Swithred of Essex
Encyclopedia
Swithred of Essex was King
of Essex
(746–758). He was the second son of Sebbi
, and the grandson of King Sigeheard of Essex
. Like his predecessors, he was not an independent ruler, but a dependent of the Kingdom of Mercia
.
There is also reported a Swithred who may have been the archbishop Feologild
, fl.832.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Essex
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...
(746–758). He was the second son of 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....
, and the grandson of King Sigeheard of Essex
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...
. Like his predecessors, he was not an independent ruler, but a dependent of the Kingdom 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...
.
There is also reported a Swithred who may have been the archbishop Feologild
Feologild
Feologild was likely a medieval English Archbishop of Canterbury, although slight controversy surrounds his election, with at least a couple of modern historians arguing that instead of being elected, he was merely an unsuccessful candidate for the office...
, fl.832.