List of monarchs of Essex - Definition and Overview

The Kingdom of the East Seaxe (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded around AD500, occupying territory to the north and east of London. Around AD825, the kingdom was merged with Wessex, and was eventually ceded by Wessex under the Treaty of Wedmore to the Danelaw control of the Danish kingdom of East Anglia. Essex is now a county in England.

The dates, names and achievements, like those of most early rulers in the Heptarchy, remain conjectural. The dynasty claimed descent from the god Seaxneat, rather than the god Woden (from whom the other Saxon tribes claimed descent). The list of kings may omit whole generations.

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").

List of Kings of the East Saxons (Essex)

Reign	Incumbent		Notes
527 to 587	Aescwine	ÆSCVVINE CENFVSING ESTSEAXNA CYNING ÆSCVVINE REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
587 to ante604	Sledda	SLEDDA ÆSCVVINING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SLEDDA REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
ante604 to 616/7	Saebert	SÆBRYHT SLEDDING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SÆBRYHT REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
616/7 to 617	Sexred	SEXRED SÆBRYHTING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SEXRED REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Joint king with Saeward; killed in battle against the West Saxons
616/7 to 617	Saeward	SÆVVARD SÆBRYHTING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SÆVVARD REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Joint king with Sexred; killed in battle against the West Saxons
617 to ante c.653	Sigeberht I the Little	SIGEBRYHT SÆVVARDING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGEBRYHT PARVVS REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
c.653 to 664	Sigeberht II the Good	SIGEBRYHT SÆVVARDING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGEBRYHT SANCTVS REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Saint Sigeberht; Saint Sebbi (Feast Day 29 August)
660 to 664	Swithelm	SVVIÞELM ESTSEAXNA CYNING SVVIÞELM REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
664 to 683	Sighere	SIGHERE SIGEBRYHTING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGHERE REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Joint-king with Sebbi
664 to c.694	Sebbi	SEBBI ESTSEAXNA CYNING SEBBI REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Abdicated in favour of his son Sigeheard
c.694 to c.709	Sigeheard	SIGEHEARD SEBBING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGEHEARD REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Joint-king with his son Swaefred
c.695 to ante/c.709	Swaefred	SVVÆFRED SIGEHEARDING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SVVÆFRED REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Joint-king with his father Sigeheard
709 to 709	Offa	OFFA SIGEHERING ESTSEAXNA CYNING OFFA REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Abdicated
c.709 to 746	Saelred	SÆLRED SIGEBRYHTING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SÆLRED REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	(aka Swebert) Probably joint-king with Swaefbert
c.715 to 738	Swaefbert	SVVÆFBRYHT ESTSEAXNA CYNING SVVÆFBRYHT REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Probably joint-king with Saelred
746 to 758	Svvithred	SVVIÞRED SIGEMVNDING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SVVIÞRED REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM
758 to 798	Sigeric	SIGERIC ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGERIC REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Abdicated
798 to 812	Sigered	SIGERED SIGERICING ESTSEAXNA CYNING SIGERED REX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	then:-
812 to 825	Sigered	SIGERED DVX SAXONVM ORIENTALIVM	Rank reduced by Mercian overlords
c.825	Mercia defeated by Egbert of Wessex, sub-kingdom of Essex subsumed into Wessex

Sigered was the last king of Essex, and he ceded the kingdom to Egbert of Wessex.

Heptarchy

Others: Lindsey, Hwicce

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