Summary: So in late 655, following his victory at the Winwaed, King Oswiu occupied and ruled Northern Mercia and thus now ruled over an additional 7,000 households, according to Bede. Consider how much power that was conferring upon the King. We’re talking about 7,000 hides of land. Think of how many Ceorls and Thegns now answered to him, and how much food rent he would now command, in addition to all the holdings of Bernicia and the tributes he was collecting from sub-kings. Now, he did allow King Penda’s son (King Paeda) to rule southern Mercia and the 5,000 families who lived there. And as you might remember, King Paeda had a long history with Oswiu and his family. He was a personal friend of Oswiu’s son, he had converted at Oswiu’s (and his son’s) suggestion, and he had married one of Oswiu’s daughters. King Paeda was quite literally family. And in most families, that would be a good thing. But King Oswiu /had/ already murdered his cousin and also dethroned (and might have murdered) his nephew… This was a dodgy family to marry into. But at least his father in law let him keep the southern throne following Mercia’s catastrophic loss in battle. And given the fact that Oswiu’s son, Ecgric, was held as a hostage prior to the battle of the Winwaed, it does make me wonder if perhaps Paeda’s rule over Southern Mercia was secured in a hostage exchange. Whatever the case… the line of Penda was still ruling at least over part of Mercia. Well, for a few months. The thing is that King Paeda had married Oswiu’s daughter, and that is a blood line that you probably should keep a close eye on. Close than Paeda was, at least. Because we’re told that on Easter, King Paeda was killed through the machinations of his wife.
