Cenred of Wessex

Biography
Cenred of Wessex was a member of the House of Wessex and a member of the direct male line from Cynric to Egbert. It is possible that Cenred ruled alongside his son Ine for a period. There is weak evidence for joint kingships, and stronger evidence of subkings reigning under a dominant ruler in Wessex, not long before his time. Ine acknowledges his father's help in his code of laws, and there is also a surviving land-grant that indicates Cenred was still reigning in Wessex after Ine's accession.

His father was Ceolwald of Wessex.

Did Cenred travel to Rome in AD 709 and die there shortly afterwards? (Estimated life span: 650-712 AD?)

Royal Lineage Family of Kent
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles compiled at the time of Alfred the Great generally agree as to the royal lineage of the early English kings through the House of Wessex. They show that lineage as follows:


 * Cenred of Wessex, King of Wessex and son of Ceolwald of Wessex, a desendant of Cerdic of Wessex, the first Wessex King.
 * Ingild of Wessex (-718), royal prince and son of Cenred of Wessex
 * Eoppa of Wessex, son of Ingild of Wessex. Lifespan (c707-c770)
 * Eafa of Wessex, son of Eoppa. Lifespan (c720-c790)
 * Ealhmund of Kent, son of Eafa, ruled briefly as King of Kent in the year 784. Lifespan Estimate (c745-c810)
 * Egbert, King of Wessex (c769-839) son of Ealhmund of Kent, he was able to wrest control of both Wessex and Kent from the King of Mercia (c 790-839) and back to the royal family of Wessex.
 * Æthelwulf, King of Wessex (c795-858), helped his father conquer the Kingdom of Kent in 825 and inherited his fathers throne in 839. While king he repelled several Viking invasions and undertook a pilgrimage to Rome in 855. Several of his sons succeeded to his thone in turn until the youngest, thru which the royal line continued.
 * Alfred the Great, King of Anglo-Saxons (ruled 871-899), son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and Osburga.

Anglo Saxon Chronicles
Source: Online Medieval and Classical Library Part 1 (400-750 AD)
 * Succession: Ethelwulf was the son of Egbert, Egbert of Ealmund, Ealmund of Eafa, Eafa of Eoppa, Eoppa of Ingild, Ingild of Cenred (Ina of Cenred, Cuthburga of Cenred, and Cwenburga of Cenred), Cenred of Ceolwald, Ceolwald of Cuthwulf, Cuthwulf of Cuthwine, Cuthwine of Celm, Celm of Cynric, Cynric of Creoda, Creoda of Cerdic.
 * AD 688: This year Ceadwall went to Rome, and received baptism at the hands of Sergius the pope, who gave him the name of Peter; but in the course of seven nights afterwards, on the twelfth day before the calends of May, he died in his crisom-cloths, and was buried in the church of St. Peter. To him succeeded Ina in the kingdom of Wessex, and reigned thirty-seven winters.  He founded the monastery of Glastonbury; after which he went to Rome, and continued there to the end of his life.  Ina was the son of Cenred, Cenred of Ceolwald; Ceolwald was the brother of Cynegils; and both were the sons of Cuthwin, who was the son of Ceawlin; Ceawlin was the son of Cynric, and Cynric of Cerdic.
 * AD 709: ...And Cenred went to Rome; and Offa with him. And Cenred was there to the end of his life.

Cenred had at least two other children: Ingild, the great-grandfather of Ealhmund of Kent, and the great-great grandfather of Egbert; and Cuthburh, who married Aldfrith of Northumbria, and became abbess of Wimborne. There may also have been another daughter who was married to Aethelfrith of Wessex, but this claim may have been substantiated to further Æthelheard of Wessex's claim to the throne.


 * 1) Ine of Wessex (-728) - reigned several years as king of Wessex, before abdicating (without a direct heir) in 726 and making  a pilgrimage to Rome in 728 where he died.  He was married to Æthelburg.
 * 2) Ingild of Wessex (-718) -son, through whose sons are traced the royal lineage of Alfred the Great and the House of Wessex.
 * 3) Cuthburh - daughter, married to King Aldfrith of Northumbria, and became abbess of Wimborne.
 * 4) Cwenburg - daughter,
 * 5) Unknown Daughter? - There may also have been another daughter who was married to Aethelfrith of Wessex, but this claim may have been substantiated to further Æthelheard of Wessex's claim to the throne.