685AD. Aldfrith / Flann Fina Mac Ossu, (the illegitimate son of Oswiu and Princess Fin of Ireland) came to the throne. The supporters of the house of Aethelric, (including St Cuthbert who was the cousin of Aldfrith), secured his succession and he was brought down from the holy island of Iona where he had been studying.
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Aldfrith who had been immersed in his religious studies prior to his succession as king, was known as a scholar and supporter of the church; despite this he was, througout his reign, often at loggerheads with St Wilfrid.
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691AD. St Wilfrid Abbot of Rippon tried to make himself Bishop of Northumbria. Aldfrith seized some of his Ripon Abbey estates and threatened to set up a new Bishopric. Wilfrid was banished and fled to Mercia.
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695AD. Aldfrith married Princess Cuthburga the sister of king Ine of Wessex and had two sons, Osred and Offa, although it is not known if Cuthburga, who later established and became Abbess of an Abbey at Wimbourne Minister, was their mother.
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698AD. Aldfrth’s general Berhtred was killed when he led the Northumbria army against the Picts.
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700AD. Aldfrith’s wife Queen Cuthburga entered the religious life.
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702AD. Arch Bishop Berhtwald of Canterbury called a synod at Austerfield to settle the dispute between Aldfrith and St Wilfrid. The matter was settled when Wilfrid finally accepted the post of Bishop of Hexham and Abbot of Ripon.
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704AD. Aldfrith who's reign had been a peaceful one, died on the 14th of December at Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire of an illness that had plagued him during his latter years.
