Aethelwealh Receives Isle Of Wight
Bede reports that Wulfhere gave the Isle of Wight to Aethelwealh, linking South Saxon kingship to Mercian expansion.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
661 in England
Explore 10 historical events and records for England in 661.
Historical records for England in 661
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 10 of 10 unique records.
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Other events (month unknown)
Battle of Posentesburh
Saxons began moving in as far west as Crediton. Cenwealh defeats the Dumnonians
Battle of Postbury
Regains control of Somerset after victory at Postbury against the Britons
Birth of Elfwine
Birth of Elfwine, youngest son of Oswy of Northumbria
Dumnonia
Saxon settlers found Somerset in Eastern Dumnonia
Invasion of Dumnonia
Cenwealh invades Dumnonia
Rule of Somerset
Regains control of Somerset after victory at Postbury against the Britons
Somerset
Saxon settlers found Somerset in Eastern Dumnonia
Wulfhere Advances Toward Southern Coast
Mercian King Wulfhere extended his authority toward the southern coast, bringing Sussex within a wider network of Mercian power.
Wulfhere Extends Southern Dominance
Wulfhere expanded Mercian authority over southern kingdoms and rewarded the South Saxon ruler Aethelwealh with the Isle of Wight.
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.