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 (785796).
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


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