The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Romano-British Devon 661 A.D. | Fyrd Recruitment and Skirmish Warfare

Having defeated the Romano-British kings of Dumnonia at the Battle of Peonnum in 658 A.D. King Cenwalh pushed the Gewissan border as far as the River Parrett.

Undoubtedly, many Romano-British communities remained in Somersæte under the new rule of an Anglo-Saxon elite, living side by side with new Anglo-Saxon settlers.

Nonetheless, the feud between the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon elites continued, and in 661 A.D. King Cenwalh began a campaign south, crossing the River Parrett and marching far into Dumnonian territory.

Cenwalh aimed to conquer the Dumnonian Kings and take the Romano-British settlement of Isca, known today as Exeter.

Isca, or Isca Dumnoniorum as it was called by the Romans, was established in 55 A.D. as a Roman legionary fortress during the Roman conquest of Britain. The town grew up around the fortress into a thriving Romano-British settlement and important trading centre.

Isca continued to thrive after the Roman withdrawal under the rule of the Romano-British Dumnonian tribe. At the time of Cenwalh’s campaign, Isca was one of the largest and most prosperous settlements in Britain, with a population of around 2000. The settlement was still surrounded by its imposing Roman walls, sections of which still stand today.

As such, Isca represented a significant threat to Cenwalh. If the Dumnonian tribes were allowed time prepare and man the walls of the settlement, their defences would be insurmountable.

To counter this, Cenwalh marched to Posentesburgh, just north of Isca. Here, he hoped to intercept the Dumnonian forces as they rallied to defend their settlement, and engage the enemy on the field.

The better equipped and heavier armed freemen and gesiþ warriors would fight pitched battle in the shield wall. Less well equipped and, by definition, lighter troops would be armed with just spears and a side arm of axe or knife. These would engage in skirmishes and raiding, for example, hunting down enemy scouts to prevent word reaching the Romano British of Cenwalh’s movements.

Cenwalh fought at Posentesburgh, but his campaign was cut short. In Cenwalh’s absence, Wulfhere of Mercia had ravaged the Gewissan heartland all the way to the Isle of Wight. The Gewissæ returned to defend their land and the Dumnonians remained unconquered.

Warring kings and nobles raised forces from their surrounding controlled territory or locality. This worked as a levy, and all Germanic freemen would be expected to go to war when called upon, known today as the fyrd. Just as the 7th century Anglo-Saxon “kingdoms” were not solid blocks but confederated regions loosely controlled by a royal heartland, recruitment was not standardised but fragmented and autonomous.

Anglo-Saxon and indeed most Germanic societies during the Early Medieval period were taxed and levied on a hide system. A hide was a unit of land capable of supporting one household. While a hide has been estimated at 30 to 120 modern acres, it was not a measure of land area but a measure of land productivity for tax or levy purposes.

The hides were grouped into hundreds, each holding one hundred hides. When the select fyrd was levied, twenty men from each hundred, or one man per five households were expected to go to war. Those who remained, were to provide for and equip the selected individual going to war. The warriors were normally equipped and supplied by the other landholders within the five hide unit in proportion to the land they held.

The warrior chosen out of each five hide unit was likely to be the most fit for combat. The community had to forward its own wealth for the person’s equipment and supplies, therefore they would choose someone they could count on to return and secure their ‘investment’.

This selective recruitment resulted in the fielding of small, well equipped and relatively well trained forces, while allowing most freemen to continue working the land. The twenty men from each hundred served in campaign together, forming a strong, cohesive unit of relatives and friends with familial ties.

Those more wealthy freemen or gesiþas who owned five hides or more themselves were expected to equip themselves and serve as a more professional military force. They were also obliged to enforce the military service of the other men on their estates and they took command of the local contingents as an officer class, organising and leading hundreds.

With thanks to:
Jack Sparks, as the fellow freeman warrior.
Herknungr, Musician, playing “The Wolf Chieftain”, “Chauken” and “Svinfylking”.
Schwerpunkt, Military Historian, for his insight on Anglo-Saxon Levy and Recruitment Organisation

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