Overview.
The Anglo-Saxon period, although listed under one heading, is best viewed as four distinct periods of the history of England, Sub-Roman; Early, Middle and Late Anglo-Saxon.
As the Roman occupation came to an end Britain entered a period, sometimes described as Sub-Roman, when the Romano-British leadership gradually assumed full reponsibility for the security of Britain. This was gradually replaced by the an Early Anglo-Saxon period with increasing immigration and domination by the various peoples of mainland Europe, particularly the Angles and Saxons. This period lasted for approximately two hundred years by which time England was effectively ruled by a number of Anglo-Saxon "Kings". The Middle Anglo-Saxon period lasted approximately 200 to 250 years during which each "King" attempted to increase the area under his control by invading his neighbours. In effect a perpetual state of war existed with the borders in a state of flux.
In A.D.865, the Danes, who had previously mounted raids of increasing size and ferocity, launched a full-scale invasion. After a period of warfare a border was drawn whereby the Danes ruled all of Eastern and a large portion of Middle England, known as the Danelaw, and the Anglo-Saxons retained the remaining portion of Middle England and the West. This situation allowed peace for a time but in the early Tenth century the region controlled by the Anglo-Saxons was expanded to include the East Midlands and East Anglia. By A.D.924 an Anglo-Saxon King ruled all of England south of the Humber. During the period A.D.1013 to 1014, the Danes attempted to re-instate their rule but gave up following the death of their leader. In A.D.1014 Cnut, now the King of Denmark, invaded and took control of the whole of England except the region of Wessex, which he eventually took. The Danes retained control until A.D.1042 when an Anglo-Saxon King, Edward the Confessor, was installed and ruled until 1066.
Anglo-Saxon Britain.
The Anglo-Saxon domination of England could possibly, if not probably, have been initiated by the Roman army and it standard procedures. Records indicate that the first organised groups of Europeans to arrive were eight cohorts of Batavian troops, attached to the 14th Legion, as Auxiliaries in A.D.43. It was a standard procedure, adopted by the Roman army, to allow members of the conquored territories join the Roman army, either as auxiliary troops or as regular soldiers in a legion. By this means they could become full Roman citizens at the end of their service. While serving, it was not unusual for a soldier to take a wife and raise a family in the area where he served. Upon retirement many of these fully-trained and experienced soldiers remained, often in retirement communities (Colonae). As the legions of the Roman army were gradually withdrawn to deal with rebellion and invasion in mainland Europe the security of Britain fell upon the Romano-British leadership. It is not unreasonable to assume that initially they would have seen these retired soldiers and their families as a ready source of military support. Gradually, however, increasing numbers of migrants, now grouped together as the Anglo-Saxons, arrived on the East coast as part of the general movement of the Germanic peoples around Europe. (The European Migration Period).
As inceasing numbers of migrants arrived there was a steady movement of migrants westward, increasing pressure on the Romano-British natives, and, eventually, fighting occured between the two groups in locations around Britain. There was a temporary lull following the Battle of Mount Badon, c 500, but Anglo-Saxons took control of what is now Sussex, Kent, East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire and the West-Saxons took Hampshire. Following this lull the West-Saxons occupied and lost Cirencester, Gloucester and Bath which area was then reoccupied by the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia. By c.800 the Anglo-Saxons occupied and ruled the whole of England and part of Scotland, from the Forth to the English Channel, except for Wales and the West Country.
Anglo-Saxon Britain c.800 (in Red)
Anglo-Saxon Lincolnshire.
Unlike most of England, the gradual movement from Romano-British to Anglo-Saxon control would appear to have been relatively peaceful. The reasons for this can not be confirmed but the following explanations have been put forward by various sources.
Lincoln was a Colonia and the capital of the Roman province of Flavia Caesariensis and, as such, it would have retained its defences and a certain level of military organisation and support. The withdrawal of the Roman legions was not a sudden event but a gradual departure to deal with other problems in the Empire, with the vacuum being filled by increasing levels of local provision. The gradual increase in the number of Anglo-saxon immigrants into the Lincolnshire area would have been dealt with by the local Romano-British as a normal occurance and, in line with the standard procedures of the Roman Army, many of the young men may well been have recruited as auxiliary troops. As attacks and invasion became more prevalent due to the gradual collapse of the Roman empire more anglo-saxon immigrants were encouraged to be used as a defensive bulwark against such raids by the Vikings and similar groups by encouraging their settlement in the more outlying and at-risk areas of Lincolnshire. As more anglo-saxons arrived and settled it would seem reasonable to assume there would be a very normal and gradual intermingling of the peoples, natural leaders would come to the fore and Lincolnshire would become more "Angle-ised". By the end of this phase, in approximately AD600, a number of kingdoms, ruled by an Anglo-saxon hierarchy, had developed and the minor kingdom of Lindsey had replaced the Roman province.
The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey.
(Note the position of the Anglo-saxon cemeteries)
As each kingdom developed each ruler attempted to increase the size of their domain resulting in open warfare, the main protagonists being the major kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. Because of its position, much of this warfare and movement occurred in or across the kingdom of Lindsey. Raedwald, of East Anglia, Edwin and Oswald, of Northumbria and Penda, of Mercia, all occupied and held Lindsey at various times until, in 679, the Mercians took finally took a decisive control and kept it until AD.865.
In the autumn ofAD.865, the Great Heathen Army, also known as the Vikings or the Danes, landed in East Anglia, and, over the next 15 years, seized control of East Anglia, Southern Northumbria and Eastern Mercia. Lincolnshire was at the centre of these activities with the winter camp in Torksey for 872 to 873.
Location of Winter Camps.
Very little is known about Viking activity in Lincolnshire but, with easy water-borne access to the north and south and an easily defended border to the west, the county would have provided an easy route to the Viking homelands. A treaty signed in 878, brought peace and during the following period there was a greater level of immigration as Lincolnshire was settled by the Vikings.
In 910 the Anglo-saxons kingdoms of Western Mercia and Wessex moved to re-take the lands occupied by the Danes, sometimes by force and sometimes by mutual agreement and in 918 the Borough of Lincoln returned to Anglo-saxon rule. A treaty was signed and, as part of that treaty, it was agreed that the areas of occupied by the Danes would keep their own laws in return for their loyalty to the English Crown. Danelaw (Dena lage) is first recorded in the early 11th century and was still in force in 1066. An important part of this treaty was that those Danes who submitted to the English king were able to retain their land. In 1015, making the most of English uncertainty of the line of succesion, the Danes returned in force, led by Cnut, and, followed in sucession by his sons, the Danes ruled until 1042 when the Anglo-saxon, Edward the Confessor, was chosen as ruler. He reigned until his death in1066.
Anglo-Saxon Wrangle.
Although the settlement of Wrangle began its existence during the Late Anglo-saxon period there is no information available as to when or why. Wolmersty, (Old) Leake and Butterwick had previously been part of the wapentake of Bolinbroke and, at some point, the wapentake of Wolmersty, which included Wrangle, was formed. As recorded in the Domesday Book, prior to the Norman invasion and conquest, the area of land occupied by Wrangle was shared by Earl Ralph, the constable, and Aethelstan, son of Godram. While the land occupied by Ralph is listed as useable ploughland that of Aethelstan is listed as Waste due to the action of the sea.
A List of Locations in Wrangle where Anglo-Saxon Artifacts were found.
Each item has a location and brief description. For more detailed information please go to the Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer Website and search for Wrangle. Each MLI reference will give a map and a more detailed description. A map of the locations listed below is in process and will be available when completed.
1 - MLI 12828 - Anglo-Saxon Bead - TF4220 5390.
2 - MLI 13006 - Possible Late Saxon Flood Defence - TF4386 5259 (227m x 260m).
3 - MLI 13123 - Possible Site of Wolmersty Village - TF4448 5318 (30m x 30m).
4 - MLI 13145 - Late Saxon Material - TF4351 5625.
5 - MLI 13146 - Late Saxon/Early Medieval Settlement - TF4333 5635.
6 - MLI 13159 - Late Saxon/Early Medieval - TF4219 5169.
7 - MLI 13167 - Early Medieval Pottery - TF4230 5154.
8 - MLI - 13170 - Artifact Scatter - TF4208 5130.
9 - MLI 13171 - Late Saxon/Early Medieval Scatter - TF4272 5076 (32mx32m).
10 - MLI 13195 - Late Saxon Pottery - TF4471 5230.
11 - MLI 13199 - Mid-Saxon Potsherd - TF4095 5277.
12 - MLI 13202 - Artifact Scatter - TF4500 5250.
13 - MLI 13207 - Possible Late Saxon Enclosure - TF4440 5322.
14 - MLI 13209 - Late Saxon/Early Medieval Settlement - TF4441 5300.
15 - MLI 13219 - Early Medieval Finds - TF4348 5610.
16 - MLI 13230 - Artifact Scatter/Saltern - TF4351 5023.
17 - MLI 13234 - Late Saxon Artifact Scatter - TF 4215 5136 ( 32m x 32m)
18 - MLI 13240 - Late Saxon/Early Medieval - TF4254 5073 (23m x 24m Estimated).
19 - MLI 13249 - Multi-Period Site, Some Late Saxon - TF4090 5428.
20 - MLI 13255 - Possible Site of Wolmersty Village - TF4450 5313 (30m x 30m).
21 - MLI 13259 - Late Saxon Potsherd - TF4350 5268.
22 - MLI 81190 - Possible Wolmersty Assembly Place - TF4448 5318.
23 - MLI 81524 - Pit - (Indeterminate Usage) - TF4258 5073 (31m x 31m).