5th century in England explained

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	5th century	6th century

Events from the 5th century in England. Note that many of these dates may only be approximate.

Events

• 401
  • Stilicho withdraws troops from Britain, and abandons forts on the Yorkshire coast.
• 402
  • Last issue of Roman coinage in Britain.
• 405
  • Niall of the Nine Hostages leads Irish raids along the south coast.
• 407
  • Army in Britain proclaims Constantine III as Emperor.
• 409
  • Army rebels against Constantine.
  • Saxons raid Britain.
• 410
  • Emperor Honorius recalls the last legions from Britain.
• 429
  • The Pope sends Saint Germanus to Britain, who defeats the Pelagians in public debate.
• c.430
  • Vortigern, supposed king of the Britons, allows Anglo-Saxon mercenaries to settle on the Isle of Thanet.
  • Fastidius completes his work On the Christian Life.
• 433
  • The Britons call the Angles to come and help them as mercenaries against the Picts.
• 446
  • The "Groans of the Britons": Britons appeal (possibly to the Consul Flavius Aetius) for the Roman army to come back to Britain.
• 447
  • Saint Germanus returns to Britain and exiles Pelagian heretics.
• 449 (traditional date)
  • Vortigern, supposed king of the Britons, invites Hengist and Horsa, by tradition chieftains of the Jutes, to form a military alliance against the Picts and Scoti; by tradition, they land at Ebbsfleet, Thanet, so contributing to the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain (according to Bede).
• c.450
  • Hengist founds the Kingdom of Kent.
• 455
  • Battle of Aylesford: Hengist and Horsa defeat Vortigern, although Horsa dies in the battle.
• 457
  • Battle of Crayford: Hengist and Oisc of Kent (Æsc) defeat the Britons, driving them from Kent.
• 466
  • Battle of Wippedesfleot: Celtic Britons (Welsh) perhaps defeat the Anglo-Saxons (Jutes) under Hengist and Oisc in battle in Kent and confine them to the Isle of Thanet, but a dozen Welsh leaders are killed.
• 473
  • Hengist and Oisc again fight against the Britons.
• 477
  • Ælle lands at Selsey, and founds the Kingdom of Sussex.
• 485
  • Ælle fights against the Britons near the margin of Mearcræd's stream.
• 491
  • Ælle and his son Cissa besiege Anderitum, the Saxon Shore fort at Pevensey, and kill all the Britons there.^[1]
• 495
  • Cerdic, later the first King of Wessex, lands at Southampton.^[2]
• c.500
  • Battle of Mons Badonicus

Britons defeat advancing Saxons, and retain control of the north and west.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
2. Book: Palmer, Alan. Palmer . Veronica. 1992. The Chronology of British History. Century Ltd. London. 24–26. 0-7126-5616-2.