▁kingdom ▁of ▁Mer cia ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁and ▁very ▁nob ly , ▁with ▁still ▁greater ▁nob ility ▁ren ounced ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁his ▁kingdom ". ▁ Æ th el red ' s ▁son ▁Ce ol red ▁succeeded ▁Co en red ▁as ▁king ▁of ▁Mer cia . ▁ ▁Mer cia ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁By ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁England ▁was ▁almost ▁entirely ▁divided ▁into ▁kingdom s ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax ons , ▁who ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁Britain ▁two ▁hundred ▁years ▁earlier . ▁The ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Mer cia ▁occupied ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁English ▁Mid lands . ▁Ne igh bour ing ▁kingdom s ▁included ▁North umb ria ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁East ▁Ang lia ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁and ▁W esse x , ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁Sax ons , ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁Es sex , ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Sax ons , ▁included ▁London ▁and ▁lay ▁between ▁East ▁Ang lia ▁and ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Kent . ▁The ▁earliest ▁Mer cian ▁king ▁for ▁whom ▁there ▁is ▁definite ▁historical ▁information ▁is ▁P enda ▁of ▁Mer cia , ▁Co en red ' s ▁pat ernal ▁grand father . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁source ▁for ▁this ▁period ▁is ▁B ede ' s ▁Historia ▁ecc les iast ica ▁gent is ▁Ang lor um ▁( E cc les iast ical ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁People ), ▁completed ▁in ▁about ▁ 7 3 1 . ▁Despite ▁its ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁this ▁work ▁provides ▁valuable ▁information