Cenberht
Encyclopedia
Cenberht (died c.
661) was a king in the lands of the West Saxons.
Cenberht was said to be the son of Cadda, about whom nothing is recorded, and the grandson of Cutha. It is thought that Cutha is the same person as Cuthwine
, also found in West Saxon genealogies. He was thus, according to later genealogies, a third cousin of King Cenwalh of Wessex
. The later King Caedwalla
and his brother Mul
were said to be sons of Cenberht.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
for the year 661 reports that both Cuthred, son of King Cwichelm
, and Cenberht died in that year. This is the sole report of Cenberht in an early source, but based on the pattern of shared rulership among the West Saxons in this period, it is presumed that Cenberht shared power with Cenwalh in a junior role, either as a junior king or as sub-king of some part of Wessex.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
661) was a king in the lands of the West Saxons.
Cenberht was said to be the son of Cadda, about whom nothing is recorded, and the grandson of Cutha. It is thought that Cutha is the same person as Cuthwine
Cuthwine
Cuthwine, born c. 565, was a member of the House of Wessex, son of Ceawlin of Wessex. After the deposition of his father Ceawlin from the throne of Wessex in 592 he did not inherit the throne which passed to his cousin, Ceol...
, also found in West Saxon genealogies. He was thus, according to later genealogies, a third cousin of King Cenwalh of Wessex
Cenwalh of Wessex
Cenwalh, also Cenwealh or Coenwalh, was King of Wessex from c. 643 to c. 645 and from c. 648 unto his death, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in c. 672.-Penda and Anna:...
. The later King Caedwalla
Caedwalla of Wessex
Cædwalla was the King of Wessex from approximately 685 until he abdicated in 688. His name is derived from the British Cadwallon. He was exiled as a youth, and during this time attacked the South Saxons and killed their king, Æthelwealh, in what is now Sussex. Cædwalla was unable to hold the...
and his brother Mul
Mul of Kent
Mul may have briefly ruled as king of Kent following its conquest by his brother, Caedwalla of Wessex, in 686. Mul's father was Coenberht, making him a member of the House of Wessex The name Mul is very unusual and it has been postulated that it derives from the Latin mulus meaning mule, a word...
were said to be sons of Cenberht.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
for the year 661 reports that both Cuthred, son of King Cwichelm
Cwichelm of Wessex
Cwichelm was an Anglo-Saxon king of the Gewisse, a people in the upper Thames area who later created the kingdom of Wessex. He is usually counted among the Kings of Wessex....
, and Cenberht died in that year. This is the sole report of Cenberht in an early source, but based on the pattern of shared rulership among the West Saxons in this period, it is presumed that Cenberht shared power with Cenwalh in a junior role, either as a junior king or as sub-king of some part of Wessex.