King Aethelberht of East Anglia came to Offa's court — according to the sources, seeking marriage to Offa's daughter — and was killed on Offa's orders in circumstances that remain obscure. The death gave Offa direct control over East Anglia and completed his dominance of England south of the Humber. Aethelberht was subsequently venerated as a martyr — his shrine at Hereford Cathedral still stands. The murder shocked contemporaries including Alcuin, who wrote that it was a disgrace. It shows the ruthlessness underlying Offa's hegemony.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
Research a location near Suffolk