this we have no record. Again, the destruction of Chester
about 615 was soon followed by the overthrow of the British kingdom of
Elmet in south-west Yorkshire, and the occupation of Shropshire and the
Lothians took place perhaps about the same period, that of Herefordshire
probably somewhat later. In the south, Somerset is said to have been
conquered by the West Saxons shortly after the middle of the 7th century.
Dorset had probably been acquired by them before this time, while part of
Devon seems to have come into their hands soon afterwards.

The area thus conquered was occupied by a number of separate kingdoms, each
with a royal family of its own. The districts north of the Humber contained
two kingdoms, Bernicia (_q.v._) and Deira (_q.v._), which were eventually
united in Northumbria. South of the Humber, Lindsey seems to have had a
dynasty of its own, though in historical times it was apparently always
subject to the kings of Northumbria or Mercia. The upper basin of the Trent
formed the nucleus of the kingdom of Mercia (_q.v._), while farther down
the east coast was the kingdom of East Anglia (_q.v._). Between these two
lay a territory called Middle Anglia, which is sometimes described as a
kingdom, though we do not know whether it ever had a separate dynasty.
Essex, Kent and Sussex (see articles on these kingdoms) preserve the names
of ancient kingdoms, while the old diocese of Worcester grew out of the
kingdom of the Hwicce (_q.v._), with which it probably coincided in area.
The south of England, between Sussex and "West Wales" (eventually reduced
to Cornwall), was occupied by Wessex, which originally also possessed some
territory to the north of the Thames. Lastly, even the Isle of Wight
appears to have had a dynasty of its own. But it must not be supposed that
all these kingdoms were always, or even normally, independent. When history
begins, AEthelberht, king of Kent, was supreme over all the kings south of
the Humber. He was followed by the East Anglian king Raedwald, and the
latter again by a series of Northumbrian kings with an even wider
supremacy. Before AEthelberht a similar position had been held by the West
Saxon king Ceawlin, and at a much earlier period, according to tradition,
by Ella or AElle, the first king of Sussex. The nature of this supremacy has
been much discussed, but the true explanation seems to be furnished by that
principle of personal allegiance which formed such an important element in