Northumbria
the extreme N. of the ancient English kingdom, stretching from the Humber N. to the Firth of Forth, and separated W. from Cumbria and Strathclyde by the Pennine range and the Ettrick Forest. Bernicia, the district N. of the Tees, had for its first king Ida (547-559), who built Bamburgh as his capital. His grandson, Ethelfrith, mounted the throne in 593, married the daughter of Ella, who in 560 had formed the kingdom of Deira out of the district between the Tees and the Humber, set aside the rights of his boy brother-in-law Edwin, and so united both Bernicia and Deira into one kingdom. But Edwin returning, defeated and killed the usurper in 617, and became King of the Northin 617, and became King of the North- umbrians as well as Bretwalda. Under him Northumbria was Christianized. In Mercia and the Welsh Cadwallon, but a cleared the country, and united both divisions under his rule. His brother and NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE successor, Oswy, yielded Deira to Oswin, son of Osric, his cousin, but in 654, by a great victory in which Penda perished, was able to unite his kingdom, and reigned till 670. Under Egfried (670- 685), Aldfrid (685-705), and as many as 14 obscure successors, Northumbrian influence gave way before the rise of Mercia, internal tumults, and Danish ravages, till 806, when the chronicles cease, and 827, when at length Northumbria became tributary to Egbert.