Oswald of Northumbria
The Oswald mentioned is widely imagined to have been Oswald of Northumbria, who died at the Battle of Maserfeld in 641/642. The location of the battle is debated among scholars, but for much of the twentieth century was assumed to be at Oswestry. However, A. D. Mills's "Dictionary of English Place Names" concluded that 'the traditional connection with St Oswald, 7th-century king of Northumbria, is uncertain'.