King Merewalh

Not very much is known about Herefordshire north of the Wye in this period. Leominster seems to have been an early British church (Llanllieni) but how and when this territory became dominated by the Anglo-Saxons is almost totally obscure.

In the mid 7th century the area which is now northern Herefordshire and southern Shropshire was ruled by a king named Merewalh. His people were the Western Hecani, who are often equated with the Magonsaetan, although this name is not known before the 10th century. Merewalh was a sub-king beneath Penda, King of Mercia.

Marstow in south Herefordshire was Lann Martin in the 11th century. This was probably Gurmach where a noble of Glywysing, Rhiadaf, gave land to the church in the early 8th century. Its price included a Saxon woman, a precious sword and valuable horse. These seem likely to have been the spoils of war.

Unlike the kings of Ergyng, with its Christian church with origins in Roman times, King Merewalh was a pagan. It is however possible that the people he ruled were Christian - there are no known pagan Anglo-Saxon burials or cremation anywhere in this area. The mission to the English begun by St Augustine in 597 was still in an early stage.

Etfrid the Monk

A Northumbrian monk named Etfrid is said to have converted Merewalh to Christianity in 660. The Northumbrian church at that time would have had similar, though possibly not identical practices to the other British churches. Easter would have been celebrated at the same time in Leominster and Moccas. This changed after the Synod of Whitby in 663, when the Northumbrian church adopted the Roman Easter. From this time, what is now northern Herefordshire held to a different Easter from what is now southern Herefordshire, and would continue to do so until the church in the West (that of Wales) changed to the Roman calendar a century later (768 AD).

Merewalh's sons, Merchelm and Mildfith were also rulers of this people. After them there is no further mention of sub-kings and presumably this area became directly under the control of the Mercian kings.


[Back to top]

Much Dewchurch - In 745 AD the original church here, Lann Deui, was returned to Bishop Berthwyn of Ergyng by King Ithel ap Morgan of Glywysing after the destruction of the area by the 'most treacherous Saxon race'

Ithel ap Morgan

Herefordshire was the scene of border warfare throughout the early 8th century. In 722 King Ithel ap Morgan of Glywysing won a victory over the Mercians at Pencoyd in Ergyng. The spoils of this warfare are hinted at in the purchase price of some land in Ergyng at this time, which included 'a Saxon woman, a precious sword and valuable horse'.

In 743 Cuthred of Wessex joined the Mercian king, Aethelbald, and Ergyng was laid waste. By 745 Ithel had regained control of the area and returned 11 churches there to the Bishop of south-eastern Wales, Berthwyn.

[Back to top]