642AD. Oswiu sub king of North Rheged and younger brother to Oswald he succeeded his brother as king. Unfortunately while he gained full control in Bernicia he only gained partial control of Deira and Oswine ruled as sub king there. To add to his troubles Northumbria weaken by the death of Oswald at the hands of Penda of Mercia and his allies was subject to raiding from without.
643AD, After gaining consent from the King of Kent in who’s court she was a ward, Oswiu married Eanflaed the daughter of Edwin. This caused a split between him and Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne, Probably because Aidan frowned on marriage between first cousins.
651AD. Oswine of deira raised an army against Oswiu, but at the last minute he backed down and fled to Gilling where he was assassinated on the orders of Oswiu. Castigated for this foul murder Oswiu was forced to atone by dedicating a new monastery at Gilling with Abbot Trumhere a relative of Oswine. Later the same year the riff with Lindisfarne was healed when Bishop Aidin died and Bishop Finan took a less stern line than his predecessor. Œthelwald the son of Oswald became sub king of Deira. This however doesn’t improve matters for Oswiu as Œthelwald aligns himself with Penda of Mercia.
653AD. With Penda of Mercia as a constant threat Oswiu tries to ease the situation by the use of diplomacy. He negotiated the marriage of his son Alhfrith to Cyneburh, Penda’s daughter. While in Mercia Alhfrith became friends with Paeda the son of Penda, who was a sub king in Middle Anglia. Paeda married Oswiu’s daughter Alhfaed and came to Northumbria to be baptised by Bishop Finan. This led on to the installation of bishops in both kingdoms.
655AD. Penda marched north with an army thirty legions strong, led by thirty royal commanders. His allies include amongst them Cadafael of Gwynedd, Aethelhere of East Anglia and Œthelwald of Deira. Œthelwald acted a guide and led the great army north to Oswiu’s stronghold at Ludeu (Stirling) far in the north of the kingdom. Besieged in his fortress Oswiu was reluctant to fight so he negotiated with Penda and they came to an agreement. Ecgfrith, Oswiu son was taken into Penda’s household as a hostage and a great deal of treasure was handed over. After distributing the treasure amongst his allies, Penda turned south towards home. Oswiu gathered his army, followed and caught up with him close to the River Winwaed near Loidis (Leeds), (Possibly Cocks Beck that runs through Pendas Fields and where a nearby well was known as Pen Well?).
The night before the battle Penda’s army was weakened when Cadafael left for home with all his men, afterwards this move earned him the nickname of Cadomedd (Battle shirker) The battle was joined in pouring rain near to the banks of the river and Penda’s army was weakened further when Œthelwald withdrew his men. Penda was heavily defeated. Many men lost their lives that day, more in the swollen river, as they tried to escape than were killed on the battlefield itself. Penda was killed and his head cut off in retribution for him having taken Oswald’s.
Oswiu celebrated the victory by giving land to endow twelve new monasteries and gave his infant daughter Ælfflaed to Abbess Hild so that she could be brought up as a nun. He also installed Peada as sub king in Southern Mercia, installed his son Alhfrith as sub king in Deira and set up a new diocese for mercia under Bishop Diuma.
656AD. Oswiu’s son in law Peada was assassinated.
658AD. The disaffected nobles of Mercia placed Wulfhere another son of Penda on the Mercian throne and Mercia was lost to Northumbria.
670AD. Oswiu died in bed after a reign of twenty-eight years.
