 There are very few Anglo-Saxon cemeteries from the area, which may indicate that Mercian rulers took over an existing British political region, possibly that of the Romano-British civitas of the Cornovii.The Tribal Hidage assessment for the Westerne (7,000 hides ranks them alongside other minor kingdoms such as Lindsey, the Hwicce, the East Saxons and the South Saxons.It is likely that the area was ruled by an ealdorman, a senior noble representing the interest of the kings of Mercia.