Saint Seaxburh, Abbess of Ely

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaxburh_of_Ely

Saint Seaxburh or Saint Sexburga of Ely (died c. 699) was an Anglo-Saxon king's daughter, an Abbess and saint of the Christian Church.

Seaxburh was one of four daughters of King Anna of East Anglia. Her sisters were Saint Æthelburg of Faremoutier and Saint Saethryth, who were both abbesses of Faremoutiers Abbey in Brie, Æthelthryth who was abbess of Ely and Withburga, an abbess of East Dereham.

Seaxburh married Eorcenberht of Kent. She had two sons, Ecgberht and Hlothhere, who both became kings of Kent, and two daughters who were eventually canonised: Saint Ercongota, a nun at Faremoutiers, and Ermenilda, who married Wulfhere, King of Mercia, and after his death became a nun at Ely and eventually succeeded her sister as abbess.

After the death of her husband on July 14, 664, she ruled Kent until her son came of age. Thereafter, Seaxburh became a nun and founded the abbey of Minster-in-Sheppey. Shortly afterwards she moved to Ely to join her sister Æthelthryth in the monastery for men and women she had founded there.[1]. Æthelthryth died around 679 and Seaxburh was elected abbess in her place. In a vivid demonstration of the dynastic value of the cult of royal saints in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, in 695, Bede recorded later, she organised the translation of St. Etheldreda's relics, which were discovered to be incorrupt, to a new shrine she had erected for her at Ely, which included a sarcophagus of white marble[2] from the Roman ruins at Grantchester.[3]

The date of her death is not known for sure, but she is buried in Ely. St Sexburga's feast day is celebrated on July 6. An accessible source for her hagiography in the context of the Kentish royal legend is Rosalind C. Love, ed., Goscelin of Saint-Bertin: The Hagiography of the Female Saints of Ely (Oxford Medieval Texts)

References

1. ^ It was the precursor to the Cathedral of Ely.

2. ^ "the miraculous discovery of a suitable coffin is, however, a hagiographic commonplace," observes John Crook of this occasion (John Crook, "The Architectural Setting of the Cult of Saints in the Early Christian West," Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 78

3. ^ Richard John King, Handbook to the Cathedrals of England-Ely Cathedral, part II

This article incorporates text from the entry St. Sexburga in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

Forrás / Source: http://www.thepeerage.com/p17454.htm#i174537

Sexburgh (?) (1)

• F, #174537
• Last Edited=20 Nov 2005

Sexburgh (?) is the daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles. (1) She married Earcobeorht, King of Kent, son of Eadbeald, King of Kent.

Children of Sexburgh (?) and Earcobeorht, King of Kent

• -1. Ecgbeorht I, King of Kent+ (1) d. 4 Jul 673
• -2. Lothere, King of Kent1 d. 6 Feb 685
• -3. Earcongota (?) (1)

  ---

Sexburgh (?) is the daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles.1 She married Earcobeorht, King of Kent, son of Eadbeald, King of Kent.

Children of Sexburgh (?) and Earcobeorht, King of Kent

• 1. Ecgbeorht I, King of Kent+1 d. 4 Jul 673
• 2. Lothere, King of Kent1 d. 6 Feb 685
• 3. Earcongota (?)1

Citations

1. E. B. Fryde, D. E. Greenway, S. Porter and I. Roy, editors, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd edition (London, U.K.: Royal Historical Society, 1986), page 13. Hereinafter cited as Handbook of British Chronology.

St. Sexburga, Abbess of Ely

• (AD 636-c.700)

Sexburga was the eldest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia and his second wife, Saewara: one of four saintly sisters. She married King Erconbert of Kent and became mother of the future Kings Egbert I and Hlothere, as well as SS. Ermengilda and Ercongota. Further holy relatives included her grandchildren: St. Werburga of Chester, St. Wulfade & St. Rufinus.

Within her husband's lifetime, Sexburga began to build a religious house at Sheppey, in that kingdom, where holy virgins might attend divine service for her, day and night.

Erconbert died of the "yellow plague" that desolated England in AD 664 and, in widowhood, Sexburga was regent, for a time, on behalf of her son, Egbert I. When he had no further need of her, she retired to her nunnery and assembled 74 nuns there. However, hearing of the great sanctity of her sister, Etheldreda of Ely, and desiring to live in more obscurity than she could enjoy as head of her own monastery, she chose to become a nun under the latter (before AD 679).

Eventually, she succeeded her as Abbess of Ely and, during her rule, she translated her sister's body into an old Roman sarcophagus brought from nearby Grantchester.

She lived to a considerable age, dying on 6th July around AD 700.

Edited from Agnes Dunbar's "A Dictionary of Saintly Women" (1904).

Saint Seaxburh or Saint Sexburga of Ely (died c. 699) was an Anglo-Saxon king's daughter, an Abbess and saint of the Christian Church.

Seaxburh was one of four daughters of King Anna of East Anglia. Her sisters were Saint Æthelburg of Faremoutier and Saint Saethryth, who were both abbesses of Faremoutiers Abbey in Brie, Æthelthryth who was abbess of Ely and Withburga, an abbess of East Dereham.

Seaxburh married Eorcenberht of Kent. She had two sons, Ecgberht and Hlothhere, who both became kings of Kent, and two daughters who were eventually canonised: Saint Ercongota, a nun at Faremoutiers, and Ermenilda, who married Wulfhere, King of Mercia, and after his death became a nun at Ely and eventually succeeded her sister as abbess.

After the death of her husband on July 14, 664, she ruled Kent until her son came of age. Thereafter, Seaxburh became a nun and founded the abbey of Minster-in-Sheppey. Shortly afterwards she moved to Ely to join her sister Æthelthryth in the monastery for men and women she had founded there.[1]. Æthelthryth died around 679 and Seaxburh was elected abbess in her place. In a vivid demonstration of the dynastic value of the cult of royal saints in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, in 695, Bede recorded later, she organised the translation of St. Etheldreda's relics, which were discovered to be incorrupt, to a new shrine she had erected for her at Ely, which included a sarcophagus of white marble[2] from the Roman ruins at Grantchester.[3]

The date of her death is not known for sure, but she is buried in Ely. St Sexburga's feast day is celebrated on July 6. An accessible source for her hagiography in the context of the Kentish royal legend is Rosalind C. Love, ed., Goscelin of Saint-Bertin: The Hagiography of the Female Saints of Ely (Oxford Medieval Texts)

References

1. ^ It was the precursor to the Cathedral of Ely.

2. ^ "the miraculous discovery of a suitable coffin is, however, a hagiographic commonplace," observes John Crook of this occasion (John Crook, "The Architectural Setting of the Cult of Saints in the Early Christian West," Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 78

3. ^ Richard John King, Handbook to the Cathedrals of England-Ely Cathedral, part II

This article incorporates text from the entry St. Sexburga in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

Forrás / Source: http://www.thepeerage.com/p17454.htm#i174537

Sexburgh (?) (1)

F, #174537 Last Edited=20 Nov 2005 Sexburgh (?) is the daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles. (1) She married Earcobeorht, King of Kent, son of Eadbeald, King of Kent.

Children of Sexburgh (?) and Earcobeorht, King of Kent

-1. Ecgbeorht I, King of Kent+ (1) d. 4 Jul 673 -2. Lothere, King of Kent1 d. 6 Feb 685 -3. Earcongota (?) (1)

Sexburgh (?) is the daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles.1 She married Earcobeorht, King of Kent, son of Eadbeald, King of Kent.

Children of Sexburgh (?) and Earcobeorht, King of Kent

1. Ecgbeorht I, King of Kent+1 d. 4 Jul 673 2. Lothere, King of Kent1 d. 6 Feb 685 3. Earcongota (?)1 Citations

1. E. B. Fryde, D. E. Greenway, S. Porter and I. Roy, editors, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd edition (London, U.K.: Royal Historical Society, 1986), page 13. Hereinafter cited as Handbook of British Chronology.

St. Sexburga, Abbess of Ely

(AD 636-c.700) Sexburga was the eldest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia and his second wife, Saewara: one of four saintly sisters. She married King Erconbert of Kent and became mother of the future Kings Egbert I and Hlothere, as well as SS. Ermengilda and Ercongota. Further holy relatives included her grandchildren: St. Werburga of Chester, St. Wulfade & St. Rufinus.

Within her husband's lifetime, Sexburga began to build a religious house at Sheppey, in that kingdom, where holy virgins might attend divine service for her, day and night.

Erconbert died of the "yellow plague" that desolated England in AD 664 and, in widowhood, Sexburga was regent, for a time, on behalf of her son, Egbert I. When he had no further need of her, she retired to her nunnery and assembled 74 nuns there. However, hearing of the great sanctity of her sister, Etheldreda of Ely, and desiring to live in more obscurity than she could enjoy as head of her own monastery, she chose to become a nun under the latter (before AD 679).

Eventually, she succeeded her as Abbess of Ely and, during her rule, she translated her sister's body into an old Roman sarcophagus brought from nearby Grantchester.

She lived to a considerable age, dying on 6th July around AD 700.

Edited from Agnes Dunbar's "A Dictionary of Saintly Women" (1904).