Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Osric (d.634)
OSRIC (d. 634), king of Deira, was son of Ælfric, the brother of Ælla, king of Deira, and consequently cousin of Edwin or Eadwine (585?–633) [q. v.], king of Northumbria. Osric accepted Christianity from Paulinus [q. v.], and, when Eadwine was slain in battle with the Mercian king Penda, succeeded him in Deira. At the time the people of the northern kingdom of Bernicia, who had been subject to Eadwine, separated themselves from Deira, and chose as their king Eanfrith, son of Ethelfrid or Æthelfrith [q. v.], king of Northumbria, who was of their royal house, sprung from Ida [q. v.] When Osric became king he cast off Christianity and returned to his old heathenism. The next year (634) he laid siege to York, the capital of his kingdom, which was held by Caedwalla (d. 634) [q. v.], Penda's British ally. Caedwalla made a sudden sally from the city, fell upon him unawares, slew him, and destroyed his army. Deira was soon afterwards united to Bernicia under the rule of Oswald (d. 642) [q. v.] Osric left a son named Oswin or Oswini (d. 651) [q. v.]
[Bede's Hist. Eccl. iii. cc. 1, 14 (Engl. Hist. Soc); Flor. Wig., genealogies, i. 254, 269 (Engl. Hist. Soc.); Miscell. Biogr. p. 2 (Surtees Soc.); Green's Making of England, pp. 272, 274, 296; Dict. Chr. Biogr., art. 'Osred,' by Canon Raine.]