Swaefred of Essex
Encyclopedia
Swaefred was joint king of Essex
along with his brother, Sigeheard
, from 694 to 709, succeeding their father Sebbi
.
In 705, they became estranged from King Ine
of Wessex
for sheltering his rivals to the throne. At the Synod of Brentford
, they agree to banish them from Essex in return for King Ine promising not to attack Essex. The exact chronology of the later years of their rule are uncertain. It isn't known whether they governed together until 709 or if Swaefred died before then.
Swaefred issued two charters
related to land in Nazeing
for the establishment of a nunnery, although these charters only survive in later copies. He issued a further charter related to land in the Dengie peninsula
. A charter related to land in Twickenham (S65) is attributed to him. This charter has been described as possibly spurious, although more recent writers have concluded that there is no reason to doubt its authenticity.
In 709, Sigeheard's son Offa
was briefly joint ruler of Essex and succeeded them as ruler of Essex, but he later abdicated and traveled with King Cenred
of Mercia
to Rome
.
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
along with his brother, Sigeheard
Sigeheard of Essex
Sigeheard was joint king of Essex along with his brother, Swaefred, from 694 to 709, succeeding their father Sebbi.In 705, they became estranged from King Ine of Wessex for sheltering his rivals to the throne. At the Synod of Brentford, they agreed to banish the rivals from Essex in return for...
, from 694 to 709, succeeding their father Sebbi
Sebbi of Essex
Sebbi was the joint King of Essex from 664 to 683 along with his brother, Sighere. After Sighere died, Sebbi became sole ruler of Essex until 694....
.
In 705, they became estranged from King Ine
Ine of Wessex
Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...
of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
for sheltering his rivals to the throne. At the Synod of Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, they agree to banish them from Essex in return for King Ine promising not to attack Essex. The exact chronology of the later years of their rule are uncertain. It isn't known whether they governed together until 709 or if Swaefred died before then.
Swaefred issued two charters
Anglo-Saxon Charters
Anglo-Saxon charters are documents from the early medieval period in Britain which typically make a grant of land or record a privilege. The earliest surviving charters were drawn up in the 670s; the oldest surviving charters granted land to the Church, but from the eighth century surviving...
related to land in Nazeing
Nazeing
Nazeing is a parish of 3,952 lying about four miles north of Waltham Abbey, England and bounded on the west by the River Lea. Most of it is still rural, but during the past 40 years there has been a considerable development of market gardening, light industry, holiday fishing, and boating...
for the establishment of a nunnery, although these charters only survive in later copies. He issued a further charter related to land in the Dengie peninsula
Dengie peninsula
Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred of the same name .The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the Blackwater to the north, both of which are tidal, and the North Sea to the east...
. A charter related to land in Twickenham (S65) is attributed to him. This charter has been described as possibly spurious, although more recent writers have concluded that there is no reason to doubt its authenticity.
In 709, Sigeheard's son Offa
Offa of Essex
Offa was King of Essex until 709, when he abdicated in order that he may take up life in a monastery in Rome along with Cenred, King of Mercia. He was the son of Sigeheard of Essex, and, according to some sources, St...
was briefly joint ruler of Essex and succeeded them as ruler of Essex, but he later abdicated and traveled with King Cenred
Cenred of Mercia
Coenred was king of Mercia, now part of England, from 704 to 709. He was a son of the Mercian king Wulfhere, whose brother Æthelred succeeded to the throne in 675 on Wulfhere's death...
of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.