List of monarchs of Kent
This is a list of the Kings of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent.
Most of the dates of reigns below have multiple alternate values, the sources being in disagreement. Sources mention multiple rulers, as "underkings", although the exact nature of the relationships is not clear.
The names are given in modern English form followed by the names and titles (as far as is known) in contemporary Anglo-Saxon English and Latin, being the prevalent/'official' languages of the time.
This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a document. A number of variations of the details below exist. Amongst these are the preference between þ and ð (hard and soft 'th').
The character '7' was used as the ampersand '&' in contemporary Anglo-Saxon writings. The era pre-dates the emergence of forms of writing accepted today, notably minuscule, and the letters 'W' and 'U'. Where W was followed by U this was generally rendered as 'VV' (which was also used for 'W' alone).
List of Kings of Cantware (Kent)
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office, irrespective of status of that office)
Reign | Incumbent | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
c.455 to c.488 | Hengest (Hengist) |
HENGEST VVIHTGILSING CANTVVARE CYNING HENGEST REX CANTVVARVM |
Sometime joint-king with his brother Horsa |
c.455 (or 449) to 488 | Horsa | HORSA VVIHTGILSING CANTVVARE CYNING HORSA REX CANTVVARVM |
Joint-king with his brother Hengest; killed in battle |
488 to 512/516 | Oisc (Oesc, Aesc, Oeric) |
ÆSC HENGESTING CANTVVARE CYNING ÆSC REX CANTVVARVM |
|
512/516 to 534/540 | Octa (Octha) |
OCTA ÆSCING CANTVVARE CYNING OCTA REX CANTVVARVM |
|
534/540 to 564/580 | Eormenric | EORMENRIC OCTING CANTVVARE CYNING EORMENRIC REX CANTVVARVM |
|
564/580 to 24 February 616 | Æthelbert | ÆÞELBRYHT EORMENRICING CANTVVARE CYNING ÆÞELBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
February 616 to 20 January 640 | Eadbald | EADBALD ÆÞELBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNING EADBALD REX CANTVVARVM |
|
January 640 to 14 July 664 | Eorcenberht | EORCENBRYHT EADBALDING CANTVVARE CYNING EORCENBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
July 664 to 4 July 673 | Egbert | ECGBRYHT EARCONBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNING ECGBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
July 673 to 6 February 685 | Hlothhere | HLOÞHERE EARCONBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNNING HLOÞHERE REX CANTVVARVM |
|
676 | Swaefred (Suaebhard, Webhard) |
SVVÆFHARD CANTVVARE CYNING SVVÆFHARD REX CANTVVARVM |
Swaefred (Swaebheard), King of Essex? |
February 685 to August 686 | Eadric | EADRIC ECGBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNING EADRIC REX CANTVVARVM |
|
686 to 687 | Mul, Sub-King of Kent | ||
688 to 690 | Oswine | OSVVINI CANTVVARE CYNING OSVVINI REX CANTVVARVM |
In conflict with Hlothhere from 673 |
late 690 to 23 April 725 | Wihtred | VVIHTRED ECGBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNING VVIHTRED REX CANTVVARVM |
|
692 | Swaefred (Suaebhard, Webhard) |
SVVÆFHARD CANTVVARE CYNING SVVÆFHARD REX CANTVVARVM |
Swaefred (Swaebheard), King of Essex? |
725 (or 754?) to 748 (or 762?) | Eadbert I | EADBRYHT VVIHTREDING CANTVVARE CYNING EADBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
725 to 730 | Æthelbert II | ÆÞELBRYHT VVIHTREDING CANTVVARE CYNING ÆÞELBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
Subject to Mercian overlordship | |||
730 to 762 | Æthelbert II | ÆÞELBRYHT VVIHTREDING CANTVVARE CYNING ÆÞELBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
Continuing his reign |
c.747 to c.765? | Eardwulf | EARDVVLF EADBRYHTING CANTVVARE CYNING EARDVVLF REX CANTVVARVM |
|
759 to c.764 | Sigered | SIGERED CANTVVARE CYNING SIGERED REX CANTVVARVM |
|
c.762 to 764 | Eanmund | EANMVND CANTVVARE CYNING EANMVND REX CANTVVARVM |
Same as Ealhmund below? |
c.764 to c.771 | Heaberht | HEABRYHT CANTVVARE CYNING HEABERHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
764 to c.784 | Egbert II | ECGRIHT CANTVVARE CYNING ECGRIHT REX CANTVVARVM |
|
c.784 to c.785 | Ealhmund | EALHMVND CANTVVARE CYNING EALHMVND REX CANTVVARVM |
|
Conquered and ruled by Offa of Mercia (785–796). | |||
796 to 798 | Eadbert II | EADBRYHT PRÆN CANTVVARE CYNING EADBRYHT REX CANTVVARVM |
Deposed and mutilated by Coenwulf of Mercia |
c.798 to 807 | Cuthred | CVÞRED CANTVVARE CYNING CVÞRED REX CANTVVARVM |
Probably puppet king |
798? or 807? | Eadwald | EADVVALD CANTVVARE CYNING EADVVALD REX CANTVVARVM |
Reigned briefly around one of the dates indicated |
c.807? to 825 | Baldred | BALDRED CANTVVARE CYNING BALDRED REX CANTVVARVM |
Expelled by Egbert of Wessex |
The Heptarchy |
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East Anglia | Essex | Kent | Mercia | Northumbria | Sussex | Wessex |