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What was the capital city of England before London?

Question #91869. Asked by nibbles0011.
Last updated May 16 2021.

Related Trivia Topics: Geography   World Capitals   England  
avatar
markswood
Answer has 15 votes
Currently Best Answer
markswood
17 year member
578 replies avatar

Answer has 15 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
Winchester.
In 1519 Winchester was chosen as the capital of the kingdom of Wessex; and in 827, Egbert the first king of all England was crowned here. It then remained the capital and the most important city in England until the eleventh century and the arrival of William the Conqueror. He had himself crowned in both London and Winchester, and declared both cities to be capitals. However, by the fourteenth century the city had lost its place as the second most important city and began to evolve into what it is today - a small, sleepy, provincial city.
Ref:link http://www.anglik.net/winchester.htm

Feb 02 2008, 6:31 PM
bloomsby star
Answer has 10 votes
bloomsby star
Moderator
23 year member
584 replies

Answer has 10 votes.
With respect, 1519 doesn't make sense.

Feb 02 2008, 9:09 PM
avatar
Baloo55th
Answer has 9 votes
Baloo55th
21 year member
4545 replies avatar

Answer has 9 votes.
It replaced Dorchester (-on-Thames) as the capital of Wessex in 686 according to Wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester or 590 according to link http://www.eupedia.com/england/winchester.shtml
Capitals were rather changeable in those days - the Royal Court being wherever the King happened to be. The capital was the place where he was most likely to be found. With the later increase of the civil service, the King's presence was less necessary and a fixed location for the administration more necessary.

Feb 03 2008, 11:57 AM
author
Answer has 6 votes
author
22 year member
2834 replies

Answer has 6 votes.
I agree with Bloomsby: 1519 makes no sense.

I quote my Merrian Webster's Geographical Dictionary:
"Winchester was the capital of Wessex and the seat of government under Alfred the Great. It remained important under the Norman kings until the emergence of London as the sole capital of England in the late 12th century."

Feb 03 2008, 7:25 PM
queproblema
Answer has 7 votes
queproblema
18 year member
2119 replies

Answer has 7 votes.
Don't worry about the 1519--it's a simple typo on the page Markswood copied and pasted from. The following is correct:

"The town has historic importance as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex from 519."
link http://1066.co.nz/Mosaic%20DVD/whoswho/text/Winchester%5B1%5D.htm

Response last updated by CmdrK on May 16 2021.
Feb 03 2008, 8:06 PM
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