101-564: The West Warwickshire Open was a tennis tournament also known as the Hill Samuel Life Assurance West Warwickshire Open for sponsorship reasons. It began in 1970 and was staged at the West Warwickshire Sports Club (f.c1888), Solihull , Midlands , England . The tournament ran until 1981 when it was discontinued. The West Warwickshire Open was established in 1970 under the sponsorship name of
202-607: A Christian. Wulfhere's marriage to Eormenhild of Kent would have brought Mercia into close contact with the Christian kingdoms of Kent and Merovingian Gaul , which were connected by kinship and trade. The political and economic benefits of the marriage may therefore also have been a factor in Wulfhere's Christianisation of his kingdom. Wulfhere's relationship with Bishop Wilfrid is recorded in Stephen of Ripon's Life of Wilfrid . During
303-437: A grand Tudor hall with battlements and a long gallery. The hall oversaw five farms, including Hillfields and Shelly farm. William Hawes lived there until his death in 1611. Shelly had been a thriving hamlet during the 13th and 14th centuries, and included Monkspath , but there was little mention of the area by the 17th century. Hillfield Hall remains residential to this day, while the 16th-century Grade II listed Shelly farmhouse
404-622: A house in London from Henry Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton (then in the borough of Solihull) to store the gunpowder. Sir Richard Walsh , owner of Walsh Hall in Meriden (part of the modern borough of Solihull) was the Sheriff of Worcestershire who eventually cornered and killed the gunpowder plotters. John Greswolde, brother of Robert Greswolde , of the wider Greswolde family of Solihull, was an attendant of Henry Garnet (a priest executed for his complicity in
505-657: A large farm called Malvern Farm, in the Malvern part of Longdon Manor, to establish a new family seat, which would be called Malvern Hall. In 1604 the Throckmorton family sold the Manor of Solihull to Edmund Hawes. The Hawes family were already prominent local landowners, having owned the Hillfields area of Solihull since 1311, when Thomas Hawes, a lawyer, purchased the land. William & Ursula Hawes had constructed Hillfield Hall in 1576,
606-479: A position of strength. Stephen of Ripon's Life of Wilfrid says that Wulfhere "stirred up all the southern nations against [Northumbria]". Bede does not report the fighting, nor is it mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , but according to Stephen, Ecgfrith defeated Wulfhere, forcing him to surrender Lindsey, and to pay tribute. Wulfhere survived the defeat but evidently lost some degree of control over
707-414: A similar period to Hobs Moat and is a large and handsome example of English Gothic church architecture , with a traditional spire 168 feet (51 metres) high, making it visible from a great distance. It is located at the head of High Street and is a Grade I listed building . It was founded in about 1220 by Hugh de Oddingsell. A chantry chapel was also founded there by Sir William de Oddingsell in 1277 and
808-564: A year Oswald killed Cadwallon and reunited the kingdoms, and subsequently re-established Northumbrian hegemony over the south of England. However, on 5 August 642, Penda killed Oswald at the Battle of Maserfield , probably at Oswestry in the northwest midlands. Penda is not recorded as overlord of the other southern Anglo-Saxon kings, but he became the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kings after he defeated Oswald. On Oswald's death, Northumbria
909-506: Is also possible that Merewalh , king of the Magonsæte , was Wulfhere's brother. He married Eormenhild of Kent; no date is recorded for the marriage and there is no record of any children in the earliest sources, though Coenred , who was king of Mercia from 704 to 709, is recorded in John of Worcester 's 12th-century chronicle as Wulfhere's son. Another possible child is Berhtwald, a subking who
1010-574: Is an upmarket bar and restaurant. The historic Solihull School was also founded in 1560 (although not on its present site). On the right along High Street from St Alphege Church porch is one of the town's oldest landmarks, the George, a hotel which dates from the 16th century. Solihull appears to have survived the English Civil War of 1642–1651 relatively unscathed, even though many important close engagements and battles were fought nearby including
1111-461: Is considered to be one of the most prosperous areas in the UK. Solihull's name is commonly thought to have derived from the position of its arden stone parish church, St Alphege, on a 'soily' hill. The church was built on a hill of stiff red marl , which turned to sticky mud in wet weather. The land now forming Solihull was once covered in the ancient Forest of Arden . The earliest known settlement in
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#17330941068161212-422: Is known about Trumhere's activities or who appointed him. It is apparent from these events that Oswiu's influence in the south had waned by this time, if not before, and that Wulfhere now dominated the area. This becomes even clearer in the next few years, as some time between 665 and 668 Wulfhere sold the see of London to Wine , who had been expelled from his West Saxon bishopric by Cenwealh. London fell within
1313-543: Is known that Wulfhere gave land at Barrow upon Humber , in Lindsey, to Chad, for a monastery. It is possible that Chad also had authority there as bishop, probably no later than 669. It may be that the political basis for Mercian episcopal control of the Lindesfara was laid early in Wulfhere's reign, under Trumhere and Jaruman, the two bishops who preceded Chad. When Wulfhere attacked Oswiu's son Ecgfrith in 674, he did so from
1414-617: Is recorded as a nephew of Æthelred, and a third child, Werburh , is recorded in an 11th-century manuscript as a daughter of Wulfhere. An 11th-century history of St. Peter's Monastery in Gloucester names two other women, Eadburh and Eafe, as queens of Wulfhere, but neither claim is plausible. In 655 Penda besieged Oswiu of Northumbria at Iudeu, the location of which is unknown but which may have been Stirling , in Scotland. Penda took Oswiu's son, Ecgfrith , as hostage, and Oswiu paid tribute, in
1515-662: Is recorded in the Register of Solihull. In 1400, Thomas Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester died a traitor for his part in the Epiphany Rising , and so the Crown took custody of the manor because the heir, Richard le Despenser, was a minor. The manor of Solihull remained property of the king for many years, and was passed through a number of custodians or lessees. In 1495 the Greswolde family of Solihull and nearby Kenilworth, while serving as
1616-568: The Battle of Edgehill to the south and the Battle of Camp Hill to the north. The very first skirmish between the Roundheads and Cavaliers took place just north of Solihull in the fields to the south of the nearby settlement of Curdworth in Warwickshire, called the Battle of Curdworth Bridge. Recent archaeological excavations unearthed evidence that a battle may have been fought at Coleshill Manor near
1717-733: The Bio-Strath West Warwickshire Open or simply the Bio-Strath West Warwickshire. The tournament was part of the Bio-Strath Circuit until 1971. In 1980 the life insurance company Hill Samuel Life Assurance, a division of Hill Samuel started sponsorship of the event, and it was rebranded as the Hill Samuel Life Assurance West Warwickshire Open. In 1981 when they withdrew sponsorship, and the tournament ended. The tournament
1818-680: The Thames valley . He conquered the Isle of Wight and the Meon valley and gave them to King Æthelwealh of the South Saxons . He also had influence in Surrey , Essex , and Kent . He married Eormenhild , the daughter of King Eorcenberht of Kent . Wulfhere's father, Penda , was killed in 655 at the Battle of Winwaed , fighting against Oswiu of Northumbria . Penda's son Peada became king under Oswiu's overlordship but
1919-620: The West Midlands , England. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe in the Forest of Arden area. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census, and its wider borough had a population of 216,240. The town is located 8 miles (12 km) southeast of Birmingham and 14 miles (21 km) west of Coventry . Solihull itself is mostly urban; however, the larger borough is rural in character, with many outlying villages, and three quarters of
2020-467: The 12th century Hampton in Arden was owned by the de Arden family, and also included the then hamlet of Knowle . Knowle would become a royal manor in 1285 when the de Arden family sold it to King Edward I and Queen Eleanor. In 1396, Walter Cook applied for a faculty to build a church in 'Knoll', so the villagers would no longer have to cross the treacherous waters of the river Blythe to get to church, and this
2121-547: The 1870s, the Hobday family would construct Monkspath Priory. The property would later serve Solihull as the Regency Club, a gentlemen's club and banqueting complex, before becoming a hotel in the late 20th century. In 1870, metallurgist and inventor James Fern Webster moved to Whitlocks End on the outskirts of Solihull. While here, he discovered the process for making the extraction of aluminium sufficiently cost effective for
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#17330941068162222-536: The 1890s, famed pen manufacturer Joseph Gillott constructed New Berry Hall outside Catherine de Barnes. The architect of the hall was J. A. Chatwin who designed the Victoria Tower in the Houses of Parliament. Around this time Chatwin also designed School House at Solihull School. Towards the end of this era telephone and postal services came to the town. Wulfhere of Mercia Wulfhere or Wulfar (died 675)
2323-455: The 680s, are recorded as pagan at their accession. Bede writes that after Wulfhere became king: "Free under their own king, they [the Mercians] gave willing allegiance to Christ their true king, so that they might win his eternal kingdom in heaven". While Wulfhere's father had refused to convert to Christianity, and Peada had apparently converted in order to marry Oswiu's daughter, the date and
2424-584: The Anglo Saxon era, the forest of Arden was part of the Kingdom of Mercia . An assart settlement known as the manor of Ulverlei, meaning 'Wulfhere's clearing' was established, with its centre north east of the hillfort at Shirely. Wulfhere was the first Christian King of all Mercia . The settlement was a clearing in the dense woodland of the Forest of Arden, with the land farmed in common. The older settlement at Shirely
2525-523: The Anglo-Saxons to Christianity at the end of the 6th century, and this process was well under way in Penda's reign, though Penda himself remained pagan throughout his life. Records survive of the baptism of other kings at this time— Cynegils of Wessex was baptised in about 640, for example, and Edwin of Northumbria was converted in the mid 620s. However, later kings, such as Cædwalla of Wessex , who ruled in
2626-606: The Archer family of Umberslade Hall in Nuthurst . Eventually in 1850 it passed to Robert Short an officer in the East India Company , who left it to his son in law, Rev. John Couchman. The Couchman's remain the Lords of the Manor of Solihull to the present day. By the 1700s, work was underway on Malvern Hall, with Humphrey Greswolde overseeing, it would be completed in the first half of
2727-576: The East Saxons' territory in that period. From the archaeological evidence, it appears to be about this time that the Middle Saxon settlement in London began to expand significantly; the centre of Anglo-Saxon London was not at the old Roman centre, but about a mile west of that, near what is now the location of the Strand . Wulfhere may have been in control of the city when this expansion began. Eorcenberht
2828-473: The Forest of Arden, and the abundance of trees required to provide fuel for the fires. The town was also known for textiles. The end of Drury Lane was known as Teinters Green, believed to be an area where cloth was stretched on tenter hooks. In the grounds of St Alphege church is a now Grade II listed ruin dating from the 14th century. It is believed to have been a well house for a holy spring , and later possibly an Oratory . Historians have suggested that
2929-698: The Gunpowder Plot of 1605). It was said that when John was arrested and interrogated after the Gunpowder plot he was racked so badly at the Tower of London that it was rumoured he was dead. The sub-manor of Longdon in Solihull meanwhile had passed to the Greswolde family, in the era of Elizabeth I , however it soon passed through a daughter to Thomas Dabridgecourt . In 1680 the Rev. Henry Greswolde, then rector of Solihull, bought
3030-607: The Humber from the early 660s, though not overlord of Northumbria as his father had been. A document called the Tribal Hidage may date from Wulfhere's reign. Drawn up before many smaller groups of peoples were absorbed into the larger kingdoms, such as Mercia, it records the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England, along with an assessment in hides , a unit of land. The Tribal Hidage is difficult to date precisely; it may have been written down in Wulfhere's reign, but other suggested origins include
3131-560: The Isle of Wight, to his godson King Æthelwealh of the South Saxons. It seems likely that the ruling dynasty on the island found these arrangements acceptable to some degree, since the West Saxons, under Cædwalla, exterminated the whole family when they launched their own attack on the island in 686. After the conquest of the Isle of Wight, Wulfhere ordered the priest Eoppa to provide baptism to
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3232-578: The Kings custodians of the manor of Solihull, built the house on the Solihull High Street called Lime Tree House now erroneously known as the 'Manor House' (as no lord of the manor ever lived there - Silhill Hall was the manor house for Solihull). The manor of Solihull was eventually granted to the Duke of Norfolk , who in turn passed it on in 1530 to the local Throckmorton family of Coughton Court . Solihull
3333-520: The Longdon area of Solihull, is an area known as Malvern, named for Simon de Malverne, believed to be of Malvern in Worcestershire , assassinated in 1317. A moated site opposite the end of Marsh Lane is believed to be the de Malvern former home. By the 14th century, the town had become famed for its blacksmiths, and the Solihull High Street was known as le Smythestret. This was because of its location in
3434-611: The Mercian revolt succeeded because Oswiu may have been occupied with fighting in Pictland, in northern Britain. His nephew the Pictish king Talorgan , son of Eanfrith , had died in 657. How much direct control Oswiu exerted over the southern kingdoms during his imperium is unclear. Bede describes Oswiu's friendship and influence over Sigeberht of the East Saxons , but generally the pattern in
3535-783: The Mercians to be descended from the Angles , one of the invading groups; the Saxons and Jutes settled in the south of Britain, while the Angles settled in the north. Little is known about the origins of the kingdom of Mercia , in what is now the English Midlands, but according to genealogies preserved in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Anglian collection the early kings were descended from Icel ;
3636-506: The New Town of Solihull. The de Limsey family held the Manor of Solihull, until Ralph's great-granddaughter married Hugh de Odingsells, whose family were thought to be of Flemish origin. The Odingsells were the Lords of the Manor of Ulverley, and later after its subinfeudation, Solihull, from the 12th century and are believed to have constructed a castle on the site now known as Hobs Moat (a possible corruption of Odingsells' Moat). The castle
3737-531: The Northumbrians a few years after his accession, but he was generally unable to maintain the domination of the south achieved by Wulfhere. At an unrecorded date Wulfhere married Eormenhild ( alias Ermenilda, etc.), a daughter of Eorcenberht , King of Kent , who survived him and is thought after his death to have become the Abbess of Ely . No issue from the marriage are recorded in the earliest sources, however
3838-540: The Shakespeare family, ancestors of William Shakespeare (born a few miles south in Stratford-upon-Avon ), were originally from Solihull's Balsall , with their names appearing in local registers between 1385 and 1457. Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden , was from a cadet branch of the de Arden family of Castle Bromwich in the borough of Solihull. Shakespeare's son Hamnet Shakespeare 's baptism on 23 March 1560
3939-547: The Solihull border. It is reported that Prince Rupert , commander of the Royalist forces, was on his way to meet King Charles in Solihull when he was skirmished by Parliamentary forces in the Battle of Kings Norton . Before its eventual sale to the Greswoldes as part of the Manor of Longdon, the Malvern area of Solihull had been the property of Parliamentarian commander Robert Greville . The Greville family remained important to
4040-574: The Spooner banking family who were the owners of Elmdon hall. A road - Wilberforce Way - is named for him north of Solihull town centre. The manor of Longdon came to famous poet Lord Byron in 1815 by his marriage with Anne, daughter of Sir Ralph Milbanke Noel, and on her death in 1860 passed to her grandson the Earl of Lovelace . Two roads in Solihull are named after the family, Lady Byron Lane and Lovelace Avenue. Longdon Hall, with its remaining manorial rights,
4141-524: The West Saxons under Cædwalla began an aggressive expansion to the east, reversing much of the Mercian advance. In addition to being Wulfhere's godson, King Æthelwealh of the South Saxons had a connection to the Mercians via marriage. His wife was Queen Eafe, the daughter of Eanfrith of the Hwicce , a tribe whose territory lay to the southwest of Mercia. The Hwicce had their own royal family, but it appears that at this date they were already subordinate to Wulfhere:
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4242-509: The West Saxons, leaving Dorchester dangerously close to the border. Within a few years, the Dorchester see was abandoned; the exact date is not known, but it was probably in the mid 660s. In addition to the attack on Ashdown, Wulfhere raided the Isle of Wight in 661. He subsequently gave both the island and the territory of the Meonware, which lay along the river Meon , on the mainland north of
4343-526: The area was at Berry Mound , Shirley , which was the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort, a fortified village protected by earth banks, dating back to the 1st century BC and which covered approximately 11 acres (4.5 ha). The name Shirley means either 'a bright clearing' or 'a border clearing' in the Forest of Arden. During the later Iron Age the River Cole , which feeds the River Blythe, is believed to have been
4444-416: The area, with Fulke Greville, 5th Baron Brooke being erroneously recorded as the Lord of the Manor of Longdon in 1682. A branch of the Greville family would make donations for schools in Knowle in the early 1700s. In the modern era, Solihull became quieter, with textile working and iron working still prominent in the town. The Manor of Solihull continued to pass through a number of other holders including
4545-451: The border between the Corieltauvi and the Cornovii , with Solihull forming the junction of the two powerful Celtic Tribes. Throughout the Roman occupation of Britain it was held that no Roman roads made it through the Forest of Arden because it was so dense. The nearest known major Roman settlements being at Grimstock Hill on the Solihull border, Metchley Fort (around 8.5 miles north west), and Alcester (around 15 miles south). By
4646-405: The borough designated as green belt . The town and its borough, which has been part of Warwickshire for most of its history, has roots dating back to the 1st century BC, and was further formally established during the medieval era. Today the town is famed as, amongst other things, the birthplace of the Land Rover car marque, home of the training facilities for the British Equestrian teams, and
4747-417: The borough of Solihull. The Woodmen target shoot at only one distance, 100 yards, and score in the Archers disfavour. Archery had always been an important sport in Solihull. On the doorway of the church of St Alphage are incisions which are arrow sharpening marks from the 1360s when men were required to practice archery on a Sunday to ensure a ready supply of archers. The long marks have been made by Broadheads,
4848-403: The century. The hall featured a gatehouse onto the Warwick Road designed by Sir John Soane , architect of the Bank of England. In 1809 the hall would be painted by John Constable , for his patron, Henry Greswolde Lewis. The Greswoldes would later sell the house to Solihull council who converted the estate into Malvern Park . The hall is today part of Solihull School. Also constructed in 1712,
4949-404: The church and the Balsall Preceptory. By 1295, the Manor of Solihull had passed from the Odingsells via heiress to the de Birmingham family , however they in turn quickly passed it into the Le Despencer family. The Despencers found themselves at odds with the Trussell family of nearby Nuthurst (now in the borough of Solihull) during the baronial revolt under Edward II . The warring between
5050-422: The circumstances of Wulfhere's conversion are unknown. It has been suggested that he adopted Christianity as part of a settlement with Oswiu. Bede records that two years before Penda's death, his son Peada converted to Christianity, influenced partly by Oswiu's son Ealhfrith , who had married Peada's sister Cyneburh. Peada brought a Christian mission into Mercia, and it is possible that this was when Wulfhere became
5151-406: The creation of a separate entity. In 664, Æthelwald of East Anglia died, and was succeeded by Ealdwulf , who reigned for fifty years. Almost nothing is known of Mercian relations with East Anglia during this time; East Anglia had previously been dominated by Northumbria, but there is no evidence that this continued after Wulfhere's accession. Swithhelm of the East Saxons also died in 664; he
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#17330941068165252-448: The dedication of Wulfhere's gift both Archbishop Deusdedit (died 664), and Bishop Jaruman (held office from 663), were present. The endowment was signed by Wulfhere and Oswiu, and by Sigehere and Sæbbi , the Kings of Essex . In 661, Wulfhere is recorded in the Chronicle as harrying Ashdown, in West Saxon territory. The Gewisse , thought to be the original group from which the West Saxons came, appear to have originally settled in
5353-436: The domination of a stronger one. Oswiu went further than this, however, and installed his own governors in Mercia after the deaths of Penda and Peada. This attempt to establish close control of Mercia failed in 658 when three Mercian leaders, Immin, Eafa and Eadbert, rebelled against the Northumbrians. Bede reports that they had kept Wulfhere in hiding, and when the revolt succeeded Wulfhere became king. It has been suggested that
5454-400: The dynasty is therefore known as the Iclingas . The earliest Mercian king about whom definite historical information has survived is Penda of Mercia , Wulfhere's father. According to Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum , a history of the English church, there were seven early Anglo-Saxon rulers who held imperium , or overlordship, over the other kingdoms. The fifth of these
5555-441: The ecclesiastical establishment who supplied him with additional information. This does not seem to have been the case with Mercia, about which Bede is less informative than about other kingdoms. Further sources for this period include the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , compiled at the end of the 9th century in Wessex . The Chronicle' s anonymous scribe appears to have incorporated much information recorded in earlier periods. Wulfhere
5656-450: The few Anglo Saxon families to retain their land holdings after the Norman Conquest , and eventually settling in their primary estate in Castle Bromwich , today in the Borough of Solihull. In 1086, it was recorded that the Manor of Ulverlei was now held by Cristina , great-granddaughter of Ethelred the Unready , daughter of Edward the Exile , and sister of the last Anglo Saxon King Edgar Aetheling . Shortly after 1086, Christina entered
5757-502: The form of treasure, to secure Penda's departure. On the way back to Mercia, Oswiu overtook Penda and on 15 November 655 Oswiu and Penda fought on the banks of the (unidentified) River Winwaed . Penda was killed and beheaded by Oswiu, who divided Mercia into northern and southern halves. The northern portion was kept under direct Northumbrian control; the southern kingdom was given to Penda's son Peada, who had married Oswiu's daughter Ealhflæd ca 653. Peada did not remain king long. He
5858-479: The inhabitants. According to the Chronicle , this was the first time Christian baptism had reached the island. In the early 670s, Cenwealh of Wessex died, and perhaps as a result of the stress caused by Wulfhere's military activity the West Saxon kingdom fragmented and came to be ruled by underkings, according to Bede. Eventually these underkings were defeated and the kingdom reunited, probably by Cædwalla but possibly by Centwine . A decade after Wulfhere's death,
5959-403: The land for creation of a Tudor Grange grammar school and Tudor Grange Park . Longdon hall was eventually sold to a nearby golf course. In 1868, George Muntz of nearby Umberslade , a campaigner for suffrage and friend of Thomas Attwood , would become the owner of the manor of Widney Manor . He would also later buy land in Bentley Heath and develop the Solihull area of Dorridge . In
6060-405: The marriage between Æthelwealh and Eafe may well have taken place at Wulfhere's court, since it is known Æthelwealh was converted there. The kingdom of the Hwicce is sometimes regarded as a creation of Penda's, but it is equally likely that the kingdom existed independently of Mercia, and that Penda and Wulfhere's increasing influence in the area represented an extension of Mercian power rather than
6161-463: The metal to be used in the manufacture of everyday objects. Before this, aluminium was considered a precious metal, with bars of aluminium exhibited alongside the French Crown Jewels in the Paris Exhibition of 1855. In 1878, Webster was producing 100 pounds of pure Aluminium every week at his Solihull Lodge factory. In 1898, the Fowlers Cheese company - the oldest cheese manufacturer in England, founded 1670 - moved to its current site in Earlswood. In
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#17330941068166262-411: The modern police force , Sir Robert Peel . Peel and his son Sir Frederick Peel modernised and made improvements to Hampton in Arden, including the construction of a new manor house, (which is today the Michelin starred Peel's Restaurant ). It was also during the early 1800s that abolitionist William Wilberforce moved to the Elmdon area of Solihull following his marriage to Barbara Spooner , of
6363-408: The name Ketelberne). The assimilation of Longdon into Solihull was so total that few references exist today indicating it was ever a separate place. The Longdon area bordered onto the settlement of Hampton in Arden , appearing in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as 'Hantone'. Despite bordering Solihull, Hampton in Arden would not be incorporated into the borough of Solihull until later. From the middle of
6464-429: The nunnery of Romsey Abbey in Hampshire. Her lands were granted to the Norman Ralph de Limesy . The extent of the area historically considered the manor of Ulverlei is demarked by an area called 'Worlds End', a historical naming practice indicating that people did not live beyond there. It was between 1170 and 1180 that the de Limsey family founded the settlement of 'Solihull' as a "planted borough" or planned village to
6565-435: The people of that province. This would in turn imply Wulfhere's domination of that province by that time. Wulfhere's influence among the Lindesfara, whose territory, Lindsey , lay in what is now Lincolnshire , is known from information about episcopal authority. At least one of the Mercian bishops of Lichfield is known to have exercised authority there: Wynfrith , who became bishop on Chad's death in 672. In addition it
6666-413: The reign of Offa of Mercia , or Edwin or Oswiu of Northumbria. Britain had been Christianised under the Romans , but the incoming Anglo-Saxons practiced their indigenous religion ( Anglo-Saxon paganism ) and the church in Great Britain was limited to the surviving British kingdoms in Scotland and Wales, and the kingdom of Dumnonia in the southwest of England. Missionaries from Rome began converting
6767-403: The rest of England, Ulverlei became the property of the Earls of Mercia. The first of these was Leofric , husband of Lady Godiva , heroine of the Warwickshire legend. The manor of Ulverlei later passed to Leofric's grandson, Edwin, Earl of Mercia who held it until his death in 1071. Leofric's great-nephew, Thorkell of Arden, would become progenitor of the locally prominent Arden family , one of
6868-401: The round by Bodkins - types of arrowheads used with the long bows of the time. The society is strictly limited to a membership of 80, with this rule only having been bent once, when in 1835 Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, Lord of the Manor of Hampton in Arden, was added. In the early 1800s, Isaac William Lillingston sold the Manor of Hampton in Arden to former Prime Minister , and founder of
6969-457: The site three centuries later in 1656, finding only "a large Moat" and was informed by the locals that the castle there had long since been removed. The Odingsells had built a new purpose-built manor house closer to the new town centre, called Silhill Hall , at some point in the 13th century. It is believed that through much of their ownership of the manor the Despencers would rent out Silhill Hall, or have their stewards reside there. Within
7070-473: The south as a result; in 675, Æscwine , one of the kings of the West Saxons, fought him at Biedanheafde. It is not known where this battle was, or who was the victor. Henry of Huntingdon , a 12th-century historian who had access to versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle now lost, believed that Mercians had been the victors in a "terrible battle" and remarks upon Wulfhere having inherited "the valour of his father and grandfather". Kirby, however, presumes Æscwine
7171-437: The south of Ulverli. It was called a borough simply because the de Limsey Lord of the Manor offered free burgage tenure where residents were free, rent-paying burgesses, rather than villeins owing service to the Lord of the Manor. By the time of Edward I , Ulverlie was sub-infeudated into the newly created Manor of Solihull, and became known as the 'Old Town', contracted to its present name, Olton to distinguish itself from
7272-419: The southeast is of more local domination, with Oswiu's influence unlikely to have been particularly strong. Wulfhere appears to have taken over Oswiu's position in many instances. Bede does not list him as one of the rulers who exercised imperium , but modern historians consider that the rise to primacy of the kingdom of Mercia began in his reign. He seems to have been the effective overlord of Britain south of
7373-432: The succession, as through his marriage to Eormenhild he was the uncle of Egbert's two sons, Eadric and Wihtred . It has been speculated that Wulfhere acted as the effective ruler of Kent in the interregnum between Egbert's death and Hlothhere's accession. Another Mercian connection to Kent was through Merewalh , the king of the Magonsæte , and hence a subking under Wulfhere. Merewalh, who may have been Wulfhere's brother,
7474-476: The two families ended when Sir William Trussell of Nuthurst led the invasion of England by Queen Isabella against Edward II, which installed Edward III on the throne. Hugh Despenser was executed and Sir William Trussell was made the King's Secretary of State for England under Edward III. The rivalry between the two families was intense, and at one point the grandson of Sir William Trussell, Sir John Trussell, abducted
7575-461: The two men may have both come from a Middle Anglian dynasty, with Wulfhere perhaps having placed Frithuwold on the throne of Surrey. The charter is witnessed by three other subkings, named Osric, Wigheard, and Æthelwold; their kingdoms are not identified but the charter mentions Sonning, a province in what is now eastern Berkshire , and it may be that one of these subkings was a ruler of the Sunningas,
7676-467: The upper Thames valley, and what records survive of the 6th century show them active in that region. The Mercian resurgence under Wulfhere placed them under severe pressure. Also in the early 660s, the West Saxon see of Dorchester , in the same area, was divided, and a new bishopric set up at Winchester . This decision was probably a reaction to the advance of the Mercians into the traditional heartland of
7777-482: The upper chapel in St Alphege was built for a chantry. By 1242, the Manor of Solihull was granted a Royal charter to hold a weekly market and an annual fair "on the vigil, the feast and the morrow of St Alphege" (18-20 April). It was around this time that Solihull became a hub for its surrounding parishes. The town of Solihull would later absorb the nearby settlement of Longdon . The first recorded reference to Longdon
7878-528: The widow of Hugh Despenser's grandson (also called Hugh Despenser ), after he was killed in battle, and forced her to marry him in an ultimately futile attempt to take the manor of Solihull. The Despencers would briefly fall back into favour some years later when helping with the campaigns of Edward the Black Prince . It is during this time in the 14th century that Hobs Moat Castle is believed to have fallen into ruin. Antiquary Sir William Dugdale would visit
7979-467: The years 667–69, while Wilfrid was at Ripon , Wulfhere frequently invited him to come to Mercia when there was need of the services of a bishop. According to Stephen, Wulfhere rewarded Wilfrid with "many tracts of land", in which Wilfrid "soon established minsters for servants of God". According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Wulfhere endowed a major monastery at Medeshamstede , in modern Peterborough. The monastery had initially been endowed by Peada; for
8080-427: Was Edwin of Northumbria , who was killed at the Battle of Hatfield Chase by a combined force including Cadwallon , a British king of Gwynedd and Penda. At the time of this victory, Penda was probably not yet king of Mercia. His children included two future kings of Mercia: Wulfhere and Æthelred . After Edwin's death, Northumbria briefly fell apart into its two constituent kingdoms - Bernicia and Deira . Within
8181-454: Was King of Mercia from 658 until 675 AD. He was the first Christian king of all of Mercia , though it is not known when or how he converted from Anglo-Saxon paganism . His accession marked the end of Oswiu of Northumbria 's overlordship of southern England, and Wulfhere extended his influence over much of that region. His campaigns against the West Saxons led to Mercian control of much of
8282-616: Was Touchwood Hall at the end of Drury Lane on Teinters Green. The hall would serve as the home of the Holbeche family , former lords of the manor at Widney Manor and a prominent local family. The hall would later be held by the Madeley and Martineau families. The hall was demolished in 1963 but lends its name to Solihull's famous shopping centre. During this time poets William Shenstone and Richard Jago attended Solihull School, where today, two houses are named after them. In 1775, Monkspath Hall
8383-559: Was considered part of the new Manor of Ulverlei. This status as a clearing in the countryside is still reflected to this day in the town motto, "Urbs in rure" or "town in the country". Local folklore holds that as part of his campaigns against the Viking invasion in the mid 9th century Alfred the Great fought a battle against the Danes at Berry Mound, Shirley. After the absorption of Mercia into
8484-500: Was constructed. It captured the nation's media attention two centuries later when it was illegally demolished, sparking a court case which demanded it be put back exactly as it was. In 1785, the Earl of Aylesford founded, and became patron of, the Woodmen of Arden . This is a prestigious society of Toxophilites who meet to shoot longbows at their ground in the Forest of Arden in Meriden, in
8585-532: Was defeated. He died, probably of disease, in 675. Wulfhere was succeeded as King of Mercia by his brother, Æthelred . Stephen of Ripon 's Life of Wilfrid describes Wulfhere as "a man of proud mind, and insatiable will". England in AD 600 was ruled almost entirely by the Anglo-Saxon peoples who had come to Britain from northwestern Europe over the previous 200 years. The monk Bede , writing in about AD 731, considered
8686-458: Was divided again: Oswald's son Oswiu succeeded to the throne of Bernicia , and Osric 's son Oswine to Deira , the southern of the two kingdoms. The main source for this period is Bede's History , completed in about 731. Despite its focus on the history of the church, this work also provides valuable information about the early pagan kingdoms. For other kingdoms than his native Northumbria, such as Wessex and Kent, Bede had an informant within
8787-457: Was granted by Pope Boniface IX on 4 May 1396. By 1402 the church was consecrated and Knowle broke away from Hampton in Arden, later becoming part of the borough of Solihull. Near Knowle lies the settlement of Temple Balsall , part of the borough of Solihull, that was founded by the Knights Templar , who farmed about 650 acres (2.6 km ) of the estate in the 12th century, and established
8888-493: Was in 1086 as 'Langedone', meaning the 'long hill'. The 'long hill' in question was the hill on what is now Solihull's Marsh Lane and Yew Tree Lane, leading from the River Blythe up onto Elmdon Heath . The Longdon Manor House was at its edge on Copt Heath. In 1161 the Manor of Longdon had been property of Ketelberne de Langdon , who founded Henwood Priory and gave his name to the settlement of Catherine-de-Barnes (a corruption of
8989-490: Was killed. It is thought at least as likely that Penda was 50 years old at his death, rather than at his accession. Wulfhere's date of birth is unknown, but Bede describes him as a youth at the time of his accession in 658, so it is likely he was in his middle teens at that time; Penda would then have been in his thirties at the time Wulfhere was born. Nothing is known of Wulfhere's childhood. He had two brothers, Peada and Æthelred, and two sisters, Cyneburh and Cyneswith; it
9090-530: Was later bought by a solicitor, Mr. J. B. Clarke of Birmingham in 1899 and soon afterwards sold to Mr. Alfred Lovekin, a silversmith. Mr Lovekin also leased land near Solihull town centre from the Chattock family of Castle Bromwich , on which he built the Jacobean style Tudor Grange Hall. After Mr Lovekin's death, Tudor Grange Hall was sold to Sir Alfred Bird, 1st Baronet , a chemist and politician, who would later leave
9191-510: Was married to Hlothhere's sister, Eormenburh. Surrey is not recorded as ever having been an independent kingdom, but was at least a province that was under the control of different neighbours at different times. It was ruled by Egbert until the early 670s, when a charter shows Wulfhere confirming a grant made to Bishop Eorcenwald by Frithuwold , a sub-king in Surrey, which may have extended north into modern Buckinghamshire . Frithuwold himself
9292-411: Was murdered at Easter in 656, perhaps with the connivance of his wife, Oswiu's daughter. Oswiu then ruled all Mercia himself. Bede lists Oswiu as the seventh and last king to hold imperium (or bretwalda in the language of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ) over the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Overlordship was a common relationship between kingdoms at this time, often taking the form of a lesser king under
9393-509: Was murdered six months later. Wulfhere came to the throne when Mercian nobles organized a revolt against Northumbrian rule in 658 and drove out Oswiu's governors. By 670, when Oswiu died, Wulfhere was the most powerful king in southern England. He was effectively the overlord of England south of the Humber from the early 660s, although not overlord of Northumbria as his father had been. In 674, he challenged Oswiu's son Ecgfrith of Northumbria , but
9494-474: Was occupied until around the 14th century. The Odingsells were relatives of the powerful Clinton Earls of Huntingdon of Maxstoke Castle (around 8 miles north east of Hobs Moat), whose relatives would also control nearby Coleshill Manor (around 6 miles north east of Hobs Moat), Kenilworth Castle (around 13 miles south east of Hobs Moat) and Baddesley Clinton (around 8 miles south of Hobs Moat). The red sandstone parish church of St. Alphege dates from
9595-642: Was owned by the Throckmortons during the Throckmorton Plot of 1583, and the planning of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament in which the Throckmorton's were heavily involved. Their co-conspirators included the Catesby family of Lapworth (then part of the borough of Solihull), and the Digby family who were Lords of the Manor of Coleshill (much of which is part of the borough of Solihull today). They rented
9696-419: Was probably married to Wilburh, Wulfhere's sister. The charter, made from Thame , is dated between 673 and 675, and it was probably Egbert's death that triggered Wulfhere's intervention. A witness named Frithuric is recorded on a charter in the reign of Wulfhere's successor, Æthelred, making a grant to the monastery of Peterborough, and the alliteration common in Anglo-Saxon dynasties has led to speculation that
9797-466: Was staged at the West Warwickshire Sports Club that was founded in 1888. It is located at West Warwickshire Sports Complex Solihull , Midlands , England. Solihull Solihull ( / ˈ s ɒ l i h ʌ l , ˈ s oʊ l -, ˌ s oʊ l i ˈ h ʌ l / SO(H)L -ee-hul, SOH -lee- HUL ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull , in
9898-435: Was succeeded by his two sons, Sigehere and Sæbbi , and Bede describes their accession as "rulers ... under Wulfhere, king of the Mercians". A plague the same year caused Sigehere and his people to recant their Christianity, and according to Bede, Wulfhere sent Jaruman, the bishop of Lichfield , to reconvert the East Saxons. Jaruman was not the first bishop of Lichfield; Bede mentions a predecessor, Trumhere, but nothing
9999-405: Was sufficiently successful to break Wulfhere's hold over Wessex. Wulfhere died later in 675. The cause of death, according to Henry of Huntingdon, was disease. He would have been in his mid-thirties. His widow, Eormenhild, is thought to have later become the abbess of Ely . Æthelred, Wulfhere's brother, succeeded to the throne and reigned for nearly thirty years. Æthelred recovered Lindsey from
10100-496: Was the king of Kent at Wulfhere's accession, and the two families became connected when Wulfhere married Eorcenberht's daughter Eormenhild. In 664 Eorcenberht's son Egbert succeeded to the Kentish throne. The situation in Kent at Egbert's death in 673 is not clearly recorded. It appears that a year passed before Hlothhere , Egbert's brother, became king. Wulfhere may have had an interest in
10201-505: Was the son of Penda of Mercia. Penda's queen, Cynewise, is named by Bede, who does not mention her children; no other wives of Penda are known and so it is likely but not certain that she was Wulfhere's mother. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives Penda's age as fifty in 626, and credits him with a thirty-year reign, but this would put Penda at eighty years old at the time of his death, which is generally thought unlikely as two of his sons (Wulfhere and Æthelred) are recorded as being young when he
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