The Kings and Queens of England
The timeline below shows who was ruling over England when our ancestors were living there. You might think that who was on the throne at a certain time was of little consequence to our average BURGUM or BURGHAM, but you would be wrong. The Kings and Queens of England made the laws, demanded taxes and started wars all of which had a bearing on their lives. The Forest of Dean was also a Royal hunting forest, with high penalties for poaching, encroachements, etc. The language used in every day life changed slowly, but change it did. Our name probably came from the Saxon, but the language changed as the Vikings and then the French influenced words and place names over the centuries. For centuries the Bible was only ever in Latin and the language of the law courts was French for centuries. If you would like to know more about the history of England, I thoroughly recommend Robert Lacey's three outstanding volumes entitled "Great Tales from English History. They are a wonderful read!
| MONARCH |
DATE |
HOUSE |
BRIEF HISTORY |
| Egbert |
802-839 |
House of Wessex |
To follow |
| Aethelbald |
855-860 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Aethelbert |
860-866 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Aethelred |
866-87871-8991899 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Alfred the Great |
925 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Edward the Elder |
925-940 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Athelstan |
940 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Edmund the Magnificent |
946 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Eadred |
946-955 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Eadwig (Edwy) All-Fair |
955-959 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Edgar the Peaceable |
959-975 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Edward the Martyr |
975-978 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Æthelred II (Ethelred the Unready) |
979-1013 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Svein Forkbeard |
1014 |
Danish |
|
| Æthelred II (Ethelred the Unready) |
1014-1016 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Edmund II (Ironside) |
1016 |
House of Wessex |
|
| Cnut (Canute) |
1016-1035 |
Danish |
|
| Harold I |
1035-1040 |
Danish |
|
| Hardicnut |
1040-1042 |
Danish |
|
| Edward (the Confessor) |
1042-1066 |
Saxon |
|
| Harold II |
1066 |
Saxon |
|
| William I |
1066-1087 |
Norman |
|
| William II |
1087-1100 |
Norman |
|
| Henry I |
1100-1135 |
Norman |
|
| Stephen |
1135-1154 |
Norman |
|
| Empress Matilda (Queen Maud) |
1141 |
Norman |
|
| Henry II |
1154-1189 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Richard I |
1189-1199 |
Plantagenets |
|
| John |
1199-1216 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Henry III |
1216-1272 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Edward I |
1272-1307 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Edward II |
1307-1327 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Edward III |
1327-1377 |
Plantagenets |
|
| Richard II |
1377-1399 |
Plantagenets |
Made peace with France, ending the 100 Years War. When his uncle John of Gaunt died, he seized his lands. |
| Henry IV |
1399-1413 |
House of Lancaster |
|
| Henry V |
1413-1422 |
House of Lancaster |
|
| Henry VI |
1422-1461 |
House of Lancaster |
|
| Edward IV |
1461-1483 |
House of York |
|
| EdwardV |
1483 |
House of York |
|
| Richard III |
1483-1485 |
House of York |
|
| Henry VII |
1485-1509 |
Tudors |
|
| Henry VIII |
1509-1547 |
Tudors |
|
| Edward VI |
1547-1553 |
Tudors |
|
| Jane Grey |
1553 |
Tudors |
|
| MaryI |
1553-1558 |
Tudors |
|
| Elizabeth I |
1558-1603 |
Tudors |
|
| James I |
1603-1625 |
Stuarts |
|
| Charles I |
1625-1649 |
Stuarts |
|
| Oliver Cromwell |
1649-1658 |
Commonwealth |
|
| Richard Cromwell |
1658-1659 |
Commonwealth |
|
| Charles II |
1660-1685 |
Stuarts (restored) |
|
| James II |
1685-1688 |
Stuarts |
|
| William III |
1689-1702 |
Stuarts |
|
| Mary II |
1689-1694 |
Stuarts |
|
| Anne |
1702-1714 |
Stuarts |
|
| George I |
1714-1727 |
House of Hanover |
|
| George II |
1727-1760 |
House of Hanover |
|
| George III |
1760-1820 |
House of Hanover |
|
| George IV |
1820-1830 |
House of Hanover |
|
| William IV |
1830-1837 |
House of Hanover |
|
| Victoria |
1837-1901 |
House of Hanover |
|
| Edward VII |
1901-1910 |
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha |
|
| George V |
1910-1936 |
Windsor |
|
| Edward VIII |
1936-1936 |
Windsor |
|
| George VI |
1936-1952 |
Windsor |
|
| Elizabeth II |
1952-present |
Windsor |
|