Osmund of Sussex
Osmund (also Osmundus; fl 758/765-772 ) was a ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Sussex in the second half of the 8th century.
Life
The chronology is very uncertain because of the weak source location of the 8th century for Sussex. Some charters are the only source of information on his dates. Its origin is unknown. Sussex stood since the end of the 7th century clearly in the shadow of the neighboring kingdom of Wessex.
Osmund climbed to 758 or 765 to the throne and reigned probably together with Ealdwulf, Ælfwald and Oslac. Documented it is detectable as king for the first time 765. In this year a land grant to his Osmunds comes Wealhhere dated to the construction of a monastery church. An undated, but probably written around 770/772 Charter, Osmund signed as rex (king).
During his reign Wessex under King Offa of Mercia ( 757-796 ) was replaced as British hegemony. Offa gained around the year 764 the supremacy over the kingdom of Kent, and sat Ecgberht II (c. 764-779/784 ) in the western and Heahberht ( 764/765-? ) In eastern Kent as a vassal kings. Also on Sussex took the pressure to always on. Beginning of the 770er years the political situation in Sussex was apparently unstable, Offa took for themselves. In 771 Offa defeated Kent coming from the Hæstingas in East Sussex and then threw the entire kingdom of Sussex. A native of the year 770 Charter Osmunds was later confirmed by dux Ealdwulf and Offa. Offa could have lands in Sussex, at its discretion in the year 772. The erstwhile kings ( Oswald, Osmund, Ælfwald and Oslac ) contributed in a charter that they signed as witnesses, only the title dux or ealdorman. In this Charter Oswald is titled dux Suðsaxorum ( Ealdorman the South Saxons ). Some historians derive from a certain primacy over the other dukes. With the year 772 Osmunds name disappeared from the records. Year of his death is unknown.
Swell
- Charter S44
- Charter S48
- Charter S49
- Charter S108