Why didn't the anglo-saxons conquer the whole GB?

Jaro   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 08:39 GMT
Why did they stop fighting Cornwall, Wales and Scottland? When they arrived the island was inhabited solely by Celtic tribes. They slaughtered the aboriginal population in the land currently known as England and settled there. But for some reason they didn't conquer the whole island and left Cornwall, Wales and Scottland behind which is quite illogical since the Celts were their enemies and could endanger their "England" by invasion later to retake their lost land.

Are there any records of a decisive battle between anglo-saxons and celts which left both tribes incabable of engagement?
Why do you think they stopped?
Brennus   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:04 GMT
The Celts were able to hold on to quite a bit of land in England even after the Anglos-Saxons arrived. The kingdom Strathclyde in northeast England, originally a Romano-British kingdom, survived up until the time of the Normans even though it was hard pressed at times. Anglo-Saxon chronicles tell of one battle with Britons in western England as late as the middle of the 8th century.

The slow advance of the Anglo-Saxons in England was due to several things. First, when the Romans ruled Briton they forbade the native Britons to posess weapons en masse. This eventually led to an almost defenseless population.

Secondly, not very many Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain to begin with. They had come primarily as small, mercenary armies to help a Celtic tribal king named Vortigern fight some of his neighbors.

Thirdly, Cornwall, Wales and Scotland were largely untouched by the Romans and the tribes living there had not been prohibited from owning and using weapons nor had they been exposed to softening Roman luxuries. Consequently, the Anglo-Saxons were facing a fiercer, tougher bunch of fighters in the Welsh, Scots and Picts.
Brennus   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:06 GMT
Slight correction: Strathclyde is in northWESTERN England.
Sander   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:18 GMT
I don't think the Anglo-Saxons saw it as an invasion in the beginning...
Adam   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:26 GMT
Actually, the Anglo-Saxons DID go into what is now Scotland and Wales. The lowland Scots are mostly Anglo-Saxon.
Adam   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:29 GMT
"Thirdly, Cornwall, Wales and Scotland were largely untouched by the Romans "

Wrong. All of Cornwall and all of Wales were invaded by the Romans.

The very northernmost parts of England and all of Scotland weren't. The Emperor Hadrian built a wall from the west coast all the way over to the east coast, which still stands today. In those days, it marked the boundary between the Scots on one side, and the conquered Celts on the other side. But the whole of the wall is now in England, which means the nothernmost parts of what is now England weren't conquered by the Romans.

Also, it was only the Celts in the British isles that were conquered by the Romans, because the Romans LEFT Britain before the Anglo-Saxons arrived.
Adam   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:32 GMT
"Strathclyde is in northWESTERN England."

It used to be a kingdom not just in what is now North-West England, but also stretched into what is not South-West and Western Scotland.

However, there is no Strathclyde in England now.

Strathclyde is now a county in Western Scotland and is not in England.
Sander   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:39 GMT
=>In those days, it marked the boundary between the Scots on one side, and the conquered Celts on the other side<=

Scots?! Don't you mean caledonian picts?
Damian   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:46 GMT
ADAM:

<<Strathclyde is now a county in Western Scotland and is not in England.>>

Wrong! ...and Right! ADAM.

Minor correction....Strathclyde is not a County.....it's a Region. And you would never associate the name Strathclyde with England, as you say ..obliquely! There are no Counties in Scotland any more except as integral local council areas within each Region.

Strathclyde is the most populous Region as it includes the whole Glasgow conurbation and metropolitan area. It's by far the largest Police area as well...Strathclyde Police. The second largest is this one here... Lothian and Borders Region (and Police area) , which includes the Edinburgh conurbation.

<<The lowland Scots are mostly Anglo-Saxon.>>

So THAT'S why I'm blond!
J   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 09:50 GMT
"<<The lowland Scots are mostly Anglo-Saxon.>>

So THAT'S why I'm blond!"

Then you're English not Scotish.
Sander   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 10:26 GMT
? Can't scottish people be blond?
will   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 10:32 GMT
no, they all have to fit the redhead stereotype.
Adam   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 11:56 GMT
Lowland Scots are Anglo-Saxon in origin - but they are Scottish, NOT English.

If that's the case, then lots of Americans and Australians are English due to their Anglo-Saxon heritage.

Also, the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan invaded Cornwall in 936, so the Cornish are just as "Anglo-Saxon" as the rest of the English people.
Someone   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 12:20 GMT
Many English are redheds as well
Jaro   Sunday, June 05, 2005, 12:48 GMT
What makes you English Adam if not your anglo-saxon origin?