Saint Etheldreda, Abbess Of St. Audrey

Wife of Ecgfrith. She was the daughter of

Anna a Christian King of the East Angles and

was born c630. Etheldreda was married twice.

Her first marriage was to a local

prince/chieftain called Tondbert. He died three

years after they were married and Etheldreda

went to live on the Isle of Ely, which had been

given to her by her father. There was a church

there and she began to live a life of prayer

very like that of a nun. In 658 another

marriage was arranged for Etheldreda; this time to Ecgfrith, the son of the King of

Northumbria. Although Etheldreda was married to Ecgfrith for 12 years it was not a

success and she desperately wanted to live as a nun. Eventually Ecgfrith allowed Etheldreda

to leave his Northumbrian court in 670 to become a nun. She received her veil and nun’s

clothes from Wilfrid at a monastery at Coldingham where Ecgfrith’s aunt, Ebbe, was

abbess. Ecgfrith became King of Northumbria shortly after this and tried to make

Etheldreda return home. She fled the monastery at Coldingham and returned to Ely where

Wilfrid joined her. Etheldreda had been given land by Ecgfrith when they were first married

and this included land at Hexham. In 672 she gave this land to Wilfrid so that he could build

a monastery. Etheldreda founded a double monastery at Ely (one for monks, one for nuns)

and she was the abbess in charge of them both. Etheldreda lived there for seven years until

she died from bubonic plague. She was buried in the monastic graveyard until her body was

later moved inside the church. Etheldreda’s shrine can still be seen at Ely Cathedral today.

F, #175654, d. 679

Last Edited=2 Dec 2005

    Æthelthryth (?) was the daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles. (1) She married Ecgfrið, King of Northumbria, son of Oswiu, King of Northumbria and Eanflæd (?), circa 667. (1) 

She died in 679. (1)

Forrás / Source:

http://www.thepeerage.com/p17566.htm#i175654