Prehistory
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AD  899 - Death of King Alfred the Great of Wessex & All England. He is succeeded by his son, Edward. 901 - King Edward the Elder of Wessex takes the title "King of the Angles and Saxons". His mother, Dowager-Queen Ealhswith, founds the Nunnaminster at Winchester and retires into a religious life there. Death of King Aethelstan (alias Guthrum) of East Anglia. He is succeeded by his son, Eric. 902 - The Norsemen are expelled from Dublin. After a brief foray into Seisyllwg, a group, under one Ingimund, settle in the Wirral with the agreement of Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians. 905 - The Norse settler, Ingimund, and his men revolt against the Mercians and try to take the city of Chester. They are beaten off. 907 - Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians refortifies Chester against Viking attacks. King Edward the Elder of England founds Romsey Abbey. Ealdorman Aethelmar founds Cerne Abbey on the site of the hermitage of St. Edwold. 909 - Death of Bishop Asser of Sherborne. The See is divided and the new Bishoprics created at Wells, Crediton and Ramsbury & Sonning. King Edward the Elder of England and his sister, Princess Aethelflaed of Mercia, raid Danish East Anglia and bring back the body of St. Oswald in triumph. Aethelflaed presents it to her foundation in Gloucester. 910 - King Edward the Elder of England attacks the Joint-Kings Halfdan II, Eowils Ragnarson of Norse York. All three monarchs are killed at the Battle of Tettenhall and their kingdom crippled. Ragnall I Ivarrson, grandson of Ivarr the Boneless, seizes the throne after years of roaming the Western Seas. 911 - Death of Lord Aethelred II of the Mercians. He is buried in St. Oswald's Priory, Gloucester and is succeeded by his wife, Princess Aethelflaed of Wessex, as Lady of the Mercians. Her brother, King Edward the Elder of England insists on taking control of London and Oxford. 912 - The increasing thread of Viking invasions encourages Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians to expand her policy of building defensive burghs within her kingdom. 913 - King Edward the Elder of England recaptures Essex from the Danes. Death of High-Reeve Eadulf of Bamburgh. He is succeeded by his son, Ealdred I, who is almost immediately driven out by King Ragnall I Ivarrson of Norse York. Ealdred flees to the Court of King Constantine II of Alba. 914 - High-Reeve Ealdred I of Bamburgh persuades King Constantine II of Alba to invade Norse controlled Bernicia in an attempt to restore his position. The Vikings defeat the Scots at the First Battle of Corbridge. Other Vikings harry the Welsh Coast and move up the Severn. They capture Bishop Cyfeilliog of Ergyng, but are driven out by Mercian levies from Hereford and Gloucester. c.915 - The body of St. Edmund of East Anglia is transferred to Bury St. Edmunds. 916 - English raiders attack the court of King Tewdr of Brycheiniog at Llangorse and make off with the Queen and thirty-three of her courtiers. 917 - Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians cements an alliance with Kings Constantine II of Alba and Constantine mac Aed of Strathclyde against Norse York. She captures the city of Derby, while her brother, King Edward the Elder of England, takes Towcester. Aethelflaed's armies also ravage Brycheiniog in revenge for the killing of the, now unknown, Abbot Ecgberht. 918 - Death of King Eric of East Anglia. East Anglia brought under Wessex rule. High-Reeve Ealdred I of Bamburgh again persuades King Constantine II of Alba to help him reclaim his position in Bernicia. They mount a second invasion of his now Norse controlled lands. The Vikings defeat the Scots again at the Second Battle of Corbridge, but take heavy casualties themselves. Ealdred probably manages to retake most of Northern Bernicia. Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians begins to intrigue with diaffected factions within the Norse Kingdom of York and peacefully overruns the Borough of Leicester. Her brother, King Edward the Elder of England, takes Stamford by force. King Idwal Foel of Gwynedd and King Hywel Dda and Prince Clydog of Deheubarth submit to the overlordship of King Edward. Death of Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians at Tamworth. She is buried in St. Oswald's Priory in Gloucester and nominally succeeded by her daughter, the twenty year old Princess Aelfwynn. 919 - Lady Aelfwynn of the Mercians is brought to the court of her maternal uncle, King Edward the Elder of England, and deprived of her authority in Mercia. King Edward formally annexes the country. The end of independent Mercian rule. 920 - High-Reeve Ealdred I of Bamburgh and his brother, Uhtred, submit to the overlordship of King Edward the Elder of England. Death of King Ragnall I Ivarrson of Norse York. He is succeeded by his brother, King Sigtrygg Caech of Norse Dublin. 924 - Death of King Edward the Elder of England at Farndon-upon-Dee. He is succeeded by his son, Athelstan, who becomes King of Wessex and effective ruler of most of England. His appointment is opposed by one Alfred of unknown origin. c.924 - St. Eadburga, daughter of King Edward the Elder of England, enters the Nunnaminster at Winchester, at an extremely young age. 925 - King Athelstan is finally crowned at Kingston-on-Thames. He founds Bury St. Edmunds Abbey around the shrine of St. Edmund of East Anglia. 926 - Athelstan annexes Northumbria, and forces the kings of Wales, Strathclyde, the Picts, and the Scots to submit to him 927 - The border between England and Wales is set at the River Wye when Kings Hywel Dda of Deheubarth and Owain of Glywysing & Gwent submit to the overlordship of King Athelstan of England at Hereford. Death of King Sigtrygg Caech of Norse York. King Athelstan of England claims his kingdom and receives the submission of High-Reeve Ealdred I of Bamburgh. Practicalities probably actually meant that ealdred looked more towards King Constantine II of Alba as his overlord. 930 - Death of High-Reeve Ealdred I of Bamburgh. He is succeeded by his son, Osulf. High-Reeve Osulf attests a number of Wessex charters during his reign showing his close association with the English Court. 931 - Kings Morgan Hen of Glywysing & Gwent, Hywel Dda of Deheubarth and Idwal Foel of Gwynedd submit to the overlordship of King Athelstan of England and attend him at court. 933 - Prince Aelfweard, brother of King Athelstan of England, is drowned en route to France and buried at Saint-Bertin. 934 - King Tewdr of Brycheiniog attends the court of King Athelstan of England and signs English Land Charters. Kings Hywel Dda of Deheubarth, Idwal Foel of Gwynedd and Morgan Mwynfawr of Morgannwg are compelled to accompany Athelstan on his campaign against King Constantine II of Alba. 937 - Battle of Brunanburh: Athelstan defeats alliance of Scots, Strathclyde Britons and Vikings, and takes the title of "King of all Britain" c.937 - King Idwal Foel of Gwynedd distances himself from his English overlord. 939 - King Athelstan founds Muchelney Abbey. Death of King Athelstan at Gloucester. He is buried at Malmesbury Abbey and succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund the Magnificent. 942 - Kings Idwal Foel of Gwynedd openly rebels against the overlordship of the English monarchy. Both he and Llewelyn of Powys are killed fighting English armies. 945 - St. Dunstan becomes Abbot of Glastonbury. 946 - Edred, younger brother of Edmund, King of England (to 955); Dunstan is named his chief minister. 949 - King Hywel Dda of Deheubarth, Gwynedd & Powys attends the court of King Eadred of England. 954 - Death of King Eric Bloodaxe of Norse York. King Eadred of Wessex becomes King of All England. High-Reeve Osulf of Bamburgh is appointed Ealdorman of Northumbria. 955 - Kings Iago of Gwynedd, Owain of Deheubarth and Morgan Hen of Glywysing & Gwent attend the court of King Eadred of England. Edwy, son of Edmund, King of England (to 959). c.955 - Archbishop Oda of Canterbury rebuilds Canterbury Cathedral. 956 - St. Dunstan is sent into exile by King Edwy. 957 - Mercians and Northumbrians rebel against King Edwy. 959 - Edgar the Peaceable, younger brother of Edwy, King of England (to 975). 960 - Death of Princess Eadburga, aunt of King Edgar the Peaceable of England, at the Nunnaminster in Winchester where is as a nun. She is buried there and later revered as a saint. 961 - Tavistock Abbey is founded by Ealdorman Ordgar of Devon. 963 - Death of Ealdorman Osulf of Northumbria. He is succeeded by his son, Waltheof I. Death of Bishop Brihthelm of Winchester. He is succeeded by St. Aethelwold, Abbot of Abingdon. 964 - Foundation of Milton Abbey. 966 - Re-foundation of Peterborough (Medshamstead) Abbey as a Benedictine Monastery by Bishop Aethelwold of Winchester. 967 - Re- foundation of Romsey Abbey by King Edgar of England and Ealdorman Aethelwold of Wessex, with St. Merewenna as Abbess. 969 - Foundation of Ramsey Abbey. 970 - Re-foundation of Pershore Abbey. It acquires relics of St. Eadburga from Winchester. 971 - St. Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, instigates massive building operations at Winchester. He extends the Old Minster westward with two enormous apses and a crossing tower to cover St. Swithun's external tomb and make it the centre of a 'shrine-church'. It supposedly rains there for "forty days and forty nights". Foundation of Crowland Abbey. 973 - After his coronation, King Edgar of England marches his army north to Chester. His navy meets him there via the Irish Sea. This show of strength persuades the Northern Kings to submit to his overlordship. Legend says he is rowed across the Dee by Kings Kenneth of Alba, Malcolm of the Cumbrians, Magnus of Man & the Isles, Donald of Strathclyde, Iago of Gwynedd, Princes Hywel of Gwynedd, Ithel and Siferth (the latter two of unknown origin). The Council of Winchester calls for English monastic reform and draws up a code of practice known as the Regularis Concordia. Foundation of Thorney Abbey. 974 - King Edgar gives English help to Prince Hywel in ousting his uncle, King Iago of Gwynedd from his kingdom. The tomb of St. Swithun is opened at Winchester Old Minster and his body dismembered. His head shrine is placed in the sacristy and his major shrine behind the high altar. 975 - Edward the Martyr, son of Edgar, King of England (to 978). c.977 - St. Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, rebuilds the western end of Winchester Old Minster, with twin towers and no apses.
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