When Britain became England

Posted by Joseph Allen McCullough Oct 13, 2007

For those of you who have been following this column and the associated articles, you know that I have spent the last couple of months detailing the slow take-over of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons. Unlike the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Germanic Invaders did not seize control of the island, or even any major chunk of the island in one quick campaign. Instead, Anglo-Saxon numbers slowly grew and their borders stretched over a matter of nearly two centuries. Considering all the confusing names and shifting borders, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture amongst all the details. So, I thought now would be a good time for a quick summary of the whole situation.

It is commonly agreed that the first Saxons arrived in Britain around 450AD. Even after their great betrayal of Vortigern and their massive campaign against the British they only controlled about a third of modern England. Their advances were then checked by Ambrosius and Arthur.

After the death of Arthur, the British Kingdoms became immersed in internal squabbles which weakened them considerably. This weakness increased when bubonic plague swept through the British Kingdoms, but left the Anglo-Saxons relatively unscathed. The Anglo-Saxons launched a second major campaign around 570AD which left them in control of over 2/3 of England. Further advances in the 7th century captured all the territory of modern England except the Cornish Peninsula, Cumbria and areas north of Cumbria.

So, in answer to the question: when did the Anglo-Saxons conqueror Britain? The only true answer is between the 5th and 7th Centuries.