 Alberht's predecessor Ælfwald died in 749 after ruling his small kingdom for thirty-six years.During Ælfwald's rule, East Anglia enjoyed sustained growth and stability, albeit under the senior authority of the Mercian king Æthelbald, who ruled his kingdom from 716 until he was murdered by his own men in 757.Ælfwald was the last of the Wuffingas dynasty, who ruled East Anglia since the 6th century.