Sæbert succeeds his father
Sledd as king of
Essex. He is persuaded to convert personally to
Christianity through the intervention of his uncle, Æthelberht of Kent, and is baptised by Mellitus.[2][3]
2 February – death of
Laurence, the second Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Mellitus.
624
24 April – death of
Mellitus, the third Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Justus, who dies at a date prior to 631 and is succeeded by
Honorius.
625 or before
The ship burial at
Sutton Hoo is committed to the ground.
Battle of Heavenfield (near
Hexham): Northumbrian forces led by
Oswald of Bernicia decisively defeat the larger forces of Gwynedd under Cadwallon (who is killed).[7][2] Oswald reunites the kingdoms of
Bernicia and
Deira under his single rule and begins re-conversion of Northumbria to Christianity.
Widsith, the earliest surviving example of English heroic prose, is composed.[1]
645
Approximate date –
Cenwalh of Wessex abjures Christianity and repudiates his wife for which he is driven from his kingdom by his brother-in-law Penda of Mercia and goes into exile with King
Anna of East Anglia.[5]
647
Probable date – death of
Æthelburh of Kent, widowed queen consort of Northumbria and Benedictine Abbess of Lyminge (b. c.601).
648
Approximate date –
Cenwalh of Wessex is restored to his kingdom by his nephew Cuthred.[5]
King
Oswiu of
Bernicia declares war on his rival, King
Oswine of Deira. Oswine refuses to engage him in battle, and retreats to
Gilling (
North Yorkshire) but is betrayed by a friend and murdered by Oswiu's soldiers.
(Between 657 and 659) – three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebel against Northumbrian rule and instal
Wulfhere (
Peada's brother) as king of all Mercia, its first Christian ruler.[1]
Approximate date – death of
Deusdedit, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Wighard who dies before his consecration and is succeeded by
Theodore of Tarsus.
Approximate date –
Wilfrid is elevated to a bishopric in
Northumbria but travels to
Compiègne to be consecrated.
666
Wilfrid returns to Britain but is
shipwrecked in
Sussex. When he finally reaches Northumbria he finds he has been deposed and is forced to retire to
Ripon.[9]
^Hindley, Geoffrey (2006). A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons: "The beginnings of the English nation". New York: Carrol & Graf.
ISBN978-0-7867-1738-5.
Sæbert succeeds his father
Sledd as king of
Essex. He is persuaded to convert personally to
Christianity through the intervention of his uncle, Æthelberht of Kent, and is baptised by Mellitus.[2][3]
2 February – death of
Laurence, the second Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Mellitus.
624
24 April – death of
Mellitus, the third Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Justus, who dies at a date prior to 631 and is succeeded by
Honorius.
625 or before
The ship burial at
Sutton Hoo is committed to the ground.
Battle of Heavenfield (near
Hexham): Northumbrian forces led by
Oswald of Bernicia decisively defeat the larger forces of Gwynedd under Cadwallon (who is killed).[7][2] Oswald reunites the kingdoms of
Bernicia and
Deira under his single rule and begins re-conversion of Northumbria to Christianity.
Widsith, the earliest surviving example of English heroic prose, is composed.[1]
645
Approximate date –
Cenwalh of Wessex abjures Christianity and repudiates his wife for which he is driven from his kingdom by his brother-in-law Penda of Mercia and goes into exile with King
Anna of East Anglia.[5]
647
Probable date – death of
Æthelburh of Kent, widowed queen consort of Northumbria and Benedictine Abbess of Lyminge (b. c.601).
648
Approximate date –
Cenwalh of Wessex is restored to his kingdom by his nephew Cuthred.[5]
King
Oswiu of
Bernicia declares war on his rival, King
Oswine of Deira. Oswine refuses to engage him in battle, and retreats to
Gilling (
North Yorkshire) but is betrayed by a friend and murdered by Oswiu's soldiers.
(Between 657 and 659) – three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebel against Northumbrian rule and instal
Wulfhere (
Peada's brother) as king of all Mercia, its first Christian ruler.[1]
Approximate date – death of
Deusdedit, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by
Wighard who dies before his consecration and is succeeded by
Theodore of Tarsus.
Approximate date –
Wilfrid is elevated to a bishopric in
Northumbria but travels to
Compiègne to be consecrated.
666
Wilfrid returns to Britain but is
shipwrecked in
Sussex. When he finally reaches Northumbria he finds he has been deposed and is forced to retire to
Ripon.[9]
^Hindley, Geoffrey (2006). A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons: "The beginnings of the English nation". New York: Carrol & Graf.
ISBN978-0-7867-1738-5.