Wulfhere
Also known as: King Wulfhere · Family: Mercians · Role: king · First appears: Book III · Chap. VII
Around c. 633, Wulfhere gave refuge to Wini, who had been expelled from his bishopric; Wini then purchased the see of London from him and remained its bishop. Around c. 653, three years after Penda’s death, the Mercian chiefs Immin, Eafa, and Eadbert rebelled against Oswy and installed Wulfhere, Penda’s concealed son, as king. At the same time, the East Saxon kings Sighere and Sebbi were subject to him.
Around c. 664, Wulfhere sent Jaruman to correct the East Saxons’ apostasy and restore their faith. After Jaruman’s death, he asked Theodore for a bishop for himself and his people; around c. 668, he granted Ceadda land at Ad Barvae to build a monastery. He also sponsored the baptism of Ethelwalch, received him as his godson, and gave him two provinces.
In 678, Egfrid defeated Wulfhere and drove him from Lindsey. After reigning seventeen years, Wulfhere died and left the government to his brother Ethelred.
Relationship record
Life events
- c. 633 · Wini purchased the see of London from Wulfhere and remained its bishop.(Book III · Chap. VII · 📍 city of London)
- With: Wini
- “Wini was also expelled from his bishopric by the same king, and took refuge with Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, of whom he purchased for money the see of the city of London”
- c. 653 · Immin, Eafa, and Eadbert rebelled against Oswy and installed Wulfhere as king.(Book III · Chap. XXIV)
- c. 664 · Wulfhere sent Bishop Jaruman to correct the East Saxons’ apostasy and restore their faith.(Book III · Chap. XXX)
- With: Jaruman
- “King Wulfhere, hearing that the faith of the province was in part profaned, sent Bishop Jaruman, who was successor to Trumhere, to correct their error, and recall the province to the true faith.”
- c. 668 · Wulfhere granted Ceadda land to build a monastery in Lindsey.(Book IV · Chap. III · 📍 Ad Barvae)
- With: Ceadda
- “King Wulfhere also gave him land of the extent of fifty families, to build a monastery, at the place called Ad Barvae”
- 678 · Egfrid defeated Wulfhere and drove him from Lindsey.(Book IV · Chap. XII · 📍 Lindsey)
- With: Egfrid
- “which King Egfrid had but newly acquired, having defeated Wulfhere and put him to flight;”
- c. 678 · Ethelwalch was baptized, received Wulfhere as his godfather, and was granted two provinces.(Book IV · Chap. XIII · 📍 the province of the Mercians)
- With: Ethelwalch
- “Ethelwalch, king of that nation, had been, not long before, baptized in the province of the Mercians, at the instance of King Wulfhere, who was present, and received him as his godson when he came forth from the font, and in token of this adoption gave him two provinces”
Book III · Chap. VII
- protégé: Wini “Wini was also expelled from his bishopric by the same king, and took refuge with Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, of whom he purchased for money the see of the city of London”
Book III · Chap. XXIV
- parent: Penda “setting up for their king, Wulfhere, son to the said Penda, a youth whom they had kept concealed;”
- enemies with Oswy “Three years after the death of King Penda, the Mercian chiefs, Immin, and Eafa, and Eadbert, rebelled against King Oswy, setting up for their king, Wulfhere, son to the said Penda, a youth whom they had kept concealed;”
Book III · Chap. XXX
- liege: Sighere “At the same time, the Kings Sighere and Sebbi, though themselves subject to Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, governed the province of the East Saxons after Suidhelm, of whom we have spoken above.”
- liege: Sebbi “At the same time, the Kings Sighere and Sebbi, though themselves subject to Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, governed the province of the East Saxons after Suidhelm, of whom we have spoken above.”
- with Jaruman (Sent as an agent to restore the faith.) “King Wulfhere, hearing that the faith of the province was in part profaned, sent Bishop Jaruman, who was successor to Trumhere, to correct their error, and recall the province to the true faith.”
Book IV · Chap. III
- with Theodore (Wulfhere requests a bishop from Theodore.) “King Wulfhere, who, on the death of Jaruman, desired of Theodore that a bishop should be given to him and his people”
- protégé: Ceadda (Wulfhere grants land to Ceadda for a monastery.) “King Wulfhere also gave him land of the extent of fifty families, to build a monastery”
Book IV · Chap. XII
- enemies with Egfrid “which King Egfrid had but newly acquired, having defeated Wulfhere and put him to flight”
Book IV · Chap. XIII
- with Ethelwalch (Wulfhere was Ethelwalch's godfather.) “Ethelwalch, king of that nation, had been, not long before, baptized in the province of the Mercians, at the instance of King Wulfhere, who was present, and received him as his godson when he came forth from the font”
Book V · Chap. XXIV · part 1
- siblings with Ethelred “Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, when he had reigned seventeen years, died and left the government to his brother Ethelred.”
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Extracted from the original text of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England. Made with Rho MD.