Kings of the Isle of Wight
Encyclopedia
The Isle of Wight
is a 147 square miles (380.7 km²) island off the south coast of England
.
The first King
s of the Isle of Wight were recorded by St Bede in 512CE
as Stuf and Wihtgar,the nephews of Cerdic, the founder of the Wessex
dynasty, then known as the "Allies" or "Gewisse". However, the name for the "Men of Wight" was "Wihtwara" and their fort "Wihtwarasburgh". Hence it is conjectured (by Stenton
, Yorke et al.) that Wihtgar was a made-up name to account for this. Although the dynasty has never been given a name, presumably they would be named after their founder—as the kings of Kent
and East Anglia
were (the "Oiscings" and "Wuffings" respectively after Oisc and after Wuffa). Hence the Isle of Wight dynasty may have been the "Stuffings".
The subsequent kings are unknown until the final King, who died in 686CE. In 661CE Wulfhere of Mercia
conquered Wessex and gave the overlordship to his godson, King Aethelwalh of Sussex
and forced the Islanders to convert to Christianity
. Upon Wulfhere's departure the Island returned to paganism
. The last Jutish King and the last pagan king in England
was King Arwald
, about which we only know that he was killed resisting the invasion by King Caedwalla of Wessex
, under the tutelage of St. Wilfrid and that Caedwalla later died of his wounds sustained in action. According to Bede, Caedwalla "endeavoured to destroy all the inhabitants thereof" and replaced them with his own followers. The only known survivor of the Jutes was Arwald's sister, whose name is unknown, but was at this time married to Egbert King of Kent, another Jute engaged in fighting off Caedwalla and his brother, Mul
. She was an ancestor of Alfred the Great
.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
is a 147 square miles (380.7 km²) island off the south coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The first King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
s of the Isle of Wight were recorded by St Bede in 512CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
as Stuf and Wihtgar,the nephews of Cerdic, the founder of the Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
dynasty, then known as the "Allies" or "Gewisse". However, the name for the "Men of Wight" was "Wihtwara" and their fort "Wihtwarasburgh". Hence it is conjectured (by Stenton
Stenton
Stenton is a parish and village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is bounded on the north by parts of the parishes of Prestonkirk and Dunbar, on the east by Spott and on the west by Whittingehame. The name is said to be of Saxon derivation. In earlier times, when names were often written phonetically,...
, Yorke et al.) that Wihtgar was a made-up name to account for this. Although the dynasty has never been given a name, presumably they would be named after their founder—as the kings of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
were (the "Oiscings" and "Wuffings" respectively after Oisc and after Wuffa). Hence the Isle of Wight dynasty may have been the "Stuffings".
The subsequent kings are unknown until the final King, who died in 686CE. In 661CE Wulfhere of 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...
conquered Wessex and gave the overlordship to his godson, King Aethelwalh of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and forced the Islanders to convert to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Upon Wulfhere's departure the Island returned to paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
. The last Jutish King and the last pagan king in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was King Arwald
Arwald
Arwald was the last Jutish King of the Isle of Wight and last pagan king in Anglo-Saxon England until the Vikings in the 9th century. His name may have been "Arwald" or "Atwald" - Bede's script is often difficult to read...
, about which we only know that he was killed resisting the invasion by King Caedwalla of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
, under the tutelage of St. Wilfrid and that Caedwalla later died of his wounds sustained in action. According to Bede, Caedwalla "endeavoured to destroy all the inhabitants thereof" and replaced them with his own followers. The only known survivor of the Jutes was Arwald's sister, whose name is unknown, but was at this time married to Egbert King of Kent, another Jute engaged in fighting off Caedwalla 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...
. She was an ancestor of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
.
Norman and Plantagenet periods
- After the Norman Conquest the Isle of Wight was given to the de Redvers family in 1101 who were known as "Lords of the Isle of Wight". However the last of them was Isabella de FortibusIsabella de FortibusIsabella de Fortibus was the eldest daughter of Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon. At the age of 11 or 12 she became the second wife of William de Fortibus who owned land in Yorkshire and Cumberland and was the count of Aumale in Normandy. When he died in 1260 part of his estates were...
(1237–1293) who was known as the QueenQueen regnantA queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
of the Isle of Wight until her death. Upon her death bed she was visited by the King, Edward Longshanks, later known as "Edward IEdward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
" who said that she had sold the Isle of Wight to him whilst on the point of death for 6,000 marks in 1293.
- Henry VIHenry VI of EnglandHenry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
had a favouriteFavouriteA favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
courtier named Henry Beauchamp, Duke of WarwickHenry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of WarwickHenry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was an English nobleman.He was the son of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and Isabel le Despenser...
, to whom he gave the honorific title, or perhaps nicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
would be more accurate, "King of the Isle of Wight" in 1444, although this does not appear to have entailed any other implication, and he died shortly after.