The Middle Saxons / Middel Seaxe

Throughout the fifth century, bands of Saxons migrated across the North Sea from their homeland in northern Germany to the vulnerable shores of Kent. Along with bands of Thames Valley Saxons, the Middle Saxons moved up the Thames Valley but stopped at Londinium and settled to the north and west of the city. Londinium had been largely abandoned by the British and would remain so until the seventh century but the new settlers must have been a threatening presence for the British enclave of Caer Mincip.

Unlike their neighbours, the Middle Saxons never formed a lasting, cohesive kingdom. Instead they appear to have been a confederation of related but independent smaller Saxon groups who occupied an undefined territory (Middlesex) sandwiched between the West Saxons, the East Saxons, Kent and the Suther-ge. Northwards expansion was restricted by the British of Caer Mincip, who fended off the invaders until its collapse in the late sixth century.

Many of the early Middle Saxons came from Kent and were probably originally laeti employed by the British to defend Kent against Pictish and Irish raiders. It’s likely that these laeti took part in Hengist’s successful conquest of Kent in 455 - 457 and the Middle Saxons remained under Kentish influence for the next century and a half. Like the rest of the Saxon kingdoms, the Middle Saxons were severely weakened by the defeat at Mons Badonicus; most probably the reason for the continued survival of the British enclaves of Caer Mincip and Cynwidion. Kent’s power waned throughout the second half of the sixth century and the Middle Saxons, along with the Suther-ge, fell under East Saxon dominance by 600. By 730, the East Saxons lost control of the Middle Saxons to Mercia and any independence the Middle Saxons may have managed to hold on to was lost.