Ceolred of Mercia
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Ceolred (died 716) was King of Mercia from 709 to 716.
He was a son of Æthelred, but not of Osthryth, Æthelred's only recorded wife.[1] He became king following the abdication of his predecessor, Cenred, and may have still been young at the time. Much of what is recorded about Ceolred is highly negative, accusing him of crimes and immorality; this may reflect poor treatment of the Church.[1][2]
In 715, the Mercians under Ceolred fought a battle against the West Saxons under Ine at "Woden's Barrow";[3] the outcome of this battle, the result of an invasion by Ceolred of West Saxon territory, was not recorded. In the next year, Ceolred died; Saint Boniface later described him as dying in a crazed frenzy at a banquet, "gibbering with demons and cursing the priests of God". Æthelbald, a member of another branch of the Mercian royal line who had been forced into exile during Ceolred's rule, succeeded him.[1]
He was married to Saint Werburga of Mercia[4] and buried at Lichfield.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c D. P. Kirby, The Earliest English Kings (1991, 2000 paperback), pages 108–109.
- ^ Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (1943, 1971, 1998 paperback), page 203.
- ^ a b The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, translated by Michael Swanton (1996), manuscripts A and E, years 715 and 716.
- ^ Britannia Biography of St. Werburga of Mercia.
| Titles of nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cenred |
King of Mercia 709–716 |
Succeeded by Æthelbald |
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