7th century in England

Events

c. 600–660

Repton Abbey founded.

601

The Bishopric of Canterbury is raised to an Archbishopric. The future holders of this office, Mellitus, Justus and Honorius, and the future Archbishop of York Paulinus, are sent to England by Pope Gregory I to aid Augustine in his missionary work. Gregory writes the decretal Libellus responsionum to Augustine.

604

The first Bishop of London and Bishop of Rochester are consecrated; King Æthelberht of Kent founds St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London.

King Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira under one ruler to create the Kingdom of Northumbria.

26 May - Death of Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Laurence.

614

Cynegils and Cwichelm of Wessex fight on the same side at Beandun, defeating the Welsh.

616

24 February - Death of Æthelberht of Kent. He is succeeded by Eadbald.

Battle of Chester: King Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeats Powys.

Battle of the River Idle: King Rædwald of East Anglia kills Æthelfrith of Northumbria, and conquers the Kingdom of Elmet.

619

2 February - Death of Laurence, the second Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Mellitus.

624

24 April - Death of Mellitus, the third Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Justus, who dies at a date prior to 631 and is succeeded by Honorius.

625

21 July? - Paulinus consecrated as the first Bishop of York.

627

Paulinus converts Northumbria and the Kingdom of Lindsey to Christianity, baptising King Edwin of Northumbria on 12 April, for which purpose the first (wooden) York Minster is built. Also this year, Paulinus founds St Peter's School, York, which continues in existence into the 21st century.

628

Battle of Cirencester: King Penda of Mercia defeats Wessex and captures lands along the River Severn.

630

King Ricberht of East Anglia dies and is succeeded by Sigeberht who returns from exile in France. He rules together with his kinsman Ecgric, re-establishing Christianity.

King Penda of Mercia besieges Exeter. King Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd lands with a force nearby and negotiates an alliance with Penda.

Eanswith, daughter of king Eadbald of Kent, founds the Benedictine Folkestone Priory, the first nunnery in England.

631

Felix of Burgundy and the Irish monk Fursey convert the Kingdom of East Anglia to Christianity.

633

12 October - Battle of Hatfield Chase (near Doncaster): Gwynedd and Mercia attack and defeat Northumbria; Elmet and Ebrauc temporarily return to Celtic rule.

634

Eanfrith of Bernicia is killed while attempting to negotiate peace with Cadwallon ap Cadfan, King of Gwynedd.

Battle of Heavenfield (near Hexham): Northumbrian forces led by Oswald of Bernicia decisively defeat the larger forces of Gwynedd under Cadwallon (who is killed). Oswald reunites the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira under his single rule.

Aidan founds the priory at Lindisfarne.

635

Birinus, the French-born first Bishop of Dorchester, begins the conversion of Wessex to Christianity. King Cynegils of Wessex is baptised at about this time.

638

King Oswald of Northumbria captures Edinburgh.

640

20 January - Death of Eadbald of Kent. He is succeeded by his son Eorcenberht.

642

5 August - Battle of Maserfield: King Penda of Mercia kills Oswald of Northumbria and divides his realm. Oswald's brother Oswiu becomes king of Bernicia, subject to Penda.

643

Widsith, the earliest surviving example of English heroic prose, is composed.

649

3 December - Death of Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, in his Wessex diocese; he is succeeded by Agilbert.

652

Cenwalh of Wessex wins a battle at Bradford-on-Avon.

653

Sigeberht the Good succeeds Sigeberht the Little as king of Essex.

The Northumbrian monk Cedd begins the conversion of Mercia and Essex to Christianity at the request of Sigeberht the Good.

30 September - Death of Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury.

653 or 654

Battle of Bulcamp (near Blythburgh): King Anna of East Anglia is killed by Penda of Mercia and succeeded by his brother Æthelhere of East Anglia.

654

Bishop Cedd establishes the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall near Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex.

655

March - Deusdedit is consecrated as the first native-born Archbishop of Canterbury.

15 November - Battle of the Winwaed: King Oswiu of Bernicia kills King Penda of Mercia, giving himself rule over all of Northumbria and Mercia. He installs Penda's son Peada as client king of Mercia south of the River Trent. Æthelhere of East Anglia is also killed in the battle and succeeded by his brother Æthelwold.

656

Easter - Peada of Mercia is killed through the treachery of his wife (Oswiu's daughter).

Approximate date - Foundation of Medeshamstede Abbey (predecessor of Peterborough) in Mercia under Seaxwulf.

657

Hilda founds Whitby Abbey.

658

(Between 657 and 659) - Three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebel against Northumbrian rule and instal Wulfhere (Peada's brother) as king of all Mercia, its first Christian ruler.

Battle of Peonnum: King Cenwalh of Wessex conquers Dorset and Somerset, pushing the Britons into Devon and Cornwall.

660

First Bishop of Winchester (Wine) consecrated.

661

Battle of Posbury: King Cenwalh of Wessex invades Dumnonia (South West England). He is victorious over the native Briton tribes near Crediton in Devon and drives them to the coast.

King Wulfhere of Mercia and his army sack the Berkshire Downs (south of Thame) and move south to conquer the Meonwara and the Isle of Wight.

Wulfhere appoints Æthelwealh as king of Sussex and is baptised in Mercia. He receives the recently conquered territories in modern-day Hampshire.

663

(After 658 and shortly before 664) - Wilfrid is granted the abbacy of Ripon by Alhfrith of Deira, ejects the previous abbot and other monks (including Cuthbert) who will not observe the customs of Rome and introduces the Rule of Saint Benedict.

664

Synod of Whitby: King Oswiu of Northumbria rules that his kingdom will calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome rather than those of Celtic Christianity.

14 July

Approximate date - Death of Deusdedit, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Wighard who dies before his consecration and is succeeded by Theodore of Tarsus.

Death of Eorcenberht of Kent.

665

Approximate date - Wilfrid is elevated to a bishopric in Northumbria but travels to Compiègne to be consecrated.

669

Theodore of Tarsus enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury and tasked with re-organising the English Church.

Wilfrid is installed as Bishop of York.

First Bishop of Mercia (Diuma) consecrated, with his seat at Repton.

670

15 February - Oswiu of Northumbria dies. He is succeeded as King of Bernicia by his elder son, Ecgfrith, and as King of Deira by his younger son, Ælfwine.

672

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria defeats the Picts.

26 September - Synod of Hertford gives the Archbishop of Canterbury authority over the whole of the English Church.

674

Construction of Ripon Minster, in the Italian style, begins.

Benedict Biscop founds Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey.

675

Church of All Hallows established in the City of London.

676

First Bishop of Hereford (Putta) consecrated.

677

Wilfrid, the Bishop of York, expelled from Northumbria after resisting re-organisation of the Church.

678

Battle of the River Trent: Mercia defeats Northumbrian invasion.

680

Wilfrid converts the last Saxon pagan realm, the Kingdom of Sussex, to Christianity.

First Bishop of Worcester (Bosel) consecrated.

681

Centwine of Wessex pursues the Britons to the sea.

684

Cuthbert becomes Bishop of Hexham.

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria campaigns in Ireland.

685

20 May - Battle of Dun Nechtain: Picts kill Ecgfrith of Northumbria near Dunnichen in Scotland, ending Saxon rule north of the River Forth.

King Cædwalla of Wessex takes control of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and the Isle of Wight.

688

Cædwalla baptised in Rome, but dies shortly after and is succeeded by Ine.

Re-foundation of Glastonbury Abbey.

690

19 September - Death of Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is succeeded by Berhtwald.

691

Wilfrid exiled again, to Mercia.

694

King Ine of Wessex writes a new code of laws.

698

Creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels perhaps begins; its creator Eadfrith becomes Bishop of Lindisfarne probably in this year.