Introduction
Accurately identifying the changing names of a country over time assist genealogists in identifying genealogically important documents and records. This article focuses on the changes in the official names of what is commonly called the United Kingdom. The dates when these name changes occurred are important for research. The terms "Britain" and "Great Britain"[1] are geographic terms referring to the main island and the surrounding smaller islands.[2]
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Name changes of the United Kingdom
- 43 AD -- 413 AD Rule of the Roman Empire
- 650 AD The Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy: Benicia, Deira, Lindsey, East Anglia, Mercia, Wessex, Kent[3]
- 929 AD Æthelstan, the first King of a united England,[4] established the Kingdom of England by the unification of the 4 Kingdoms of England: East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.[5]
- 1066 AD -- 1485 AD Duke William of Normandy conquers King Harold of England in the Battle of Hanstings.[6]
- 1536 AD Kingdom of England and Wales. During the reign of Henry VIII the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 were passed. The Acts annexed Wales to the Kingdom of England. The Act extended English law to Wales, and specified English as the language of the law, though it established separate judicial structures for Wales in the Court of Great Sessions.[7]
- 1541 AD The Crown of Ireland Act.[8] Henry VIII was proclaimed King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, an Act of the Irish Parliament.[9]
- 1707 AD Kingdom of Great Britain. The Acts of Union, passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments, led to the creation of a united kingdom to be called “Great Britain” on 1 May of that year. The UK Parliament met for the first time in October 1707.[10]
- 1801 AD United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Despite initial Irish opposition, the Dublin and Westminster Parliaments both passed Acts which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Under the terms of the Union, which came into effect on 1 January 1801,[11]
- 1922 AD United Kingdom. Ireland declared its independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1921 which became effective in 1922. Northern Ireland remained within the Union which is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.[12]
References
- ↑ The UK, Britain, Great Britain, The British Isles, England - what's the difference?
- ↑ The Kingdom of England. Established by the unification of Anglo-Saxon tribes across modern day England.
- ↑ Heptarchy
- ↑ Medieval History – Æthelstan’s Triumphs: Transforming England’s Destiny
- ↑ The 4 Kingdoms of England | Anglo-Saxon History | Heptarchy
- ↑ 1066 and the Norman Conquest
- ↑ History of devolution
- ↑ Introduction of the Crown of Ireland Act 1542
- ↑ United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- ↑ Act of Union 1707
- ↑ An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland
- ↑ United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland