Saints of Essex
Several Saints have been especially revered in Essex due to local connections.
St Cedd
St Cedd was a missionary who
landed at Bradwell on Sea and built St Peters Chapel in AD 643
A whole page is devoted to St
Cedd and the chapel he built at Bradwell on Sea.
Click
here
St Constantine
Born at Colchester, the son
of St Helen who became the first Christian Emperor and is credited
with finding Christ's Cross on Mount Cavalry.
His edict of Milan put an end
to the persecution of Christians in the empire.
St Edmund
A window dedicated to St Edmund in Greenstead Church
St Edmund was a King of the
East Angles who was killed in 870AD in a battle with the Danes.
According to legend he was
decapitated and his head thrown into the forest. When his supported
found the body they could not find the head but on shouting the head
replied ' here I am' enabling them to find it.
The body was quickly buried
and a memorial church erected at Bury (later called Bury St
Edmunds). At this point the body was exhumed to be taken to Bury and
it was found that the head was now firmly attached to the neck and
despite a shallow burial the skin and hair of St Edmunds was
undamaged as if he was sleeping.
The wooden church of
Greenstead was built in AD1013 to act as a resting place for the
body of St Edmund on its final journey. Since then Essex claims a
share in the memory of St Edmund
St Ethelburgh
St Ethelburgh was the sister
of Erkenwald who was Bishop of London. He appointed her as the
counties first Abbess of the nunnery at Barking. She led a very
austere life and obtained veneration after her death in AD 676.
St Helen
St
Helen in Palestine painted in 1490 by Altobello Melone
St Helen was born in
Colchester the daughter of King Coel. She was the mother of St
Constantine. St Helen led a pius life and made a pilgrimage to
Palestine an adventure unusual for a woman. She is the patron saint
of Archeologists.
St Osyth
St Osyth was the daughter of
Redwald the first Christian King of the East Angles. In her youth
she vowed perpetual virginity but was betrothed against her will to
Sighere, King of the East Saxons. before the marriage could be
consummated she stole away and took the veil. Afterwards she
obtained agreement with Sighere to relinquish her and he made a gift
of land in the village of Clich( now known at St Osyth) to maintain
a nunnery.
She built and was Abbess at the nunnery until AD 653 when the Danes under Ingwar and Ubba sacked the convent and beheaded her.
According to legend once
beheaded she picked up her head and guided by
angels walked to the church door where she knocked and fell
prostrate. A fountain sprung up at the spot where she was beheaded
and the water was renowned for is restorative properties.
