Wessex in the Early Middle Ages (Studies in the Early History of Britain)

Wessex is central to the study of early medieval English history; it was the dynasty which created the kingdom of England. This volume uses archaeological and place-name evidence to present an authoritative account of the most significant of the English kingdoms. Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Introduction......Page 16 The end of Roman Britain......Page 23 Western Wessex: the testimony of Gildas......Page 27 Dumnonia......Page 30 Somerset and Dorset......Page 34 Western Wessex: regional and foreign links......Page 39 Eastern Wessex 400–600: British rule and the Saxon adventus......Page 40 Anglo-Saxon sources for the early history of Wessex......Page 47 The political geography of eastern Wessex in the sixth century: the Saxons of the Thames Valley......Page 49 The Jutes of Wight and Hampshire......Page 51 Regiones......Page 54 Britons and Anglo-Saxons in the fifth and sixth centuries......Page 58 Sources......Page 67 Expansion to the south and west......Page 72 The northern borders of Wessex......Page 76 The nature of conquest......Page 79 The West Saxon subkings......Page 94 Shires and boundaries......Page 99 Egbert and the expansion of West Saxon power......Page 109 The Wessex heartlands and the kingdom of England......Page 111 The Viking wars of the ninth century: Alfred and the written sources......Page 118 The Viking attacks of the late eighth and ninth centuries......Page 122 The Viking impact on Wessex......Page 127 Developments in royal administration......Page 138 The reign of Æthelred II and the renewal of Viking attacks......Page 147 Royal government in the eleventh century......Page 156 The Christian legacy from Roman Britain......Page 164 The conversion of Dumnonia......Page 168 Christianity in western Wessex in the fifth and sixth centuries......Page 170 Monasteries......Page 175 Christianity in eastern Wessex in the fifth and sixth centuries......Page 179 Non-Christian religion in Wessex in the fifth to seventh centuries......Page 181 Conversion of the West Saxons to Christianity......Page 186 The Anglo-Saxons and the British Church......Page 192 Minster churches in Wessex......Page 196 Decline in the ninth century......Page 207 Revival in the ninth century......Page 212 Royal patronage and the Church in the first half of the tenth century......Page 218 The monastic reform movement......Page 225 Minster and local churches......Page 240 Domesday Book and the study of Anglo-Saxon Wessex......Page 255 Lordship, nobility and the ownership of land......Page 258 The peasantry......Page 271 Slavery......Page 276 Settlements and fields......Page 279 The family......Page 291 The status of women......Page 295 Class and social mobility......Page 300 Trade and the transfer of commodities c. 400–650......Page 306 Trade and trading-places in mid-Saxon Wessex......Page 314 The growth of towns in later Anglo-Saxon Wessex......Page 324 Epilogue......Page 340 Abbreviations......Page 344 Bibliography......Page 346 A......Page 373 B......Page 374 C......Page 375 D......Page 376 G......Page 377 L......Page 378 O......Page 379 S......Page 380 W......Page 381 Y......Page 382 Leicester University Press Contents 6 Foreword 8 List of Illustrations 10 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 16 1 A Period of Transition, Wessex c. 400–c. 600 23 The end of Roman Britain 23 Western Wessex: the testimony of Gildas 27 Dumnonia 30 Somerset and Dorset 34 Western Wessex: regional and foreign links 39 Eastern Wessex 400–600: British rule and the Saxon adventus 40 Anglo-Saxon sources for the early history of Wessex 47 The political geography of eastern Wessex in the sixth century: the Saxons of the Thames Valley 49 The Jutes of Wight and Hampshire 51 Regiones 54 Britons and Anglo-Saxons in the fifth and sixth centuries 58 2 The Creation of Wessex, c. 600–802 67 Sources 67 Expansion to the south and west 72 The northern borders of Wessex 76 The nature of conquest 79 The West Saxon subkings 94 Shires and boundaries 99 3 Wessex and England, 802–1066 109 Egbert and the expansion of West Saxon power 109 The Wessex heartlands and the kingdom of England 111 The Viking wars of the ninth century: Alfred and the written sources 118 The Viking attacks of the late eighth and ninth centuries 122 The Viking impact on Wessex 127 Developments in royal administration 138 The reign of Æthelred II and the renewal of Viking attacks 147 Royal government in the eleventh century 156 4 The Spread of Christianity, 400–800 164 The Christian legacy from Roman Britain 164 The conversion of Dumnonia 168 Christianity in western Wessex in the fifth and sixth centuries 170 Monasteries 175 Christianity in eastern Wessex in the fifth and sixth centuries 179 Non-Christian religion in Wessex in the fifth to seventh centuries 181 Conversion of the West Saxons to Christianity 186 The Anglo-Saxons and the British Church 192 Minster churches in Wessex 196 5 Renewal and Redirection: the West Saxon Church 800–1066 207 Decline in the ninth century 207 Revival in the ninth century 212 Royal patronage and the Church in the first half of the tenth century 218 The monastic reform movement 225 Minster and local churches 240 6 Social Structure and Rural Life 255 Domesday Book and the study of Anglo-Saxon Wessex 255 Lordship, nobility and the ownership of land 258 The peasantry 271 Slavery 276 Settlements and fields 279 The family 291 The status of women 295 Class and social mobility 300 7 Trade and the Growth of Towns 306 Trade and the transfer of commodities c. 400–650 306 Trade and trading-places in mid-Saxon Wessex 314 The growth of towns in later Anglo-Saxon Wessex 324 Epilogue 340 Abbreviations 344 Bibliography 346 Index 373 A 373 B 374 C 375 D 376 E 377 F 377 G 377 H 378 I 378 J 378 K 378 L 378 M 379 N 379 O 379 P 380 Q 380 R 380 S 380 T 381 U 381 V 381 W 381 Y 382 ISBN-13:,9780718518561 1. A Period Of Transition, Wessex C. 400-c. 600 -- 2. The Creation Of Wessex, C. 600-802 -- 3. Wessex And England, 802-1066 -- 4. The Spread Of Christianity, 400-800 -- 5. Renewal And Redirection: The West Saxon Church 800-1066 -- 6. Social Structure And Rural Life -- 7. Trade And The Growth Of Towns. Barbara Yorke. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.