred | 852–874 | Thought to be a relative of Beorhtwulf. He fled to Rome when the Danes invaded. | ? |
| Ceolwulf II | 874–879 or c. 883 | Possibly a descendant of the C-dynasty. He lost eastern Mercia to the Danes in 877. | 879 or c. 883 |
| Æthelred II (Lord) | c. 883–911 | He accepted Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. West Saxon records called him an 'ealdorman' (a high-ranking official). | 911 |
| Æthelflæd (Lady) | 911–918 | Wife of Æthelred II and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. She might have been related to earlier Mercian kings through her mother. She and her brother, Edward the Elder, took back eastern Mercia. | 12 Jun 918 |
| Ælfwynn (Lady) | 918 | Daughter of Æthelred II and Æthelflæd. Her uncle, Edward the Elder, removed her from power in December 918 and made Mercia part of Wessex. | ? |
Mercia's Last Rulers: After It Became Part of England
After Mercia was fully joined with Wessex, some rulers still held a special title related to Mercia for a short time.
| Ruler | Years of Reign | Important Facts | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Æthelstan | 924 | Son of Edward the Elder and nephew of Æthelflæd. He became King of Mercia after Edward's death in July 924, and then King of Wessex about 16 days later. | 27 Oct 939 |
| Eadgar | 957–959 | Nephew of Æthelstan. He took control of Mercia and Northumbria in May 957, before becoming king of all England in October 959. | 8 Jul 975 |
Ealdormen and Earls of Mercia: Royal Appointments
After Mercia became an English province, its main leader was called an ealdorman until around 1023-1032. After that, the title changed to earl. Both of these jobs were given by the king, but the title of earl eventually became something that was passed down in families.
Here's a guide to the colors used in the table below for these later leaders: Ealdormen of Mercia (not from a specific ruling family) Earls of Mercia (descendants of Leofwine)
| Ruler | Years of Reign | Important Facts | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ælfhere | 957–983 | Appointed as ealdorman of Mercia in 957 by King Eadgar, when the English kingdom was divided. | 983 |
| Ælfric Cild | 983–985 | Brother-in-law of Ælfhere. King Æthelred the Unready removed him from his position in 985. | ? |
| Wulfric Spot | ?–1004 | He might have been ealdorman of Mercia after Ælfric Cild was removed. | 22 Oct 1004 |
| Eadric Streona | 1007–1017 | Appointed by King Æthelred. He was known for changing sides. King Cnut later had him killed for his disloyalty. | 25 Dec 1017 |
| Leofwine | 1017–1023/32 | King Cnut may have appointed him as ealdorman of Mercia. He was also ealdorman of the Hwicce. | 1023/32 |
| Leofric | 1023/32–1057 | Son of Leofwine, appointed by Cnut as earl. He is famous for his wife, Godgifu, also known as Lady Godiva. | 31 Aug or 30 Sep 1057 |
| Ælfgar | 1057–1062 | Son of Leofric. He had been Earl of East Anglia before becoming Earl of Mercia after his father. | 1062 |
| Eadwine | 1062–1071 | Son of Ælfgar. He accepted William the Conqueror as king in 1066. However, he later rebelled and was betrayed by his own men. After this, Mercia was divided into smaller areas. | 1071 |
Kings of Mercia Family Tree
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See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Reyes de Mercia para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of monarchs of Mercia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.