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St. Edwin
(Æduini.)
The first Christian King of Northumbria, born about 585, son of Ælla, King of
Deira, the southern division of Northumbria; died 12 October, 633. Upon Ælla's
death in 588, the sovereignty over both divisions of Northumbria was usurped by
Ethebric of Bernicia, and retained at his death by his son Ethelfrid; Edwin,
Ælla's infant son, being compelled until his thirtieth year to wander from one
friendly prince to another, in continual danger from Ethelfrid's attempts upon
his life. Thus when he was residing with King Redwald of East Anglia, Ethelfrid
repeatedly endeavoured to bribe the latter to destroy him. Finally, however,
Redwald's refusal to betray his guest led in 616 to a battle, fought upon the
river Idle, in which Ethelfrid himself was slain, and Edwin was invited to the
throne of Northumbria. On the death of his first wife, Edwin, in 625, asked for
the hand of Ethelburga, sister to Eadbald, the Christian King of Kent,
expressing his own readiness to embrace Christianity, if upon examination he
should find it superior to his own religion. Ethelburga was accompanied to
Northumbria by St. Paulinus, one of St. Augustine's fellow missionaries, who
thus became its first apostle. By him Edwin was baptized at York in 627, and
thenceforth showed himself most zealous for the conversion of his people. In
instance of this, Venerable Bede tells how, at their royal villa of Yeverin in
Northumberland, the king and queen entertained Paulinus for five weeks, whilst
he was occupied from morning to night in instructing and baptizing the crowds
that flocked to him. By Edwin's persuasion, moreover, Eorpwald, King of East
Anglia, son of his old friend Redwald, was led to become a Christian. In token
of his authority over the other kings of Bretwalda, Edwin used to have the tufa
(a tuft of feathers on a spear, a military ensign of Roman origin) borne
publicly before him, and he received tribute from the Welsh princes. Under him
the law was so respected, that it became, as the Venerable Bede attests, a
proverb that a woman might travel through the island with a babe at her breast
without fear of insult
. St. Edwin was slain on 12 October, 633, in repelling an
attack made on him by Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, who, together with the
Welsh prince Cadwallon (a Christian only in name), had invaded his dominion.
Perishing thus in conflict with the enemies of the Faith, he was regarded as a
martyr and as such was allowed by Gregory XIII to be depicted in the English
College church at Rome. His head was taken to St. Peter's church at York, which
he had begun. His body was conveyed to Whitby. Churches are said to have been
dedicated to him at London and at Breve in Somerset.
Plummer ed., Bedae Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Oxford, 1896), II, 9-20; Tynemouth and Capgrave, Nova Legenda Angliae (Oxford, 1901); Acta SS., 12 October; Butler, Lives of Saints (Dublin, 1872), 4 Oct.; Lingard, History of England (London, 1883); Stanton, Menology of England and Wales (London, 1892); Raine in Dict. Christ. Biog,, s. v.
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