List of monarchs of Northumbria facts for kids
Northumbria was an old kingdom in what is now northern England and south-east Scotland. It was first split into two smaller kingdoms: Bernicia and Deira. King Æthelfrith brought them together around the year 604. For about a hundred years, they mostly stayed united, though they did split up sometimes.
One time they split was from 633 to 634. This happened after King Edwin died in a battle, and Cadwallon ap Cadfan, the King of Gwynedd, invaded Northumbria, causing a lot of trouble. But Northumbria became united again after Cadwallon died in battle in 634.
Another time the kingdoms were separate was from about 644 to 664. During this period, different kings ruled Deira on its own. In 651, King Oswiu had Oswine of Deira killed and replaced him with Œthelwald. However, Œthelwald wasn't a loyal ruler. He teamed up with the Mercian king Penda. According to a historian named Bede, Œthelwald even helped Penda invade Northumbria. But Œthelwald pulled his troops away when the Mercians fought the Northumbrians at the Battle of Winwaed. After Mercia lost that battle, Œthelwald lost his power. Oswiu's own son, Alchfrith, then became king of Deira.
In 670, Ælfwine, who was the brother of the childless King Ecgfrith, became king of Deira. By this time, being "king of Deira" might have just meant you were next in line to the main throne. Ælfwine was killed in a battle against Mercia in 679. After that, there wasn't another separate king of Deira until the time of the Norse (Vikings).
Contents
Early Kings of Bernicia
Bernicia was one of the two main parts of Northumbria. Here are some of its early rulers. Some of the very first kings listed might be more like legends than real historical figures.
| Reign | King | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 500 | Esa (Oesa) | Might not have been a real king. | |
| c. 520 | Eoppa | Might not have been a real king. Son of Esa. | |
| 547 to 559 | Ida | The Historia Brittonum says Ida was the first king of Bernicia. Son of Eoppa. | |
| Glappa (Clappa) | |||
| Adda | We're not sure about the order or dates. Son of Ida. | ||
| 568[?] to 572[?] | Æthelric | We're not sure about the order or dates. Son of Ida. | |
| Theodric (Deoric) | We're not sure about the order or dates. Son of Ida. | ||
| Frithuwald (Frithewlf) | We're not sure about the order or dates. | ||
| 585[?] to 592[?] | Hussa | We're not sure about the order or dates. | |
| 593[?] to 616 | Æthelfrith | Son of Æthelric. He also ruled Deira. He was killed in battle by Rædwald, the King of East Anglia. | |
| Deira Family | |||
| 616 to 12/14 Oct 632 | Edwin | Son of Ælla of Deira. He also ruled Deira. He was killed in battle by Penda, the King of Mercia. | |
| Bernicia Family | |||
| late 632 to 633 | Eanfrith | Son of Æthelfrith. | |
| 634 to 5 Aug 642 | Oswald (Osuualde, Osƿald) | Son of Æthelfrith. He also ruled Deira. He was killed by Penda, King of Mercia. He is known as Saint Oswald. | |
| late 642 to 654 | Oswiu | Son of Æthelfrith. He later became king of all Northumbria. | |
Kings of Deira
Deira was the southern part of Northumbria. Here are its kings, sometimes ruling alone, sometimes under the same king as Bernicia.
| Reign | King | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 559/560 to 589 | Ælla (Aelli) | Son of Yffa. |
| 589/599 to 604 | Æthelric (Aedilric) | Brother of Ælla. |
| Bernicia Family | ||
| 593/604[?] to 616 | Æthelfrith | Also king of Bernicia. He was killed in battle by Rædwald, King of East Anglia. |
| Deira Family | ||
| 616 to 12/14 Oct 632 | Edwin | Son of Ælla. He also ruled Bernicia. He was killed in battle by Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia. He is known as Saint Edwin. |
| late 633 to summer 634 | Osric | Son of Æthelric. |
| Bernicia Family | ||
| 633 to 5 Aug 642 | Oswald | Son of Æthelfrith. He also ruled Bernicia. He was killed by Penda, King of Mercia. He is known as Saint Oswald. |
| 642 to 644 | Oswiu | Son of Æthelfrith. He also ruled Bernicia. |
| Deira Family | ||
| 644 to 651 | Oswine | Son of Osric. He was murdered. |
| Bernicia Family | ||
| summer 651 to late 654 or 655 | Œthelwald | Son of Oswald. |
| 654 to 15 Aug 670 | Oswiu | He became king again. |
| 656 to 664 | Alchfrith | He was a sub-king (a king under a more powerful king) to his father Oswiu. |
| 664 to 670 | Ecgfrith | He was a sub-king under his father Oswiu. When his father died, he became king of all Northumbria. |
| 670 to 679 | Ælfwine | He was a sub-king under his brother Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria. He was killed in the Battle of the Trent against King Æthelred of Mercia. |
Kings of United Northumbria
After Bernicia and Deira were mostly united, these kings ruled the whole kingdom of Northumbria.
| Reign | King | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 654 to 15 February 670 | Oswiu | He was previously king of both Bernicia and Deira. |
| February 670 to 20 May 685 | Ecgfrith | Son of Oswiu. He was killed in battle against the Picts. |
| May 685 to 14 December 704 | Aldfrith (Ealdfrith, Aldfrid) | Son of Oswiu. |
| late 704 to early 705 | Eadwulf I | He took the throne illegally (a usurper). |
| 705 to 716 | Osred I | Son of Aldfrith. He was killed in battle or murdered. |
| 716 to 718 | Coenred | A distant relative of Ida of Bernicia. |
| 718 to 29 May 729 | Osric | Son of Aldfrith. He chose Ceolwulf to be his heir. |
| 729 to 731. Second Reign: 732 to 737/8 | Ceolwulf | Brother of Coenred. He was removed from power for a short time (1 year) but then got his throne back. He later gave up his throne to become a monk and is known as Saint Ceolwulf. |
| 737 to 758 | Eadberht | Son of Eata, a descendant of Ida of Bernicia. He gave up his throne to become a monk. |
| 758 to 759 | Oswulf (Osulf) | Son of Eadberht. He was murdered by his servants. |
| 759 to 765 | Æthelwald Moll | He was removed from power. |
| 765 to 774 | Alhred | A distant relative of Ida of Bernicia. He was removed from power and sent away. |
| 774 to 779 | Æthelred I | Son of Æthelwald Moll. He was removed from power. |
| 779 to 23 September 788 | Ælfwald I | Son of Oswulf. He was murdered. |
| 788 to 790 | Osred II | Son of Alhred. He was removed from power and sent away. |
| 790 to 18 April 796 | Æthelred I | He got his throne back. |
| 796 | Osbald | He was sent away after ruling for only 27 days. |
| 14 May 796 to 806/8 | Eardwulf | He was removed from power. |
| 806/8 to 808/10 | Ælfwald II (Elfwald II) | |
| 808 to 810 | Eardwulf | He got his throne back. |
| 810 to 841 | Eanred | Son of Eardwulf. |
| 840/1 to 844 | Æthelred II | Son of Eanred. He was removed from power. |
| 844 | Rædwulf (Redwulf) | He took the throne illegally. |
| 844 to c. 848/9 | Æthelred II | He got his throne back. |
| c. 848/9 to 862/3 | Osberht (Osbert) | He was removed from power. |
| 862/3/7 to 21 March 867 | Ælla | He took the throne illegally. He was killed by the Danes along with Osberht. |
| 867 to 21 March 867 | Osberht (Osbert) | He was killed by the Danes along with the illegal ruler Ælla. |
Viking Kings of Jorvik (York)
The Vikings, also known as Norsemen, took control of southern Northumbria (the old Deira) and made Jórvík (modern-day York) their capital. They ruled there for most of the time between 867 and 954. Northern Northumbria (the old Bernicia) was still ruled by Anglo-Saxons from their base in Bamburgh. It's hard to know all the details from this time because records are not very clear.
| Years | Ruler of Southern Northumbria | Ruler of Northern Northumbria | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 867–872 | Military conquest by the Great Heathen Army | Ecgberht I | Ecgberht I ruled the area north of the River Tyne. He was a puppet king, meaning he ruled but was controlled by the Danes. |
| 872–c. 875 | Ricsige | He probably ruled most of Northumbria as an independent Anglo-Saxon king. | |
| c. 875–877 | Halfdan Ragnarsson | Ecgberht II | We're not sure when Ecgberht II stopped being king. |
| 877–883 | No king in York | ||
| c. 883–895 | Guthred | Uncertain. Possibly Ecgberht II. | |
| c. 895–900 | Siefried | Eadwulf II (Eadwulf I of Bamburgh) | 1. Eadwulf II is sometimes called a king, sometimes a reeve (a local official). We don't know exactly when he started ruling. People usually think he only ruled the northern part (Bamburgh), but he might have ruled all of Northumbria.
2. Siefried and Cnut might have been joint kings in York for some or all of the time between 895 and 905. 3. Along with Hálfdan and Eowils, their brother Ingwær might have also ruled. All three were killed at the Battle of Tettenhall in 910. |
| c. 900–905 | Cnut | ||
| c. 900–902 | Æthelwold | ||
| c. 902–910 | Hálfdan and Eowils | ||
| c. 910–913 | Anglo-Saxon control, possibly under Eadwulf II | ||
| 913–c. 918 | Anglo-Saxon control, possibly under Ealdred I | Ealdred I | 1. There's some proof that Ealdred accepted Edward the Elder as his overlord in 924. Edward died that year.
2. Ealdred accepted Æthelstan as his overlord in 927. This made Æthelstan the ruler of all Northumbria as King of the English from July 12, 927, after the Treaty of Eamont Bridge. Ealdred probably still ruled his area mostly on his own, but he recognized Æthelstan's authority. |
| 918–921 | Rægnald | ||
| 921–927 | Sigtrygg | ||
| 927 | Guthfrith | ||
| 927–c. 933 | Æthelstan | ||
| c. 933–c. 934 | Adulf mcEtulfe | 1. The name Adulf mcEtulfe could mean Æthelwulf, son of Eadwulf.
2. Or it could mean Ealdred, son of Eadwulf (which would be Ealdred I). 3. Adulf mcEtulfe died in 934 and was called 'King of the Northern Saxons' in old records. |
|
| c. 934–939 | Overlordship of Æthelstan | ||
| 939–941 | Olaf Guthfrithson | Possibly Olaf Guthfrithson | After Æthelstan died in 939, the people of York quickly chose the Viking king of Dublin, Olaf Guthfrithson (or his cousin, Anlaf Cuaran), as their king. The Anglo-Saxon control of the north then fell apart. |
| 941–943/944 | Olaf Sihtricson | Possibly Olaf Sihtricson | Olaf Sihtricson was also known as Amlaíb Cuarán. |
| c. 942 | Sitric II | Possibly Sitric II | We only know Sitric existed because of coins with his name made in York. |
| 943–944 | Ragnall Guthfrithson (possibly with Olaf Sihtricson) | Possibly Ragnall Guthfrithson with Olaf Sihtricson | |
| c. 944–946 | Edmund of Wessex | Possibly under Eadmund's overlordship | Edmund's power came from being King of the English. |
| c. 947–948 | Eric Bloodaxe | Under Eadred's overlordship | 1. From 946, Osulf I is mentioned as the high-reeve (a powerful local leader) of Bamburgh, under Eadred, the King of the English.
2. Eric Bloodaxe had been King of Norway before this. |
| 949–952 | Olaf Sihtricson | 1. Olaf Sihtricson got his throne back. During this time, Osulf I was called either the high-reeve or earl of Bamburgh.
2. Olaf Sihtricson was also known as Amlaíb Cuarán. |
|
| 952–954 | Eric Bloodaxe | Eric Bloodaxe got his throne back. In 954, Osulf I was part of a plan that led to Eric Bloodaxe's death. | |
Even though Eadred claimed to rule from 946, the Kingdom of Northumbria didn't become a permanent part of England until after 954. After that, Osulf controlled all of Northumbria under King Eadred. You can look at Rulers of Bamburgh to see the lords of Bamburgh who came after Osulf. None of them ruled as kings.
After William the Conqueror became king in 1066, and before the terrible event known as the Harrying of the North, a combined Anglo-Danish army loyal to Edgar Ætheling and Sweyn II took control of York in late 1069. They briefly claimed to rule all of Northumbria. This short period of independence ended when William fought his way north. He paid Sweyn to go back to Denmark, which led to the Harrying of the North. Edgar and his family then fled to Scotland.
Royal Family Tree
This chart shows how the kings of Bernicia, Deira, and Northumbria were related. - Kings of Bernicia - Kings of Deira - Kings of Northumbria
| Esa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eoppa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ida died 559 ruled c.547–559 |
Yffi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Glappa died 560 ruled 559–560 |
Adda died 568 ruled 560–568 |
Æthelric died 572 ruled 568–572 |
Theodoric died 579 ruled 572–579 |
Ælle died 588 ruled 569–588 |
Frithuwald died 585 ruled 579–585 |
Hussa died 592 ruled 585–592 |
Æthelric ruled 589/599–604 |
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| Æthelfrith died 616 ruled 592–616 |
Acha of Deira |
Eadwine born c.586; died 633 ruled 616–633 |
Osric I died 634 ruled 633–634 |
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| Eanfrith born c.595; died 634 ruled 633–634 |
Oswald born c.604; died 642 ruled 634–642 |
Oswiu born c.612; died 670 ruled 642–670 |
Oswine died 651 ruled 644–651 |
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| Talorgan King of the Picts |
Æthelwald I died 655 ruled 651–655 |
Ealhfriht died 664 ruled 655–664 |
Ecgfriht born c.645; died 685 ruled 670–685 |
Ealdfriht died 704 ruled 685–704 |
Ælfwine born c.661; died 679 ruled 670–679 |
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| Osred I born c.697; died 716 ruled 704–716 |
Osric II died 729 ruled 718–729 |
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See also
- Rulers of Bamburgh
- Earl of York
- Earl of Northumbria
- Earl of Northumberland
- List of English monarchs
