Cynric (Wessex) of the West Saxons (abt. 510 - abt. 560)

Born about 0510 in Wessex, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 0560 at about age 50 in Wessex, England

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Cynric (Wessex) of the West Saxons is a member of the House of Wessex.

Cynric (Wessex) of the West Saxons was a member of aristocracy in ancient Europe. Join: Medieval Project Discuss: medieval

Biography

Birth and Parents

In the Annals of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Cynric is named as the son of Cerdic. In the Regnal List in the preface to the Chronicles, he is named as son of Creoda (who does not figure in the annals at all) and grandson of Cerdic.^[1]

Cawley notes that according to the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, Cynric was the son of Creoda, son of Cerdic, although if this was correct it would be unlikely that the reports in the Chronicle of Cerdic and Cynric having operated together over nearly forty years were accurate. ^[2]

477 Birth Year Estimation

He first appears in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle in the year 495, where he accompanies his father to Britain with 5 ships and engages in battle with the Welsh on the same day. ^[3] Assuming Cynric was no younger than 18 when he fought the Welsh in 495, place his birth year at 477. Since the Chronicle gives his death at 560, this makes him aged 83 at his death; not impossible, but rare in an era when the life expectancy for males was about 35. The Chronicle also has him engaged in battle in 552, when he would have been 75. At best this might be interpreted as a battle fought in the name of, or at the behest of, their aging king.

Cawley notes that If the dates of all the events reported [by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle] are correct, Cynric would have had what appears to be an impossibly long active career, which throws much of the information into doubt. ^[2]

Swanson notes that Version B C E of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle add an extra generation between Cerdic and Cynric, Creoda. ^[4] Frank Reno builds on this by assuming a transcription error and that the earlier adventures of Cynric were actually the adventures of Creoda, named as Cynric's father named in the regnal list. This solves the dating issue by adding an extra generation, but replaces the extant record with conjecture. ^[5]

495 Arrival and Battle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "two princes, Cerdic and Cynric his son" landed in Britain in 495 at "Certicesora" and fought "against the Welsh" on the same day. ^[6] Cawley notes that the place has not been identified.

Against the date 495AD the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says "Here two chieftains, Cerdic and Cynric, his son, came to Britain with 5 ships" ^[1]

508 Battle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Cerdic and Cynric slew a Welsh king…Nazaleod" in 508 ^[6]

519 Joint King of the West Saxons

Cynric ruled from 519 as Cynric King of the West Saxons, jointly with Cerdic, since the entry for the year 519 reports . "Cerdic and Cynric obtained the kingdom of the West Saxons". The same year "Cerdic and Cynric" fought "the Britons" at "Cerdicesford" ^[6]

527 Battle at Cerdiceslaeg

In 527 "Cerdic and Cynric" fought "the Britons" at "Cerdiceslaeg" and in 530 captured the Isle of Wight. ^[6]

534 Death of Cerdic

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that "his son Cynric" continued to reign for 26 years after the death of "Cerdic" in 534. ^[6]

Cynric of Wessex ruled as king of Wessex from 534 to 560. ^[1]

552 Battle at Old Sarum

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Cynric" fought the Britons in 552 at "Searoburh" [Old Sarum] and then also at "Beranburh" [Barbury castle. ^[6]

During his reign he is said to have captured Searobyrig or Old Sarum, near Salisbury, in 552, and that in 556 he and his son Ceawlin won a battle against the Britons at Beranburh, now identified as Barbury Castle.^[7]

560 Death

Cynric died about 560. Cawley notes that the date of Cynric's death is based on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle specifying that "Ceawlin obtained the kingdom of Wessex" in 560 ^[8] Cawley also notes that Roger of Wendover records the death in 559 of "Kenricus rex occidentalium Saxonum". ^[9]

Henry of Huntingdon records that "Certic primus rex Westsexe…Kinric filius eius" ruled for twenty-six years. ^[10] This is consistent with the time between the death of Cerdic in 534 and the death of Cynric in 560.

Issue

Cynric had one child of record:

1. Cutha, who died after 597. Cawley notes that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle names "Cutha son of Cynric" when recording the accession of the former’s son "Ceolwulf" in 597. ^[6]

Research Notes

Moalda the Stout

Popular genealogies sometimes name him as father of Moalda the Stout, wife of Halfdan the Valiant Haraldsson and mother of Ivar Vidfane probably caused by a mis-reading of the source which has made her Moalda Kinriksdottir. (see argument on her profile).

EuroAristo Project Note

Roger is currently (20130726) identifying Cynric's father (or perhaps grandfather, or perhaps neither) Cerdic as the upper limit of Wessex management. Filiations which are probably legendary will be treated as real, with notes to that effect in the biographies of Cerdic's "descendants."

No mother or spouses are reliably attested for Cynric. Any linking of a mother or a spouse without the express agreement of the EuroAristo project in the G2G forum will be disconnected.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles Translated and edited by Michael Swanson. Phoenix Press ISBN 1 84212 003 4 The Winchester Manuscript Page 15
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Charles Cawley. Medieval Lands: A Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families, Online at Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Website.Cynric Accessed 9/15/2019 jhd
3. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Everyman Press Edition, London, 1912, translated from the Anglo-Saxon by Rev. James Ingram, London, 1823. Page 23 Accessed 9/14/2019 jhd
4. ↑ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles Translated and edited by Michael Swanson. Phoenix Press ISBN 1 84212 003 4 The Winchester Manuscript Page 66 note
5. ↑ Reno, F. (1996). The Historic King Arthur: Authenticating the Celtic Hero of Post-Roman Britain, (pp.62-65). McFarland. Google Books.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6} Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, A and E. Cited by Cawley
7. ↑ Wikipedia: Barbury_Castle
8. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, E, cited by Cawley
9. ↑ Roger of Wendover, Vol. I, p. 80, cited by Cawley
10. ↑ Henrici Huntendunensis, II, 19, p. 50. Cited by Cawley

See also

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Cynric (fl. 6th cent.) Subscription needed or British Library card number

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Archive: Cynric d560 Subscription needed or British Library card number

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynric_of_Wessex

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Of Denmark-43 created through the import of YOUNG.ged on Jul 12, 2011 by Zak Young.
• This person was created through the import of David Rentschler Family Tree_2010-09-30.ged on 01 October 2010.