Kings and Queens to 1066

This is a wiki site about London which will also link to my current pub history site which is often listed by parish.

These are the Kings and Queens or rulers of England, or specific parts,  up until 1066; and the Norman Conquest

[I just need some dates to get this site going - not confirmed to be correct]

Early Saxons

King Vortigern a Britain.
King Vortimer his Son, a Britain, reigned 4 years. Then deposed.
King Aurelius Ambrosius, a Roman reigned 32 years.
King Uter, began his Reign Anno Christi 497, and reigned 18 years.
King Arthur his Son, reigned 26 years.
King Constantine his Cousin, reigned 3 years.
King Aurelius Conanus, Nephew to King Arthur.
King Vortiporus reigned 4 years.
King Malgo Conanus reigned 6 years.
King Careticus reigned 3 years.
King Cadwan reigned 22 years.
King Cadwallo his Son, reigned 48 years
King Cadwallader his Son, the last of the British Kings, who died at Rome in the Year 689, after he had reigned 3 years. After which, Britain was a Colony of the Saxons; who divided it into Seven Kingdoms: But the Saxons before the death of King Cadwalladar took Kent from the British Kings, and had it in their possession: Which Kingdom of Kent began by Hengist the Saxon in the year 455,in the Reign of King Aurelius Ambrosius, before mentioned, and lasted 372 years, during the Reigns of Seventeen Kings of Kent:
The last of which Kentish Kings was overcome by Egbert King of the West Saxons, who made Kent a Province to his Kingdom in the year 827.

The second Kingdom was of the South-Saxons began by Ella in 488, in the Reign of the same British King Aurelius Ambrosius, containing Sussex and Surrey, and continued 113 years during the reigns of Five Kings only;
the last of which kings was overcome by Ine King of the West Saxons, and so became a province to that Kingdom of the West Saxons in the year 601.
The third kingdon was of the West Saxons, which began by Cerdic in 519, in the reign of the British King Arthur, contaning Cornwall, Devonshire, Somersetshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Berkshire, and continued 561 years during the reigns of Eighteen kings; the last of whom, Egbert, became King of the whole Nation.
The fourth Kingdom was of the East Saxons, begun by Erchenwin in the year 527, containing Essex and Middlesex, and continued 281 years, during the reigns of Fourteen Kings, the last of which Kings, Egbert, King of the West-Saxons, subdued, and so made the Kingdom of the East-Saxons to be a Province to his own Kingdom.
The fifth Kingdom was of Northumberland, began by Ella and Ida in the year 547, containing Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire, Westmoreland, Cumberland and Northumberland, and continued 370 years during the reigns of 23 Kings; after the last of which, this Kingdom yielded to the Protection of Egbert, King of the West Saxons.
The sixth Kingdom was of Mercia, begun by Crida in the year 522, containing Huntington, Rutland, Lincoln, Nottingham, Warwickshire, Leicester, Northampton, Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hartfordshir, and continued 220 years during the reigns of Twenty Kings; after which they were subdued by the West-Saxons.
The seventh Kingdom was of the East-Angles, began by Ufa in 575, containing Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and the Isle of Ely, and continued 353 years, during the Reigns of Fifteen Kings, and at last was subject to the Kingdom of the West-Saxons
But this Kingdom of the East Angles was enjoyed by the Danes fifty years before the West-Saxons had it ; so the Kingdom of the East-Angles continued distinct from the rest of the Nation in the whole 403 years: So it appears that after King Vortigerne the first of the Britain Kings in the year 455, had called in the Saxons out of Germany to assist him in defending the Kingdom against the Invasions of the Picts and Scots, every Britain King who succeeded him, lost some part or other of it to the Saxons ; till at last in the year 689, Cadwallader the last Britain King lost all at his death; and then the Saxon Kings striving amongst themselves for Sovereignty, they still gained one upon another, till at last in the year 818, Egbert, or some under him, reduced them all under his subjection, who then caused all the South of the Island to be called England; the Dominion whereof continued under him and his Successors, till the Danes in the year 1017, made the great interruption.

House of Wessex

King Egbert began his Reign in 818, reigned 18 years, at whose time the Danes began first to infest England; he was buried at Winchester.

King Ethelwolph his Son, began his Reign in 836, reigned 21 years.

King Ethelbald his Son, began his Reign 857, reigned 2 years, and was buried at Shirborn in Dorsetshire, then an Episcopal See.

King Ethelbert his Brother, began his Reign in 857, reigned 1 year, and was buried at the same place.

King Ethelred his Brother, began his Reign in 864, and was buried at Winborn in Dorfetshire.

King Alfred his Brother, reigned 27 years, who divided England into Shires, Hundreds,and Tithings, and began the foundation ofthe University of Oxford in the year 895, and is accounted the Founder of the Town of Shaftesbury in Dersetshire; and was buried in St. Peters in Winchester, but removed afterward.

King Edward the First, called Edward the Elder, his Son, began his Reign in 901, reigned 24 years, and was buried in the new Monastery at Winchester, which his Father and himself wholly finished.

Sovereigns of England

King Athelstan his eldest Son, began his Reign in 924, reigned 15 years, who was Knighted by his Grandfather King Alfred with his own hands in an extraordinary manner, putting upon him a Purple Robe, and girding him with a Girdle wrought with Pearl. He caused the Bible to be translated into the Saxon Tongue, then the Mother Tongue of England. He was buried at Malmsbury in Wiltshire in the year 940, having never been married.

King Edmund the First, his Brother, began his Reign in 939, reigned 5 years and 7 months : he was buried at Glastenbury in Somersetshire.

King Edred, his Brother, began his Reign in 946, reigned 9 years; who was crowned King, for that his Nephew Edwyn, Son to King Edmund, was then in his Minority, the Title of Lord Protector unto a young King being not then in use; which King Edred died and was buried in the old Minster without the City of Winchester, when his said Nephew was but 14 years old, who notwithstanding, upon his death, was crowned King by the name of King Edwin.

King Edwin, his Nephew, began his Reign in 955, reigned 4 years, and was buried in the new Abby of Hyde at Winchester.

King Edgar, his Brother, began his Reign at 16 years of Age in 959, reigned 16 years, and was buried with great funeral pomp in the Abby of Glastenbury.

King Edward the Second, his Son, called Edward the Martyr, began his Reign, being but 12 years of age, in 979, reigned 37 years and 6 months ; and was buried at Winchester, afterwards removed to Shaftsbury in Dorsetshire.

King Ethelred, his half-brother, began his Reign at 12 years old in 982, reigned 34 years and was buried in St. Pauls Church in London.

King Edmund the Second, his Son, called Edmund Ironside, began his Reign in 1016, reigned 7 months, and was buried at Glastenbury.

King Canute, a Dane, began his Reign in 1017, reigned 19 years, and was buried in the old Monastery at Winchester.

King Harold the first, his Son, surnamed Harefoot, began his Reign in 1036, reigned 4 years and 7 months, and was buried at Westminster, afterwards thrown into the Thames, and then afterwards buried in St. Clement Danes Church at Temple-Bar, having never been married.

King Hardicnute, his halfbrother, the third and last of the Danish Line, began his Reign in 1040, reigned 2 years; which Danes had afflicted the Kingdom for the space of 240 years, though in Regal Government but only 26 ; he was buried at Winchester, having never likewise been married.

King Edward the third, surnamed the Confessor, half Brother by the Mother to the last King, King Hardicnute, began His Reign in 1042, reigned 23 years and 6 months; he was the first King that cured the Kings-evil, built the Abby Church of Westminster, and St. Margarets Church there : he was buried at Westminster, who died in the Painted chamber at Westminster.

King Harold the Second, began his Reign in 1065, reigned 9 months, and was buried in Waltham Abby.

And Last updated on: Friday, 15-Sep-2023 12:28:24 BST