Seven Kingdoms are traditionally identified as being established by these Saxon migrants.

Three are clustered in the South east: Sussex, Kent and Essex.

The Midlands are dominated by the kingdoms of Mercia and East Anglia.

The lineage of the monarchs of Mercia is determined to reach as far back as the early 500's.

To the north is Northumbria, which unifies two earlier kingdoms, Bernicia and Deira.

The development of these kingdoms will lead to the eventual domination by Northumbria and Mercia in the seventh century, Mercia in the eighth century, then Wessex in the ninth century.

Northumbria extends its control north into Scotland and west into Wales.

It also subdues Mercia, whose first powerful King, Penda, is killed by Oswy in 655.

Penda, a son of Pybba, succeeds his kinsman Cearl as King of Mercia in 626.

King Penda of Mercia defeats the West Saxons at Cirencester in what later will be Gloucestershire.

After reaching an agreement, he takes control of the Severn Valley and the minor kingdom of the Hwicce.

Penda besieges Exeter, capital of the Kingdom of Dumnonia.

King Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd lands with a force nearby and negotiates an alliance with Penda.

Eanswith, daughter of king Eadbald of Kent, who was the son of Saint Ethelbert, the first Christian king among the English, founds the Benedictine Folkestone Priory, the first nunnery in England.

The abbey is dedicated to Saint Peter. (Like many other similar foundations, it will be destroyed by the Danes and the ruins will subsequently fall into the sea.)

Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed at Hatfield Chase on October 12, 633, by Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Gwynedd.

Cadwallon, styling himself “king of the Britons,” carries Edwin’s severed head to York, then ravages both Beira and southern Bernicia.

Northumbria falls into disarray after the slaying of Edwin, with Eanfrith returning from Pictland to take power in the subkingdom of Bernicia and …

…Osric taking power in Deira.

Osric according to Bede, was, like Eanfrith, a Christian who reverted to paganism upon coming to power.

James, the deacon of Bishop Paulinus of York, remains in the north following Edwin’s death; he will struggle to rebuild the Roman mission.

Paulinus himself has fled with queen Æthelburga and her young daughter Eanflæd south to Kent, where he is made bishop of Rochester.

Eanflæd will grow up under the protection of her uncle, king Eadbald of Kent.