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CERDIC

HUSBAND:
CERDIC. First King of the West Saxons. King of Britain. [CHART A1].
Born about 475. Of Saxony. Son of ELSA II (Elesa). In 495 he landed in five ships at a place called Cerdices-ora, on the coast of Hampshire, "and the same day they fought against the Welsh" (Old German for foreigners [wilisc, woelisc] `Saxon Chronicle'.)

In 508 they fought another great battle in which a British king named Natan-leod and five thousand men were slain. "After that the country was named Natan-lea, as far as Cerdices-ford (modern Charford)."

In 514, Cerdic"s nephews, Stuf and Whitgar, arrived at Cerdices-ora with three more ships.

In 519 Cerdic and Cynric are stated to have established the kingdom of the West-Saxons, having defeated the Britons in a great battle at Cerdices-ford (Charford).

He was first crowned king of the West Saxons when the renowned King Arthur, who had his castle on the steep coast of Cornwall, yielded to him the section of country now known as Hampshire and Somerset. (S6).

In 520, being unable to extend west of the Avon, and defeated at Bradbury, Dorset; he withdrew.

In 527 they won another great battle at a place called Cerdices-leah. He shortly gained control of the Roman city of Venta, which under the name of Wintan-ceaster (Winchester), meaning the chester of Venta, became the capital of the West Saxons. He was crowned King of Wessex in 532, though he had been ruling in reality since about 519.

He took Wight from the Jutes about 530.

He died in 534.

CHILDREN
  1. Cynric. Some sources list him as a brother of Creoda, though it is most likely that he is the son of Creoda.(S?).
  2. CREODA


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