Home
NORTH EAST TIMELINE

Above: St. Aidan's Statue, Holy Island, Northumberland. Photo courtesy of freefoto.com

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

 

FreeFoto.Com

Back to top of page
About the Site

David Simpson / Books
North East England
The Timeline
Roots of the Region
Yorkshire Pages
Northumberland
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyneside
County Durham
Wearside
Durham City
Teesside
Coal and Railways
Coastal History
Kingdom of Northumbria
Dialect
Place Names
Surnames
The Borderlands
Hadrian's Wall
Christian history
Legends and Songs
Yorkshire Pages
City of York
Bibliography
Links
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Timeline of North East History

KINGDOM AT WAR 736AD - 854AD

By David Simpson

In the late 8th Century, Northumbria was plagued by weak leadership and collapsed into a state of anarchy caused in part by rivalry between the royal houses of Deira and Bernicia. From 737AD to 806AD, Northumbria had ten kings: three were murdered, five were expelled and two retired to become monks. This instability may well have encouraged the first Viking raiders to attack the Northumbrian coast from 793AD.


737AD – NORTHUMBRIAN KING BECOMES A MONK

(Lindisfarne)
King Ceolwulf of Northumbria becomes a monk on Lindisfarne.
He is succeeded by Eadbert.

April 24, 741AD – MINSTER HIT BY FIRE
(York)
York Minster is damaged by fire.
It will be rebuilt in 770.

746AD – ROME WRITES TO JARROW
(Rome)
Bishop Boniface of Rome has written to Northumbria for editions of the works of Bede - the most popular titles in Europe.

750AD – BISHOP PLOTS AGAINST KING
(Bamburgh)
Cynewulf, Bishop of Lindisfarne, is imprisoned for plotting against King Eadbert.

758AD – KING BECOMES A MONK
(York)
Eadbert of Northumbria has retired to become a monk at York. He is succeeded by his son Oswulf.

August 5, 759AD – KING MURDERED
(Great Whittington near Corbridge)
Oswulf, King of Northumbria, is assassinated near Corbridge and succeeded by a Deiran called Athelwald Moll of Catterick who may be responsible for the assassination.

761AD – CHIEFTAIN KILLED AT CONISCLIFFE
(High Coniscliffe)
Oswin, a Bernician noble is murdered by Athelwald Moll.

762AD – CONSECRATION AT ELVET
(Durham City)
Peothwine is consecrated Bishop of Whithorn at Aelfet Ee (Elvet). It is the first mention of Christian activity in the Durham City area.

October 30, 765AD – MOLL FORCED OUT
(Finchale)
Following a meeting at Finchale, King Athelwald Moll is forced from power and succeeded by Alhred.

774AD – KING DRIVEN OUT
(York)
King Alhred is driven out of Northumbria by Athelred,
son of Athelwald Moll.

779AD – CONISCLIFFE MURDERS
(High Coniscliffe)
Athelred has been ousted by a Bernician called Alfwold. A number of royal nobles are murdered at Coniscliffe during the coup.

781AD – CONSECRATION
ON TEES
(Sockburn on Tees)
Higbald has been consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne at Sockburn.

782AD – SCHOLAR LEAVES THE COUNTRY
(York)
Alcuin of York, who has built up a huge library at his school in the city, has left to study at the court of Charlemagne in France.

788AD – BOY KING FLEES
(Chesters near Hadrian’s Wall)
King Alfwold is murdered by his uncle Sicga and buried at Hexham. He is succeeded by his nephew Osred II who flees to the Isle of Man. Athelred begins a second period as King.

789AD – AYCLIFFE MEETINGS
(County Durham)
A Synod has been held at Aycliffe regarding religious matters and discipline. It follows a similar meeting at Aycliffe in 782.

792AD – ATHELRED KILLS RIVALS
(Cumbria)
King Athelred drowns a rival prince in Windermere and beheads Osred II at Maryport on the Cumberland coast.

September 26, 792AD – ROYAL MARRIAGE AT CATTERICK
(North Yorkshire)
Athelred of Northumbria marries the daughter of King Offa of Mercia at Catterick.

June 8, 793AD – VIKINGS RAID ISLAND
(Lindisfarne)
In an unprecedented attack which shocks Europe, a raiding party of Vikings from Norway attack Lindisfarne. Monks flee in fear and many are slaughtered. Bishop Higbald seeks refuge on the mainland. A Chronicler records: “On the 8th June, the harrying of the heathen miserably destroyed God’s church by rapine and slaughter.”

 

KINGDOM AT WAR (Anglo-Saxon period) Other dates
730AD / 750AD / 790AD / 800AD / 840AD

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