ESSEX SAINTS
Several Saints have a special relationship with the County of Essex, in fact there were at least 13 Essex saints and they have all been especially revered in this county over many centuries.
Essex has been a distinct entity for much more than 2000 years, long before the Romans came. Then, it was the Kingdom of the Trinovantes which had built an impressive city and thus they ruled from the only city in the British Isles, Camulotunum (Colchester). Trinovantes neighboured the Iceni in Suffolk and Norfolk and the Cantii in Kent.
The Romans left Britain in the early to mid 400s. The Roman Britons continued to rule and defend themselves for over 100 years, but by the mid to late 500s, the Saxons came and took the county and it became the Kingdom of The East Saxons including Essex, London, most of Hertfordshire and part of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. They neighboured The Kingdom of The East Angles in Suffolk, Norfolk and part of Cambridgeshire, The Jutes of Kent, The Jutes and South Saxons south of the Thames opposite London in South London, Surrey and Sussex and The Mercians who ruled beyond Watford.
Christianity would have started in a small scale in the late 200s and ealy 300s due to Saint Helen of Colchester. But, it expanded rapidly after Helen's son a general and governor of the Roman Empire became Caesar - Emperor of the Roman Empire. He was a Christian like his mother and as a result he permitted and encouraged the worship of God. So, from the earliest times after Christianity came back to The British Isles, Christians came back to Essex to teach the word of God and bring Christianity again to them.
The places associated with those saints are Colchester, Othona at Bradwell, Barking, St Osyth, Greensted and Ingatestone. Those saints with special connections to Essex are given below.
SAINT HELEN
Saint Helen (or Helena of Constantinople) was born in Colchester in about 250 AD. She was the daughter of King Coel (or King Cole). She was the mother of St Constantine – the Roman Emperor Constantine. St Helen led a pious life and made a pilgrimage to The Holy Land, an adventure unusual for anyone, let alone a woman in those days. She is credited with finding Christ's Cross at Mount Calvary.
She died in about 330 AD and she is the patron saint of Colchester and of Archaeologists.
Saint Helen’s feast day is : 18th August,
or 21st May in the Orthodox Church).
SAINT CONSTANTINE
Constantine was born on 27th February 272 AD. Some sources say he was born in Colchester, others say in Nis, Serbia. He was the son of Saint Helen and Constantius, the Roman governor of Britannia. Constantine became the Emperor of Rome on 25th July 306 while he was in Britain. He always followed his mother's Christian faith and he became the first Christian Emperor of Rome. His “Edict of Milan” in 313 AD put an end to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire
He died on 22nd May 337 AD.
Saint Constantine’s feast day is : 3rd September;
And he shares : 21st May with his mother.
SAINT MELLITUS
Saint Mellitus was the first post-Augustine Bishop of London from 604 to 618. London was the capital of Essex - The Kingdom of East Saxons. Mellitus became Archbishop of Canterbury in 618.
He remained in that post until his death on 24th April 624 AD.
Saint Mellitus’ feast day is : 24th April.
SAINT CEDD
Saint Cedd was a missionary who landed at Bradwell on Sea in Essex and built St Peter’s Chapel at the Roman Fort of Othona, nearby in 643 AD. Saint Cedd was commissioned by King Oswy of The Northumbrians to convert the East Saxons. St Cedd became Bishop of the East Saxons, He administered his diocese from Ythancestir (Othona Castle or Fort) at Bradwell on Sea, the Roman fort of Othona. St Cedd was born in about 620 AD. He became the Bishop of London at the East Saxon built first St. Paul’s Cathedral in 658 AD. Many of his East Saxon converts believed that the yellow fever disease which he contracted and his early death was a sign that the old pagan gods were offended by their conversion to Christianity, so, some reverted to paganism.
He died on 26th October 664 AD while he was the Bishop of London.
Saint Cedd’s feast day is : 26th October.
SAINT SIGEBERHT
KinG Sigeberht II was also known as Sigeberht the Good or Sigeberht the Blessed). He was King of The East Saxons or Essex from 653 to 660 AD. He succeeded on the death of Sigeberht I, known as Sigeberht the Little. Sigeberht II was suceeded by his brother Swithelm, who murdered Sigeberht. During Sigeberht’s reign as King of The East Saxons, Cedd was sent to Essex as a missionary at the king’s request to convert The East Saxon people to Christianity. Saint Cedd was consecrated as The Bishop of Essex and he established monasteries at Tilaburg, now Tilbury and at Ythancestir, which is the Roman Othona Fort near Bradwell on Sea in Essex. Sigeberht, a follower of Bishop Cedd was murdered by his brothers Swithelm and Swithfrith, who accused him of being too friendly towards Christians. Sigeberht was a devout follower of Saint Cedd.
He was murdered by Swithelm and Swithfrith in 660 AD.
SAINT ETHELBURGH
St Ethelburgh (Æthelburg or Ethelburga) was the sister of Erkenwald (Eorcenwald) the Bishop of London. He appointed Ethelburgh in 661 as the county’s first Abbess of the nunnery at Barking Abbey. She led an austere life and obtained veneration after her death. She was buried in Barking Abbey.
She died in 687 AD
Saint Ethelburgh’s feast day is : 11th October.
SAINT ERKENWALD
Saint Erkenwald (Erconwald, Eaconwald or Eorcenwald) was born c. 630 AD and died c. 693 AD. He was Bishop of London in the Anglo Saxon Christian Church between 675 and until he died in 693 or 697. He was born at Lindsey near Sudbury into the princely Offa family. Erkenwald gave up his share of family money to establish two Benedictine abbeys in 661 AD. They were: Barking Abbey an abbey for women in Essex (East Saxons Kingdom); And Chertsey Abbey an abbey for men in Surrey (South Saxons Kingdom). He placed his sister, Ethelburgh as head of the convent in Barking, while he served as Abbot of Chertsey. In 675, he became the Bishop of London after Bishop Wine. He is also reputed to have converted Sebbi (Seba) King of the East Saxons to Christianity in 677. Erkenwald died at Barking Abbey and he was first buried there and buried later at St Paul’s Cathedral in London (then part of Essex - The Kingdom of the East Saxons).
He died in either in 693 or 697 AD.
Saint Erkenwald's feast day is : 14th November in England,
or elsewhere on 13th May & 24th & 30th April.
SAINT SEBBI
King Sebbi (also known as Saint Sebbi) was the joint King of The East Saxons or Essex from 664 to 683 AD with his brother Sighere. After Sighere died, Sebbi became sole king of Essex until 694 when he abdicated to enter a monastry. Sighere and Sebbi were cousins of their predecessor, King Swithelm. In 665 Sighere apostasized and returned to paganism, while Sebbi remained a faithful Christian. They soon developed a rivalry. Sighere found an ally in The Kingdom of Wessex, and Sebbi found an ally in the kingdom of Mercia. As a result of their rivalry, King Wulfhere of Mercia tried to establish himself as an overlord of Essex in 665 AD. He sent Jaruman, the Bishop of Mercia, who was assigned to reconvert the people of Essex to Christianity. In 686 AD, Cædwalla, a Wessex sub-king, tried to establish himself as an overlord of Essex. He and Sebbi invaded Kent, expelling the Kentish King Eadric. As a result, Sebbi ruled over West Kent. It was presumably at the time that King Sebbi founded the original Westminster Abey, London and all of Middlesex was part of the Kingdom of Essex. Sebbi is believed to have abdicated in 694 in order to enter a monastery, and was succeeded by his sons, Sigeheard and Swaefred, who ruled jointly over Essex. Sebbi died in 695 AD and was buried in Old St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London where he was revered as a saint.
Bede recounts the death and burial of King Sebbi thus (4.11) :
At that time, as the same little book informs us, Sebbi, a devout man, of whom mention has been made above, governed the kingdom of the East Saxons. He was much addicted to religious actions, alms giving, and frequent prayer; preferring a private and monastic life to all the wealth and honours of his kingdom, which sort of life he would also long before have undertaken, had not his wife positively refused to be divorced from him; for which reason many were of opinion, and often said so, that a person of such a disposition ought rather to have been a bishop than a king. When he had been thirty years a king and a soldier of the heavenly kingdom, he fell into a violent sickness, of which he died, and admonished his wife, that they should then at least jointly devote themselves to the service of God, since they could no longer enjoy, or rather serve, the world. Having with much difficulty obtained this of her, he went to Waldhere, the Bishop of London, who had succeeded Earconwald and with his blessing received the religious habit, which he had long desired. He also carried to him a considerable sum of money, to be given to the poor, reserving nothing to himself, but rather prefering to remain poor, but rich in spirit for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
When the aforesaid distemper sickness increased upon him and he perceived the day of his death to be drawing near, being a man of a royal disposition, he began to apprehend lest, when under pain, and at the approach of death, he might be guilty of anything unworthy of his person, either in words, or any motion of his limbs. Wherefore, calling to him the aforesaid Bishop of London, in which city he then was, he entreated him that none might be present at his death, other than the bishop himself and two of his attendants. The bishop having promised that he would most willingly perform the same, not long after the man of God composed himself to sleep, and saw a comforting vision, which took from him all anxiety for the aforesaid uneasiness; and, moreover, showed him on what day he was to depart this life. For, as he afterwards related, he saw three men in bright garments come to him; one of whom sat down before his bed, whilst his companions stood and inquired about the state of the sick man they came to see: he who was sitting in front of the bed said, that his soul should depart his body without any pain, and with a great splendour of light; and declared that he should die the third day after; both which particulars happened, as he had been informed by the vision; for on the third day after, he suddenly fell, as it were, into a slumber, and breathed out his soul without any sense or pain.
A stone coffin having been provided for burying his body, when they came to lay it in the same, they found his body a span longer than the coffin. Hereupon they hewed away the stone, and made the coffin about two fingers longer; but neither would it then contain the body. Under this difficulty of entombing him, they had thoughts either to get another coffin, or else to shorten the body, by bending it at the knees, if they could. But a wonderful event, caused by Providence, prevented the execution of either of those designs for on a sudden, in the presence of the bishop, and Sighard, the son of the king who had turned monk, and who reigned after him jointly with his brother Suefred, and of a considerable number of men, that same coffin was found to answer the length of the body, insomuch that a pillow might also be put in at the head; and at the feet the coffin was four fingers longer than the body. He was buried in the church of the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles, by whose instructions he had learned to hope for heavenly things.
Sebbi died in 695 AD.
Saint Sebbi’s feast day is : 29th August.
SAINT OSYTH
St Osyth was the daughter of Frithwald, a ruler of Mercia. In her youth, she vowed perpetual virginity, but was betrothed against her will to Sighere, the King of the East Saxons. Some say she bore a son and became a nun after Sighere’s death. Others say before the marriage could be consummated, she stole away and took the veil and afterwards obtained an agreement with Sighere to relinquish her marriage. He made her a gift of land in the village of Chich, now known as St Osyth, to maintain a nunnery. She built the nunnery and was the Abbess there until 653 AD when the Danes under Ingwar (Inguar) and Ubba (Hubba) sacked the convent and beheaded her. According to legend, once beheaded, she picked up her head and guided by angels she walked to the church where she knocked on the door and fell prostrate. A fountain sprung up at the spot where she was beheaded and the water was renowned for its restorative properties.
She was murdered by the Danes in about 700 AD.
Saint Osyth’s feast day is : 7th October.
SAINT NOTHELM
Saint Nothelm or Nothhelm was the Bishop of London, then the ancient capital of Essex, the Kingdom of the East Saxons, which by then was starting to be ruled separately by Essex Kings under the influence of the Kingdom of Mercia. Nothelm was Bishop of London until 735, when he became the Archbishop of Canterbury until his death four years later.
He died on 17th October 739 AD.
Saint Nothelm’s feast day is : 17th October.
SAINT EDMUND
Saint Edmund was a king of the East Angles who was born in 841. He was crowned king at Bures St Mary on the Essex border on 25th December 855 and he was killed on 20th November 869 AD in a battle with the Danes. According to legend, he was decapitated and his head was thrown into the forest. When his supporters found his body, they could not find his head, but on shouting out his name, the head replied ' here I am', enabling them to find it. His body was quickly buried and some time later, a memorial church was built at Beadoriceworth (later called Bury St Edmunds). After it was built, his body was exhumed to be taken to Bury and it was found that his head was now firmly attached to his neck and despite the long burial, the skin and hair of St Edmund was undamaged as if he was sleeping. The early Saxon timber church of Greensted near Ongar in Essex was his resting place. Some say that the church was rebuilt or extended in 1013 AD for St Edmund before his final journey to Bury. Since then, Essex those early times, Essex has claimed a share in the memory of Saint Edmund.
Saint Edmund was the patron saint of England from soon after his death in the 9th century until at least the 17th century. Thus, he was our Saint for about 800 years, 400 years longer than Saint George has been our Saint. George was made patron saint of England by King Henry VIII in the late 1500s, but for nearly 100 years nationwide, the public continued to pray for Saint Edmund only.
He was killed by the Danes on 20th November 869 AD.
Saint Edmund’s feast day is : 20th November.
SAINT DUNSTAN
Saint Dunstan was the Bishop of London, the ancient capital of Essex, The Kingdom of the East Saxons, then part of Mercia within the recent rule of the West Saxons. Dunstan was Bishop of London from 956 to 960, when he became the Archbishop of Canterbury until 978. He died at the great age of 79. St. Dunstan had been a blacksmith and jeweller before becoming a priest and that is why he is the patron saint of goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers. The date year on hallmarks runs from 19th May to 18th May the following year, thus starting from his feast day.
He died on 19th May 988 AD.
Saint Dunstan’s feast day is : 19th May.
SAINT JOHN PAINE
Saint John Paine (or Payne) (1532– 1582) was an English Catholic priest martyr, one of the Catholic Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
He was born in Peterborough in 1532 and he was possibly a convert to Catholicism from a Protestant family. He was probably a mature man when in 1574, he went to the English College at Douai (then in Flanders in Holland, now France). He served there as bursar and he was ordained a priest by the Archbishop of Cambrai on 7 April 1576. Shortly afterwards, on 24 April 1576, he left for an English mission in the company of another priest, Cuthbert Mayne. While Mayne headed for his native South West England, Paine resided for the most part at Ingatestone, Essex, but also in London with Anne, widow of Sir William Petre and daughter of Sir William Browne, sometime Lord Mayor of the City of London. Shortly after his arrival, he converted (or re-converted) to Catholicism the eminent George Godsalve (or Godsalf) of the diocese of Bath, a man who had gained a B.A. at Oxford and had been ordained a deacon in the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary, but who had then become a Protestant. Paine sent Godsalve to Douai, where he arrived on 15 July 1576 to be prepared for the Catholic priesthood, which he was to receive at Cambrai on 22 December. Paine himself was arrested at Ingatestone and he was imprisoned early in 1577, but he was soon released and went back to Douai that November. From there, he probably returned to Ingatestone before Christmas 1579.
Early in July 1581, he and Godsalve, who had come to England in June, 1577 were arrested in Warwickshire whilst staying on the estate of Lady Petre (widow of John Petre, 18th Baron Petre), through the efforts of the informer George "Judas" Eliot (a known criminal, murderer, rapist and thief, who made a career out of denouncing Catholics and priests for bounty). After being examined by Walsingham at Greenwich, they were committed to the Tower of London on 14 July 1577. Godsalve did not give in but he spent several years in prison, after which he was released from the Marshalsea Prison in September 1585 and he was banished, dying in Paris in 1592. Paine was a more significant catch, he was racked on the Council's orders on 14 August and again on 31 October 1580. On 20 March 1581 or 1582 he was abruptly woken, taken from his cell half dressed and delivered by the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Owen Hopton of Cockfield Hall in Suffolk to officers who were waiting to take him to Chelmsford Gaol. He was not allowed to return to his cell to get his purse, which was stolen by the Lieutenant's wife, Anne Echyngham.
Paine was indicted at Chelmsford on 22 March on a charge of treason for conspiring to murder the Queen and her leading officers and install Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. Paine denied the charges, and affirmed his loyalty to Queen Elizabeth in all that was lawful (ie not contrary to his Catholicism or allegiance to the Pope), contesting the reliability of claims by the murderer Eliot. No attempt was made to corroborate Eliot's story, which had already been rehearsed at the trial of Edmund Campion on 22 November 1581. The guilty verdict was a foregone conclusion.
At his execution on the morning of the Monday, 2 April (9 months after his imprisonment), he was dragged from prison on a hurdle to the place of execution and first prayed on his knees for almost half an hour and then kissed the scaffold, made a profession of faith and declared his innocence. Reinforcements had been sent from London to help the execution run smoothly. Lord Rich called upon him to repent of his treason, which Paine again denied. A Protestant minister then shouted a claim that years ago Paine's brother had admitted to him Paine's treason. Paine said that his brother was and always had been an earnest Protestant but that even so would never swear to such a thing. To bear this out, Paine asked that the brother, who was in the locality, be brought, but he was not found in time and the execution proceeded and Paine was at last turned off the ladder. The government's intentions for a smooth execution with minimal trouble and maximum propaganda value had failed - indeed, the crowd had become so sympathetic to Paine that they hung on his feet to speed his death and prevented the infliction of the drawing and quartering until he was dead. The executioner, the notoriously incompetent Simon Bull, was meanwhile rebuked for dithering over the quartering in case Paine were to revive and suffer further.
John Paine was one of the group of prominent Catholic martyrs of the persecution who were later designated as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was beatified "equipollently" by Pope Leo XIII, by means of a decree of 29 December 1886 and was canonised along with the other Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970.
Saint John Payne School, a Roman Catholic secondary school in Chelmsford is named after him.
He was executed and martyred on 2 April 1582.
Saint John Paine's feast day is : 4th May,
the same day as all 34 English Martyrs;
Previously, it was : 25th October, now reserved for the 6 Welsh Martyrs.
