List of Northumbrian saints

This list of Northumbrian saints includes Christian saints with strong connections to the medieval Kingdom of Northumbria, either because they were of local origin and ethnicity (chiefly Anglian) or because they travelled to Northumbria from their own homeland and became noted in their hagiography for work there. Northumbria existed from the 7th–10th centuries in what is now northern England, along with areas of the Scottish Borders and the Lothian. Its chief ecclesiastical centre was York. Northumbria originally extended from North of the Humber to the Firth of Forth, although the borders were ever expanding, and land South of the Humber was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria, such as Lindsey. Also lands north of The Firth of Forth.

During the reign of king Oswald of Northumbria, an Irish monk Aidan was invited to reconvert the area to Christianity. He and other Irish monks achieved this and subsequently the Northumbrians helped to reconvert much of the rest of England and also parts of the European continent.

Saints

Saint Aidan

Saint Cuthbert

Saint Willibrord

Saint John of Beverley

Name	Born	Life	Comments	Feast	Reference
Edwin of Northumbria	Deira, Northumbria	586—632	King of Northumbria, converted to Christianity from paganism.	12 October	[1]
Paulinus of York	Rome	died 644	First bishop of the refounded diocese of York Converted Edwin to Christianity.	10 October	[2]
Oswald of Northumbria	Deira, Northumbria	604—642	King of Northumbria, invited Aidan to reconvert his kingdom to Christianity.	5 August	[3]
Aidan of Lindisfarne	Connacht, Ireland	died 651	First Bishop of Lindisfarne, invited by Oswald to reconvert Northumbria.	31 August	[4]
Oswine of Deira	Deira, Northumbria	died 651	King of Deira, died "at least for the justice of Christ".	20 August	[5]
Honorius of Canterbury	Rome	died 653	accompanied Paulinus, wrote to Pope to raise York into archbishoporic.	30 September	[6]
Everilda	Wessex		Founder of Everingham. Wessex princess, became a nun in Northumbria.	9 July	[7]
Finan of Lindisfarne	Ireland	died 661	Bishop of Lindisfarne, converted Sigeberht II of Essex and Peada of Mercia.	9 February	[8]
Colmán of Lindisfarne	Ireland	605—675	Bishop of Lindisfarne, active during time of the Synod of Whitby.	8 August	[9]
Balin	Northumbria		Brother of Gerald of Mayo, disciple of Colmán, moved to Connacht.	3 September	[10]
Tuda of Lindisfarne	Ireland	died 664	Bishop of Lindisfarne, staunch supporter of Latin calculations of Easter.	21 October	[11]
Boisil	Northumbria	died 664	Founder of Melrose, abbot who was the teacher of Cuthbert.	7 July	[12]
Hilda of Whitby	Deira, Northumbria	614—680	Founder of Whitby, abbess and part of the Deiran royal family.	17 November	[13]
Æbbe the Elder	Northumbria	615—683	Founder of Ebchester and St Abb's Head, abbess and Bernician princess.	25 August	[14]
Eata of Hexham	Northumbria	died 686	Bishop of Lindisfarne, earlier abbot, first non-Irishman to hold the bishopric.	26 October	[15]
Cedd	Northumbria	620—664	Bishop of London, brother of Chad, credited with reconversion of Essex.	26 October	[16]
James the Deacon	Rome		accompanied Paulinus, taught people Gregorian chant and plain song.	11 October	[17]
Chad of Mercia	Northumbria	died 672	Bishop of York, brother of Cedd, credited with Christianisation of Mercia.	2 March	[18]
Cædmon	Whitby, Northumbria		Earliest English poet, herdsman who became a devoted monk		[19]
Hereswitha	Deira, Northumbria		sister of Hilda of Whitby, retired to Gaul to lead religious life.	3 September	[20]
Begu	Hackness, Northumbria	died 690	Nun at Whitby, witnessed miracle of Hilda.	31 October	[21]
The Two Ewalds	Northumbria	died 695	missionaries Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair, martyred in Old Saxony.	3 October	[22]
Eanflæd of Bernicia	Deira, Northumbria	626—704	Queen of Bernicia, later Abbess of Whitby succeeding Hilda.	24 November	[23]
Benedict Biscop	Northumbria	628—690	Founder of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, Benedictine abbot.	12 January	[24]
Bosa of York	Northumbria	died 705	Bishop of York, educated as a scholar at Whitby Abbey under Hilda.	9 March	[25]
Hædde	Headingley, Northumbria	died 705	Bishop of Winchester, was also a monk at Whitby Abbey.	7 July	[26]
Wilfrid	Northumbria	633—709	Founder of Ripon and Preston, Bishop of York, advocate of Latin Easter.	24 April	[27]
Cuthbert	Dunbar, Northumbria	634—687	Bishop of Lindisfarne, priest and hermit, patron saint of Northumbria	20 March	[28]
Ceolfrith	Northumbria	642—716	Abbot of Wearmouth, major contributor to the project Codex Amiatinus .	25 September	[29]
Easterwine	Northumbria	650—686	Abbot of Wearmouth, previously a soldier in earlier life.	7 March	[30]
Eadberht of Lindisfarne	Northumbria	died 698	Bishop of Lindisfarne, favoured poverty, long periods of solitude and devotion.	6 May	[31]
Ælfflæd of Whitby	Deira, Northumbria	654—713	Daughter of king Oswiu of Northumbria and Eanflæd, Abbess of Whitby.	8 February	[32]
Willibrord	Northumbria	658—739	Founder of Utrecht, missionary known as Apostle of the Frisians.	7 November	[33]
Acca of Hexham	Northumbria	660—740	Bishop of Hexham, strong promoter of education.	20 October	[34]
Suitbert of Kaiserwerdt	Northumbria	died 713	Founder of Kaiserswerth, joined Willibrord's Frisian mission.	1 March	[35]
Egbert of Northumbria	Northumbria	died 729	monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi, arranged Willibrord's Frisian mission.	24 April	[36]
Adalbert of Egmond	Northumbria		monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi, joined Willibrord's Frisian mission.	25 June	[37]
John of Beverley	Harpham, Northumbria	died 721	Founder of Beverley, Bishop of Hexham and then Bishop of York.	7 May	[38]
Eadfrith of Lindisfarne	Northumbria	died 721	Bishop of Lindisfarne, said to have been artist of the Lindisfarne Gospels .	4 June
Bede	Jarrow, Northumbria	672—735	author of History of the English People , recognised Doctor of the Church.	25 May	[39]
Æthelwold of Lindisfarne	Northumbria	died 740	Bishop of Lindisfarne, oversaw binding of the raw Lindisfarne Gospels.	12 February	[40]
Wilfrid II	Whitby, Northumbria	died 745	Bishop of York, described as a very holy man, and interested in education.	29 April	[41]
Osana	Deira, Northumbria	698—750	sister of Osred I of Northumbria, known for miraculous grave flagellation.	18 June	[42]
Baldred of Tyninghame	Ireland	died 757	Hermit and priest, moved to Lindisfarne, known as Apostle of the Lothians.	6 March	[43]
Billfrith	Northumbria	died 758	Benedictine hermit, silversmith who bound the Lindisfarne Gospels.	6 March	[44]
Æthelwold of Farne	Northumbria		Hermit who lived on Inner Farne, priest and a monk at Ripon Abbey.	23 March	[45]
Lebuinus	Ripon, Northumbria	died 773	Founder of Deventer, an Apostle of the Frisians.	12 November	[46]
Alcmund of Hexham	Northumbria	died 781	Bishop of Hexham. Considered a saint after death.	7 September	[47]
Ælfwald I of Northumbria	Northumbria	died 788	King of Northumbria. Considered a saint at Hexham Abbey after murder.
Willehad of Bremen	Northumbria	735—789	First Bishop of Bremen, missionary to the Saxons under Charlemagne.	13 July	[48]
Alkelda	Northumbria	died 800	princess and nun, strangled by Viking women during raid at Middleham.	28 March	[49]
Alcmund of Derby	Northumbria	died 800	Northumbrian prince, son of king Alhred of Northumbria.	19 March	[50]
Bega	Ireland		princess from Ireland, valued virginity, moved to Northumbria to avoid pirates.	7 November	[51]
Æbbe of Coldingham	Northumbria	died 870	Founder of Coldingham, origin of cutting off the nose to spite the face .	25 August

See also

• List of Anglo-Saxon saints
• List of Welsh saints
• List of Cornish saints
• List of Irish saints
• List of saints of the Canary Islands

Footnotes

1. "St. Edwin". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
2. "St. Paulinus, Archbishop of York". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
3. "St. Oswald". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
4. "St. Aidan of Lindisfarne". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
5. "St. Oswin". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
6. "St. Honorius". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
7. "St. Everilda of Everingham". Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of America. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
8. "St. Finan". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
9. "St. Colman". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
10. "St. Balin". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 8 November 2009.
11. "St. Tuda". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
12. "St. Boisil". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
13. "St. Hilda". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
14. "St. Aebbe the Elder". Britannia.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
15. "St. Eata". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
16. "St. Cedd". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
17. "St. James the Deacon". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
18. "St. Ceadda". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
19. "St. Caedmon". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
20. "St. Hereswitha". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
21. "St. Begu". Britannia.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2009. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
22. "Ss. Ewald the Dark and Ewald the Fair". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
23. "St. Eanfleda". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
24. "St. Benedict Biscop". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
25. "St. Bosa". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
26. "St. Haedda of Winchester". Britannia.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
27. "St. Wilfrid". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
28. "St. Cuthbert". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
29. "St. Ceolfrith". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
30. "St. Easterwine". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
31. "St. Eadbert". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
32. "Ælfflæd". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
33. "St. Willibrord". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
34. "St. Acca". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
35. "St. Suitbert". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
36. "St. Egbert". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
37. "Adalbert". New Catholic Dictionary.
38. "St. John of Beverley". Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
39. "The Venerable Bede". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
40. "St. Ethelwald". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
41. "St. Wilfrid the Younger". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
42. "St. Osana". Britannia.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
43. "St. Baldred". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
44. "St. Bilfrid". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 13 November 2009.
45. "Saint Ethelwald of Farne". Saints.SQPN.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
46. "St. Lebwin". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
47. "St. Alcmund". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
48. "St. Willehad". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
49. "St. Alkelda". Britannia.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
50. "British Saints". Britannia.com. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.
51. "St. Bega". Catholic Online. Retrieved on 28 October 2009.