There is neither an authentic king list for Sussex nor a chronicle. This article has been compiled, based on material from Rulers of the South Saxons before 825, D.Slaughter, to present a feasible reconstruction of South Saxon dynastic history as an alternative to the blank canvas and obscurity.

a] Archaeological evidence from excavation between the Ouse and the Cuckmere suggests that the South Saxon story began around the 420's, well back in the time of Late Antiquity. These early Saxon settlers might have included the descendants of Roman confederates who could speak some Latin. They would have been allowed to the Vortigern or High King of the Britons. Nennius recorded that after the influx of the Adventus around 449x450 that the Jutish Hengist was able to capture Vortigern (i.e. the High King) through an act of murderous treachery. Some scholars date this event to around 455 [1]. The price paid for the High King's release included granting freedom to the South Saxons. Therefore about half way through the sixth decade of the fifth century the earliest south Saxons would have achieved the independence to be ruled by their own aldermen. Amongst these aldermen could well have been the kindred of the South Saxon Aelle. In 477, the year in which the King Gaiseric of the Vandals died, Aelle landed near Selsy Bill. By 491, according to tradition, he had conquered the coastal strip before turning his attention to the destruction of Anderitum.

b] The coast of Sussex in the fifth century resembled something like a mini-Norway. To the west Thorney was an actual island and Hayling is believed to have been larger than it is today. The area round Selsey was almost an island and Pagham Harbour much larger. The Owers (supposedly Cymenesora) were already flooded by the sea, as was the Roman quarry at the Mixen Hole. The Arun was vey wide and the flood plains of the Adur and the Ouse were filled with sea water. Cuckmere Haven was a harbour basin and from this point the coast curved round to the large sea bay of the Pevensey Levels. Here there were numerous islands. Aelle's early coastal strip would have been protected by the South Downs, assuming that their northerly slopes were held by the Saxons, and as these hills veered towards Beachy Head they would have sheltered the Ouse waterway, which also contained islands. Just up the coast from here was a nascent Jutish settlement centred on Hastings before one reached the sea encircling the former islands of Old Winchelsea and Rye. The estuary of the Eastern Rother was much further upstream. Beyond this geography was the thickly forested Weald, Anderida, the woodlands of ash, oak and deer [3].

c] Understanding this fifth century coast and the patronymic place names connected with it can help us answer an enigma. How was Cissa able to make Chichester his royal centre and reign over his kingdom from the old roman civitas? Before he became a unitary or dominant king in 514, there must have been other Aellingas chieftaindoms, or aldermanries held by Cissa's closest kinsmen, along this deeply indented coast. About half way between the Adur and the Haestingas would have been the Ouse waterway with a sea filled Cuckmere Haven, just to the east. For Sussex to have been ruled from Chicheter the Ouse waterway must have been to be guaranteed for the King. Cissa established his son Wine Cissing (a name later corrupted to Wincheling) on the original island of Winchelsea, where the sea came into a firth nearby the Jutish Haestingas. In terms of Anglo-Saxon dynastic naming patterns three aldermen are revealed, in the names of settlements which would have been of strategic value on the coast, as strong candidates for having been Cissa Aelling's kinsmen. They are Maelle of South Malling, Cidda of Chiddingly and Cilda of East Chiltington. The latter chieftaindoms, together with South Malling founded at the head of the central seaway which is now the Ouse flood plain, were in the right location to have formed a cluster of Aellingas power in East Sussex [4].

The Anglo-saxon Chronicles list those kings who held the status of the Bretwalda. The list is headed by Aelle as King of the South Saxons. However, Bede recorded that the ancestral Saxons did not have kings, instead they elected an alderman to lead them in a time of war. Therefore Aelle has been regarded as a warlord bretwalda in this reconstructed list of South Saxon rulers. If we accept Roger of Wendover's date, 514, for Aelle's death and that Cissa reached his maturity aged 14 in 491 as was once the custom [5], the year in which he and his father destroyed the Roman fort at Pevensey, then Cissa could have ruled for 76 years as implied by Roger of Wendover. The Wendover text regarding Cissa simply needs emending from 'died in 590' to 'died aged 90, in other words in 567. This would give Cissa a reign as co-warlord and then as King of the South Saxons from 491 till 567. Individuals living in a pre-industrial society could survive to a great age, the Caerleon Roman army veteran, Julius Valens, lived to be 100 [6]. On King Cissa's death Roger of Wendover tells us that the Kingdom in Sussex was devolved on Ceawlin of Wessex.

Sussex was at one time divided into rapes, corresponding to the four rivers which divide the old county. It is conceivable that the rapes date back to the time of Aelle and that the word derives from an Old English 'raepsan' meaning to seize [7], in this case territory seized from the Britons. Raepsan was evidently later corrupted under Viking influence to 'hreppr' meaning a share [8], as of territory. The idea that locally powerful rulers apportioned the south Saxon tribal area between them is both logical and realistic. If Cissa had the confidence to set up his royal centre at the old civitas of Noviomagus Reginorum, renamed Cissan Ceaster (now Chichester), then he must felt certain of Aellingas power spread across a terrain with a deeply indented coast in the sixth century. Feasibly, the descendents of these loyal chieftains could have formed an agnatic witenagemot whose descent could be traced directly back to Aelle and Wlanca. Indeed, since Wlanca's son Cymen Wlencig was recorded as Aelle's two eldest sons, he can probably be regarded as a nephew. If we accept, on the basis of a common practice of pairing elements in the names of siblings, then the name Maelle stands out as appropriate for a brother of Aelle. On this basis a tentative list of power centres across the old county can be drawn up as follows; Chichester, Lancing, South Malling at the head of the Ouse flood plain and Winchelsea, the latter founded by Wine Cissing. If we also accept, on the evidence of Anglo-Saxon naming patterns from generations before Aelfred, that Cidda and Cilda are names appropriate for Cissa's actual brothers, apparently he had two [9], then we could be looking at East Chiltington and Chiddingly as part of a cluster Aellean chieftaindoms in East Sussex. These settlements were founded adjacent to South Malling which was at the head of the fifth and sixth century sea inlet now known as the Ouse flood plain. Malling, or Maelling, would have been about half way between the Adur estuary and an expansive Pevensey Bay.

When the South Saxons were converted to Chritianity by Bishop Wilfrid of York in the 680's, Bede infers that it was the leading martial aldermen who were baptised first. The presence of such men appears to confirm that there was a senior group of local rulers who would have been candidates for an hereditary witan. This circumstance indicates that any king in Sussex or West Saxon overlord, would have been obliged to share regnality with a body of senior-ranking aldermen who led the native chieftains. This would have been cause enough for Ceolwulf of Wessex, who is noted in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles as an aggressive king, to fight the South Saxons in 607, although nothing seems to have been resolved by the conflict.

The ending of the Devolvement points to Penda of Mercia when he invaded Wessex in 645 on account of Cenwalh having divorced his sister. Aethelwalh was King of the South Saxons by 661 and Cenwalh of Wessex was unlikely to have chosen to end the devolved status of his satelite kingdom in Sussex. In an age when recompense for a plaintive was settled according to the rank of the offended party, Penda would have been entirely justified in depriving Cenwalh of Sussex since Penda's own kinswoman had been deprived of royal marital status. An obvious way for Penda to have found justice for his sister would have been to install Aethelwalh as King of the South Saxons. Kelly notes that we do not know who was Aethelwalh's father, but we may have a strong clue. If we add Aethelwalh's name to those of King Cynegils younger sons, we discover the following, typical Anglo-Saxon dynastic naming pattern: Cenwealh (Brave Briton), Aethelwealh (Noble Briton), Centwine (Cornish Kenwyn or Bright Chieftain) and Aethelwine (Noble Friend). To the point here is that St. Aethelwine decided to become a hermit on the Isle of Athelney which was near a West British community, Britons who would have been able to help sustain him.

If the pagan Aethelwalh married the Christian Eafe of Hicce in 661, perhaps on the insistance of the Christian Wulfhere, after the Mercian had established his ascendency over Sussex, Aethelwalh would hardly have been a youth as Cenwalh's next brother. This means that Watt, Berhthun, Andhun and Bryni, all men who held very high status during their lives, Watt became a king, were possibly Aethelwalh's natural sons by a concubine. Moreover their names alliterate which strongly suggests they were in fact brothers. In 661 Aethelwalh received from Wulfhere the province Meonware and, most likely, King Arwald's Isle of Wight at the same time. These former territories of Wessex were ceded to Aethelwalh as a baptismal gift from Wulfhere, who stood as Aethelwalh's godfather when the South Saxon king was baptised. Legend has it that Aethelwalh and a son, whose name is not known, were killed by Caedwalla on the Isle of Wight. Some scholars date Aethelwalh's assassination as having occured in 685 [10].

The chroniclers confirm that Nothhelm or Nunna and Ine were kinsmen. The single consonantal element of 'N' in the forms Nunna and Ine suggest that they would have been consanguinal relatives. This matter is solved if the sons of Cuthwulf Cuthwining were Ceowald and the Under-King Ecgwald [11]. We can then view Nothhelm and his sister Nothgyth as the children of Ecgwald and Ecgwald as Ine's great uncle. The next dilemma is the relationship, going by the naming patterns of the house of Hwicce, between the AETHEL- and th OS- dynasties in Sussex. The connection with Hwicce of the AETHEL- dynasty was through Eafe, but what of the OS- dynasty? This matter can easily be resolved if we regard the Sussex Queen Aethelthryth as the daughter of Aethelwalh by Eafe and the eventual wife of Nothhelm, by whom the latter started the OS- dynasty. Kelly points out that Osric must have been an alderman of high status at King Nothhelm's court and he cetainly would have been as King Nothhelm's son. We may suppose that although Ine tolerated a South Saxon diocese of Selsy in ?705 and chose Nothhelm as his ally against King Geraint of Dumnovia in 710, he would have maintained the practice, suggested by Kelly, of West Saxon appointments in Sussex. It appears that Osric was passed over for kingship after Nothhelm's death and Aethelberht was chosen instead. We can understand this more readily if we accept that Aethelberht was the son of King Aethelstan (Nothhelm's last co-ruler) and the grandson of Aethelwalh.

A case can be made for Ealdberht's two rebellions against King Ine, in 722 and 725, being about kingship in Sussex. If we accept that Ealdwulf was a member of the AETHEL- dynasty and that his name indicates his having been a brother of the Sussex Aethelberht, then we can understand Ealdberht's dissidence in the following terms. By 722 King Nothhelm had died and Aethelberht appointed as King in Sussex to co-rule with an older male relative, King Aethelstan. Ealdberht objects because he has not been given Kingship along with his brother, although Aethelstan is still alive and Ine's previous policy has been to appoint only two co-rulers in Sussex not three. Ealdberht, who has now been exiled because of his attitude towards Ine, is on the run but manages to escape to the South Saxons. Ine defeats Ealdberht but peace is brokered between king and rebel, perhaps through Aethelstan as Ealdberht's father. By 725 Aethelstan also had died leaving Aethelberht as the unitary king. Ine's inaction to appoint another co-ruler incites Ealdberht to rebel again. In this second insurrection, as before, Ealdberht and his South Saxons are defeated and Ealdberht is killed. When King Aethelberht eventually begat a son the boy was called Ealdwulf. It was not unusual for a nephew to be named after his uncle, however there could have been an added poignancy with the naming of Ealdwulf. Ealdwulf's second surviving charter, as Duke of the South Saxons, was witnessed by an alderman called Aethelwulf, whose name indicates that he was probably Ealdwulf's brother.

The Compiler of the Worcester Chronicle recorded that Aethelberht of the South Saxons died in 758. Aethelberht had quite possibly reached his early sixties by this time. Osmund was said to have been King of the South Saxons in 760. However, cartulary evidence reveals that there were three other kings in Sussex at the same time, Ealdberht, Aelfwald and Oslac. Plural kingship in Anglo-saxon kingdoms was far from uncommon. Kingship shared between two co-rulers, particularly between compatible kinsmen, appears to have resulted in reasonably stable regimes. However four kings in Sussex did not produce a long lasting arrangement. After some fourteen years of this royal quarternity Offa was able to make a swift conquest of Sussex in 772. The kings were deposed and re-installed, it would seem by turn, as Dukes of the South Saxons. They were Oswald, Oslac and Ealdwulf. Offa died in 796 and Sussex, as a Mercian province, was ruled by his successors. However, in 825 Sussex made her submission to Wessex. The South Saxon aldermen who submitted to King Ecgberht's atheling, Aethelwulf, might have sworn their allegience at the altar of St Cuthman's church in Steyning, since it was here that the retired King Aethelwulf was later buried in 860.

Ancestral Rulers in Sussex c?420 until 477 [12]

Saxon Colony between the Ouse and Cukmere, circa ?420 until 477, with Lancing Aldermanry of Wlanca (father of Cymen Wlencing) from about 450x?455. Under the Vortigern (High-King of the Britons), about ?430-?455. Independent Aldermanic Rule, about ?455-?477. For a possible example (Hailsham): The ?Hegelig under Alderman ?Hegel, about ?455-?475. The ?Hegeling under Alderman Aelle, about ?475-477.

The Aellean Warlordship [13].

Aelle, 477-491, Warlord and first Bretwalda.

Aelle and Cissa, 491-514, Warlord-Bretwalda and Co-warlord.

The Cissan Kingdom [14].

Cissa alone, 514-circa ?518, Unitary King.

Cissa and Wine Cissing, circa ?518-died 567, Unitary king and royal alderman

Cissa alone, 563-567, Unitary King.

Devolvement on Wessex from 567, following the traditional king list of Wessex [15].

King King Ceawlin of Wessex, 567-592, as first guardian overlord.

King Ceol of Wessex 592-597, as second guardian overlord.

king Ceolwulf of Wessex 597-611, as third guardian overlord.

King Cynegils of Wessex 611-643, as fourth guardian overlord.

King Cenwalh of Wessex 643-645, as fifth guardian overlord.

The Realm of the Two Dynasties ?645-772. # Denotes ?West Saxon appointments [16].

Aethelwalh about 645-685, Unitary King.

Berhtun/Andhun, around 685-686, Co-ruling Royal Aldermen.

Ecgwald#, around 686-688, Caedwalla’s Under-king.

Nothhelm#/Watt#, around 688-700, Dominant and Co-ruling King.

Nothhelm/Aethelstan#, around 700-722, Dominant and Co-ruling King. Aethelberht#/Aethelstan, around 722-725, Dominant and Co-ruling King.

Aethelberht, around 725-758, Unitary King.

Osmund and Ealdwulf , Aelfwald and Oslac ?758-772, Dominant King and three co-rulers.

The Rule of Offa II, King of the Mercia 772-796.

The Dukes of the South Saxons under King Offa who died in 796. It appears that Offa would appoint a succeeding duke after the death of his predecessor. List developed from South Saxon charters and Anglo-Saxon dynastic naming patterns.

Oswald, 772-?780, First Duke.

Oslac, ?780-before 786, Second Duke.

Ealdwulf, before 786-after 791.

The Mercian Rulers of the South Saxons 772-825.[17]

Offa II20:52, 772-787, Unitary King.

Offa II and Ecgfrith, 787-796, Dominant King and Co-ruler.

Ecgfrith, 141 days in 796, Unitary King.

Ceonwulf, 796-821, Unitary King.

Ceolwulf, 821-823, Unitary King.

Beornwulf, 823-825, Unitary King.

[1] Kessler History Files, Chronology of Britain and Ireland.

[2] Charters of Selsey (for map of West Sussex 7th-8th centuries), S.Kelly, i998.

Villagenet website for maps of the 5th-6th century coast of Sussex.

Murray's Classical Atlas for Schools (for map of Roman Britain), edited by G.B.Grundy, reprint 1973.

[3] Anderida, compare Old Welsh 'ynn+deri+dân' meaning 'ash trees/oak trees/deer'. Old Welsh form from Rulers of the South saxons before 825, D.Slaughter (Llenor of the Weslh Gorsedd), 2009

[4] Rulers of the South Saxons before 825, D.Slaughter (Llenor of the Welsh Gorsedd), 2009.

[5] Leges Wallicae, W.Wotton and M.Williams, 1730.

[6] Roman Britain, Guy de la Bédoyèr, 2006.

[7] Bosworth and Toller, J.Burton and others, 2001.

[8] Germanic Lexigon Project, as [7].

[9] According to the A-S Chronicles Cissa had two brothers, Cymen and Wlencing, but Cymen is better undertood as Wlanca's son, i.e. Cymen Wlencing. If Cymen was later confused Aelle's sons, he was, quite possibly, Aelle's nephew or a much younger first cousin.

[10] Northvegr website, Bede's Ecclesiastical History.

[11] Caedwalla's South Saxon charter, archives of Christ Church, Canterbury.

[12] ANCESTRAL RULERS.

List and genealogy developed from archaeological evidence, Nennius, patronymic place names in England (J.B.Johnston, 1914) and Holland (Wapedia), Kessler History Files, and Old English inflections (University of Calgary. GENEALOGY: Hegel (Hailsham), feasibly emigrated from Ellemmet or Ellewoutsdijk in southern Holland, father of Aelle (Hayling Island) and possibly Maelle (South Malling).

[13]AELLEAN WARLORDSHIP.

List and genealogy developed from A-S Chronicles, Roger of Wendover, pairing of elements in sibling names from published genealogies, Swanton 1996, W.Motague-Smith 1986 and in Beowulf, K.Crosslet-Holland 1973, plus the fifth-sixth century coastline of Sussex as [2]. Also Leges Wallicae as [5]. In her book, Charters of Selsey, Dr Susan Kelly discusses Aelle as a credible historical figure. GENEALOGY: ?brothers, Aelle (Chichester Harbour) and Maelle (Ouse floodplane). Aelle father of Cissa (born 477/died 567, Chichester), ?Cidda (Chiddingly) and ?Cilda (East Chiltington). Cissa father of Wine Cissing (died 563, Winchelsea). Also, Wlanca (Lancing) father of Cymen Wlencing (?Old Shoreham). NOTE: There is a case for Aelle's landing near Selsey Bill in 477 to have become associated with a later landing near Old Shoreham (Cymenes Oraham), after the battle of Mearcred's Burn in 485, involving Aelle and Cymen Wlencing with the 9yr old Cissa in train.

[14] CISSAN KINGDOM.

Developed from Roger of Wendover, with an emendation to the Wendover text regarding Cissa from 'died in 590' to 'died aged 90', and kelly's Post Office Directory (Winchelsea, Sussex) 1867. NOTE: Roger of Wendover's statement that on Cissa's death the Kingdom of Sussex devolved on Ceawlin of Wessex, brother of Cutha and father of Cuthwine. Cuthwine's name is appropriate for his having been the grandson of Wine Cissing. [15] Kings and Queens, D.Lambert and R.Gray, 1991.

[16] REALM OF THE TWO DYNASTIES.

List and genealogy developed from Bede, A-S Chronicles, dynastic naming patterns in published genealogies, Swanton and Motague-smith and others, and pronounciation of Old English, University of Calgary.

GENEALOGIES

a] Nothhelm son of Ecgwald and nephew of Ceowald, the grandfather of Ine. b] AETHEL- dynasty > Aethelwalh (brother of Cenwalh) father of Aethelthryth and Aethelstan by Eafe of Hwicce, Aethelstan father of Aethelberht and Ealdberht the Exile, Aethelberht the father of Ealdwulf and Aethelwulf. If we accept that Ealdberht was the son of Aethelstan we have an obvious reason for his rebellion, Kingship. c] Watt, Berhthun, Andhun and Bryni had alliterating names suggesting that they were brothers viz: (w)-t/b-rht-n/nd-n/br-n. d] OS- dynasty > Osric (brother of Bishop Osa) father of Osmund, Oswald, Aelfwald and Oslac. The OS- dynasty had a similar pattern as the House of Hwicce. This connection is best explained if we accept that 1) Queen Aethelthryth (of Sussex) was a daughter of Aethelwalh by Eafe, that 2) she was the wife of Nothhelm and and that 3) their heir was Alderman Osric. NOTE: Aethelwalh was king in 661 (A-S Chronicles) so by this time the Devolvement had ended. It is unlikely that Cenwalh woud have released Sussex from her devolved status; the obvious candidate for ending the Devolvement would have been Penda (a known kingmaker), when he invaded Wessex to avenge his sister in 645.

[17] MERCIAN RULERS OF SUSSEX.

Traditional king list, as for [15]. NOTE: When Aethelwulf, the Atheling of Wessex, accepted the surrender of Sussex from a South Saxon delegation in 825, their allegiance to his father, King Ecgberht, might have been sworn before the altar of St. Cuthman's in Steyning. It was here that the retired King Aethelwulf was later buried in 860.