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37-632: The Stoppingas formed part of the Saxon kingdom of the Hwicce , which was later conquered and absorbed by the kingdom of Mercia . In the mid eighth century Æthelbald of Mercia gave a grant of land in the region of the Stoppingas to Æthelric , the son of King Oshere of the Hwicce, for the purpose of establishing a Minster in the territory. Such an institution was subsequently built at Wootton Wawen , and

74-639: A citizen was to serve in the Roman army or a city council. The number of citizens steadily increased, as people inherited citizenship and more grants were made by the emperors. Eventually in 212 or early 213 AD, everybody living in the provinces except slaves and freed slaves were granted citizenship by the Constitutio Antoniniana . Roman citizenship held many benefits; for example, citizens could make their own decisions, could request protection, and could share possessions/responsibilities within

111-709: A conference with British bishops at Augustine's Oak on the border of the Hwicce and the West Saxons. The Angles strengthened their influence over the area in 628, when (says the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ) the West Saxons fought (the Anglian) Penda of Mercia at Cirencester and afterwards came to terms. Penda had evidently won, but had probably forged an alliance with local leaders, since the former Dobunnic polity did not immediately become part of Mercia but instead became an allied or client kingdom of

148-511: A derivation from a given name, "the people of the man called Hwicce", but no such name has been recorded. Eilert Ekwall connected the name, on linguistic grounds, with that of the Gewisse , the predecessors of the West Saxons . Also suggested by A. H. Smith is a tribal name that was in origin pejorative, meaning "the cowards", cognate to quake , Old Norse hvikari "coward". It

185-625: A joint emperor. After the Roman departure from Britain, the Romano-British were advised by Honorius to "look to their own defences". A written plea with General Flavius Aëtius as one of its believed recipients, known as the Groans of the Britons , may have brought some brief naval assistance from the fading Roman Empire of the West, but otherwise they were on their own. In the early stages

222-761: A total population of 3.6 million at the end of the fourth century, the urban population was about 240,000 people, with the capital city of Londinium having about 60,000 people. Londinium was an ethnically diverse city with inhabitants from across the Roman Empire, including natives of Britannia, and immigrants from continental Europe , the Middle East , and North Africa . There was also cultural diversity in other Roman-British towns, which were sustained by considerable migration, both within Britannia and from other Roman territories, including North Africa, Syria,

259-614: Is Vortigern , which may have been a title meaning "High King". The depredations of the Picts from the north and Scotti (Scots) from Ireland forced the Britons to seek help from pagan Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who then decided to settle in Britain. Some of the Romano-British people migrated to Brittany , the Suebi Kingdom of Galicia and possibly Ireland. The Anglo-Saxons obtained control of eastern England in

296-535: Is also likely that "Hwicce" referred to the native tribes living along the banks of the River Severn , in the area of today's Worcester , who were weavers using rushes and reeds growing profusely to create baskets. The modern word wicker , which is thought to be of Scandinavian origin, describes the type of baskets produced by these early people. However, there are potential objections to many of these possible explanations. For instance, Richard Coates argues that

333-651: Is an emphatic (roughly meaning 'very') giving something similar to * hywych . Similar known constructions in Welsh include hydda '(very) good', hynaws 'good-natured', hylwydd 'successful', hywiw '(very) worthy' and hywlydd '(very) generous'. Coates notes that the meaning would be "comparable with bombastic British tribal names of the Roman period, such as Ancalites 'the very hard ones', Catuvellauni 'the battle-excellent ones' or Brigantes 'the high ones'." Coates does, however, admit that his explanation can also raise objections, not least that hywych

370-663: Is not a recorded and known early or later Welsh word. The toponym Hwicce survives in Wychwood in Oxfordshire , Whichford in Warwickshire, Wichenford , Wychbury Hill , Wyche and Droitwich in Worcestershire . (The 'wich' part of Droitwich is also commonly thought to refer to salt production in that area. ) In addition, the local government district of Wychavon derived the first element of its name from

407-411: Is recorded as the wife of Æthelred of Mercia . An earlier marriage to Eanhere would explain why Osric and Oswald are described as Æthelred's nepotes  — usually meaning "nephews" or "grandsons" but here probably "stepsons". Osric was anxious for the Hwicce to gain their own bishop, but it was Oshere whose influence was seen behind the creation of the see of Worcester in 679–680. Presumably Osric

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444-463: Is seen in the post-Roman period with these Germanic settlements. Some Anglo-Saxon histories (in context) refer to the Romano-British people by the blanket term "Welsh". The term Welsh is derived from an Old English word meaning 'foreigner' , referring to the old inhabitants of southern Britain. Historically, Wales and the south-western peninsula were known respectively as North Wales and West Wales. The Celtic north of England and southern Scotland

481-690: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , there was a Battle of Deorham in 577 in which the Gewisse ( West Saxons ) under Ceawlin killed three British kings and captured Gloucester , Cirencester and Bath . West Saxon occupation of the area did not last long, however, and may have ended as early as 584, the date (according to the Chronicle ) of the battle of Fethanleag , in which Cutha was killed and Ceawlin returned home in anger; and certainly by 603 when, according to Bede , Saint Augustine held

518-668: The Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia . It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons , a people of Celtic language and custom. Scholars such as Christopher Snyder believe that during the 5th and 6th centuries – approximately from 410 when the Roman legions withdrew, to 597 when St Augustine of Canterbury arrived – southern Britain preserved an active sub-Roman culture that survived

555-554: The Romano-British regional cult of a goddess with a bucket or cauldron, identified with a Mater Dobunna , supposedly associated with West Country legends concerning the Holy Grail . However, his interpretation has been widely dismissed by other academics. Coates (2013) on the other hand believes that the name has a Brythonic origin, related to the modern Welsh gwych meaning 'excellent'. The prefix hy-

592-477: The 5th century. In the mid-6th century, they started expanding into the Midlands , then in the 7th century they expanded again into the southwest and the north of England. The unconquered parts of southern Britain, notably Wales , retained their Romano-British culture, in particular retaining Christianity. Members of groups who spoke Germanic also migrated to the southern section of Great Britain. Cultural exchange

629-527: The Eastern Mediterranean, and continental Europe. Christianity came to Britain in the 3rd century. One early figure was Saint Alban , who (according to tradition) was martyred near the Roman town of Verulamium , on the site of the modern St Albans, during the reign of Emperor Decius . One aspect of Roman influence seen in British life was the grant of Roman citizenship . At first this

666-422: The Hwicce. No contemporary genealogy or list of kings has been preserved, so the following list has been compiled by historians from a variety of primary sources. Some kings of the Hwicce seem to have reigned in tandem for all or part of their reign. This gives rise to an overlap in the dates of reigns given below. Please consult individual biographies for a discussion of the dating of these rulers. An ealdorman

703-660: The Hwicce. The Hwicce sub-kingdom included a number of distinct tribal groups, including the Husmerae , the Stoppingas and the Weorgoran . The first probable kings of whom we read were two brothers, Eanhere and Eanfrith . Bede notes that Queen Eafe "had been baptised in her own country, the kingdom of the Hwicce. She was the daughter of Eanfrith, Eanhere's brother, both of whom were Christians, as were their people." From this, we deduce that Eanfrith and Eanhere were of

740-455: The Roman army. By AD 47, the Romans had invaded southern Britain and claimed territory that held many natural resources. This led to an increase in imperial wealth. The Romans developed the city of Colchester through urbanisation and new clusters of public buildings. The Roman army and their families and dependents amounted to 125,000 people, out of Britannia's total population of 3.6 million at

777-539: The attacks from the Anglo-Saxons and even used a vernacular Latin when writing. Roman troops, mainly from nearby provinces, invaded in AD 43, in what is now part of England, during the reign of Emperor Claudius . Over the next few years the province of Britannia was formed, eventually including the whole of what later became England and Wales and parts of Scotland . The Claudian army took over Colchester and eleven tribal kings of Britain also surrendered to

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814-418: The benefits, duties, status or sense of identity of citizens. Romans continued to stigmatize peregrini dediticii as freedmen or foreigners who were tortured and excluded from citizenship forever. Eventually emperor Honorius ordered Roman troops back home to help defend Italy against invasion. Constantine III initially rebelled against Honorius and took further troops to Gaul , but was later recognised as

851-687: The community under the protection of Roman law. The other inhabitants of Britain, who did not enjoy citizenship, the Peregrini , continued to live under the laws of their ancestors. Principal handicaps were that they could not own land with a Latin title, serve as a legionary in the army, or, in general, inherit from a Roman citizen. In the Republic, foreign peregrini were further named as peregrini dediticii which meant they were "surrendered foreigners" and forbidden to gain Roman citizenship. These surrendered foreigners were not provided with any of

888-534: The end of the fourth century. There were also many migrants of other professions, such as sculptors (Barates) from Roman Syria and doctors from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Romano-British cultures and religions continued to diversify; while the populace remained mainly Celtic, there was an increase in Romanisation. The bulk of the population was rural and engaged in agriculture; from

925-458: The essence of an ark is that it is closed, rather than open like a valley or plain, that no cognate of hvikari or contemporary version of wicker is known, and that no full etymological argument to relate Gewisse to Hwicce has been advanced. Stephen Yeates (2008, 2009) has interpreted the name as meaning "cauldron; sacred vessel" and linked to the shape of the Vale of Gloucester and

962-549: The influx. There are also probable Christian burials beneath Worcester Cathedral and St Mary de Lode Church , Gloucester. So it seems that incoming Anglo-Saxons were absorbed into the existing church. The ruling dynasty of the Hwicce were probably key figures in the process. Perhaps they sprang from intermarriage between Anglian and British leading families. By a complex chain of reasoning, one can deduce that Eanhere married Osthryth , daughter of Oswiu of Northumbria , and had sons by her named Osric , Oswald and Oshere . Osthryth

999-525: The kingdom ruled by three brothers, named Eanberht , Uhtred and Aldred, the two last of whom lived until about 780. After them, the title of king seems to have been given up. Their successor Æthelmund , who was killed in a campaign against Wessex in 802, is described only as an earl. The district remained in possession of the rulers of Mercia until the fall of that kingdom. Together with the rest of English Mercia, it submitted to King Alfred about 877–883 under Earl Æthelred , who possibly himself belonged to

1036-544: The later parochia of this minster probably represents the extent territory of the Stoppingas. This article related to the history of the United Kingdom or its predecessor states is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hwicce Hwicce ( Old English: [ˈʍittʃe] ) was a kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England . According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , the kingdom

1073-495: The lowlands and cities may have had some organisation or "council" and the Bishop of London appears to have played a key role, but they were divided politically as former soldiers, mercenaries, nobles, officials and farmers declared themselves kings, fighting amongst each other and leaving Britain open to invasion. Two factions may have emerged: a pro-Roman faction and an independence faction. The one leader at this time known by name

1110-584: The name Hwicce "the Hwiccians" is uncertain. It is the plural of a masculine i -stem. It may be from a tribal name of "the Hwiccians", or it may be from a clan name. One etymology comes from the common noun hwicce "ark, chest, locker", in reference to the appearance of the territory as a flat-bottomed valley bordered by the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills . A second possibility would be

1147-583: The old Diocese of Worcester , founded in 679–680, the early bishops of which bore the title Episcopus Hwicciorum . The kingdom would therefore have included Worcestershire except the northwestern tip, Gloucestershire except the Forest of Dean , the southwestern half of Warwickshire , the neighbourhood of Bath north of the Avon, part of west Oxfordshire and small parts of Herefordshire , Shropshire , Staffordshire and north-west Wiltshire. The etymology of

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1184-582: The old kingdom. The territory of the Hwicce may roughly have corresponded to the Roman civitas of the Dobunni . The area appears to have remained largely British in the first century or so after Britain left the Roman Empire, but pagan burials and place names in its north-eastern sector suggest an inflow of Angles along the Warwickshire Avon and perhaps by other routes; they may have exacted tribute from British rulers. According to

1221-532: The royal family and that theirs was a Christian kingdom. It is likely that the Hwicce were converted to Christianity by Celtic Christians rather than by the mission from Pope Gregory I , since Bede was well informed on the latter yet does not mention the conversion of the Hwicce. Though place-names show that Anglo-Saxon settlement was widespread in the territory, the limited spread of pagan burials, along with two eccles place-names that invariably identify Roman-British churches, suggests that Christianity survived

1258-548: Was a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire. The term was rendered in Latin as dux , præfectus or comes . Æthelmod granted land to Abbess Beorngyth in October 680 and was probably a member of the royal family. Osred ( c. 693), who was a thegn of the Hwicce, has been described by some historians as a king. Romano-British culture The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under

1295-420: Was dead by that time. Tatfrid of Whitby was chosen as the first bishop of the Hwicce, but he died before ordination and was replaced by Bosel. A 12th-century chronicler of Worcester comments that that Worcester was selected as the seat of the bishop because it was the capital of the Hwicce. Oshere was succeeded by his sons Æthelheard , Æthelweard and Æthelric . At the beginning of Offa 's reign, we find

1332-459: Was established in 577, after the Battle of Deorham . After 628, the kingdom became a client or sub-kingdom of Mercia as a result of the Battle of Cirencester . The Tribal Hidage assessed Hwicce at 7,000 hides , an agricultural economy akin to either the kingdom of Essex or Sussex . The exact boundaries of the kingdom remain uncertain, though it is likely that they coincided with those of

1369-409: Was granted very selectively: to the council members of certain classes of towns, whom Roman practice made citizens; to veterans, either legionaries or soldiers in auxiliary units ; and to a number of natives whose patrons obtained citizenship for them. The granting of Roman citizenship was gradually expanded and more people from provinces became citizens. One way for a provincial inhabitant to become

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