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class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Ancestry</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ancestry-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Accession_and_overlordship" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Accession_and_overlordship"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Accession and overlordship</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Accession_and_overlordship-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-A_convert_king" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#A_convert_king"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>A convert king</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-A_convert_king-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-West_Saxons,_South_Saxons_and_Hwicce" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#West_Saxons,_South_Saxons_and_Hwicce"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>West Saxons, South Saxons and Hwicce</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-West_Saxons,_South_Saxons_and_Hwicce-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-East_Anglia_and_the_East_Saxons" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#East_Anglia_and_the_East_Saxons"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>East Anglia and the East Saxons</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-East_Anglia_and_the_East_Saxons-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Kent,_Surrey_and_Lindsey" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kent,_Surrey_and_Lindsey"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Kent, Surrey and Lindsey</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kent,_Surrey_and_Lindsey-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Defeat_and_death" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Defeat_and_death"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Defeat and death</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Defeat_and_death-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Marriage_and_children" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Marriage_and_children"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Marriage and children</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Marriage_and_children-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Sources</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Sources-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Sources subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Primary_sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Primary_sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11.1</span> <span>Primary sources</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Primary_sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Secondary_sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Secondary_sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11.2</span> <span>Secondary sources</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Secondary_sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Wulfhere of Mercia</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 25 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-25" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">25 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B1_(%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83_%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7)" title="ولفير (ملك مرسيا) – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="ولفير (ملك مرسيا)" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_(Mercia)" title="Wulfhere (Mercia) – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Wulfhere (Mercia)" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere" title="Wulfhere – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Wulfhere" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_af_Mercia" title="Wulfhere af Mercia – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Wulfhere af Mercia" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere" title="Wulfhere – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Wulfhere" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%93%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BB%CF%86%CF%87%CE%B5%CF%81_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%9C%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82" title="Γούλφχερ της Μερκίας – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Γούλφχερ της Μερκίας" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_de_Mercia" title="Wulfhere de Mercia – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Wulfhere de Mercia" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere" title="Wulfhere – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Wulfhere" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_(roi_de_Mercie)" title="Wulfhere (roi de Mercie) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Wulfhere (roi de Mercie)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_de_Mercia" title="Wulfhere de Mercia – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Wulfhere de Mercia" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_dari_Mercia" title="Wulfhere dari Mercia – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Wulfhere dari Mercia" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere" title="Wulfhere – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Wulfhere" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%95%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A8,_%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9A_%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%94" title="וולפיר, מלך מרסיה – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="וולפיר, מלך מרסיה" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-arz mw-list-item"><a href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B1_%D9%85%D9%86_%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7" title="ولفير من مرسيا – Egyptian Arabic" lang="arz" hreflang="arz" data-title="ولفير من مرسيا" data-language-autonym="مصرى" data-language-local-name="Egyptian Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مصرى</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_van_Mercia" title="Wulfhere van Mercia – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Wulfhere van Mercia" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A6%E3%83%AB%E3%83%95%E3%83%98%E3%83%AC_(%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A2%E7%8E%8B)" title="ウルフヘレ (マーシア王) – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ウルフヘレ (マーシア王)" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulf%C3%A1rio_de_M%C3%A9rcia" title="Vulfário de Mércia – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Vulfário de Mércia" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%84%D1%85%D0%B5%D1%80_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8)" title="Вульфхер (король Мерсии) – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Вульфхер (король Мерсии)" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_of_Mercia" title="Wulfhere of Mercia – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Wulfhere of Mercia" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_od_Mercije" title="Wulfhere od Mercije – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Wulfhere od Mercije" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere" title="Wulfhere – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Wulfhere" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_av_Mercia" title="Wulfhere av Mercia – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Wulfhere av Mercia" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%84%D1%85%D0%B5%D1%80_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D1%96%D1%97)" title="Вульфхер (король Мерсії) – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Вульфхер (король Мерсії)" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfhere_c%E1%BB%A7a_Mercia" title="Wulfhere của Mercia – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Wulfhere của Mercia" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E5%B0%94%E5%A4%AB%E5%B8%8C%E5%B0%94" title="伍尔夫希尔 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="伍尔夫希尔" 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href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_articles*" title="This is a featured article. Click here for more information."><img alt="Featured article" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg/20px-Cscr-featured.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg/30px-Cscr-featured.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg/40px-Cscr-featured.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="466" data-file-height="443" /></a></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">King of Mercia from 658 to 675</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Wulfhere" redirects here. For the archbishop, see <a href="/wiki/Wulfhere_of_York" title="Wulfhere of York">Wulfhere of York</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above fn" style="background-color: #cbe; color:inherit; font-size: 125%">Wulfhere</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image photo"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg/220px-Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg" decoding="async" width="220" height="135" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg/330px-Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg/440px-Chad_Peada_Wulfhere_at_Lichfield.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="1363" data-file-height="838" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption" style="line-height:normal;padding-bottom:0.2em;padding-top:0.2em;">Depiction of Wulfhere on the right at <a href="/wiki/Lichfield_Cathedral" title="Lichfield Cathedral">Lichfield Cathedral</a>.</div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #e4dcf6;color:inherit;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Mercia" title="List of monarchs of Mercia">King of Mercia</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Reign</th><td class="infobox-data">658–675 AD</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Predecessor</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Peada" class="mw-redirect" title="Peada">Peada</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Successor</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred_of_Mercia" title="Æthelred of Mercia">Æthelred</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #e4dcf6;color:inherit;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><div style="height: 4px; width:100%;"></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data">c. 640 AD</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">675 AD</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Spouses</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Ermenilda_of_Ely" title="Ermenilda of Ely">Eormenhild</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/Issue_(genealogy)" title="Issue (genealogy)">Issue</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Coenred_of_Mercia" title="Coenred of Mercia">Coenred</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Werburgh" title="Werburgh">Werburgh</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/Dynasty" title="Dynasty">Dynasty</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Iclingas" title="Iclingas">Iclingas</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Father</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Penda" class="mw-redirect" title="Penda">Penda</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Mother</th><td class="infobox-data">Cynewise (possibly)</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Wulfhere</b> or <b>Wulfar</b> (died 675) was <a href="/wiki/King_of_Mercia" class="mw-redirect" title="King of Mercia">King of Mercia</a> from 658 until 675 AD. He was the first Christian king of all of <a href="/wiki/Mercia" title="Mercia">Mercia</a>, though it is not known when or how he converted from <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_paganism" title="Anglo-Saxon paganism">Anglo-Saxon paganism</a>. His accession marked the end of <a href="/wiki/Oswiu_of_Northumbria" class="mw-redirect" title="Oswiu of Northumbria">Oswiu of Northumbria</a>'s overlordship of southern England, and Wulfhere extended his influence over much of that region. His campaigns against the <a href="/wiki/West_Saxons" class="mw-redirect" title="West Saxons">West Saxons</a> led to <a href="/wiki/Mercian_Supremacy" title="Mercian Supremacy">Mercian control</a> of much of the <a href="/wiki/Thames_valley" class="mw-redirect" title="Thames valley">Thames valley</a>. He conquered the <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Wight" title="Isle of Wight">Isle of Wight</a> and the <a href="/wiki/River_Meon" title="River Meon">Meon</a> valley and gave them to King <a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelwealh_of_Sussex" title="Æthelwealh of Sussex">Æthelwealh</a> of the <a href="/wiki/South_Saxons" class="mw-redirect" title="South Saxons">South Saxons</a>. He also had influence in <a href="/wiki/Surrey" title="Surrey">Surrey</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Essex" title="Kingdom of Essex">Essex</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kent" title="Kingdom of Kent">Kent</a>. He married <a href="/wiki/Ermenilda_of_Ely" title="Ermenilda of Ely">Eormenhild</a>, the daughter of King <a href="/wiki/Eorcenberht_of_Kent" title="Eorcenberht of Kent">Eorcenberht of Kent</a>. </p><p>Wulfhere's father, <a href="/wiki/Penda_of_Mercia" title="Penda of Mercia">Penda</a>, was killed in 655 at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Winwaed" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Winwaed">Battle of Winwaed</a>, fighting against <a href="/wiki/Oswiu_of_Northumbria" class="mw-redirect" title="Oswiu of Northumbria">Oswiu of Northumbria</a>. Penda's son <a href="/wiki/Peada_of_Mercia" title="Peada of Mercia">Peada</a> became king under Oswiu's overlordship but was murdered six months later. Wulfhere came to the throne when Mercian nobles organized a revolt against <a href="/wiki/Northumbria" title="Northumbria">Northumbrian</a> rule in 658 and drove out Oswiu's governors. </p><p>By 670, when Oswiu died, Wulfhere was the most powerful king in southern England. He was effectively the overlord of England south of the <a href="/wiki/Humber" title="Humber">Humber</a> from the early 660s, although not overlord of Northumbria as his father had been. In 674, he challenged Oswiu's son <a href="/wiki/Ecgfrith_of_Northumbria" title="Ecgfrith of Northumbria">Ecgfrith of Northumbria</a>, but was defeated. He died, probably of disease, in 675. Wulfhere was succeeded as King of Mercia by his brother, <a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred_of_Mercia" title="Æthelred of Mercia">Æthelred</a>. <a href="/wiki/Stephen_of_Ripon" title="Stephen of Ripon">Stephen of Ripon</a>'s <i>Life of <a href="/wiki/Wilfrid" title="Wilfrid">Wilfrid</a></i> describes Wulfhere as "a man of proud mind, and insatiable will".<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Mercia_in_the_7th_century">Mercia in the 7th century</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Mercia in the 7th century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg/300px-British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg.png" decoding="async" width="300" height="393" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg/450px-British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg/600px-British_seventh_century_kingdoms.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="976" data-file-height="1279" /></a><figcaption>Kingdoms of Britain in the late 7th century</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/History_of_Anglo-Saxon_England" title="History of Anglo-Saxon England">History of Anglo-Saxon England</a></div> <p>England in AD 600 was ruled almost entirely by the <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxons" title="Anglo-Saxons">Anglo-Saxon peoples</a> who had come to Britain from northwestern Europe over the previous 200 years. The monk <a href="/wiki/Bede" title="Bede">Bede</a>, writing in about AD 731, considered the Mercians to be descended from the <a href="/wiki/Angles_(tribe)" title="Angles (tribe)">Angles</a>, one of the invading groups; the <a href="/wiki/Saxons" title="Saxons">Saxons</a> and <a href="/wiki/Jutes" title="Jutes">Jutes</a> settled in the south of Britain, while the Angles settled in the north.<sup id="cite_ref-Bede_I_15_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede_I_15-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Little is known about the origins of the kingdom of <a href="/wiki/Mercia" title="Mercia">Mercia</a>, in what is now the English Midlands, but according to genealogies preserved in the <i><a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle" title="Anglo-Saxon Chronicle">Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</a></i> and the <a href="/wiki/Anglian_collection" title="Anglian collection">Anglian collection</a> the early kings were descended from <a href="/wiki/Icel_of_Mercia" title="Icel of Mercia">Icel</a>; the dynasty is therefore known as the <a href="/wiki/Iclinga" class="mw-redirect" title="Iclinga">Iclingas</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_Origins_15_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Origins_15-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The earliest Mercian king about whom definite historical information has survived is <a href="/wiki/Penda_of_Mercia" title="Penda of Mercia">Penda of Mercia</a>, Wulfhere's father.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_Origins_18_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Origins_18-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to Bede's <i><a href="/wiki/Ecclesiastical_History_of_the_English_People" title="Ecclesiastical History of the English People">Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum</a></i>, a history of the English church, there were seven early Anglo-Saxon rulers who held <i>imperium</i>, or overlordship, over the other kingdoms.<sup id="cite_ref-Bede_II_5_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede_II_5-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The fifth of these was <a href="/wiki/Edwin_of_Northumbria" title="Edwin of Northumbria">Edwin of Northumbria</a>, who was killed at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Hatfield_Chase" title="Battle of Hatfield Chase">Battle of Hatfield Chase</a> by a combined force including <a href="/wiki/Cadwallon_ap_Cadfan" title="Cadwallon ap Cadfan">Cadwallon</a>, a British king of <a href="/wiki/Gwynedd" title="Gwynedd">Gwynedd</a> and Penda. At the time of this victory, Penda was probably not yet king of Mercia. His children included two future kings of Mercia: Wulfhere and <a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred_of_Mercia" title="Æthelred of Mercia">Æthelred</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_103_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_103-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>After Edwin's death, Northumbria briefly fell apart into its two constituent kingdoms - <a href="/wiki/Bernicia" title="Bernicia">Bernicia</a> and <a href="/wiki/Deira" title="Deira">Deira</a>. Within a year <a href="/wiki/Oswald_of_Northumbria" title="Oswald of Northumbria">Oswald</a> killed Cadwallon and reunited the kingdoms, and subsequently re-established Northumbrian hegemony over the south of England.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_83_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_83-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, on 5 August 642, Penda killed Oswald at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Maserfield" title="Battle of Maserfield">Battle of Maserfield</a>, probably at <a href="/wiki/Oswestry" title="Oswestry">Oswestry</a> in the northwest midlands.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_88_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_88-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Penda is not recorded as overlord of the other southern Anglo-Saxon kings, but he became the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kings after he defeated Oswald.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_105_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_105-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On Oswald's death, <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Northumbria" class="mw-redirect" title="Kingdom of Northumbria">Northumbria</a> was divided again: Oswald's son <a href="/wiki/Oswiu" title="Oswiu">Oswiu</a> succeeded to the throne of <a href="/wiki/Bernicia" title="Bernicia">Bernicia</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Osric_of_Deira" title="Osric of Deira">Osric</a>'s son <a href="/wiki/Oswine_of_Deira" title="Oswine of Deira">Oswine</a> to <a href="/wiki/Deira" title="Deira">Deira</a>, the southern of the two kingdoms.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_78_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_78-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The main source for this period is Bede's <i>History</i>, completed in about 731. Despite its focus on the history of the church, this work also provides valuable information about the early pagan kingdoms. For other kingdoms than his native Northumbria, such as Wessex and Kent, Bede had an informant within the ecclesiastical establishment who supplied him with additional information. This does not seem to have been the case with Mercia, about which Bede is less informative than about other kingdoms.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_100_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_100-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Further sources for this period include the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, compiled at the end of the 9th century in <a href="/wiki/Wessex" title="Wessex">Wessex</a>. The <i>Chronicle'</i>s anonymous scribe appears to have incorporated much information recorded in earlier periods.<sup id="cite_ref-Lapidge_ASC_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Lapidge_ASC-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ancestry">Ancestry</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Ancestry"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wulfhere_genealogy.gif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Wulfhere_genealogy.gif/300px-Wulfhere_genealogy.gif" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Wulfhere_genealogy.gif/450px-Wulfhere_genealogy.gif 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Wulfhere_genealogy.gif/600px-Wulfhere_genealogy.gif 2x" data-file-width="904" data-file-height="603" /></a><figcaption>Wulfhere's immediate relations</figcaption></figure> <p>Wulfhere was the son of Penda of Mercia. Penda's queen, Cynewise, is named by Bede, who does not mention her children; no other wives of Penda are known and so it is likely but not certain that she was Wulfhere's mother.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_Women_36_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Women_36-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Bede_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i> gives Penda's age as fifty in 626, and credits him with a thirty-year reign, but this would put Penda at eighty years old at the time of his death, which is generally thought unlikely as two of his sons (Wulfhere and Æthelred) are recorded as being young when he was killed. It is thought at least as likely that Penda was 50 years old at his death, rather than at his accession.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_103_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_103-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_82_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_82-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Wulfhere's date of birth is unknown, but Bede describes him as a youth at the time of his accession in 658, so it is likely he was in his middle teens at that time; Penda would then have been in his thirties at the time Wulfhere was born.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_113_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_113-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Nothing is known of Wulfhere's childhood. He had two brothers, Peada and Æthelred, and two sisters, Cyneburh and Cyneswith;<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_93_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_93-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Swanton_29_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Swanton_29-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> it is also possible that <a href="/wiki/Merewalh" title="Merewalh">Merewalh</a>, king of the <a href="/wiki/Magons%C3%A6te" title="Magonsæte">Magonsæte</a>, was Wulfhere's brother.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He married <a href="/wiki/Eormenhild" class="mw-redirect" title="Eormenhild">Eormenhild</a> of Kent; no date is recorded for the marriage and there is no record of any children in the earliest sources, though <a href="/wiki/Coenred_of_Mercia" title="Coenred of Mercia">Coenred</a>, who was king of Mercia from 704 to 709, is recorded in <a href="/wiki/John_of_Worcester" title="John of Worcester">John of Worcester</a>'s 12th-century chronicle as Wulfhere's son.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_128_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_128-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another possible child is Berhtwald, a subking who is recorded as a nephew of Æthelred,<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_108_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_108-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and a third child, <a href="/wiki/Werburh" class="mw-redirect" title="Werburh">Werburh</a>, is recorded in an 11th-century manuscript as a daughter of Wulfhere.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_Hagio_84_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Hagio_84-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> An 11th-century history of <a href="/wiki/Gloucester_Cathedral" title="Gloucester Cathedral">St. Peter's Monastery</a> in <a href="/wiki/Gloucester" title="Gloucester">Gloucester</a> names two other women, Eadburh and Eafe, as queens of Wulfhere, but neither claim is plausible.<sup id="cite_ref-BH_18_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BH_18-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Accession_and_overlordship">Accession and overlordship</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Accession and overlordship"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG/275px-Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG" decoding="async" width="275" height="295" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG/413px-Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG/550px-Kingdom_of_Mercia.PNG 2x" data-file-width="1278" data-file-height="1373" /></a><figcaption>The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. The areas shown are approximate.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>In 655 Penda besieged Oswiu of Northumbria at Iudeu, the location of which is unknown but which may have been <a href="/wiki/Stirling" title="Stirling">Stirling</a>, in Scotland. Penda took Oswiu's son, <a href="/wiki/Ecgfrith_of_Northumbria" title="Ecgfrith of Northumbria">Ecgfrith</a>, as hostage, and Oswiu paid tribute, in the form of treasure, to secure Penda's departure. On the way back to Mercia, Oswiu overtook Penda and on 15 November 655 Oswiu and Penda fought on the banks of the (unidentified) River <a href="/wiki/Winwaed" class="mw-redirect" title="Winwaed">Winwaed</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Penda was killed and beheaded by Oswiu, who divided Mercia into northern and southern halves.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_94_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_94-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The northern portion was kept under direct Northumbrian control; the southern kingdom was given to Penda's son Peada, who had married Oswiu's daughter Ealhflæd <i>ca</i> 653.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_96_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_96-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Peada did not remain king long. He was murdered at <a href="/wiki/Easter" title="Easter">Easter</a> in 656, perhaps with the connivance of his wife, Oswiu's daughter.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Oswiu then ruled all Mercia himself. Bede lists Oswiu as the seventh and last king to hold <i>imperium</i> (or <a href="/wiki/Bretwalda" title="Bretwalda">bretwalda</a> in the language of the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>) over the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.<sup id="cite_ref-Bede_II_5_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede_II_5-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Overlordship was a common relationship between kingdoms at this time, often taking the form of a lesser king under the domination of a stronger one. Oswiu went further than this, however, and installed his own governors in Mercia after the deaths of Penda and Peada. This attempt to establish close control of Mercia failed in 658 when three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebelled against the Northumbrians. Bede reports that they had kept Wulfhere in hiding, and when the revolt succeeded Wulfhere became king.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It has been suggested that the Mercian revolt succeeded because Oswiu may have been occupied with fighting in Pictland, in northern Britain. His nephew the <a href="/wiki/Picts" title="Picts">Pictish</a> king <a href="/wiki/Talorcan_of_the_Picts" class="mw-redirect" title="Talorcan of the Picts">Talorgan</a>, son of <a href="/wiki/Eanfrith_of_Bernicia" title="Eanfrith of Bernicia">Eanfrith</a>, had died in 657.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>How much direct control Oswiu exerted over the southern kingdoms during his imperium is unclear. Bede describes Oswiu's friendship and influence over <a href="/wiki/Sigeberht_II_of_Essex" class="mw-redirect" title="Sigeberht II of Essex">Sigeberht</a> of the <a href="/wiki/East_Saxons" class="mw-redirect" title="East Saxons">East Saxons</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Bede_III_22_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede_III_22-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but generally the pattern in the southeast is of more local domination, with Oswiu's influence unlikely to have been particularly strong.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_96_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_96-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Wulfhere appears to have taken over Oswiu's position in many instances.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Bede does not list him as one of the rulers who exercised <i>imperium</i>, but modern historians consider that the rise to primacy of the kingdom of Mercia began in his reign. He seems to have been the effective overlord of Britain south of the Humber from the early 660s, though not overlord of Northumbria as his father had been.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A document called the <a href="/wiki/Tribal_Hidage" title="Tribal Hidage">Tribal Hidage</a> may date from Wulfhere's reign. Drawn up before many smaller groups of peoples were absorbed into the larger kingdoms, such as Mercia, it records the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England, along with an assessment in <a href="/wiki/Hide_(unit)" title="Hide (unit)">hides</a>, a unit of land. The Tribal Hidage is difficult to date precisely; it may have been written down in Wulfhere's reign, but other suggested origins include the reign of <a href="/wiki/Offa_of_Mercia" title="Offa of Mercia">Offa of Mercia</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Edwin_of_Northumbria" title="Edwin of Northumbria">Edwin</a> or Oswiu of Northumbria.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-BF_Hidage_29_35-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Hidage_29-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="A_convert_king">A convert king</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: A convert king"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="detail of an Anglo-Saxon charter in Wulfhere's name" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg/220px-Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg/330px-Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg/440px-Soc_Ant_microfilm_Ms_38_Wulfhere_crop.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1801" data-file-height="735" /></a><figcaption>Detail of a 14th-century transcription of an <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_charters" title="Anglo-Saxon charters">Anglo-Saxon charter</a> that purports to have been issued by Wulfhere, in favour of the monastery at <a href="/wiki/Medeshamstede" title="Medeshamstede">Medeshamstede</a>: a depiction of the king appears in the initial capital letter "U".</figcaption></figure> <p>Britain had been Christianised <a href="/wiki/Roman_Britain" title="Roman Britain">under the Romans</a>, but the incoming Anglo-Saxons practiced their indigenous religion (<a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_paganism" title="Anglo-Saxon paganism">Anglo-Saxon paganism</a>) and the church in Great Britain was limited to the surviving British kingdoms in Scotland and Wales, and the kingdom of <a href="/wiki/Dumnonia" title="Dumnonia">Dumnonia</a> in the southwest of England. Missionaries from Rome began <a href="/wiki/Christianization" title="Christianization">converting</a> the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity at the end of the 6th century, and this process was well under way in Penda's reign, though Penda himself remained pagan throughout his life.<sup id="cite_ref-Campbell_TFCK_45_36-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Campbell_TFCK_45-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Records survive of the baptism of other kings at this time—<a href="/wiki/Cynegils_of_Wessex" class="mw-redirect" title="Cynegils of Wessex">Cynegils of Wessex</a> was baptised in about 640,<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_48_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_48-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> for example, and Edwin of Northumbria was converted in the mid 620s.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_78_38-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_78-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, later kings, such as <a href="/wiki/C%C3%A6dwalla_of_Wessex" class="mw-redirect" title="Cædwalla of Wessex">Cædwalla of Wessex</a>, who ruled in the 680s, are recorded as pagan at their accession.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_118_39-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_118-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Bede" title="Bede">Bede</a> writes that after Wulfhere became king: "Free under their own king, they [the Mercians] gave willing allegiance to Christ their true king, so that they might win his eternal kingdom in heaven".<sup id="cite_ref-Bede_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bede-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While Wulfhere's father had refused to convert to Christianity, and Peada had apparently converted in order to marry Oswiu's daughter, the date and the circumstances of Wulfhere's conversion are unknown. It has been suggested that he adopted Christianity as part of a settlement with Oswiu.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Bede records that two years before Penda's death, his son Peada converted to Christianity, influenced partly by Oswiu's son <a href="/wiki/Alchfrith_of_Deira" class="mw-redirect" title="Alchfrith of Deira">Ealhfrith</a>, who had married Peada's sister Cyneburh. Peada brought a Christian mission into Mercia, and it is possible that this was when Wulfhere became a Christian.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Wulfhere's marriage to Eormenhild of <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kent" title="Kingdom of Kent">Kent</a> would have brought Mercia into close contact with the Christian kingdoms of Kent and <a href="/wiki/Merovingian" class="mw-redirect" title="Merovingian">Merovingian</a> <a href="/wiki/Gaul" title="Gaul">Gaul</a>, which were connected by kinship and trade. The political and economic benefits of the marriage may therefore also have been a factor in Wulfhere's Christianisation of his kingdom.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Wulfhere's relationship with Bishop <a href="/wiki/Wilfrid" title="Wilfrid">Wilfrid</a> is recorded in Stephen of Ripon's <i>Life of Wilfrid</i>. During the years 667–69, while Wilfrid was at <a href="/wiki/Ripon" title="Ripon">Ripon</a>, Wulfhere frequently invited him to come to Mercia when there was need of the services of a bishop. According to Stephen, Wulfhere rewarded Wilfrid with "many tracts of land", in which Wilfrid "soon established minsters for servants of God".<sup id="cite_ref-Blair_92_44-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Blair_92-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, Wulfhere endowed a major monastery at <a href="/wiki/Medeshamstede" title="Medeshamstede">Medeshamstede</a>, in modern Peterborough. The monastery had initially been endowed by Peada; for the dedication of Wulfhere's gift both Archbishop <a href="/wiki/Deusdedit_of_Canterbury" title="Deusdedit of Canterbury">Deusdedit</a> (died 664), and Bishop <a href="/wiki/Jaruman" title="Jaruman">Jaruman</a> (held office from 663), were present. The endowment was signed by Wulfhere and Oswiu, and by <a href="/wiki/Sighere_of_Essex" title="Sighere of Essex">Sigehere</a> and <a href="/wiki/Sebbi_of_Essex" class="mw-redirect" title="Sebbi of Essex">Sæbbi</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Kings_of_Essex" class="mw-redirect" title="Kings of Essex">Kings of Essex</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="West_Saxons,_South_Saxons_and_Hwicce"><span id="West_Saxons.2C_South_Saxons_and_Hwicce"></span>West Saxons, South Saxons and Hwicce</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: West Saxons, South Saxons and Hwicce"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wulfhere_map.gif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Wulfhere_map.gif/300px-Wulfhere_map.gif" decoding="async" width="300" height="311" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Wulfhere_map.gif/450px-Wulfhere_map.gif 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Wulfhere_map.gif/600px-Wulfhere_map.gif 2x" data-file-width="771" data-file-height="798" /></a><figcaption>A map of southern England, showing locations mentioned in early sources about Wulfhere. The exact location of Ashdown is unknown, but it was somewhere on the Berkshire Downs, south of Thame.</figcaption></figure> <p>In 661, Wulfhere is recorded in the <i>Chronicle</i> as harrying Ashdown, in West Saxon territory. The <a href="/wiki/Gewisse" title="Gewisse">Gewisse</a>, thought to be the original group from which the West Saxons came, appear to have originally settled in the upper <a href="/wiki/River_Thames" title="River Thames">Thames</a> valley, and what records survive of the 6th century show them active in that region. The Mercian resurgence under Wulfhere placed them under severe pressure. Also in the early 660s, the West Saxon see of <a href="/wiki/Dorchester,_Dorset" title="Dorchester, Dorset">Dorchester</a>, in the same area, was divided, and a new bishopric set up at <a href="/wiki/Winchester" title="Winchester">Winchester</a>. This decision was probably a reaction to the advance of the Mercians into the traditional heartland of the West Saxons, leaving Dorchester dangerously close to the border. Within a few years, the Dorchester see was abandoned;<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the exact date is not known, but it was probably in the mid 660s.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_58_47-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_58-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition to the attack on Ashdown, Wulfhere raided the <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Wight" title="Isle of Wight">Isle of Wight</a> in 661. He subsequently gave both the island and the territory of the Meonware, which lay along the <a href="/wiki/River_Meon" title="River Meon">river Meon</a>, on the mainland north of the Isle of Wight, to his godson King <a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelwealh_of_Sussex" title="Æthelwealh of Sussex">Æthelwealh</a> of the South Saxons. It seems likely that the ruling dynasty on the island found these arrangements acceptable to some degree, since the West Saxons, under Cædwalla, exterminated the whole family when they launched their own attack on the island in 686.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_115-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After the conquest of the Isle of Wight, Wulfhere ordered the priest Eoppa to provide baptism to the inhabitants. According to the <i>Chronicle</i>, this was the first time Christian baptism had reached the island.<sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the early 670s, <a href="/wiki/Cenwealh_of_Wessex" class="mw-redirect" title="Cenwealh of Wessex">Cenwealh of Wessex</a> died, and perhaps as a result of the stress caused by Wulfhere's military activity the West Saxon kingdom fragmented and came to be ruled by underkings, according to Bede.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_52_51-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_52-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Eventually these underkings were defeated and the kingdom reunited, probably by Cædwalla but possibly by <a href="/wiki/Centwine_of_Wessex" title="Centwine of Wessex">Centwine</a>. A decade after Wulfhere's death, the West Saxons under Cædwalla began an aggressive expansion to the east, reversing much of the Mercian advance.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_52A_52-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_52A-52"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>52<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition to being Wulfhere's godson, King Æthelwealh of the South Saxons had a connection to the Mercians via marriage. His wife was Queen Eafe, the daughter of Eanfrith of the <a href="/wiki/Hwicce" title="Hwicce">Hwicce</a>, a tribe whose territory lay to the southwest of Mercia. The Hwicce had their own royal family, but it appears that at this date they were already subordinate to Wulfhere: the marriage between Æthelwealh and Eafe may well have taken place at Wulfhere's court, since it is known Æthelwealh was converted there.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_11_53-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_11-53"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>53<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The kingdom of the Hwicce is sometimes regarded as a creation of Penda's, but it is equally likely that the kingdom existed independently of Mercia, and that Penda and Wulfhere's increasing influence in the area represented an extension of Mercian power rather than the creation of a separate entity.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_8_54-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_8-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_108_1_55-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_108_1-55"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>55<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="East_Anglia_and_the_East_Saxons">East Anglia and the East Saxons</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: East Anglia and the East Saxons"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 664, <a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelwald_of_East_Anglia" class="mw-redirect" title="Æthelwald of East Anglia">Æthelwald of East Anglia</a> died, and was succeeded by <a href="/wiki/Ealdwulf_of_East_Anglia" title="Ealdwulf of East Anglia">Ealdwulf</a>, who reigned for fifty years. Almost nothing is known of Mercian relations with <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_East_Angles" class="mw-redirect" title="Kingdom of the East Angles">East Anglia</a> during this time; East Anglia had previously been dominated by Northumbria, but there is no evidence that this continued after Wulfhere's accession. <a href="/wiki/Swithelm_of_Essex" class="mw-redirect" title="Swithelm of Essex">Swithhelm</a> of the East Saxons also died in 664; he was succeeded by his two sons, <a href="/wiki/Sighere_of_Essex" title="Sighere of Essex">Sigehere</a> and <a href="/wiki/Sebbi_of_Essex" class="mw-redirect" title="Sebbi of Essex">Sæbbi</a>, and Bede describes their accession as "rulers ... under Wulfhere, king of the Mercians".<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A plague the same year caused Sigehere and his people to recant their Christianity, and according to Bede, Wulfhere sent Jaruman, the bishop of <a href="/wiki/Lichfield" title="Lichfield">Lichfield</a>, to reconvert the East Saxons. Jaruman was not the first bishop of Lichfield; Bede mentions a predecessor, Trumhere, but nothing is known about Trumhere's activities or who appointed him.<sup id="cite_ref-56" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>It is apparent from these events that Oswiu's influence in the south had waned by this time, if not before, and that Wulfhere now dominated the area. This becomes even clearer in the next few years, as some time between 665 and 668 Wulfhere sold the see of <a href="/wiki/London" title="London">London</a> to <a href="/wiki/Wine_(bishop)" title="Wine (bishop)">Wine</a>, who had been expelled from his West Saxon bishopric by Cenwealh. London fell within the East Saxons' territory in that period.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_32-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> From the archaeological evidence, it appears to be about this time that the Middle Saxon settlement in London began to expand significantly; the centre of Anglo-Saxon London was not at the old Roman centre, but about a mile west of that, near what is now the location of <a href="/wiki/Strand,_London" title="Strand, London">the Strand</a>. Wulfhere may have been in control of the city when this expansion began.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_London_198_57-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_London_198-57"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>57<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Kent,_Surrey_and_Lindsey"><span id="Kent.2C_Surrey_and_Lindsey"></span>Kent, Surrey and Lindsey</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Kent, Surrey and Lindsey"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Eorcenberht_of_Kent" title="Eorcenberht of Kent">Eorcenberht</a> was the king of Kent at Wulfhere's accession, and the two families became connected when Wulfhere married Eorcenberht's daughter Eormenhild.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_43_58-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_43-58"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>58<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 664 Eorcenberht's son <a href="/wiki/Ecgberht_of_Kent" title="Ecgberht of Kent">Egbert</a> succeeded to the Kentish throne. The situation in Kent at Egbert's death in 673 is not clearly recorded. It appears that a year passed before <a href="/wiki/Hlothhere_of_Kent" title="Hlothhere of Kent">Hlothhere</a>, Egbert's brother, became king. Wulfhere may have had an interest in the succession, as through his marriage to Eormenhild he was the uncle of Egbert's two sons, <a href="/wiki/Eadric_of_Kent" title="Eadric of Kent">Eadric</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wihtred_of_Kent" title="Wihtred of Kent">Wihtred</a>. It has been speculated that Wulfhere acted as the effective ruler of Kent in the interregnum between Egbert's death and Hlothhere's accession.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_115-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another Mercian connection to Kent was through <a href="/wiki/Merewalh" title="Merewalh">Merewalh</a>, the king of the <a href="/wiki/Magons%C3%A6te" title="Magonsæte">Magonsæte</a>, and hence a subking under Wulfhere. Merewalh, who may have been Wulfhere's brother, was married to Hlothhere's sister, Eormenburh.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Surrey" title="Surrey">Surrey</a> is not recorded as ever having been an independent kingdom, but was at least a province that was under the control of different neighbours at different times. It was ruled by Egbert until the early 670s, when a charter shows Wulfhere confirming a grant made to Bishop <a href="/wiki/Erkenwald" class="mw-redirect" title="Erkenwald">Eorcenwald</a> by <a href="/wiki/Frithuwold_of_Surrey" class="mw-redirect" title="Frithuwold of Surrey">Frithuwold</a>, a sub-king in Surrey, which may have extended north into modern <a href="/wiki/Buckinghamshire" title="Buckinghamshire">Buckinghamshire</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Williams_21_59-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Williams_21-59"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>59<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-60" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-60"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>60<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Frithuwold himself was probably married to Wilburh, Wulfhere's sister.<sup id="cite_ref-Williams_21_59-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Williams_21-59"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>59<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The charter, made from <a href="/wiki/Thame" title="Thame">Thame</a>, is dated between 673 and 675, and it was probably Egbert's death that triggered Wulfhere's intervention. A witness named Frithuric is recorded on a charter in the reign of Wulfhere's successor, Æthelred, making a grant to the monastery of Peterborough, and the alliteration common in Anglo-Saxon dynasties has led to speculation that the two men may have both come from a <a href="/wiki/Middle_Angles" title="Middle Angles">Middle Anglian</a> dynasty, with Wulfhere perhaps having placed Frithuwold on the throne of Surrey. The charter is witnessed by three other subkings, named Osric, Wigheard, and Æthelwold; their kingdoms are not identified but the charter mentions Sonning, a province in what is now eastern <a href="/wiki/Berkshire" title="Berkshire">Berkshire</a>, and it may be that one of these subkings was a ruler of the Sunningas, the people of that province. This would in turn imply Wulfhere's domination of that province by that time.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_115-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Wulfhere's influence among the Lindesfara, whose territory, <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Lindsey" title="Kingdom of Lindsey">Lindsey</a>, lay in what is now <a href="/wiki/Lincolnshire" title="Lincolnshire">Lincolnshire</a>, is known from information about episcopal authority. At least one of the Mercian bishops of Lichfield is known to have exercised authority there: <a href="/wiki/Winfrith_(bishop)" title="Winfrith (bishop)">Wynfrith</a>, who became bishop on <a href="/wiki/Chad_of_Mercia" title="Chad of Mercia">Chad's</a> death in 672.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Williams_21_59-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Williams_21-59"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>59<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In addition it is known that Wulfhere gave land at <a href="/wiki/Barrow_upon_Humber" title="Barrow upon Humber">Barrow upon Humber</a>, in Lindsey, to Chad, for a monastery.<sup id="cite_ref-Lapidge_W_61-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Lapidge_W-61"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>61<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It is possible that Chad also had authority there as bishop, probably no later than 669.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It may be that the political basis for Mercian episcopal control of the Lindesfara was laid early in Wulfhere's reign, under Trumhere and Jaruman, the two bishops who preceded Chad.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Defeat_and_death">Defeat and death</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Defeat and death"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>When Wulfhere attacked Oswiu's son Ecgfrith in 674, he did so from a position of strength. Stephen of Ripon's <i>Life of <a href="/wiki/Wilfrid" title="Wilfrid">Wilfrid</a></i> says that Wulfhere "stirred up all the southern nations against [Northumbria]". Bede does not report the fighting, nor is it mentioned in the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, but according to Stephen, Ecgfrith defeated Wulfhere, forcing him to surrender Lindsey, and to pay tribute.<sup id="cite_ref-62" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-62"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>62<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Wulfhere survived the defeat but evidently lost some degree of control over the south as a result; in 675, <a href="/wiki/%C3%86scwine_of_Wessex" title="Æscwine of Wessex">Æscwine</a>, one of the kings of the West Saxons, fought him at Biedanheafde. It is not known where this battle was, or who was the victor. <a href="/wiki/Henry_of_Huntingdon" title="Henry of Huntingdon">Henry of Huntingdon</a>, a 12th-century historian who had access to versions of the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i> now lost,<sup id="cite_ref-BEASE_232-3_63-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BEASE_232-3-63"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>63<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> believed that Mercians had been the victors in a "terrible battle" and remarks upon Wulfhere having inherited "the valour of his father and grandfather".<sup id="cite_ref-Henry_64-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Henry-64"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>64<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Kirby, however, presumes Æscwine was sufficiently successful to break Wulfhere's hold over Wessex.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_116_65-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_116-65"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>65<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Wulfhere died later in 675. The cause of death, according to Henry of Huntingdon, was disease.<sup id="cite_ref-Henry_64-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Henry-64"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>64<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He would have been in his mid-thirties. His widow, Eormenhild, is thought to have later become the abbess of <a href="/wiki/Ely,_Cambridgeshire" title="Ely, Cambridgeshire">Ely</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_70_66-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_70-66"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>66<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Æthelred, Wulfhere's brother, succeeded to the throne and reigned for nearly thirty years. Æthelred recovered Lindsey from the Northumbrians a few years after his accession, but he was generally unable to maintain the domination of the south achieved by Wulfhere.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_116_65-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_116-65"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>65<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Marriage_and_children">Marriage and children</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Marriage and children"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>At an unrecorded date Wulfhere married <a href="/wiki/Eormenhild" class="mw-redirect" title="Eormenhild">Eormenhild</a> (<i>alias</i> Ermenilda, etc.), a daughter of <a href="/wiki/Eorcenberht_of_Kent" title="Eorcenberht of Kent">Eorcenberht</a>, King of <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kent" title="Kingdom of Kent">Kent</a>, who survived him and is thought after his death to have become the Abbess of <a href="/wiki/Ely,_Cambridgeshire" title="Ely, Cambridgeshire">Ely</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_70_66-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_70-66"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>66<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> No issue from the marriage are recorded in the earliest sources, however the following children are recorded by various other sources: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Coenred_of_Mercia" title="Coenred of Mercia">Coenred</a>, King of Mercia from 704 to 709, is recorded in <a href="/wiki/John_of_Worcester" title="John of Worcester">John of Worcester</a>'s 12th-century chronicle as Wulfhere's son.<sup id="cite_ref-Kirby_128_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kirby_128-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Berhtwald, a sub-king who is recorded as a nephew of Æthelred,<sup id="cite_ref-Yorke_108_21-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yorke_108-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Werburh" class="mw-redirect" title="Werburh">Werburh</a> (<i>alias</i> Werburga, etc.), recorded in an 11th-century manuscript as a daughter of Wulfhere.<sup id="cite_ref-BF_Hagio_84_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BF_Hagio_84-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saint_Wulfad" class="mw-redirect" title="Saint Wulfad">Saint Wulfad</a>, who having been led by a white hart whilst out hunting in a forest with his brother Ruffin, to the hermitage of <a href="/wiki/Saint_Chad" class="mw-redirect" title="Saint Chad">Saint Chad</a>, was converted by that saint to Christianity. This caused great displeasure of his father, who had relapsed to paganry, and slew both his sons for their actions. Wulfad was slain by his father at <a href="/wiki/Stone_Priory" title="Stone Priory">Stone</a>, in Staffordshire, and Ruffin at Burston. Their mother founded <a href="/wiki/Stone_Priory" title="Stone Priory">Stone Priory</a> on the spot of the burial of both her sons.<sup id="cite_ref-67" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-67"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>67<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Ruffin, slain by his father at Burston, for having converted to Christianity.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Colgrave, <i>Life of Bishop Wilfred</i>, c. 20.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bede_I_15-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Bede_I_15_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, I, 15, p. 63.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_Origins_15-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BF_Origins_15_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Barbara_Yorke" title="Barbara Yorke">Yorke, Barbara</a>, "The Origins of Mercia" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, pp. 15–16</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_Origins_18-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BF_Origins_18_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Barbara Yorke, "The Origins of Mercia" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, pp. 18–19</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bede_II_5-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bede_II_5_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bede_II_5_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, II, 5, p. 111.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_103-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_103_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_103_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, pp. 103–4</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_83-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_83_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 83.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_88-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_88_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 88–90</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_105-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_105_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 105</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_78-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_78_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 78</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_100-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_100_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 100</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Lapidge_ASC-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Lapidge_ASC_12-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Simon Keynes, "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", in <i>Blackwell Encyclopedia</i>, p. 35</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_Women_36-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BF_Women_36_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Pauline_Stafford" title="Pauline Stafford">Stafford, Pauline</a>, "Political Women in Mercia" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, p. 36</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bede-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bede_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bede_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, III, 24, pp. 183–5.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_82-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_82_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 82.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_113-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_113_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 113</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_93-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_93_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 93</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Swanton_29-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Swanton_29_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Swanton, <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, <i>sub anno</i> 656, p. 29</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, p. 107, accepts the account in the <i>Life of St <a href="/wiki/Mildburh" title="Mildburh">Mildburh</a></i>, which makes Merewalh and Wulfhere brothers, as genuine. Kirby, p. 93, expresses doubts.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_128-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_128_20-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_128_20-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 128</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_108-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_108_21-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_108_21-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 108</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_Hagio_84-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-BF_Hagio_84_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BF_Hagio_84_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Jane Roberts, "Hagiography and Literature: The Case of Guthlac of Crowland" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, p. 84</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BH_18-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BH_18_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">For details see Baker and Holt, <i>Urban Growth</i>, p. 18. The history is the <i>Historia et Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucesteriæ</i>, which incorporates material from as early as the late 11th century.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See Higham, <i>English Empire</i>, p. 149, figure 7; M. Lapidge (ed.), p. 517, map 9; Zaluckyj, <i>Mercia</i>, p. 16</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The <a href="/wiki/River_Went" title="River Went">Went</a>, a tributary of the <a href="/wiki/River_Don,_South_Yorkshire" class="mw-redirect" title="River Don, South Yorkshire">River Don</a>, has been suggested as a candidate; see e.g. Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 94–95; other suggestions include an unspecified tributary of the <a href="/wiki/Humber" title="Humber">Humber</a>; see e.g. Swanton, <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, p. 29 n. 11.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_94-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_94_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 94–95</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_96-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_96_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_96_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp.96–7</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 96; Bede, <i>HE</i>, III, 24.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, III, 25; p. 183.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Higham, <i>Convert Kings</i>, p. 245.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bede_III_22-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Bede_III_22_31-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, HE III, 22, p. 178.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_114-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_32-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_32-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 114–5</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See, for example, Higham, <i>Convert Kings</i>, pp. 249&–50; Keynes; Yorke, pp. 157–9; Williams, <i>Kingship and Government</i>, pp. 20–3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Higham, <i>English Empire</i>, p. 99.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_Hidage_29-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BF_Hidage_29_35-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Peter Featherstone, "The Tribal Hidage and the Ealdormen of Mercia" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, p. 29</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Campbell_TFCK_45-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Campbell_TFCK_45_36-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Campbell, "The First Christian Kings", in Campbell, <i>The Anglo-Saxons</i>, pp. 45–6.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_48-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_48_37-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 48–50.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_78-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_78_38-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 78.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_118-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_118_39-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 118.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Higham, <i>Convert Kings</i>, p. 68.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, III, 21, pp. 177–8.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_114_1-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_114_1_42-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 114.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Zaluckyj, <i>Mercia</i>, p. 37.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Blair_92-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Blair_92_44-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Blair, <i>The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society</i>, p. 92.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, sub anno 656; Zaluckyj, p. 38.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 136.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_58-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_58_47-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 58–9.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, IV, 13, pp. 225–7.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_115-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_115_49-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 115&–6</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Swanton, <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>, <i>sub anno</i> 661, pp. 33–4.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_52-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_52_51-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 52–3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_52A-52"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_52A_52-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">For the situation at Wulfhere's death, see Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp.& 115–6; for Cædwalla see Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 118–21.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_11-53"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_11_53-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 11–12.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_8-54"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_8_54-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 8–9.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_108_1-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_108_1_55-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, pp. 108–9.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-56"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-56">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bede, <i>HE</i>, III, 30, pp. 200–1.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BF_London_198-57"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BF_London_198_57-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Robert Cowie, "Mercian London" in Brown and Farr, <i>Mercia</i>, pp. 198–9</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_43-58"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_43_58-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 43</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Williams_21-59"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Williams_21_59-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Williams_21_59-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Williams_21_59-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Williams, <i>Kingship and Government</i> p. 21.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-60"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-60">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Whitelock, <i>English Historical Documents</i>, p. 440.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Lapidge_W-61"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Lapidge_W_61-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Simon Keynes, "Wulfhere", in <i>Blackwell Encyclopedia</i>, p. 490</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-62"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-62">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Colgrave, <i>Life of Bishop Wilfred</i>, c. 20; Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, p. 116; Williams, <i>Kingship and Government</i>, p. 23.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BEASE_232-3-63"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BEASE_232-3_63-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Diana E. Greenway, "Henry of Huntingdon", in Lapidge et al., <i>Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England</i>, pp. 232–3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Henry-64"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Henry_64-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Henry_64-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Henry of Huntingdon, sub anno 670.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kirby_116-65"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_116_65-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kirby_116_65-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kirby, <i>Earliest English Kings</i>, pp. 116–7.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yorke_70-66"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_70_66-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yorke_70_66-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Yorke, <i>Kings and Kingdoms</i>, p. 70.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-67"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-67">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Cope, Norman A., <i>Stone: The History of a Market Town</i>, pp.7-8,<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=gftiDwAAQBAJ&dq=saint+Wulfad&pg=PA8">[1]</a> quoting sources on p.10, note 5, including Dugdale, Monasticon, Vol.6, Part 1, "an account in a Peterborough book written c.970 AD"; Inscription on a tablet hanging at Stone Priory at the Dissolution, recorded by Dugdale; Henry Bradshaw, <i>Life of Saint Werburga of Chester</i>; Beresford, <i>Memories of Old Staffordshire</i>; Warner, R.H., <i>Life and Legends of saint Chad</i></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Sources">Sources</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Primary_sources">Primary sources</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Primary sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bede" title="Bede">Bede</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Ecclesiastical_History_of_the_English_People" title="Ecclesiastical History of the English People">Ecclesiastical History of the English People</a>.</i> (c. 731 A.D.) Translated by <a href="/wiki/Leo_Sherley-Price" title="Leo Sherley-Price">Leo Sherley-Price</a>, revised <a href="/wiki/R.E._Latham" class="mw-redirect" title="R.E. Latham">R.E. Latham</a>, ed. D.H. Farmer. London: Penguin, 1990. <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-14-044565-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-14-044565-X">0-14-044565-X</a></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Colgrave, Bertram (1927). <i>The Life of Bishop Wilfred by Eddius Stephanus</i>. London: Cambridge University Press.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Life+of+Bishop+Wilfred+by+Eddius+Stephanus&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1927&rft.aulast=Colgrave&rft.aufirst=Bertram&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Forrester, Thomas (1991). <i>The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon</i>. Felinfach: Llanerch Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-947992-55-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-947992-55-3"><bdi>0-947992-55-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Chronicle+of+Henry+of+Huntingdon&rft.place=Felinfach&rft.pub=Llanerch+Press&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=0-947992-55-3&rft.aulast=Forrester&rft.aufirst=Thomas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Swanton, Michael (1996). <i>The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i>. New York: Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-92129-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-415-92129-5"><bdi>0-415-92129-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Anglo-Saxon+Chronicle&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=1996&rft.isbn=0-415-92129-5&rft.aulast=Swanton&rft.aufirst=Michael&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Whitelock, Dorothy (1968). <i>English Historical Documents v.l. c.500–1042</i>. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=English+Historical+Documents+v.l.+c.500%E2%80%931042&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Eyre+%26+Spottiswoode&rft.date=1968&rft.aulast=Whitelock&rft.aufirst=Dorothy&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Secondary_sources">Secondary sources</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Secondary sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Baker, Nigel; Holt, Richard (2004). <i>Urban Growth and the Medieval Church: Gloucester and Worcester</i>. Gloucester: Ashgate. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7546-0266-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-7546-0266-4"><bdi>0-7546-0266-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Urban+Growth+and+the+Medieval+Church%3A+Gloucester+and+Worcester&rft.place=Gloucester&rft.pub=Ashgate&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=0-7546-0266-4&rft.aulast=Baker&rft.aufirst=Nigel&rft.au=Holt%2C+Richard&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Blair, John (2006). <i>The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society</i>. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-921117-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-19-921117-5"><bdi>0-19-921117-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Church+in+Anglo-Saxon+Society&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=0-19-921117-5&rft.aulast=Blair&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Campbell, John (1991). "The First Christian Kings". In Campbell, James; et al. (eds.). <i>The Anglo-Saxons</i>. Penguin Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-14-014395-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-14-014395-5"><bdi>0-14-014395-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=The+First+Christian+Kings&rft.btitle=The+Anglo-Saxons&rft.pub=Penguin+Books&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=0-14-014395-5&rft.aulast=Campbell&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Featherstone, Peter (2001). "The Tribal Hidage and the Ealdormen of Mercia". In Michelle Brown; Carole Farr (eds.). <i>Mercia: An Anglo-Saxon Kingdom in Europe</i>. Leicester: Continuum. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8264-7765-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-8264-7765-8"><bdi>0-8264-7765-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=The+Tribal+Hidage+and+the+Ealdormen+of+Mercia&rft.btitle=Mercia%3A+An+Anglo-Saxon+Kingdom+in+Europe&rft.place=Leicester&rft.pub=Continuum&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=0-8264-7765-8&rft.aulast=Featherstone&rft.aufirst=Peter&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Higham, N. J. (1993). <i>An English Empire: Bede and the early Anglo-Saxon kings</i>. Manchester: Manchester University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7190-4424-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-7190-4424-3"><bdi>0-7190-4424-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=An+English+Empire%3A+Bede+and+the+early+Anglo-Saxon+kings&rft.place=Manchester&rft.pub=Manchester+University+Press&rft.date=1993&rft.isbn=0-7190-4424-3&rft.aulast=Higham&rft.aufirst=N.+J.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Higham, N. J. (1997). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/convertkingspowe00high"><i>The Convert Kings: Power and religious affiliation in early Anglo-Saxon England</i></a></span>. Manchester: Manchester University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7190-4828-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-7190-4828-1"><bdi>0-7190-4828-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Convert+Kings%3A+Power+and+religious+affiliation+in+early+Anglo-Saxon+England&rft.place=Manchester&rft.pub=Manchester+University+Press&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=0-7190-4828-1&rft.aulast=Higham&rft.aufirst=N.+J.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fconvertkingspowe00high&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation encyclopaedia cs1"><a href="/wiki/Simon_Keynes" title="Simon Keynes">Keynes, Simon</a> (2001). "Wulfhere". In Michael Lapidge (ed.). <i>The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England</i>. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-631-22492-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-631-22492-0"><bdi>0-631-22492-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Wulfhere&rft.btitle=The+Blackwell+Encyclopedia+of+Anglo-Saxon+England&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Blackwell+Publishing&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=0-631-22492-0&rft.aulast=Keynes&rft.aufirst=Simon&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Kirby, D.P. (1992). <i>The Earliest English Kings</i>. London: Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-09086-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-415-09086-5"><bdi>0-415-09086-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Earliest+English+Kings&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=1992&rft.isbn=0-415-09086-5&rft.aulast=Kirby&rft.aufirst=D.P.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Williams, Ann (1999). <i>Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, c. 500–1066</i>. Basingstoke: Macmillan. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-333-56798-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-333-56798-6"><bdi>0-333-56798-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Kingship+and+Government+in+Pre-Conquest+England%2C+c.+500%E2%80%931066&rft.place=Basingstoke&rft.pub=Macmillan&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=0-333-56798-6&rft.aulast=Williams&rft.aufirst=Ann&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Yorke, Barbara (1990). <i>Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England</i>. London: Seaby. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85264-027-8" title="Special:BookSources/1-85264-027-8"><bdi>1-85264-027-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Kings+and+Kingdoms+of+Early+Anglo-Saxon+England&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Seaby&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=1-85264-027-8&rft.aulast=Yorke&rft.aufirst=Barbara&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Zaluckyj, Sarah (20 October 2001). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/merciaanglosaxon0000zalu"><i>Mercia: The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Central England</i></a></span>. Logaston: Logaston Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-873827-62-8" title="Special:BookSources/1-873827-62-8"><bdi>1-873827-62-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Mercia%3A+The+Anglo-Saxon+Kingdom+of+Central+England&rft.place=Logaston&rft.pub=Logaston+Press&rft.date=2001-10-20&rft.isbn=1-873827-62-8&rft.aulast=Zaluckyj&rft.aufirst=Sarah&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fmerciaanglosaxon0000zalu&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWulfhere+of+Mercia" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://pase.ac.uk/jsp/persons/CreatePersonFrames.jsp?personKey=877">Wulfhere 1</a> at <a href="/wiki/Prosopography_of_Anglo-Saxon_England" title="Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England">Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul 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template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Bretwaldas148" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Bretwalda" title="Bretwalda">Bretwaldas</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86lle_of_Sussex" title="Ælle of Sussex">Ælle of Sussex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ceawlin_of_Wessex" title="Ceawlin of Wessex">Ceawlin of Wessex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelberht_of_Kent" title="Æthelberht of Kent">Æthelberht of Kent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R%C3%A6dwald_of_East_Anglia" title="Rædwald of East Anglia">Rædwald of East Anglia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Edwin_of_Northumbria" title="Edwin of Northumbria">Edwin of Deira</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oswald_of_Northumbria" title="Oswald of Northumbria">Oswald of Bernicia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oswiu" title="Oswiu">Oswiu of Northumbria</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Wulfhere of Mercia</a> <sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred_of_Mercia" title="Æthelred of Mercia">Æthelred of Mercia</a> <sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelbald_of_Mercia" title="Æthelbald of Mercia">Æthelbald of Mercia</a> <sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Offa_of_Mercia" title="Offa of Mercia">Offa of Mercia</a> <sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coenwulf_of_Mercia" title="Coenwulf of Mercia">Cœnwulf of Mercia</a> <sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecgberht,_King_of_Wessex" title="Ecgberht, King of Wessex">Egbert of Wessex</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><sup><small>1</small></sup> <span class="wrap">Not listed in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but held equivalent or greater power.</span></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Monarchs_of_Mercia373" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Mercian_monarchs" title="Template:Mercian monarchs"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Mercian_monarchs" title="Template talk:Mercian monarchs"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Mercian_monarchs" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Mercian monarchs"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Monarchs_of_Mercia373" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Mercia" title="List of monarchs of Mercia">Monarchs of Mercia</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Kingdom of Mercia<br />527–918</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Icel_of_Mercia" title="Icel of Mercia">Icel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cnebba" title="Cnebba">Cnebba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cynewald" title="Cynewald">Cynewald</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Creoda_of_Mercia" title="Creoda of Mercia">Creoda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pybba_of_Mercia" title="Pybba of Mercia">Pybba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cearl_of_Mercia" title="Cearl of Mercia">Cearl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Penda_of_Mercia" title="Penda of Mercia">Penda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eowa_of_Mercia" title="Eowa of Mercia">Eowa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Peada_of_Mercia" title="Peada of Mercia">Peada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oswiu" title="Oswiu">Oswiu</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Wulfhere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred_of_Mercia" title="Æthelred of Mercia">Æthelred I</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coenred_of_Mercia" title="Coenred of Mercia">Coenred</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ceolred_of_Mercia" title="Ceolred of Mercia">Ceolred</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ceolwald_of_Mercia" title="Ceolwald of Mercia">Ceolwald</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelbald_of_Mercia" title="Æthelbald of Mercia">Æthelbald</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beornred_of_Mercia" title="Beornred of Mercia">Beornred</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Offa_of_Mercia" title="Offa of Mercia">Offa</a><sup>1</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecgfrith_of_Mercia" title="Ecgfrith of Mercia">Ecgfrith</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coenwulf_of_Mercia" title="Coenwulf of Mercia">Coenwulf</a><sup>1</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saint_Kenelm" title="Saint Kenelm">Cynehelm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ceolwulf_I_of_Mercia" title="Ceolwulf I of Mercia">Ceolwulf I</a><sup>1</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beornwulf_of_Mercia" title="Beornwulf of Mercia">Beornwulf</a><sup>2</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ludeca_of_Mercia" title="Ludeca of Mercia">Ludeca</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wiglaf_of_Mercia" title="Wiglaf of Mercia">Wiglaf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecgberht,_King_of_Wessex" title="Ecgberht, King of Wessex">Ecgberht</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wigmund_of_Mercia" title="Wigmund of Mercia">Wigmund</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wigstan" title="Wigstan">Wigstan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beorhtwulf_of_Mercia" title="Beorhtwulf of Mercia">Beorhtwulf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burgred_of_Mercia" title="Burgred of Mercia">Burgred</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ceolwulf_II_of_Mercia" title="Ceolwulf II of Mercia">Ceolwulf II</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelred,_Lord_of_the_Mercians" title="Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians">Æthelred II</a><sup>3</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelfl%C3%A6d" title="Æthelflæd">Æthelflæd</a><sup>3</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86lfwynn" title="Ælfwynn">Ælfwynn</a><sup>3</sup></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="2" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Offa,_King_of_Mercia,_silver_penny;_(obverse).png" class="mw-file-description" title="Offa (757–796)"><img alt="Coin with a man in profile surrounded by lettering reading OFFA REX" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png/100px-Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="100" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png/150px-Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png/200px-Offa%2C_King_of_Mercia%2C_silver_penny%3B_%28obverse%29.png 2x" data-file-width="1816" data-file-height="1816" /></a><figcaption>Offa (757–796)</figcaption></figure></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Later monarchs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C3%86thelstan" title="Æthelstan">Æthelstan</a><sup>4</sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Edgar,_King_of_England" title="Edgar, King of England">Eadgar</a><sup>4</sup></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3"><div> <ul><li><sup>1</sup>Also King of <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kent" title="Kingdom of Kent">Kent</a> and <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_East_Anglia" title="Kingdom of East Anglia">East Anglia</a></li> <li><sup>2</sup>Also King of East Anglia</li> <li><sup>3</sup>Recognising <a href="/wiki/Wessex" title="Wessex">West Saxon</a> overlordship</li> <li><sup>4</sup>King of Mercia during the temporary separation of Mercia and Wessex</li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&oldid=1254295862">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wulfhere_of_Mercia&oldid=1254295862</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div 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