Topic summary
West Saxons
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Wessex.
Christianisation of Wessex
Cynegils' reign saw the first event in West Saxon history that can be dated with reasonable certainty: the baptism of Cynegils by Birinus, at the end of the 630s, perhaps in 640. Birinus was then established as bishop of the West Saxons, with his seat at Dorchester-on-Thames. This was the first conversion to Christianity by a West Saxon king, but it was not accompanied by the immediate conversion of all the West Saxons: Cynegils' successor (and probably his son), Cenwealh, who came to the throne in about 642, was a pagan at his accession. However, he too was baptised only a few years later and Wessex became firmly established as a Christian kingdom. Cynegils' godfather was King Oswald of Northumbria, and his conversion may have been connected with an alliance against King Penda of Mercia, who had previously attacked Wessex.