Wreocensæte facts for kids
The Wreocensæte were an important group of people in Anglo-Saxon Britain. Their name means "Wrekin-dwellers," referring to the Wrekin hill in Shropshire, England. Some people also think the name of the town Wrexham might come from Wreocensæte.
The name Wrocensaete literally means 'those living at Wrocen.' Historians believe this "Wrocen" likely refers to Wroxeter, which was once a big Roman town called Viroconium Cornoviorum. This town became the main center for the Wreocensæte kingdom. Even though the Wrekin hill is famous, archaeologists haven't found signs of Roman or Anglo-Saxon settlements there. The name Wreocensæte was used for a long time. It first appeared in the Tribal Hidage, a list of taxes from the 600s. It was last mentioned in 855 as Wreocensetun, a part of Mercia where Vikings were active.
Where the Wreocensæte Lived
The exact borders of the Wreocensæte kingdom are not fully known. However, it was a large area. The Tribal Hidage shows it was as big as the kingdoms of the East Saxons and South Saxons. It was listed as having 7,000 "hides," which was a way to measure land for taxes.
The Wreocensæte were likely the most northern of three large kingdoms under Mercia. These kingdoms faced Wales. To their south were the Magonsæte, and even further south were the Hwicce.
Main Places and Borders
The main town for the Wreocensæte was probably Wroxeter. This was a major Roman city and was close to The Wrekin hill. The Wreocensæte kingdom might have covered much of modern Cheshire and Shropshire. It also stretched into parts of North East Wales, including areas like Wrexham, Denbighshire, and Flintshire. The border between their land and Wales would have been Offa's Dyke, a large earth barrier.
Smaller Groups Within the Kingdom
Just like their neighbors, the Magonsæte, the Wreocensæte lands included smaller groups or tribes. Place names suggest that the smaller Meresæte and Rhiwsæte lived within the Wreocensæte territory. These smaller groups, especially those along the border with Wales, might have been created by a king of Mercia. This would have helped to mark and protect the border.
