Person

Cerdic

Also known as Cerdic of Wessex

Cerdic is named by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the founder of the kingdom of Wessex. It says he landed in southern Britain with his son Cynric in 495 and took the kingship in 519, ruling until 534, and later West Saxon kings traced their descent from him. His name appears to be of British rather than English origin, and historians treat the Chronicle's account as largely legendary.

Cerdic
Image: John Speed · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Kingdom of WessexFoundation, Governance, Summary

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kingdom of WessexKingdom of the Isle of Wight

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cerdic. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cerdic
MLA
“Cerdic.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cerdic. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cerdic.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cerdic.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cerdic’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cerdic (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻