Centwine of Wessex

Centwine
King of Wessex
Reign	676–686
Predecessor	Aescwine
Successor	Cædwalla
Died	after 686
Father	Cynegils

Centwine (died after 685) was King of Wessex from c. 676 to 685 or 686, although he was perhaps not the only king of the West Saxons at the time.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that Centwine became king c. 676, succeeding Æscwine. Bede states that after the death of King Cenwalh: "his under-rulers took upon them the kingdom of the people, and dividing it among themselves, held it ten years".^[1] Bede's dismissal of Æscwine and Centwine as merely sub-kings may represent the views of the supporters of the King Ine, whose family ruled Wessex in Bede's time.^[2] However, if the West Saxon kingdom did fragment following Cenwalh's death, it appears that it was reunited during Centwine's reign.^[3]

An entry under 682 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Centwine drove the Britons to the sea". This is the only event recorded in his reign. The Carmina Ecclesiastica of Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne (died 709), written a generation after Centwine's reign, records that he won three great battles. In addition, it states that he was a pagan for part of his reign, adopting Christianity and becoming a patron of the church.^[4] The Chronicle's version of his ancestry makes Centwine a son of King Cynegils, and thus a brother of King Cenwalh and King Cwichelm, but Aldhelm does not record any such relationship.^[5]

Chapter 40 of Eddius Stephanus's Life of Wilfrid records that Centwine was married to a sister of Queen Iurminburh, second wife of King Ecgfrith of Northumbria. Her name is not reliably recorded, and the suggestion that she is to be identified with Dunna, Abbess of Withington, is broadly rejected. Their daughter Bugga was certainly a nun when Aldhelm dedicated verses to her, and was probably an Abbess.^[6]

Centwine is reported to have abdicated and become a monk. Aldhelm writes that he "gave up riches and the reins of government and left his own kingdom in the name of Christ".^[7] He was succeeded by Caedwalla. The date of his death is unknown.

Notes

↑ Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Book IV, chapter 12.
↑ Kirby, D.P., The Earliest English Kings, pp. 52–53.
↑ Yorke, Barbara, Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England, pp. 145–146.
↑ Miller, Sean. "Anglo-Saxons.net". Retrieved 2007-02-10.
↑ Kirby, p. 53.
↑ Bugga 1 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
↑ Centwine 1 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England. Retrieved 2007-02-10

External links

Centwine 1 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England

Regnal titles
Preceded by Æscwine	King of Wessex 676–685/686	Succeeded by Caedwalla

Monarchs of Wessex

House of Wessex Family tree

Cerdic Cynric Ceawlin Ceol Ceolwulf Cynegils Cwichelm Cenwalh Penda of Mercia Cenwalh restored Seaxburh Æscwine Centwine Cædwalla Ine Æthelheard Cuthred Sigeberht Cynewulf Beorhtric Egbert Æthelwulf Æthelbald Æthelberht Æthelred Alfred the Great Edward the Elder Ælfweard (disputed) Æthelstan

Saints of Anglo-Saxon England

British / Welsh	Alban of St Albans Aldatus of Oxford Amphibalus of St Albans Arilda of Oldbury Barloc of Norbury Brannoc of Braunton Branwalator of Milton Credan of Bodmin Congar of Congresbury Dachuna of Bodmin Decuman of Watchet Elfin of Warrington Ivo of Ramsey Judoc of Winchester Juthwara of Sherbourne Melorius of Amesbury Nectan of Hartland Neot of St Neots Patrick of Glastonbury Rumon of Tavistock Samson of Dol Sativola of Exeter Urith of Chittlehampton

East Anglian	Æthelberht of East Anglia Æthelburh of Faremoutiers Æthelflæd of Ramsey Æthelthryth of Ely Æthelwine of Lindsey Athwulf of Thorney Blitha of Martham Botwulf of Thorney Cissa of Crowland Cuthbald of Peterborough Eadmund of East Anglia Eadnoth of Ramsey Guthlac of Crowland Herefrith of Thorney Hiurmine of Blythburgh Huna of Thorney Pega of Peakirk Regenhere of Northampton Seaxburh of Ely Tancred of Thorney Torthred of Thorney Tova of Thorney Walstan of Bawburgh Wihtburh of Ely Wulfric of Holme

East Saxon	Æthelburh of Barking Hildelith of Barking Osgyth Sæbbi of London

Frisian, Frankish and Old Saxon	Balthild of Romsey Bertha of Kent Felix of Dommoc Grimbald of St Bertin Monegunda of Watton Odwulf of Evesham Wulfram of Grantham

Irish and Scottish	Aidan of Lindisfarne Boisil of Melrose Echa of Crayke Ultan the Scribe Indract of Glastonbury Maildub of Malmesbury

Kentish	Æbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe) Æthelberht of Kent Æthelburh of Kent Æthelred of Kent Albinus of Canterbury Berhtwald of Canterbury Deusdedit of Canterbury Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet Eanswith of Folkestone Eormengyth of Thanet Mildrith of Thanet Nothhelm of Canterbury Sigeburh of Thanet

Mercian	Ælfnoth of Stowe Ælfthryth of Crowland Æthelberht of Bedford Æthelmod of Leominster Æthelred of Mercia Æthelwynn of Sodbury Aldwyn of Coln Beonna of Breedon Beorhthelm of Stafford Coenwulf of Mercia Cotta of Breedon Credan of Evesham Cyneburh of Castor Cyneburh of Gloucester Cynehelm of Winchcombe Cyneswith of Peterborough Eadburh of Bicester Eadburh of Pershore Eadburh of Southwell Eadgyth of Aylesbury Eadweard of Maugersbury Ealdgyth of Stortford Earconwald of London Egwin of Evesham Freomund of Mercia Frithuric of Breedon Frithuswith of Oxford Frithuwold of Chertsey Hæmma of Leominster Merefin Mildburh of Wenlock Mildgyth Mildrith of Thanet Milred of Worcester Oda of Canterbury Oswald of Worcester Osburh of Coventry Rumwold of Buckingham Tibba of Ryhall Werburgh of Chester Wærstan Wigstan of Repton Wulfhild of Barking

Northumbrian	Acca of Hexham Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham Ælfflæd of Whitby Ælfwald of Northumbria Æthelburh of Hackness Æthelgyth of Coldingham Æthelsige of Ripon Æthelwold of Farne Æthelwold of Lindisfarne Alchhild of Middleham Alchmund of Hexham Alchmund of Derby Balthere of Tyningham Beda of Jarrow Bega of Copeland Benedict Biscop Bercthun of Beverley Billfrith of Lindisfarne Bosa of York Botwine of Ripon Ceadda of Lichfield Cedd of Lichfield Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth Ceolwulf of Northumbria Cuthbert of Durham Dryhthelm of Melrose Eadberht of Lindisfarne Eadfrith of Leominster Eadfrith of Lindisfarne Eadwine of Northumbria Ealdberht of Ripon Eanmund Eardwulf of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Ecgberht of Ripon Eoda Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth Hilda of Whitby Hyglac Iwig of Wilton John of Beverley Osana of Howden Osthryth of Bardney Oswald of Northumbria Oswine of Northumbria Sicgred of Ripon Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth Tatberht of Ripon Wihtberht of Ripon Wilfrith of Hexham Wilfrith II Wilgils of Ripon

Roman	Anselm of Canterbury Augustine of Canterbury Firmin of North Crawley Birinus of Dorchester Blaise Florentius of Peterborough Hadrian of Canterbury Honorius of Canterbury Justus of Canterbury Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus of Canterbury Paulinus of York Theodore of Canterbury

South Saxon	Cuthflæd of Lyminster Cuthmann of Steyning Leofwynn of Bishopstone

West Saxon	Æbbe of Abingdon Ælfgar of Selwood Ælfgifu of Exeter Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfheah of Canterbury Ælfheah of Winchester Æthelflæd of Romsey Æthelgar of Canterbury Æthelnoth of Canterbury Æthelwine of Athelney Æthelwold of Winchester Aldhelm of Sherborne Benignus of Glastonbury Beocca of Chertsey Beorhthelm of Shaftesbury Beornstan of Winchester Beornwald of Bampton Centwine of Wessex Cuthburh of Wimborn Cwenburh of Wimborne Dunstan of Canterbury Eadburh of Winchester Eadgar of England Eadgyth of Polesworth Eadgyth of Wilton Eadweard the Confessor Eadweard the Martyr Eadwold of Cerne Earmund of Stoke Fleming Edor of Chertsey Evorhilda Frithestan of Winchester Hædde of Winchester Humbert of Stokenham Hwita of Whitchurch Canonicorum Mærwynn of Romsey Margaret of Dunfermline Swithhun of Winchester Wulfsige of Sherborne Wulfthryth of Wilton

Unclear origin	Rumbold of Mechelen

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Centwine of Wessex

See also

Notes

External links