Cuthred of Wessex
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox royalty
Cuthred or Cuþræd was the King of Wessex from 740 (739 according to Simeon of Durham, 741 according to John of Worcester) until 756. He succeeded Æthelheard, his relative and possibly his brother.
Cuthred inherited the kingdom while Mercia was at its peak. The two kingdoms often fought in Cuthred's first three years, but it appears that Æthelbald of Mercia was Wessex's overlord and that Æthelbald compelled Cuthred to join him in fighting the Welsh in 743.<ref name="Turner267" /> This alliance would not last long.<ref name="Turner267">Sharon Turner, The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1841), p. 267</ref>
Cuthred's reign was a troubled time. In 748, the Ætheling Cynric, son of Cuthred, attempted to depose his father but he was killed.<ref name="Huntingdon129">The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, ed. & trans. Thomas Forester (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853), p. 129</ref> According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Æthelbald may have encouraged Cynric to rebel.<ref>Sharon Turner, The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1841), p. 267, note i</ref>
In 750, the ealdorman Æthelhun led an unsuccessful rebellion he was winning until he was severely injured.<ref name="Ashley311">Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens (New York: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 311</ref>
In 752, Cuthred, assisted by the now faithful Æthelhun, led a successful rebellion against Æthelbald at Battle Edge in Burford and secured independence from Mercia for the rest of his reign.<ref name="Turner267" /><ref name="Huntingdon129" /><ref name="Stenton204">Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 204</ref> He is also said to have fought the Cornish in 753.
Cuthred died in 756, but he left a stronger and more independent Wessex.<ref name="Ashley311" /><ref name="Stenton204" /> He was succeeded by Sigeberht who is identified as his distant relative.
See also
References
External links
Template:S-start Template:S-reg Template:Succession box Template:S-end