List of monarchs of Kent

This is a list of the kings of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent.

The regnal dates for the earlier kings are known only from Bede, who piously expunged apostates (Unde cunctis placuit regum tempora computantibus, ut ablata de medio regum perfidorum memoria, idem annus sequentis regis), and seems also to have deliberately suppressed details of short or joint reigns in order to produce an orderly sequence (he had no place for Æðelwald or Eormenred). Generally more than one king ruled in Kent. Some kings are known mainly from charters, of which several are forgeries, while others have been subjected to tampering in order to reconcile them with the erroneous king lists of chroniclers, baffled by blanks, and confused by concurrent reigns and kings with similar or identical names. It is commonplace for the later kings to be referred to as subkings, but the actual rank used is always rex, never regulus (except for a late legend concerning Eormenred). The usual style was simply King of Kent (rex Cantiae) or King of the Kentish Men (rex Cantuariorum). Territorial division within Kent is not alluded to, except by Eadberht I (rex Cantuariorum terram dimidii) and Sigered (rex dimidie partis prouincie Cantuariorum).

List of kings of Kent

Reign Incumbent Style Notes
455-488 Hengest no charters father of Oisc or Octa
455-488? Horsa no charters brother of Hengest
488-512/516Oisc
(Oesc, Aesc, Oeric)
no charters son of Hengest or Octa
512/516-534/540Octa
(Octha)
no charters son of Hengest
534/540-c.590 Eormenric no charters father of Æðelberht I
c.590 - 24 February 616 (Bede) Æðelberht I no genuine charters first Christian King of Kent
February 616 to 20 January 640 (Bede) Eadbald no genuine charters son of Æðelberht I
unknown Æðelwald no charters contemporary with Pope Boniface V (619-625)
January 640 to 14 July 664 (Bede) Eorcenberht no charters son of Eadbald
unknown Eormenred Irminredus brother of Eorcenberht
July 664 to 4 July 673 (Bede) Ecgberht I no charters son of Eorcenberht
acceded 674 or 675,

died 685

Hlothhere Lotharius rex Cantuariorum

Lotharius rex Cancie

Clotharius

Hlotharius

son of Eorcenberht; reigning jointly with Eadric
685 to 686 (Bede) Eadric Eadricus rex Cantuariorum

Ædricus rex

Edricus

son of Ecgberht I; reigning jointly with Hlothhere
killed 687 Mul Mulo rege regnum Cantie brother of Cædwalla, King of Wessex
acceded 687 or 688,

still reigning 692

Swæfheard Suebhardus rex Cantuariorum

Sueaberdus rex Cantie

son of Sæberht, King of Essex, reigning jointly in Kent with Oswine and Withred
fl. 689 Swæfberht Gabertus

Suebertus rex Cantuariorum

jointly with Oswine
fl. 689 to 690 Oswine Oswynus rex Cantie

Oswinus rex Cantuariorum

jointly with Swæfberht and Swæfheard
acceded c. 693, seven years after Edric's disposition (Malmesbury 1.15),

died 23 April 725

Wihtred Wihtredus rex Cantie

Wythredus rex Cantuariorum

Wihtredus rex Cantuariorum

son of Ecgberht I; reigned jointly with Swæfheard
succeeded 725 Alric no charters son of Wihtred; succeeded jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and Eadberht I
725 to 748 Eadberht I Eadbertus rex Cantuariorum terram dimidii

Ædbeortus rex Cantie

son of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and Ælfric
Subject to Mercian overlordship
725 to 762 Æðelberht II Æthilberhctus rex Cantie

Athelbertus rex

son of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Eadberht I and Ælfric, and nephew Eardwulf
unknown Eardwulf Earduulfus rex Cantuariorum

Eardulfus rex Cantiae

son of Eadberht I; reigned jointly with Æðelberht II; contemporary with Archbishop Cuðbert (740-760)
fl. 762 Eadberht II Eadberht rex Cantiae

Ædbertus rex

Eadbertus rex Cantie

jointly with Sigered
fl. 762 Sigered Sigiraed rex Cantiae

Sigeredus rex dimidie partis prouincie Cantuariorum

jointly with Eadberht II
762-764 Eanmund Eanmundus rex contemporary with Archbishop Bregowine (761-764)
fl. 764 to 765 Heaberht Heaberhtus rex Cantie

Heaberhtus rex

jointly with Ecgberht II
fl. 765 to 779 Ecgberht II Ecgberhtus rex Cantie

Egcberhtus rex Cantiae

Egcberht rex Cantie

Egcberth rex Cantie

Egcberhtus rex

jointly with Heaberht
fl. 784 Ealhmund Ealmundus rex Canciæ father of Ecgberht III
Under the direct rule of Offa of Mercia (785796).
796 to 798, deposed Eadberht III Præn no charters; coins:

EADBEARHT REX

Deposed and mutilated by Cœnwulf
acceded 797 or 798,

died 807

Cuðred Cuthredus Rex Cantiae

Cuðred rex Cantiae

Cuðredus rex cantwariorum

brother of Cœnwulf and Ceolwulf
fl. 809 Cœnwulf Ceonulfus Christi gracia rex Merciorum atque provincie Cancie brother of Cuðred and Ceolwulf; also King of Mercia (796-821)
fl. 822 to 823 Ceolwulf Ceolwulf rex Merciorum vel etiam Contwariorum

Ceolwulf rex Merciorum seu etiam Cantwariorum

brother of Cuðred and Cœnwulf; also King of Mercia (821-823)
deposed in 825 Baldred no charters; coins:

BALDRED REX CANT

expelled by Æðelwulf in 825
825 to 839 Ecgberht III Ecgberht rex occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum son of Ealhmund; reigned in Kent jointly with his son Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (802-839)
825 to 858 Æðelwulf Aetheluulf rex

Æðeluulf rex Cantrariorum

Æthelwolf gratia Dei rex Kanciae

Ætheluulf rex Cancie

Aeðeluulf Rex Cancie

Aetheluulf gratia Dei rex occidentalium Saxonum seu etiam Cantuuariorum

Aeðeluulf gratia Dei rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non 7 Cantuariorum

Eðelwulf rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non et Cantuariorum

Eðeluulfus rex Occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum

Æðelulf rex misericordia Dei occidentalium Saxonum ; necnon & Cantuuariorum

jointly with his father Ecgberht III and son Æðelstan; also King of Wessex (839-856)
fl. 839 to 851 Æðelstan I Edelstan rex Kancie

Ethelstan Rex

Aeðelstan rex

Aedelstan rex

jointly with his father Æðelwulf
fl. 855 to 866 Æðelberht III Aeðelberht rex

Eþelbearht rex

Eðelbearht rex

Æthelbertus occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum rex

Aeðelbearht rex Occidentalium Saxonum seu Cantuuariorum

Aeðælberht rex Occidentalium Saxonum seu Cantuariorum

Eðelbearht rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non et Cantuariorum

jointly with his father Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (860-866)
866 to 871 Æðelred I Eðelred rex occidentalium Saxonum . non et Cantwariorum

Aeðered rex Occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum

son of Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (866-871)

See also

Sources

  • Campbell, A. 1973. Charters of Rochester. Anglo-Saxon Charters 1.
  • Fryde, E. B., Greenway, D. E., Porter, S., & Roy, I. 1986. Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd ed. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 2.
  • Garmonsway, G. N. 1954. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 2nd edition.
  • Kelly, S. E. 1995. Charters of St. Augustine's Abbey Canterbury and Minster-in-Thanet. Anglo-Saxon Charters 4.
  • King, J. E. 1930. Baedae Opera Historica. Loeb Classical Library 246 & 248.
  • Kirby, D. P. 1991. The Earliest English Kings.
  • Sawyer, P. H. 1968. Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 8.
  • Searle, W. G. 1899. Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings and Nobles.
  • Sweet, H. 1896. The Student’s Dictionary of Anglo-Saxon.
  • Yorke, B. 1990. Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England.
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