938:
513:
499:
the Anglo-Saxon leader to work out a treaty. Vortigern and three hundred
British leaders met with Hengest, supposedly to ratify the treaty, however Hengest's men slaughtered all of Vortigern's companions, after getting them drunk. Vortigern was then coerced into agreeing to a treaty that included the
587:
in East Sussex maintain a tradition that a pre-Saxon earthwork known as Town Creep, situated in Creep Wood which adjoins the two villages, was the site of
Mercredsburn. Oral tradition surviving to the end of the 19th century referred to the earthwork as being the site of a town which was besieged
808:
Sources section p. lxxxvi. "Henry was one of the 'weaver' compilers of whom
Bernard Guenee has written. Taking a phrase from here and a phrase from there, connecting with one there, he wove together a continuous narrative which, derivative though it mostly is, is still very much his own creation
664:
p.71. - "..the repetitious entries for invading ships in the
Chronicle (three ships of Hengest and Horsa; three ships of Ælle; five ships of Cerdic and Cynric; two ships of Port; three ships of Stuf and Wihtgar), drawn from preliterate traditions including bogus eponyms and duplications, might be
550:
at this time. However their culture was largely of an oral tradition and they did not really start writing down legal and historical events until they were evangelised; this would have been the late 7th century for the South Saxons. The early
Christian chroniclers would have taken most of their
528:, a 12th-century historian's version who suggests that when the army of Ælle and his sons engaged with the Britons neither side won and both sides pledged friendship although after the event the Anglo-Saxons sent a request to the German homelands for more troops.
563:
The Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle does not provide any information on the death of Ælle or his succession, but Henry of Huntingdon suggests that Ælle died as the first king of Sussex in 515 and that he was succeeded by his son
818:
Greenway. p.97. Footnote."No genealogy of the South Saxon royal house survives and none seem to have been available to Henry. The death of Ælle and the succession of Cissa are probably deduced from ASC 477 and
472:. The chronicle describes how on landing Ælle slew the local defenders and drove the remainder into the Forest of Andred and then goes on to describe Ælle's battle with the British in 485 near the bank of
185:
651:
Welch.Anglo-Saxon
England p.9.- "When Ælle and his three sons land from three ships on a beach named after one of the sons, we are reading legend rather than history."
464:
The legendary foundation of the
Kingdom of the South Saxons is provided by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, that states that in the year 477 Ælle arrived at a place called
60:
487:, Martin Welch suggests that the area between the Ouse and Cuckmere valleys in Sussex was ceded to the Anglo-Saxons by the British in a treaty settlement.
911:
795:; p. 58. "... they must ultimately have been derived from oral traditions, for the Anglo-Saxons were illiterate at the time of the invasions ..."
178:
1194:
207:
171:
592:
investigated this claim, and subsequently published a paper concluding that the earthwork was a possible location for the battle of
448:
in 485, and
Pevensey in 491. Ælle became the first king of the South Saxons. The Kingdom of Sussex was eventually annexed by the
1199:
387:
1046:
851:
1118:
1170:
1147:
1099:
1025:
986:
195:
33:
1204:
347:
267:
589:
555:. The medieval historians then produced embroidered versions of the chronicles to suit their own purposes.
546:
some four hundred years after the supposed events. There is some evidence that the Anglo-Saxons were using
524:. Other versions of the battle have been derived from more elaborate descriptions, such as the one from
1214:
227:
257:
937:
163:
307:
302:
1189:
580:
382:
232:
596:, and that the modern name, Town Creep, could have an etymology derived from the latter part of
600:, whilst the "burn" (or stream) may refer to The Ashburn stream running beneath the earthwork.
552:
367:
342:
542:
The problem for historians is that the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle was commissioned in the reign of
431:
322:
312:
297:
292:
252:
247:
212:
536:
392:
372:
332:
317:
126:
109:
504:
means "river of the frontier agreed by treaty" is seen as confirmation of this assertion.
8:
525:
337:
282:
222:
520:
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 485, Ælle fought a battle with the British at
377:
362:
277:
951:
1166:
1143:
1095:
1042:
1021:
982:
829:
620:
547:
532:
449:
412:
327:
287:
262:
217:
114:
435:
424:
1065:
890:
543:
357:
1159:
565:
469:
352:
272:
242:
1122:
998:
1183:
855:
484:
75:
62:
491:, a 9th-century Welsh monk and chronicler, describes how the British leader
1209:
411:
was one of three battles fought as part of the conquest of what became the
1078:
1006:
440:
492:
193:
1069:
895:
878:
512:
584:
477:
952:"South Saxons - Aelle's battle of Mearcredesburnan stede in 485AD"
611: meaning "the sea landing stage at the watercress stream".
496:
488:
416:
453:
500:
cession of Sussex to the Anglo-Saxons and the suggestion that
420:
997:
438:
arrived in Sussex with three ships and went on to fight at
551:
references for the early period from oral sources such as
889:. Lewes, Sussex: Sussex Archaeological Society: 168–174.
1056:
Napper, H. F. (1894). "Towncreep: Is it Mercredsburn?".
452:
in the 9th century and went on to become the county of
16:
Battle fought in the conquest of the Kingdom of Sussex
1014:
Henry of Huntingdon (1996). Diana E. Greenway (ed.).
607: was at modern Binstead based on the etymology
588:
and destroyed by the Saxons. In 1896 members of The
1013:
925:. Lewes, Sussex: Sussex Archaeological Society: 267
480:in 491 after which the inhabitants were massacred.
1158:
1108:
1064:. Lewes: Sussex Archaeological Society: 168–174.
197:Anglo-Saxon invasions and the founding of England
1181:
535:even names the leader of the British forces as
798:
1017:Historia Anglorum: the history of the English
179:
1094:. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Woodbridge, Boydell.
1005:. London: G. Bell and Sons Ltd. – via
694:
692:
1157:Welch, Martin (1978). Peter Brandon (ed.).
740:Britannia.com: Timeline of British History.
647:
645:
1161:The South Saxons: Early Anglo-Saxon Sussex
1113:. Translated by Giles, J. A. London: Bohn.
812:
186:
172:
894:
689:
468:with his three sons Cymen, Wlenking, and
1092:An introduction to English runes, 2nd ed
1041:. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
705:
686:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Parker MS. 491AD.
682:
680:
642:
639:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Parker MS. 477 AD.
511:
1076:
785:
714:
674:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Parker MS. 485AD.
576:The location of the battle is unknown.
1182:
1111:Roger of Wendover's Flowers of History
1055:
909:
876:
772:
654:
419:. The battles were fought between the
1156:
1137:
1034:
995:
979:The Sutton Companion to Local History
976:
722:The Sutton Companion to Local History
677:
668:
167:
1089:
1121:. Britannia.com LLC. Archived from
56:Unknown, various locations possible
13:
1195:Battles involving the Anglo-Saxons
14:
1226:
1058:Sussex Archaeological Collections
919:Sussex Archaeological Collections
883:Sussex Archaeological Collections
755:An expanded version of ASC485....
603:There is also a possibility that
95:Uncertain — neither side won
34:Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
936:
879:"Towncreep: Is It Mercredsburn?"
854:. Asburnham Past. Archived from
804:Greenway; Henry of Huntingdon.
749:Greenway; Henry of Huntingdon.
665:considered a poetic convention."
944:
903:
870:
844:
822:
759:
743:
734:
633:
516:17th century depiction of Ælle
1:
1200:Battles involving the Britons
1119:"Timeline of British History"
981:. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
970:
590:Sussex Archaeological Society
459:
558:
531:The 14th century chronicler
427:army and the local Britons.
7:
614:
571:
10:
1231:
1165:. Chichester: Phillimore.
1109:Roger of Wendover (1858).
1090:Page, Raymond Ian (1999).
1035:Jones, Michael E. (1998).
753:; pp. 90-91 and footnote
609:"mære cærses burnan steðe"
228:Treason of the Long Knives
1000:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
730:meaning 'boundary land'."
662:The End of Roman Britain.
507:
205:
149:
136:
120:
103:
39:
31:
23:
1038:The End of Roman Britain
793:The End of Roman Britain
700:Early Anglo-Saxon Sussex
626:
605:"Mearcredesburnan stede"
977:Friar, Stephen (2004).
1205:5th century in England
1083:History of the Britons
517:
121:Commanders and leaders
76:50.930454°N 0.426664°E
1138:Welch, M. G. (1992).
780:Introduction to runes
726:from the Old English
724:. pp.274-275. - "Mere
515:
432:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
213:Groans of the Britons
150:Casualties and losses
1142:. English Heritage.
996:Giles, J.A. (1914).
954:. SaxonHistory.co.uk
910:Napper, H.F (1896).
877:Napper, H.F (1894).
711:Nennius. Ch. 44 - 46
1140:Anglo-Saxon England
1125:on 13 December 2010
858:on 31 December 2012
765:Roger of Wendover.
526:Henry of Huntingdon
476:, and his siege of
81:50.930454; 0.426664
72: /
832:. VillageNet.co.uk
767:Flowers of History
537:Aurelius Ambrosius
518:
483:The historian and
127:Aurelius Ambrosius
1215:Kingdom of Sussex
1048:978-0-8014-8530-5
806:Historia Anglorum
751:Historia Anglorum
621:History of Sussex
533:Roger of Wendover
495:arranged to meet
450:Kingdom of Wessex
413:Kingdom of Sussex
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98:
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1081:(trans.) (ed.).
1077:Nennius (1859).
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1085:. London: Bohn.
1070:10.5284/1086473
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1020:. Oxford: OUP.
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474:Mercredesburne
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446:Mercredesburne
434:, states that
408:Mercredesburne
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26:Mercredesburne
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1172:0-85033-240-0
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1149:0-7134-6566-2
1145:
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1101:0-8511-5946-X
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1027:0-19-822224-6
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988:0-7509-2723-2
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486:
485:archaeologist
481:
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383:Hingston Down
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110:South Britons
108:
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94:
91:
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85:
54:
51:
50:
46:
43:
42:
38:
35:
30:
27:
22:
19:
1160:
1139:
1127:. Retrieved
1123:the original
1110:
1091:
1082:
1061:
1057:
1039:
1036:
1018:
1015:
999:
978:
956:. Retrieved
946:
927:. Retrieved
922:
918:
912:"Town Creep"
905:
886:
882:
872:
860:. Retrieved
856:the original
852:"Ashburnham"
846:
834:. Retrieved
824:
814:
805:
800:
792:
787:
779:
774:
766:
761:
754:
750:
745:
736:
729:
725:
721:
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707:
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656:
635:
608:
604:
602:
597:
594:Mercredsburn
593:
578:
575:
562:
541:
530:
521:
519:
501:
482:
473:
465:
463:
445:
439:
429:
415:in southern
407:
405:
403:
343:Nechtansmere
237:
115:South Saxons
104:Belligerents
32:Part of the
25:
18:
1079:J. A. Giles
958:28 February
862:11 February
836:11 November
782:. pp. 16-19
702:; pp. 24-25
456:, England.
444:in 477 CE,
313:Heavenfield
298:Cefn Digoll
293:Cirencester
253:Alclud Ford
79: /
1184:Categories
1129:8 December
1007:Wikisource
971:References
830:"Penhurst"
598:"Mercrede"
581:Ashburnham
466:Cymenshore
460:Background
441:Cymenshore
406:Battle of
393:Brunanburh
373:Bensington
333:Two Rivers
318:Maserfield
64:50°55′50″N
24:Battle of
559:Aftermath
493:Vortigern
303:Caer-Uisc
283:Degsastan
248:Beranburh
223:Aylesford
67:0°25′36″E
615:See also
585:Penhurst
572:Location
478:Pevensey
388:Scotland
378:Ellandun
363:Hereford
278:Catraeth
208:Timeline
137:Strength
52:Location
929:16 June
791:Jones.
769:; p. 20
720:Friar.
698:Welch.
497:Hengest
489:Nennius
423:leader
417:England
328:Peonnum
323:Winwaed
288:Chester
263:Deorham
218:Guoloph
158:Unknown
155:Unknown
145:Unknown
142:Unknown
1169:
1146:
1098:
1045:
1024:
1002:
985:
819:491.."
778:Page.
660:Jones.
553:poetry
508:Battle
454:Sussex
425:Ælle's
368:Otford
358:Pencon
92:Result
47:485 CE
915:(PDF)
627:Notes
566:Cissa
548:runes
470:Cissa
421:Saxon
353:Hehil
338:Trent
273:Raith
243:Badon
1167:ISBN
1144:ISBN
1131:2010
1096:ISBN
1043:ISBN
1022:ISBN
983:ISBN
960:2023
931:2017
864:2013
838:2021
809:..."
728:mære
583:and
436:Ælle
430:The
404:The
132:Ælle
44:Date
1210:485
1066:doi
891:doi
1186::
1062:39
1060:.
923:40
921:.
917:.
887:39
885:.
881:.
691:^
679:^
644:^
568:.
539:.
1175:.
1152:.
1133:.
1104:.
1072:.
1068::
1051:.
1030:.
1009:.
991:.
962:.
933:.
899:.
893::
866:.
840:.
187:e
180:t
173:v
129:?
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.