Werburgh
Saint Werburgh | |
---|---|
Saint Werburgh, Chester Cathedral. | |
Born | c. 650[1] Stone, Mercia |
Died | (700-02-03)3 February 700[2] Trentham, Staffordshire, England |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Anglican Communion Eastern Orthodox Church[3] |
Major shrine | Hanbury then Chester Cathedral |
Feast | 3 February |
Patronage | Chester |
Werburgh (also Wærburh, Werburh, Werburga, meaning "true city"; Latin: Vereburga;[4] c. AD 650 – 3 February 700) was an Anglo-Saxon princess who became the patron saint of the city of Chester in Cheshire. Her feast day is 3 February.
Life
Werburgh was born at Stone (now in Staffordshire), and was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia (himself the Christian son of the pagan King Penda of Mercia) and his wife St Ermenilda, herself daughter of the King of Kent. She obtained her father's consent to enter the Abbey of Ely, which had been founded by her great-aunt Etheldreda (or Audrey), the first Abbess of Ely and former queen of Northumbria, whose fame was widespread. Werburgh was trained at home by St Chad[5] (afterwards Bishop of Lichfield), and by her mother; and in the cloister by her aunt and grandmother. Werburgh was a nun for most of her life. During some of her life she was resident in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire.
Werburgh was instrumental in convent reform across England. She eventually succeeded her mother Ermenilda, her grandmother Seaxburh, and great-aunt Etheldreda as fourth Abbess of Ely. She died on 3 February 700 and was buried at Hanbury in Staffordshire.
Veneration
Following Werburgh's death, her brother Coenred became king of Mercia. In 708 he decided to move his sister's remains to a more conspicuous place within the church at Hanbury. When the tomb was opened, her body was found to be miraculously intact. This preservation was taken as a sign of divine favour. A year later Coenred had abdicated as king and taken holy orders, becoming a monk in Rome.[5] It was at this time that the most famous story about Werburgh appeared, according to which she restored a dead goose to life after it had been eaten, as recounted by the medieval hagiographer Goscelin.[1] A stained glass window in the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire relates to another tale in which she was said to have banished all the geese from the village.[6]
The shrine of St Werberh remained at Hanbury until the threat from Danish Viking raids in the late 9th century prompted their relocation to within the walled city of Chester. A shrine to St Werberh was established at the Church of St Peter and St Paul (the site is now occupied by Chester Cathedral). In 975, the Church of St Peter and St Paul was re-dedicated to St Werburgh and the Northumbrian saint Oswald. A monastery in the names of these two saints was attached to the church in the 11th century.
By 1057 the Abbey church was rebuilt and further endowed by Leofric, Earl of Mercia. By this time, Werburgh was regarded as the patron saint and protector of Chester. A miracle attributed to her was the unexpected withdrawal of the Welsh king Gruffudd ap Llywelyn from besieging the city.
Even after 1066 and the Norman conquest of England, the shrine of St Werburgh was a place of veneration. In 1093, Hugh d'Avranches, the second Norman Earl of Chester, presented gifts of property to the abbey and had the church enlarged and rebuilt. He also established a Benedictine monastery. Its monks came from Bec Abbey in Normandy, which had provided the first two post-Conquest Archbishops of Canterbury: Lanfranc and Anselm. Like many other Anglo-Norman barons, Hugh d'Avranches entered the monastery shortly before he died and, in turn, was buried there. During the Middle Ages, the badge of a gaggle of geese was adopted as proof of having made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Werburgh.[1]
In 1540 the dissolution of the abbey led to the creation of Chester Cathedral, which was rededicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although an elaborate shrine had been constructed in the 14th century to Werburgh, this was broken up at the time of the Dissolution. Werburgh's relics were lost. Parts of the shrine's stonework that survived were reassembled in 1876. The shrine remains on display in the cathedral's Lady Chapel at the back of the main nave.
Today
St Werburgh remains the patron saint of Chester. Her feast day is 3 February.
At least ten churches in England, and some overseas, are dedicated to St Werburgh, including those in Dublin, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent and Spondon. The village of Warburton in Greater Manchester (previously Cheshire) is named after its parish church of St Werburgh, and a neighbourhood in Bristol is named St Werburghs after its church (now a climbing centre). The Manchester Metrolink line to East Didsbury has St Werburgh's Road, at the crossroads with Wilbraham Road where there is a church dedicated to St Werburgh.
See also
- St Werburgh's Church (disambiguation)
References
- ^ a b c "St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester".
- ^ "History – St. Werburgh", The Parish Church of St. Werburgh, Spondon, (Church of England)
- ^ February 16 / February 3. https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/
- ^ Norfolk.), George FISHER (of Swaffham (7 February 1832). "A companion and key to the history of England; consisting of copious genealogical details of the British sovereigns, with an appendix, exhibiting a chronological epitome of the successive holders of the several titles of the ... nobility, etc, with their armorial bearings" – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Werburgh". www.newadvent.org.
- ^ "Weedon's Local History". BBC Domesday Reloaded. BBC. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
Further reading
- Roy Wilding, Death in Chester (2003) ISBN 1-872265-44-8
External links
- Wærburg 4 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
- Life of St Werbergh
- St Werberga and her royal and saintly relatives at Ely
- Reference to Earl Hugh building the abbey church
- Steve Howe's 'Chester: a Virtual stroll Around the Walls'
- v
- t
- e
- Aldate of Oxford
- Barloc of Norbury
- Brannoc of Braunton
- Branwalator of Milton
- Credan of Bodmin
- Congar of Congresbury
- Dachuna of Bodmin
- Decuman of Watchet
- Elfin of Warrington
- Ivo of Ramsey
- Judoc of Winchester
- Melorius of Amesbury
- Nectan of Hartland
- Neot of Cornwall
- Patrick of Glastonbury
- Rumon of Tavistock
- Samson of Dol
- Sativola of Exeter
- Æthelberht of East Anglia
- Æthelburh of Faremoutiers
- Æthelflæd of Ramsey
- Æthelthryth of Ely
- Æthelwine of Lindsey
- Athwulf of Thorney
- Blida of Martham
- Botwulf of Thorney
- Cissa of Crowland
- Cuthbald of Peterborough
- Eadmund of East Anglia
- Eadnoth of Ramsey
- Guthlac of Crowland
- Herefrith of Thorney
- Hiurmine of Blythburgh
- Huna of Thorney
- Pega of Peakirk
- Seaxburh of Ely
- Sigeberht of East Anglia
- Tancred of Thorney
- Torthred of Thorney
- Tova of Thorney
- Walstan of Bawburgh
- Wendreda
- Wihtburh of Ely
- Wulfric of Holme
Frankish
and Old Saxon
- Balthild of Romsey
- Bertha of Kent
- Felix of Dommoc
- Helier of Jersey
- Grimbald of St Bertin
- Monegunda of Watton
- Odwulf of Evesham
- Wulfram of Grantham
- Æbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe)
- Æthelberht of Kent
- Æthelburh of Kent
- Æthelred of Kent
- Albinus of Canterbury
- Berhtwald of Canterbury
- Deusdedit of Canterbury
- Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet
- Eanswith of Folkestone
- Eormengyth of Thanet
- Mildrith of Thanet
- Nothhelm of Canterbury
- Sigeburh of Thanet
- Ælfnoth of Stowe
- Ælfthryth of Crowland
- Æthelberht of Bedford
- Æthelmod of Leominster
- Æthelred of Mercia
- Æthelwynn of Sodbury
- Aldwyn of Coln
- Beonna of Breedon
- Beorhthelm of Stafford
- Coenwulf of Mercia
- Cotta of Breedon
- Credan of Evesham
- Cyneburh of Castor
- Cyneburh of Gloucester
- Cynehelm of Winchcombe
- Cyneswith of Peterborough
- Eadburh of Bicester
- Eadburh of Pershore
- Eadburh of Southwell
- Eadgyth of Aylesbury
- Eadweard of Maugersbury
- Ealdgyth of Stortford
- Earconwald of London
- Egwin of Evesham
- Freomund of Mercia
- Frithuric of Breedon
- Frithuswith of Oxford
- Frithuwold of Chertsey
- Hæmma of Leominster
- Merefin
- Mildburh of Wenlock
- Mildgyth
- Mildrith of Thanet
- Milred of Worcester
- Oda of Canterbury
- Oswald of Worcester
- Osburh of Coventry
- Regenhere of Northampton
- Rumbold of Buckingham
- Tibba of Ryhall
- Werburgh of Chester
- Wærstan
- Wigstan of Repton
- Wulfhild of Barking
- Acca of Hexham
- Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham
- Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham
- Ælfflæd of Whitby
- Ælfwald of Northumbria
- Æthelburh of Hackness
- Æthelgyth of Coldingham
- Æthelsige of Ripon
- Æthelwold of Farne
- Æthelwold of Lindisfarne
- Alchhild of Middleham
- Alchmund of Hexham
- Alkmund of Derby
- Balthere of Tyningham
- Beda of Jarrow
- Bega of Copeland
- Benedict Biscop
- Bercthun of Beverley
- Billfrith of Lindisfarne
- Bosa of York
- Botwine of Ripon
- Ceadda of Lichfield
- Cedd of Lichfield
- Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth
- Ceolwulf of Northumbria
- Cuthbert of Durham
- Dryhthelm of Melrose
- Eadberht of Lindisfarne
- Eadfrith of Leominster
- Eadfrith of Lindisfarne
- Eadwine of Northumbria
- Ealdberht of Ripon
- Eanmund
- Eardwulf of Northumbria
- Eata of Hexham
- Ecgberht of Ripon
- Eoda
- Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth
- Hilda of Whitby
- Hyglac
- Iwig of Wilton
- John of Beverley
- Osana of Howden
- Osthryth of Bardney
- Oswald of Northumbria
- Oswine of Northumbria
- Sicgred of Ripon
- Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth
- Tatberht of Ripon
- Wihtberht of Ripon
- Wilfrith of Hexham
- Wilfrith II
- Wilgils of Ripon
- Æbbe of Abingdon
- Ælfgar of Selwood
- Ælfgifu of Exeter
- Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury
- Ælfheah of Canterbury
- Ælfheah of Winchester
- Æthelflæd of Romsey
- Æthelgar of Canterbury
- Æthelnoth of Canterbury
- Æthelwine of Athelney
- Æthelwold of Winchester
- Aldhelm of Sherborne
- Benignus of Glastonbury
- Beocca of Chertsey
- Beorhthelm of Shaftesbury
- Beornstan of Winchester
- Beornwald of Bampton
- Centwine of Wessex
- Cuthburh of Wimborn
- Cwenburh of Wimborne
- Dunstan of Canterbury
- Eadburh of Winchester
- Eadgar of England
- Eadgyth of Polesworth
- Eadgyth of Wilton
- Eadweard the Confessor
- Eadweard the Martyr
- Eadwold of Cerne
- Earmund of Stoke Fleming
- Edor of Chertsey
- Evorhilda
- Frithestan of Winchester
- Hædde of Winchester
- Humbert of Stokenham
- Hwita of Whitchurch Canonicorum
- Mærwynn of Romsey
- Margaret of Dunfermline
- Swithhun of Winchester
- Wulfsige of Sherborne
- Wulfthryth of Wilton