Aethelberht Reign Concludes
Aethelberht died after a long reign during which Kent became a centre for Christian mission and royal diplomacy.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
616 in England
Explore 17 historical events and records for England in 616.
Historical records for England in 616
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 17 of 17 unique records.
17Unique records
1 of 1Page
10Named events on this page
10Named people on this page
5Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Battle of River Idle
Edwin claims the Kingdoms of Deira & Bernicia after victory at the River Idle. Defeated by King Raedwald who was supporting Edwin
Battle of River Idle
Raedwald of East Anglia defeated and killed Aethelfrith at the River Idle. The victory ended Aethelfriths rule and enabled the exiled Edwin to gain control of the Northumbrian kingdoms.
Battle of River Idle
Edwin claims the Kingdoms of Deira & Bernicia after victory at the River Idle. Defeats & kills Aethelfrith in support of Edwin
Battle of River Idle
Helps Edwin become the 1st Christian King of Northumbria. Defeats & kills Athelfrith during his invasion of Kent
Death of Aethelfrith
Death of Aethelfrith, killed by Raedwald of East Anglia
Eadbald Assumes Kentish Crown
Eadbald succeeded his father Aethelberht but initially resisted Christian practice, creating a crisis for the Canterbury mission.
Exiled Bernician Princes Leave Northumbria
After Edwin obtained the Northumbrian throne, sons of the defeated Aethelfrith lived in exile among the Picts or Scots. Bede describes their return after Edwins death. The assigned year is approximate rather than securely documented.
Invasion of Kent
Invades Kent after the death of Athelbert
Invasion of Northumbria
Raedwald invades in support of the exiled heir to the throne of Deira, Edwin
Invasion of Northumbria
Raedwald invades in support of the exiled heir to the throne of Deira, Edwin
Saeberht Reign Ends
The death of Saeberht weakened the position of the Christian mission in Essex as his successors refused to continue his religious policy.
Succession
Succeeds as King of Kent which reverts back to Paganism
Succession
Succeeds as King of the East Saxons
Succession
Succeeds as King of the East Saxons
Succession
Succeeds as King of the East Saxons
Succession to Northumbrian Kingship
Following the defeat and death of Aethelfrith at the River Idle, Edwin became king of Deira and Bernicia with the support of Raedwald of East Anglia. The accession is generally dated to 616, although some chronicles place it in 617.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.