Editing History of London (section)

===Anglo-Saxon London (5th century – 1066)===
{{Main|Anglo-Saxon London}}
Until recently it was believed that [[Anglo-Saxon]] settlements initially avoided the area immediately around Londinium. However, the discovery in 2008 of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery at [[Covent Garden]] indicates that the incomers had begun to settle there at least as early as the 6th century and possibly in the 5th. The main focus of this settlement was outside the Roman walls, clustering a short distance to the west along what is now the [[Strand, London|Strand]], between the [[Aldwych]] and [[Trafalgar Square]]. It was known as ''Lundenwic'', the ''-wic'' [[suffix]] here denoting a trading settlement. Recent excavations have also highlighted the population density and relatively sophisticated urban organisation of this earlier Anglo-Saxon London, which was laid out on a grid pattern and grew to house a likely population of 10,000 to 12,000.

Early Anglo-Saxon London belonged to a people known as the [[Middle Saxons]], from whom the name of the county of [[Middlesex]] is derived, but who probably also occupied the approximate area of modern [[Hertfordshire]] and [[Surrey]]. However, by the early 7th century the London area had been incorporated into the kingdom of the [[East Saxons]]. In 604 King [[Saeberht of Essex|Sæberht of Essex]] converted to Christianity and London received [[Mellitus]], its first post-Roman bishop.

At this time Essex was under the overlordship of King [[Æthelberht of Kent]], and it was under Æthelberht's patronage that Mellitus founded the first [[St. Paul's Cathedral]], traditionally said to be on the site of an old Roman Temple of Diana (although [[Christopher Wren]] found no evidence of this). It would have only been a modest church at first and may well have been destroyed after he was expelled from the city by Saeberht's [[paganism|pagan]] successors.

The permanent establishment of [[Christianity]] in the East Saxon kingdom took place during the reign of King [[Sigeberht the Good|Sigeberht II]] in the 650s. During the 8th century, the kingdom of [[Mercia]] extended its dominance over south-eastern England, initially through overlordship which at times developed into outright annexation. London seems to have come under direct Mercian control in the 730s.

[[File:Alfred the Great silver coin.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A silver coin of [[Alfred the Great|Alfred]], with the legend {{sc|ÆLFRED REX}}]]
[[File:Statue d'Alfred le Grand à Winchester.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|The statue of [[Alfred the Great]] at [[Winchester]], erected 1899]]

[[Viking]] attacks dominated most of the 9th century, becoming increasingly common from around 830 onwards. London was sacked in 842 and again in 851. The [[Denmark|Danish]] "[[Great Heathen Army]]", which had rampaged across England since 865, wintered in London in 871. The city remained in Danish hands until 886, when it was captured by the forces of King [[Alfred the Great]] of [[Wessex]] and reincorporated into Mercia, then governed under Alfred's sovereignty by his son-in-law [[Ealdorman]] [[Earl Aethelred of Mercia|Æthelred]].

[[File:Southwark Bridge City Plaque.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|A plaque in the [[City of London]] noting the re-establishment of the Roman walled city]]

Around this time the focus of settlement moved within the old Roman walls for the sake of defence, and the city became known as ''[[Lundenburh]]''. The Roman walls were repaired and the defensive ditch re-cut, while the bridge was probably rebuilt at this time. A second fortified [[borough]] was established on the south bank at [[Southwark]], the ''Suþringa Geworc'' (defensive work of the men of [[Surrey]]). The old settlement of ''Lundenwic'' became known as the ''eald wic'' or "old settlement", a name which survives today as Aldwych.

From this point, the City of London began to develop its own unique local government. Following Æthelred's death in 911 it was transferred to Wessex, preceding the absorption of the rest of Mercia in 918. Although it faced competition for political pre-eminence in the united [[Kingdom of England]] from the traditional West Saxon centre of [[Winchester]], London's size and commercial wealth brought it a steadily increasing importance as a focus of governmental activity. King [[Athelstan of England|Athelstan]] held many meetings of the ''witan'' in London and issued laws from there, while King [[Æthelred the Unready]] issued the [[Laws of London]] there in 978.

Following the resumption of Viking attacks in the reign of Æthelred, London was unsuccessfully attacked in 994 by an army under King [[Sweyn Forkbeard]] of Denmark. As English resistance to the sustained and escalating Danish onslaught finally collapsed in 1013, London repulsed an attack by the Danes and was the last place to hold out while the rest of the country submitted to Sweyn, but by the end of the year it too capitulated and Æthelred fled abroad. Sweyn died just five weeks after having been proclaimed king and Æthelred was restored to the throne, but Sweyn's son [[Canute the Great|Cnut]] returned to the attack in 1015.

After Æthelred's death at London in 1016 his son [[Edmund Ironside]] was proclaimed king there by the ''[[witangemot]]'' and left to gather forces in Wessex. London was then subjected to a systematic siege by Cnut but was relieved by King Edmund's army; when Edmund again left to recruit reinforcements in Wessex the Danes resumed the siege but were again unsuccessful. However, following his defeat at the [[Battle of Assandun]] Edmund ceded to Cnut all of England north of the Thames, including London, and his death a few weeks later left Cnut in control of the whole country.

A Norse saga tells of a battle when King Æthelred returned to attack Danish-occupied London. According to the saga, the Danes lined [[London Bridge]] and showered the attackers with spears. Undaunted, the attackers pulled the roofs off nearby houses and held them over their heads in the boats. Thus protected, they were able to get close enough to the bridge to attach ropes to the piers and pull the bridge down, thus ending the Viking occupation of London. This story presumably relates to Æthelred's return to power after Sweyn's death in 1014, but there is no strong evidence of any such struggle for control of London on that occasion.

Following the extinction of Cnut's dynasty in 1042 English rule was restored under [[Edward the Confessor]]. He was responsible for the foundation of [[Westminster Abbey]] and spent much of his time upstream of the City at [[Westminster]], which from this time steadily supplanted the City itself as the centre of government. Edward's death at Westminster in 1066 without a clear heir led to a succession dispute and the [[Norman conquest of England]]. Earl [[Harold Godwinson]] was elected king by the ''witangemot'' and crowned at Westminster Abbey, but was defeated and killed by [[William I of England|William II, Duke of Normandy]] at the [[Battle of Hastings]]. The surviving members of the ''witan'' met in London and elected King Edward's young nephew [[Edgar the Ætheling]] as king.

The [[Normans]] advanced to the south bank of the Thames opposite London, where they defeated an English attack and burned Southwark, but were unable to storm the bridge. They moved upstream and crossed the river at [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]] before advancing on London from the north-west. The resolve of the English leadership to resist collapsed and the chief citizens of London went out together with the leading members of the Church and aristocracy to submit to William at [[Berkhamsted]], although according to some accounts there was a subsequent violent clash when the Normans reached the city. Having occupied London, William was crowned king in Westminster Abbey.