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Above: St. Aidan's Statue, Holy Island, Northumberland. Photo by David Simpson

Prime Minister Tony Blair and The Millennium History of North East England by David Simpson. Photo courtesy of The Northern Echo

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Timeline of North East History - ROMANS AND ANGLES 306AD-593AD

Statue of Constantine the Great outside York Minster (on the right) photographed by Abi Simpson, husband of the one on the left. See the timeline below:

THE LATE ROMAN PERIOD AND THE ANGLIAN INVASIONS 306AD - 593AD

By David Simpson

In 410AD the Goths of the east sacked Rome and troops were permanently withdrawn from Britain to defend the collapsing empire. Britons were left at the mercy of the invading Anglo-Saxons. From 430AD to 600AD Saxons from Germany colonised the south of England while Angles or Anglians from southern Denmark colonised the north and east.

July 25 306AD – CONSTANTINE THE GREAT (York) Constantius Chlorus the Roman Emperor has died at York. His son Constantine the Great has been proclaimed Emperor at York. One of Constantine’s first actions is to drive back an attack from the Picts in Caledonia.

314AD – YORK IS HQ FOR BRITISH GENERAL (York)
The Dux, or commander of the Roman army in Britain, is now based at York.

314AD – YORK HAS A BISHOP
(York)
Christianity is now widely accepted in Roman Britain and a Christian Bishop is based at York.

320AD – IRAQ BOATMEN WORK ON TYNE
(South Shields)
A unit of Tigris bargemen (from Iraq) are employed by the Romans at South Shields fort (Arbeia) on the Tyne.

343AD – TROUBLE ON THE WALL
(Hadrian’s Wall)
Trouble breaks out on the Roman wall involving Roman scouts. Roman forts in North Tynedale have been burnt down.

367AD – BARBARIAN CONSPIRACY
(Hadrian’s Wall)
Tribes have overrun Hadrian’s Wall in a Barbarian Conspiracy. Picts, Irish and Scots, assisted by Saxon pirates from northern Europe, seem to have colluded. This is the biggest revolt against the Romans to date.

369AD – DEFENCES AT SALTBURN AND SCARBOROUGH
(Yorkshire Coast)
Watch towers are being constructed along the northern coast to defend against Germanic invaders. Towers are located at Filey, Scarborough, Goldsborough and Huntcliff near Saltburn. The towers communicate to each other and to Roman soldiers stationed at York and Malton using beacons of flame.

369AD – WALL UNDER REPAIR
(Hadrian’s Wall)
Hadrian’s Wall has been extensively restored following the Barbarian Conspiracy.

383AD – MAXIMUS CLAIMS TO BE EMPEROR
(Britain)
While the Goths are attacking Rome, Magnus Maximus a Roman governor, has taken advantage of the turmoil and made himself an Emperor. It is a false claim but he is unlikely to be challenged. Magnus has taken many Roman troops from Britain in an attempt to seize Gaul and Spain. The northern frontier is now exposed to Pictish raids.

388AD – ROMANS DEFEATED
(Hadrian’s Wall)
Hadrian’s Wall is undergoing heavy onslaught from native tribes and the Romans have suffered great defeats in battle.

399AD – ROMANS EVACUATE TROOPS
(Britain)
The Romans have started to evacuate troops from Britain. Reinforcements are desperately needed on the continent to protect Rome and the eastern parts of the empire.

408AD – THE NORTH REVOLTS
(Scotland)
The depletion of the Roman army in Britain has left the northern frontier exposed. Revolts against the Romans in North Britain are gaining momentum.

410AD – ROMANS LEAVE BRITAIN
(Britain)
Nearly all Roman troops have left Britain to defend against the Visigoths who are sacking Rome. Britain has now virtually ceased to be part of the Roman Empire.

430AD – GERMANIC WARRIORS HIRED FOR PROTECTION
(England)
Britain’s Roman towns have fallen into disrepair and disorder. Native Britons are beginning to employ Germanic warriors called Saxons and Angles (Anglians) to defend them against the Picts in return for land. Angles have begun to settle in Britain and will eventually give their name to England (Angleland)

THE EARLY ANGLIAN (Or Anglo-Saxon period) Other dates

306AD / 400AD / 500AD /593AD

THE TIMELINE BY ERA

ROMAN PERIOD

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD

VIKING PERIOD

NORMAN PERIOD

MEDIEVAL PERIOD

TUDOR AND STUART PERIOD

GEORGIAN PERIOD

VICTORIAN PERIOD

TWENTIETH CENTURY

 

THE MILLENNIUM HISTORY OF NORTH EAST ENGLAND

by David Simpson

Published by leighton in association with The Northern Echo

ISBN 0-9536984-3-2

The Millennium History of North East England by David Simpson is published by Leighton, The Teleport, Doxford International, Sunderland, SR3 3XD, Tel +44 (0) 191 5252400 Fax +44 (0) 520 1815 www.bepl.com. The book is a 322 page full colour hard back book covering the history of the region from Roman times to the present day. To order copies of the book you can e-mail andrea.murphy@bepl.com

Author David Simpson and Paul Callaghan, Managing Director of leighton at the book launch held at Lumley Castle, Durham December 1999

www.northeastengland.talktalk.net