Hlothhere of Kent
Encyclopedia
Hlothhere was a King of Kent
who ruled from 673 to 685.
He succeeded his brother Ecgberht I
in 673. He must have come into conflict with Mercia
, since in 676 the Mercian king Æthelred invaded Kent and caused great destruction; according to Bede
, even churches and monasteries were not spared, and Rochester was laid waste.
Hlothhere's rule survived this onslaught, however. He appears for a time to have reigned jointly with his nephew Eadric
, son of Ecgberht I
, since a code of laws still extant was issued under both their names. In 685, Eadric went into exile and led the South Saxon
s against Hlothhere, who was defeated and died of his wounds.
The above information is derived from Bede, but Hlothhere is the earliest Kentish king for whom genuine charters survive. One charter http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+7 is precisely dated to 1 April 675 in the first year of Hlothhere’s reign, which conflicts with accession date attributed to him by Bede. Two further charters attributed to Hlothere (S1648, S1648a), appear to have been altered copies of charters of Swæfheard (S10http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+10) and Swæfberht (S11http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+11) (Kelly 1995). A law code, the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric
, is jointly attributed to him and his successor Eadric.
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
who ruled from 673 to 685.
He succeeded his brother Ecgberht I
Ecgberht of Kent
Ecgberht was a King of Kent who ruled from 664 to 673, succeeding his father Eorcenberht s:Ecclesiastical History of the English People/Book 4#1....
in 673. He must have come into conflict with Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, since in 676 the Mercian king Æthelred invaded Kent and caused great destruction; according to Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, even churches and monasteries were not spared, and Rochester was laid waste.
Hlothhere's rule survived this onslaught, however. He appears for a time to have reigned jointly with his nephew Eadric
Eadric of Kent
Eadric was a King of Kent . He was the son of Ecgberht I.Eadric was for a time co-ruler alongside his uncle Hlothhere, and a code of laws issued in both their names has survived. However, Eadric eventually revolted and defeated Hlothhere with the aid of the South Saxons...
, son of Ecgberht I
Ecgberht of Kent
Ecgberht was a King of Kent who ruled from 664 to 673, succeeding his father Eorcenberht s:Ecclesiastical History of the English People/Book 4#1....
, since a code of laws still extant was issued under both their names. In 685, Eadric went into exile and led the South Saxon
Kingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
s against Hlothhere, who was defeated and died of his wounds.
The above information is derived from Bede, but Hlothhere is the earliest Kentish king for whom genuine charters survive. One charter http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+7 is precisely dated to 1 April 675 in the first year of Hlothhere’s reign, which conflicts with accession date attributed to him by Bede. Two further charters attributed to Hlothere (S1648, S1648a), appear to have been altered copies of charters of Swæfheard (S10http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+10) and Swæfberht (S11http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+11) (Kelly 1995). A law code, the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric
Law of Hlothhere and Eadric
The Law of Hlothhere and Eadric is an Anglo-Saxon legal text. It is attributed to the Kentish kings Hloþhere and Eadric , and thus is believed to date to the second half of the 7th century. It is one of three extant early Kentish codes, along with the early 7th-century Law of Æthelberht and the...
, is jointly attributed to him and his successor Eadric.
See also
- List of monarchs of Kent
- Chronology of Kentish Kings