What is Cuthred of Wessex?
{{Infobox royalty | type = monarch | name =Cuthred | succession = King of Wessex | reign =740&ndash;756 | predecessor =[[Athelheard of Wessex|Athelheard]] | successor =[[Sigeberht of Wessex|Sigeberht]] | house = House of Wessex | death_date =756 |}} '''Cuthred''' (died {{circa|756}}) was a [[Wessex|West Saxon]] [[nobleman]] and [[:en:wikt:atheling|atheling]]. He was [[List of monarchs of Wessex|King of Wessex]] from 740 to 756. Cuthred succeeded in restoring much of the [[:en:wikt:prestige|prestige]] of [[Wessex]]. == King of Wessex == At the death of King [[Athelheard of Wessex|Athelheard]], his [[:en:wikt:kinsman|kinsman]] Cuthred became king.<ref name=Ashley310>Mike Ashley, ''The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens'' (New york: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 310</ref> During the time of Athelheard much of Wessex had been lost to King [[Aethelbald of Mercia]].<ref name=Stenton204>Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 204</ref> Cuthred made it known he was not as weak a [[:wikt:ruler|ruler]] as Athelheard and struggled against Aethelbald being his [[:wikt:overlord|overlord]].<ref name=Ashley310/> In the first three years of Cuthred's rule he warred with [[Mercia]]. In 743 Cuthred joined Aethelbald in fighting the [[Wales|Welsh]].<ref name=Turner267>Sharon Turner, ''The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest'', Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1841), p. 267</ref> By all appearances this was a friendly alliance between the two kings. But the friendship soon ended.<ref name=Turner267/> In 748 Cuthred's son, Cynric, tried to depose his father and died in the rebellion.<ref name=Huntingdon129>''The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon'', ed. & trans. Thomas Forester (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853), p. 129</ref> According to the [[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]], the rebellion was encouraged by the Mercian king.<ref>Sharon Turner, ''The history of the Anglo-Saxons from the earliest period to the Norman conquest'', Volume