page_title: Kingdom of Sussex
section_title: Heraldic device
hierarchical_section_title: Kingdom of Sussex / Heraldic device
caption_attribution_description: Ælla of the South Saxons
context_page_description: The Kingdom of the South Saxons, today referred to as the Kingdom of Sussex, was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the Heptarchy of Anglo-Saxon England. On the south coast of the island of Great Britain, it was originally a sixth-century Saxon colony and later an independent kingdom. The South Saxons were ruled by the kings of Sussex until the country was annexed by Wessex, probably in 827, in the aftermath of the Battle of Ellandun.
context_section_description: The shield or emblem of Sussex, sometimes referred to as a coat of arms, consists of six gold martlets on a blue field. It was attributed to the Kingdom of Sussex later in a work called "Saxon Heptarchy" by John Speed that dates from 1611. The depiction shows Ælle of Sussex, the founder and first king of Sussex, holding the shield over his shoulder.
caption: Depiction of Ælle holding a shield with a design representing Sussex, taken from John Speed's 1611 "Saxon Heptarchy"
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