List of monarchs of Mercia

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The Kingdom of Mercia was an important state in the English Midlands from the 6th century to the 10th. For some two hundred years from the mid-7th century onwards it was the dominant member of the Heptarchy and consequently the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. During this period its rulers became the very first English monarchs to assume such wide ranging titles as King of Britain and King of the English.

This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a single document, and a number of variants exist for the names given below. For example, the sound th was usually represented with the Old English letters þ or ð.

For a family tree of the monarchs in this list, see Kings of Mercia family tree.

Contents

[edit] Kings of the Mercians

For the Continental predecessors of the Mercians in Angeln, see List of kings of the Angles.

[edit] Iclings (House of Icel)

King Reign Biographical notes Died
Icel c.488-c.501 Son of Eomer, last King of the Angles in Europe. Led his people across the North Sea to Great Britain. c.501
Cnebba c.501-c.566 Son of Icel. c.566
Cynewald c.566-584 Son of Cnebba. 584
Creoda 584-593 Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth. 593
Pybba 593-606 Son of Creoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands. 606
Ceorl 606-626 Possibly a brother or cousin of Pybba. 626
Penda 626-655 Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last pagan ruler of Mercia. Killed in battle by Oswiu of Northumbria. 15 November 655
Eowa c.635-642 Brother of Penda. Co-ruler. Killed in battle. 5 August 642
Peada c.653-656 Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered. 656
655-658 Northumbrian occupation of Mercia under Oswiu of Northumbria
Wulfhere 658-675 Brother of Peada. Restored Mercian dominance in England. 675
Æthelred I 675-704 Brother of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney. 716
Cœnred 704-709 Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome. ?
Ceolred 709-716 Son of Æthelred I. Probably poisoned. 716
Ceolwald 716 Brother of Ceolred. May not have existed. 716
Æthelbald 716-757 Grandson of Eowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 746. Murdered by Beornred. 757

[edit] Usurper

King Reign Biographical notes Died
Beornred 757 No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa. Possibly burnt to death in 769 in Northumbria. 769

[edit] Iclings (House of Offa)

King Reign Biographical notes Died
Offa 757-796 Supposedly a great-great-grandson of Eowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himself King of the English in 774, built Offa's Dyke, and introduced the silver penny. 26 or 29 July 796
Ecgfrith 787-796 Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father. 14 or 17 December 796

[edit] Iclings (House of Cœnwulf)

King Reign Biographical notes Died
Cœnwulf 796-821 Claimed to be a seventh generation descendant of Pybba. Assumed the title of 'emperor'. 821
Cynehelm 812 or 821 Son of Cœnwulf. Co-ruler. Murdered and later canonised as St Kenelm. 812 or 821
Ceolwulf I 821-823 Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Beornwulf. ?

[edit] Elected Kings

King Reign Biographical notes Died
Beornwulf 823-826 Possible relation of Beornred. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Killed in battle. 826
Ludeca 826-827 Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Killed in battle. 827
Wiglaf 827-829 & 830-840 Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Deposed by Ecgberht of Wessex. Later restored to the kingship, but from this time onwards Mercian dominance in England was lost. 840
829-830 West Saxon occupation of Mercia under Ecgberht of Wessex
Wigmund c.840 Son of Wiglaf, and son-in-law of Ceolwulf. Probably co-ruler. c.840
Wigstan 840 Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Beorhtwulf. 849
Beorhtwulf 840-852 Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. 852
Burgred 852-874 Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion. ?
Ceolwulf II 874-883 Possibly a son of Wigmund. Set up by the Danes as a puppet ruler in western Mercia. 883
Æthelred II 883-911 Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Sometimes listed as 'ealdorman' rather than 'king', especially by the West Saxons. 911

[edit] Ladies of the Mercians

Lady Reign Biographical notes Died
Æthelflæd 911-918 Widow of Æthelred II and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. Reconquered eastern Mercia from the Danes. 12 June 918
Ælfwynn 918-919 Daughter of Æthelflæd and Æthelred II. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder (4 December 919), who annexed Mercia to Wessex, creating the Kingdom of England. ?

[edit] Ealdormen & Earls of Mercia

The chief magnate of Mercia as an English province held the title of ealdorman until 1017, and earl thereafter.

[edit] Ealdormen

Ealdorman Reign Biographical notes Died
Ealhhelm c.931-c.955 Recorded as ealdorman under kings Athelstan, Edmund and Edred of England. c.955
Ælfhere c.955-983 Son of Ealhhelm. 983
Ælfric 983-1016 Son of Ælfhere. Briefly exiled by Ethelred the Unready in 985. Killed in battle against the Danes. 18 October 1016
Eadric Streona 1007-1017 Appointed by Ethelred the Unready (perhaps in opposition to Ælfric). A notorious turncoat, he was later murdered by Canute for his treachery. 25 December 1017

[edit] Earls

Earl Reign Biographical notes Died
Leofric 1017-1057 Appointed by Canute. Chiefly remembered for his famous wife, Godgifu (Lady Godiva). 31 August or
30 September 1057
Ælfgar 1057-1062 Son of Leofric. 1062
Eadwine 1062-1071 Son of Ælfgar. Submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066, but later rebelled, and was betrayed by his own men. Mercia was then broken up into smaller earldoms. 1071
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