After Mercia was annexed by Wessex in the early 10th century, the West Saxon rulers divided it into shires modelled after their own system. It is not known how these reated to the older tribal boundaries, if those survived, but the Mægesæte are mentioned as late as 1016, perhaps as a byname for Herefordshire. [18] Modern uses of the term 'Mercia' Baxter, Stephen (2007). The earls of Mercia: lordship and power in late Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199230983. After Æthelred's death in 911 Æthelflæd ruled as "Lady of the Mercians", but Alfred's successor as King of the Anglo-Saxons, Edward the Elder ( r.899–924), took control of London and Oxford, which Alfred had placed under Æthelred's control. Æthelflæd and her brother continued Alfred's policy of building fortified burhs, and by 918 they had conquered the southern Danelaw in East Anglia and Danish Mercia. [26] Loss of independence [ edit ] Margaret Gelling. 'The Early History of Western Mercia'. (p.184–201; In: The Origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. S. Bassett. 1989) Stewart Lyon, The coinage of Edward the Elder, in N. J. Higham & D.H. Hill, Edward the Elder 899–924, London 2001, p. 67.

After Æthelred's death 911 Æthelflæd ruled as 'Lady of the Mercians' but Edward took control of London and Oxford, which had been under Æthelred's control. She and her brother continued Alfred's policy of building fortified burhs, and in 917-18 they were able to conquer the southern Danelaw in East Anglia and Danish Mercia. [12] Loss of independence A separate political existence from Wessex was briefly restored in 955–959, when Edgar in rebellion against his brother became king of the Mercians, and again in 1016, when the Kingdom of the English was divided between Cnut and Edmund Ironside, Cnut taking Mercia and Northumbria. Possibly a descendant of the C-dynasty, of which Ceolwulf I was a member, perhaps via intermarriage with W-dynasty. Lost eastern Mercia to the Danes in 877. Main articles: Penda, Wulfhere, Æthelbald of Mercia, and Mercian Supremacy Mercia and the main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms at about 600 The Mercians dwelling north of the River Trent (roughly corresponding to eastern Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire).The most famous Saxon crosses in the area are those at Sandbach in south Cheshire. They commemorate the baptism nearby of Paeda, the first Christian king of Mercia. The dialect thrived between the 8th and 13th centuries and was referred to by John Trevisa, writing in 1387: [30]

Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the deposition of Wiglaf. Also King of Wessex (802–839). All across Staffordshire there are forgotten signs of the county's Saxon past when it was one of the centres of the ancient kingdom of Mercia. This Saxon cross is in Chebsey Church graveyard near Eccleshall. Kessler, P L. "Kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons - Iclingas & Mercians". www.historyfiles.co.uk . Retrieved 25 September 2018.The Kingdom of Mercia predated the emergence of heraldry, so there is no authentic Mercian heraldic device. However, later generations have ascribed a variety of devices to the rulers of Mercia or to the land itself. Williams, Ann (2004). "Ælfgar, earl of Mercia (d. 1062?)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/178. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8 . Retrieved 26 September 2021. Elmes, Simon: Talking for Britain: A Journey Through the Nation's Dialects (Penguin, 2005, ISBN 0-14-051562-3