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Studies in the Early History of Britain
The Origins of Anglo Saxon Kingdoms
Using recent information on the migration period in lowland Britain produced by historians, archaeologists and place-name scholars, these essays seek to throw new light on the origins of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and the development of the concept of kingship. A general explanation is also given of the processes of state-formation by which the many kingdoms of later 7th century England had evolved in the preceding two centuries.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 23, 2025
(note - did not read chs 5, 10, and 17 as not on my reading list!)
February 12, 2020
Despite being 30 years old, this book is still the daddy when it comes to pre 600 studies of England. It's written by the expert's experts. Endnotes – aaargghh! Some of these are paragraph sized and really add a lot to the text. If these had been included as footnotes they would have been far more accessible. Who on earth wants to turn to the end of the book every other paragraph? This isn't an easy book to find,
1, In search of the origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms – S Bassett
This discusses the nature of early kingdoms and clues to their existence. Winchcombeshire gets a mention and a rather nice series of maps showing lands granted by charters through the ages is included. These show that prior to 727, Mercian kings didn't grant land in this area, but did so afterwards, strongly suggesting that this is the core area of the Hwicce. Another remnant, the Rodings in East Essex is reconstructed through parish and estate names. Kingship by evolution and then growth through amalgamation and/or takeover of an existing going concern, is suggested. Possibly seen in Kent or the land of the Trinovantes by the East Saxons or Great Chesterfield (Essex), where a Romano-British town and its hinterland was perhaps taken over lock stock, preserving late Roman boundaries in the surrounding parishes. Following this, through a knock out competition akin to the FA Cup, the various kingdoms are knocked out until there is just one winner.
2, Early Medieval kingships in the British Isles – T Charles-Edwards
There were three areas to each large kingdom – the core where the king would take food renders, but where in return, the populace got access to the king, the outlying areas that would render less because they saw the king less and those areas that paid tribute on the hoof and never saw the king. Within each of these there were nobles and the like with their own smaller circuits. The Queen had her own court and possibly circuit (Wilfrid commended to her instead of Oswiu). In England political entities were named after peoples, but in Ireland and the continent they were sometimes named after individuals.
3, The origins of barbarian kingdoms: the continental evidence – E James
This shows a highly nuanced situation with changes over time. There were different types and grades of kings. Ethnicity was fluid and was far from the only factor that pertained to a people/kingdom. Kings produced peoples.
4, Creation and early structure of the kingdom of Kent – N Brooks
This is a two parter. Creation myths in the sources and then an examination of what can be found on the ground. Bede, the ASC, the HB and the king list are all examined with the conclusion that they are of limited value affirmed. The notion that West Kent was a separate kingdom (possibly East Saxon) is well demonstrated. Lathes and Sulungs and what they can tell us is also looked into.
5, The kingdom of the South Saxons: the origins – M Welch
This chapter is a whopping nine pages, reduced to six if you discount maps and frankly I'm surprised that Welch found even that much information that was useable. The South Saxons are a kingdom that are famous enough that I think people are genuinely surprised to find out just how shallow our knowledge actually is. The main points from this essay are: most of the county is an archaeological void at this time, possibly the Haestingas may have been part of Kent, it may have had multiple kings, with the eastern part centred on Lewes and a lot of this is suggested from what we can glean, rather than what we actually know.
6, The Jutes of Hampshire and Wight and the origins of Wessex – B Yorke
This is a fantastic essay. Well written and thought provoking with it, too. It begins by demolishing any confidence in the ASC's account of West Saxons landing in Hampshire. This is done in multiple ways and carries total conviction. It then moves on to show the kingdom of the Jutes was quite large and wasn't just limited to Wight and the Meon valley, but extended both sides of the Solent. The essay follows this by linking the conquest of this with the transition of the Gewisse into the West Saxons. It ends by postulating a link between the ASC and possible Kentish annals through a need to demonstrate a West Saxon interest in the area before the Jutes of Kent got there.
7, Frithuwold's kingdom and the origins of Surrey – J Blair
This is a short, but fun essay that makes a lot from very little, but in a way that feels logical. It begins with the charter where Frithuwold added lands to Chertsey before talking about the agricultural/economic sub-divisions of Surrey, the milieu of church endowments in this age and then closing with a suggested large subkingdom stretching from Surrey into Oxon under Frithuwold who may have been a brother in law to Wulfhere, who confirmed the Chertsey charter. It's fascinating, even if beyond proof.
8, The Middle Saxons – K Bailey
This opens by defining the territory of the Middle Saxons through the medieval See of London, with a few additions. It then goes back to the Tribal Hidage, where the area is not mentioned. The fact that the East Saxons are assessed at 7,000 hides, but in Domesday Essex alone is assessed at 2,700 and the suggested Middle Saxon provinces another 1,400 and although this isn't conclusive, it does suggest that the East Saxons covered a bigger area. Bailey then goes on to show through place-names that the Middle Saxons were made up of small groups, living alongside roads leading from London and posits that they never got the chance to coalesce into a kingdom due to external rivals fighting over the area. There is no evidence of a local dynasty.
9, Essex, Middle Anglia and the expansion of Mercia in the S-E Midlands – D Dumville
The first 5-6 pages are written in such a boring fashion, with so many commas, as to make your eyes bleed. Luckily it picks up from there. This one comes out with suggestions for dating the Tribal Hidage based partly on the Middle Anglian entries, posits that the number of E Anglian kings bumped off by Penda was related to rivalry in Middle Anglia and then closes by showing that the East Saxons were not an inconsiderable people, even though they came under Mercian domination and seem to have stayed there.
10, Kingship and material culture in early A-S East Anglia – M Carver (who else?)
This essay is based on archaeology and as the book is now a generation old, this actually feels very dated compared to more recent works. The general sweep is that there isn't any evidence for kings until towards the end of the 6th C and that bit stands up. Oddly, there's not as much on Sutton Hoo as you'd expect.
11, The formation of the Mercian Kingdom – N Brooks
This is an enjoyable read. Brooks discusses the naming of Mercia, the location of the core of the territory and then dedicates the bulk of the space to that most interesting of 7th Century figures, Penda He tackles the problem of dating Penda's reign and comes up with a sensible answer (a clerical error is responsible for the notion that he was in his 80s and still campaigning). Further to this, the 'varying fortunes' of his reign as alluded to by Bede are given a look, but this is harder to pin down.
12, Defining the Magonsaete – K Pretty
Despite being a kingdom that a lot of people think they have a bit of an idea about, when you get down to it, there are only a handful of references to the Magonsaete. A lot of these raise just as many questions as they provide answers for. This essay looks at the ins and outs.
13, The early history of western Mercia – M Gelling
In a large part this essay appears in Gelling's book on the early history of the West Mids, which isn't surprising. However, as I only read that last week, I didn't really gain much from re-reading it just now. Gelling looks at the archaeology (there isn't much for the early part) and then turns to place-names. One interesting point she raises is the concentration of small saete's along a portion of Offa's dyke and whether these were communities planted by Offa.
14, Lindsey – B Eagles
To begin with, Eagles shows that Roman Lindsey was a vibrant place. They then go on to show through the archaeology that early Anglo-Saxon settlement occurred, but it appears that they settled amidst the locals, with significant contact between them. I disagree with Eagles' comments about the Humbrenses not including Lindsey, as the Humber was a highway as much as a barrier and Deira appears to have had an interest in the place.
15, The origins of Northumbria: some aspects of the British background – D Dumville
This essay largely concentrates on the British traditions concerning Bernicia and Deira. It demonstrates how problematic they are and in close scrutiny don't really give us much useful information. Unfortunately a lot of this essay is written in such a way as to make it a bit of a chore to read. Mentioning Gildas and Saxon mercenaries fighting in the North made it feel a bit out of date, even for when it was written.
Appendices
16, The tribal hidage: an intro to its texts and their history – D Dumville
This just a short account of the three versions extant, plus facsimile copies.
17, The Chertsey resting place list and the enshrinement of Frithuwold – J Blair
Mostly a copy of resting places and a copy of an account of the sacking of the place.
1, In search of the origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms – S Bassett
This discusses the nature of early kingdoms and clues to their existence. Winchcombeshire gets a mention and a rather nice series of maps showing lands granted by charters through the ages is included. These show that prior to 727, Mercian kings didn't grant land in this area, but did so afterwards, strongly suggesting that this is the core area of the Hwicce. Another remnant, the Rodings in East Essex is reconstructed through parish and estate names. Kingship by evolution and then growth through amalgamation and/or takeover of an existing going concern, is suggested. Possibly seen in Kent or the land of the Trinovantes by the East Saxons or Great Chesterfield (Essex), where a Romano-British town and its hinterland was perhaps taken over lock stock, preserving late Roman boundaries in the surrounding parishes. Following this, through a knock out competition akin to the FA Cup, the various kingdoms are knocked out until there is just one winner.
2, Early Medieval kingships in the British Isles – T Charles-Edwards
There were three areas to each large kingdom – the core where the king would take food renders, but where in return, the populace got access to the king, the outlying areas that would render less because they saw the king less and those areas that paid tribute on the hoof and never saw the king. Within each of these there were nobles and the like with their own smaller circuits. The Queen had her own court and possibly circuit (Wilfrid commended to her instead of Oswiu). In England political entities were named after peoples, but in Ireland and the continent they were sometimes named after individuals.
3, The origins of barbarian kingdoms: the continental evidence – E James
This shows a highly nuanced situation with changes over time. There were different types and grades of kings. Ethnicity was fluid and was far from the only factor that pertained to a people/kingdom. Kings produced peoples.
4, Creation and early structure of the kingdom of Kent – N Brooks
This is a two parter. Creation myths in the sources and then an examination of what can be found on the ground. Bede, the ASC, the HB and the king list are all examined with the conclusion that they are of limited value affirmed. The notion that West Kent was a separate kingdom (possibly East Saxon) is well demonstrated. Lathes and Sulungs and what they can tell us is also looked into.
5, The kingdom of the South Saxons: the origins – M Welch
This chapter is a whopping nine pages, reduced to six if you discount maps and frankly I'm surprised that Welch found even that much information that was useable. The South Saxons are a kingdom that are famous enough that I think people are genuinely surprised to find out just how shallow our knowledge actually is. The main points from this essay are: most of the county is an archaeological void at this time, possibly the Haestingas may have been part of Kent, it may have had multiple kings, with the eastern part centred on Lewes and a lot of this is suggested from what we can glean, rather than what we actually know.
6, The Jutes of Hampshire and Wight and the origins of Wessex – B Yorke
This is a fantastic essay. Well written and thought provoking with it, too. It begins by demolishing any confidence in the ASC's account of West Saxons landing in Hampshire. This is done in multiple ways and carries total conviction. It then moves on to show the kingdom of the Jutes was quite large and wasn't just limited to Wight and the Meon valley, but extended both sides of the Solent. The essay follows this by linking the conquest of this with the transition of the Gewisse into the West Saxons. It ends by postulating a link between the ASC and possible Kentish annals through a need to demonstrate a West Saxon interest in the area before the Jutes of Kent got there.
7, Frithuwold's kingdom and the origins of Surrey – J Blair
This is a short, but fun essay that makes a lot from very little, but in a way that feels logical. It begins with the charter where Frithuwold added lands to Chertsey before talking about the agricultural/economic sub-divisions of Surrey, the milieu of church endowments in this age and then closing with a suggested large subkingdom stretching from Surrey into Oxon under Frithuwold who may have been a brother in law to Wulfhere, who confirmed the Chertsey charter. It's fascinating, even if beyond proof.
8, The Middle Saxons – K Bailey
This opens by defining the territory of the Middle Saxons through the medieval See of London, with a few additions. It then goes back to the Tribal Hidage, where the area is not mentioned. The fact that the East Saxons are assessed at 7,000 hides, but in Domesday Essex alone is assessed at 2,700 and the suggested Middle Saxon provinces another 1,400 and although this isn't conclusive, it does suggest that the East Saxons covered a bigger area. Bailey then goes on to show through place-names that the Middle Saxons were made up of small groups, living alongside roads leading from London and posits that they never got the chance to coalesce into a kingdom due to external rivals fighting over the area. There is no evidence of a local dynasty.
9, Essex, Middle Anglia and the expansion of Mercia in the S-E Midlands – D Dumville
The first 5-6 pages are written in such a boring fashion, with so many commas, as to make your eyes bleed. Luckily it picks up from there. This one comes out with suggestions for dating the Tribal Hidage based partly on the Middle Anglian entries, posits that the number of E Anglian kings bumped off by Penda was related to rivalry in Middle Anglia and then closes by showing that the East Saxons were not an inconsiderable people, even though they came under Mercian domination and seem to have stayed there.
10, Kingship and material culture in early A-S East Anglia – M Carver (who else?)
This essay is based on archaeology and as the book is now a generation old, this actually feels very dated compared to more recent works. The general sweep is that there isn't any evidence for kings until towards the end of the 6th C and that bit stands up. Oddly, there's not as much on Sutton Hoo as you'd expect.
11, The formation of the Mercian Kingdom – N Brooks
This is an enjoyable read. Brooks discusses the naming of Mercia, the location of the core of the territory and then dedicates the bulk of the space to that most interesting of 7th Century figures, Penda He tackles the problem of dating Penda's reign and comes up with a sensible answer (a clerical error is responsible for the notion that he was in his 80s and still campaigning). Further to this, the 'varying fortunes' of his reign as alluded to by Bede are given a look, but this is harder to pin down.
12, Defining the Magonsaete – K Pretty
Despite being a kingdom that a lot of people think they have a bit of an idea about, when you get down to it, there are only a handful of references to the Magonsaete. A lot of these raise just as many questions as they provide answers for. This essay looks at the ins and outs.
13, The early history of western Mercia – M Gelling
In a large part this essay appears in Gelling's book on the early history of the West Mids, which isn't surprising. However, as I only read that last week, I didn't really gain much from re-reading it just now. Gelling looks at the archaeology (there isn't much for the early part) and then turns to place-names. One interesting point she raises is the concentration of small saete's along a portion of Offa's dyke and whether these were communities planted by Offa.
14, Lindsey – B Eagles
To begin with, Eagles shows that Roman Lindsey was a vibrant place. They then go on to show through the archaeology that early Anglo-Saxon settlement occurred, but it appears that they settled amidst the locals, with significant contact between them. I disagree with Eagles' comments about the Humbrenses not including Lindsey, as the Humber was a highway as much as a barrier and Deira appears to have had an interest in the place.
15, The origins of Northumbria: some aspects of the British background – D Dumville
This essay largely concentrates on the British traditions concerning Bernicia and Deira. It demonstrates how problematic they are and in close scrutiny don't really give us much useful information. Unfortunately a lot of this essay is written in such a way as to make it a bit of a chore to read. Mentioning Gildas and Saxon mercenaries fighting in the North made it feel a bit out of date, even for when it was written.
Appendices
16, The tribal hidage: an intro to its texts and their history – D Dumville
This just a short account of the three versions extant, plus facsimile copies.
17, The Chertsey resting place list and the enshrinement of Frithuwold – J Blair
Mostly a copy of resting places and a copy of an account of the sacking of the place.
June 26, 2013
I read this as a postgraduate, curious as to how the Germanic tribes were politically formed. I was overwhelmed with the specialized information on each region, the political scenery they came up with. It was groundbreaking at the time, and I think if any scholar now were to consider drawing a Germanic map of the period they would still need to start with this work. Impressive!
June 2, 2025
A few really excellent chapters others a bit rambling but still containing interesting details. All in all a bit of a treasure trove with some excellent maps. Particularly strong on the matter of Mercian expansion and the tribal hidage.
March 6, 2014
I read this at uni, but have since managed to get my own copy. I consult it all the time, alongside D P Kirbys The Earliest English Kings. A must for all Anglo-Saxonists.
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