Cutha, Prince of Wessex

Cutha also known as Cuthwulf was the son of Cynric, King of Wessex from 534 to 560, and brother of Ceawlin, King of Wessex from 560 to 592.

Cutha is also known as Cuthwuf, Cutha ap Cynric, Cuthwulf ap Cynric.

Cutha's exact date of birth and the name of his mother are not known. He was likely born about 551 in Wessex, also known as Gewisse.

Cutha is recorded as the father of 2 sons: Ceol and Ceolwulf.

In 592 Cutha's son Ceol took the throne of Wessex (Gewisse) from his uncle Ceawlin, Cutha's brother. No mention of Cutha is made at this time so it would be easy to presume he died before this. The Foundation for Medieval Genealogy indicates he died after 597 when his son Ceolwulf became king. It could be that Cutha had a quelling influence on his sons. That Ceol exiled his uncle's family, instead of outright killing them, because of his father's influence.

However, several different sources for the Battle of Fethanleag state that in 584 Ceawlin and Cutha fought the Britons in Fethanleag and that Cutha was slain, that Ceawlin returned home in anger. This explains why there was no mention of Cutha in 592 and in reading the reference to Cutha for 597 it identifies Ceolwulf as the son of Cutha but does not appear to specifically say that Cutha was there in 597. The Foundation for Medieval Genealogy also fails to even name Ceawlin as a son of Cynric, identifying only one son of Cynric: Cutha. This places doubt on anything the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy says in regards to this family. For Ceawlin is firmly established as a son of Cynric. Given this information, it is reasonable to deduce that Cutha did in deed die in battle at Fethanleag in 584.

Very little is known about Cutha, some sources do not even record him as a son of Cynric, only identifying Ceawlin.

Obviously though Ceawlin had to have a brother or sister, for it is clearly stated that when Ceol took the throne and forced Ceawlin into exile that he was Ceawlin's nephew.

Most genealogies identify Cutha as one of the sons of Cynric.

See 'The House of Wessex Family Tree" at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Wessex#Genealogy

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Foundation for Medieval Genealogy

Cutha also known as Cuthwulf is recorded as the son of Cynric and the father of Ceol and Ceolwulf.

CYNRIC (-[560]). The family relationship, if any, between Cerdic and Cynric is reported differently in different sources. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "two princes, Cerdic and Cynric his son" landed in Britain in 495 at "Certicesora" and fought "against the Welsh" on the same day[1235]. According to the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, Cynric was the son of Creoda, son of Cerdic, although if this was correct it would be unlikely that the reports in the Chronicle of Cerdic and Cynric having operated together over nearly forty years were accurate. Creoda is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Cerdic and Cynric slew a Welsh king…Nazaleod" in 508[1236]. He ruled from [519] as CYNRIC King of the West Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 519 "Cerdic and Cynric obtained the kingdom of the West Saxons"[1237]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 519 "Cerdic and Cynric" fought "the Britons" at "Cerdicesford"[1238]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 527 "Cerdic and Cynric" fought "the Britons" at "Cerdiceslaeg" and in 530 captured the Isle of Wight[1239]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "his son Cynric" continued to reign for 26 years after the death of "Cerdic" in 534[1240]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Cynric" fought the Britons in 552 at "Searoburh" [Old Sarum][1241]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Cynric and Ceawlin" fought the Britons in 552 at "Beranburh" [Barbury castle][1242]. The date of Cynric's death is based on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle specifying that "Ceawlin obtained the kingdom of Wessex" in 560[1243]. Roger of Wendover records the death in 559 of "Kenricus rex occidentalium Saxonum"[1244]. Henry of Huntingdon records that "Certic primus rex Westsexe…Kinric filius eius" ruled for twenty-six years[1245]. If these dates of all the events reported in this paragraph are correct, Cynric would have had what appears to be an impossibly long active career, which throws much of the information into doubt. One child:

a) CUTHA [II] (-after 597). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle names "Cutha son of Cynric" when recording the accession of the former’s son "Ceolwulf" in 597[1246]. [Two] children:

i) [CEOL [Ceolric] (-597). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records in 591 that "Ceol" ("Ceolric" in manuscript E) reigned five years[1247]. Florence of Worcester names "Ceol filius Cuthwlfi, fratris Regis Ceaulini" when recording his accession[1248]. William of Malmesbury also names Ceol as son of Cutha (who, from the context, is assumed to be the person named in the present document as Cutha [II])[1249], but this relationship is shown in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle only in one addition to one manuscript which purports to state the ancestry of King Cynegils[1250]. He succeeded in 591 as CEOL King of Wessex. The date of his death is assumed from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recording that "Ceolwulf" began to reign in Wessex in 597[1251]. Ceol was allegedly the father of Cynegils King of Wessex: an addition in manuscript A of the Chronicle, under 611 notes that "that Cynegils was the son of Ceol, the son of Cutha, the son of Cynric"[1252], although it is not clear whether this was contemporary with the main part of the paragraph or a later addition. According to another part of the Chronicle, King Cynegils’s father was Cuthwine, supposedly son of King Ceawline: a later paragraph, under 688, outlining the descent of King Ine, says that "Cynegils" was the son of "Cuthwine, the son of Ceawlin, the son of Cynric"[1253].

ii) CEOLWULF (-[611]). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Ceolwulf…son of Cutha, son of Cynric…" began to reign in Wessex in 597, adding that he "ever fought and made war against the Angles…the Welsh…the Picts or…the Scots"[1254]. William of Malmesbury names Ceolwulf as son of Cutha[1255]. He succeeded in 597 as CEOLWULF King of Wessex. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "Ceolwulf fought against the South Saxons" in 607[1256]. The date of his death is assumed from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recording that "Cynegils succeeded to the kingdom of Wessex" in 611[1257]. Roger of Wendover records the death of "Ceolwulfo rege occidentalium Saxonum" in 610[1258].

https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20AngloSaxon%20&%20Danish...

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Do not know the origin of the following information but, someone thought it important enough to record it here. I have found no record that Cutha was ever actually King of Wessex, however. His supposed reign would have conflicted with that of his brother, Ceawlin, who ruled from 560 to 592 when Cutha's son Ceol took the throne by force.

Cutha, King of Wessex was born circa 540.1 He was the son of Cynric, King of Wessex. He died in 584. He gained the title of King Cutha of Wessex. Children of Cutha, King of Wessex Ceolric, King of Wessex+2 d. c 597 Ceolwulf, King of Wessex+2 d. c 611

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Cutha (?)1

M, #102672

Last Edited=8 Sep 2005

    Cutha (?) is the son of Ceawlin, King of Wessex.1

Child of Cutha (?)

Ceadda (?)+1

Citations

[S52] G. S. P. Freeman-Grencville, The Queen's Lineage: from A.D. 495 to the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (London , U.K.: Rex Collings, 1977), page 3. Hereinafter cited as The Queen's Lineage.

Ceol of Wessex

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ceol (also known as Ceola or Ceolric) was King of Wessex from 592 to 597.

He was the son of Cutha (or Cuthwulf), the son of Cynric of Wessex.