Waeclingas facts for kids

The Waeclingas were an important tribe or group of people who lived in Anglo-Saxon England a very long time ago. Their main area, or "regio," was where the city of St Albans is today. This place was even called Wæclingaceaster in old writings, which meant "the old Roman fort of the Waeclingas." This name was used by a writer named Bede in the early 700s and also in a document from the early 900s.

Who Were the Waeclingas?

The name Waeclingas comes from a personal name, Wæcla. So, it basically means "the people of Wæcla." This tribe was so important that they gave their name to Watling Street. This famous road was originally built by the Roman Empire and connected London to St Albans. There's even a small town called Watlington in Oxfordshire that is also thought to have gotten its name from the Waeclingas.

Where Did the Waeclingas Live?

The land where the Waeclingas lived might have been the same area as an old Roman town called Verulamium. This Roman town was the one that existed before St Albans. The Waeclingas were one of the most important tribes in the area that later became the county of Hertfordshire. Along with two other tribes, the Brahhingas and the Hicce, they helped shape the way this part of England was organized and governed in the future.

What Happened to Their Territory?

Before the Waeclingas' land came under the control of the powerful Mercian kingdom around the year 660, it's not entirely clear who was in charge. It might have been part of the land of the Middle Saxons, or it could have been influenced by the Kingdom of Essex. Historians are still working to figure out the exact details of this period.