8th century in England
Events from the 8th century in England.
Events
- 700
- Osgyth, Abbess of Chich in Essex, is killed.
- Approximate date – Beverley Minster is founded by John of Beverley.
- 704
- Æthelred of Mercia abdicates to become a monk at Bardney and is succeeded as king by his nephew Coenred.
- 705
- Wilfrid is re-instated as Bishop of Ripon.[1]
- Bede completes his first chronological work.[1]
- Approximate date
- The Diocese of Sherborne is created from part of that of Winchester with Aldhelm as first bishop.
- John of Beverley is elevated from Bishop of Hexham to Bishop of York.
- 709
- Coenred of Mercia abdicates to become a monk in Rome and is succeeded as king by his cousin Ceolred.
- 710
- Picts unsuccessfully invade Northumbria.[2]
- Approximate date – Bishop Wilfrid dies at Oundle.
- 715
- Approximate date – Completion of Lindisfarne Gospels.
- 716
- Æthelbald becomes King of Mercia on the death of Ceolred, marking the beginning of that kingdom's ascendancy over the other Saxon realms.[1]
- The 'Codex Amiatinus', the earliest surviving complete manuscript of the Vulgate, produced at Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey, is taken to Italy as a gift to the Pope.
- 721
- Death of Bishop Eadfrith of Lindisfarne.
- 722
- King Ine of Wessex fails to conquer Cornwall, being defeated at the three battles of Hehil, Garth Maelog, and Pencon.[3]
- 725
- 23 April – King Wihtred of Kent dies leaving the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent to his three sons: Æthelberht II, Eadberht and Alric.[4]
- 726
- King Ine of Wessex abdicates to travel to Rome and is succeeded by Æthelheard.
- Before 730
- Northumbria annexes Rheged.
- 731
- Bede completes his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People).[1]
- 13 January – death of Berhtwald, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Tatwine.
- 732
- Wilfrid II resigns the Bishopric of York and is succeeded by Ecgbert who establishes a library and school in York.
- 734
- 735
- Bishopric of York elevated to an Archbishopric; Ecgbert becomes the first Archbishop.[1]
- 26 May – death of the Venerable Bede.[5]
- 736
- King Æthelbald of Mercia describes himself as "King of Britain".[1]
- 739
- 740
- Approximate date – Æthelheard of Wessex is succeeded by Cuthred.
- 747
- First Council of Clofeshoh reforms the Church.[1]
- 749
- Edict of Gumley: Church freed from its economic obligations to the King of Mercia.[1]
- 750
- King Eadberht of Northumbria invades the Kingdom of Strathclyde, capturing Kyle.[1]
- 752
- Battle of Beorhford: Cuthred of Wessex defeats Æthelbald of Mercia at Battle Edge, Burford, Oxfordshire.[1]
- 753
- Cuthred of Wessex fights the Cornish.
- 756
- 757
- King Æthelbald of Mercia murdered; succeeded by Offa.[1]
- King Sigeberht of Wessex deposed and murdered; succeeded by Cynewulf.[6]
- Wat's Dyke constructed.[1]
- 758
- King Eadberht of Northumbria abdicates to enter a monastery at York; succeeded by his son Oswulf.
- 759
- 24 July – King Oswulf of Northumbria is murdered at Market Weighton; succeeded by Æthelwald Moll (crowned 5 August).
- 760
- Battle of Hereford: Battle between Mercia and the Welsh; Dyfnwal ap Tewdwr dies.[3]
- 26 October – death of Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Bregowine (consecrated 27 September 761).
- 761
- 6 August – Battle of Eildon: King Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria defeats and kills a rival, Oswine, in a 3-day battle in Scotland.
- 764
- 765
- 30 October – King Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria deposed; succeeded by Alhred.
- 771
- 774
- Offa first uses the title "King of the English".[1]
- King Alhred of Northumbria is deposed; succeeded by Æthelred.
- 776
- Battle of Otford: Kent expels the Mercians.[1]
- 778
- 779
- Æthelred I of Northumbria is deposed for the first time; succeeded by Ælfwald I of Northumbria
- 779
- Hygeberht becomes Bishop of Lichfield.
- 784
- Offa raids Wales.[3]
- Construction of Offa's Dyke begins.[1]
- 786
- Papal legates hold councils in Mercia and Northumbria.[1]
- Mercia regains control of Kent.[1]
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that King Cynewulf of Wessex is killed in a surprise attack at his mistress's house in "Meretun" by Cyneheard the Ætheling (brother of the deposed Sigeberht), who also dies in the attack; Beorhtric takes the throne.[7]
- 787
- Offa issues the first silver penny.[1]
- At a Synod of Chelsea, Offa has his son consecrated as King; the first such ceremony in England.[1]
- 788
- 23 September – Ælfwald I of Northumbria is murdered, probably at Chesters, by ealdorman Sicga and succeeded by his first cousin Osred II as king of Northumbria.
- At Offa's urging, the Pope elevates the Bishopric of Lichfield (under Hygeberht) to an Archbishopric.[1]
- 789
- Charlemagne establishes a trade embargo on the English after failed negotiations for his daughter to marry Offa's son.[1]
- Viking activity in the British Isles: First recorded raid by Vikings on England, at Portland.[2]
- 790
- Æthelred is restored as king of Northumbria following the deposition of Osred II and institutes minting of the styca to replace the silver sceat.
- 792
- 793
- 8 June – Vikings raid Lindisfarne.[1]
- 794
- 6 January? – Vikings raid Jarrow.[1]
- 20 May – King Æthelberht II of East Anglia is beheaded on the order of King Offa of Mercia at Sutton Walls, Herefordshire.[2]
- 796
- 18 April – Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered at Corbridge by a group led by ealdormen Ealdred and Wada. Osbald succeeds him as king of Northumbria for 27 days before going into exile, initially in Lindisfarne.
- 14 May – Eardwulf succeeds as king of Northumbria.
- 29 July – Offa of Mercia dies having raided Dyfed[1] and possibly fought in the Battle of Rhuddlan Marsh[2] (perhaps against Caradog ap Meirion). He is buried, maybe at Bedford, and succeeded by his son Ecgfrith who reigns only until December; Wessex regains its independence.[2] Offa's widow Cynethryth becomes abbess of Cookham Abbey.[8]
- December – Ecgfrith is succeeded by Coenwulf of Mercia.
- Kent rebels against Mercia again.[1]
- 798
- Kentish rebellion suppressed.[1]
- Saxons kill Caradog ap Meirion, King of Gwynedd.[3]
Births
- c. 700 – Lullus, Archbishop of Mainz (d. 786)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 34–37. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
- ^ a b c d e Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
- ^ a b c d e Annales Cambriae
- ^ Bede (1990). Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Translated by Leo Sherley-Price, rev. R. E. Latham, ed. D. H. Farmer. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044565-X. V:23.
- ^ Ray 2001, pp. 57–59
- ^ Dated 755 in the very full entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
- ^ Edwards, Heather (2004). "Cynewulf". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/6990. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Kelly, S. E. (2004). "Cynethryth". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/54442. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
Sources
- Ray, Roger (2001). "Bede". In Lapidge, Michael; et al. (eds.). Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Malden, MA: Blackwell. pp. 57–59. ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1.