St Etheldreda

23rd June, marks the feast day of St Etheldreda, a saint associated with Ely Cathedral who died in 679AD. jon rosling

Etheldreda, also known as Æthelthryth, is particularly significant to the Anglican tradition due to her association with Ely Cathedral, which remains a key site of pilgrimage and historical importance within the Church of England.

St. Etheldreda, sometimes also known as Audrey, was an Anglo-Saxon princess, abbess, and saint who lived in the 7th century. She was born around 636AD in Exning, Suffolk and was one of the four saintly daughters of Anna of East Anglia, including Wendreda and Seaxburh of Ely, all of whom eventually retired from secular life and founded abbeys. jon rosling

Etheldreda was married twice, first in 652AD to Tondberht, a noble of the South Gyrwe. Tondberht was happy to honour her vow of perpetual virginity – made some years before their marriage – but his death three years later made her once more available and she was remarried for political reasons to the 15 year old heir to the kingdom of Northumbria, Ecgfrith, in 660AD.

A statue of Saint Etheldreda from 1961 by Philip Turner.

Ecgfrith was less enamoured by Etheldred’s piety and resolute commitment to her vow and when he became king in 670AD, the subsequent tensions gave way to him eventually allowing her to become a nun at Coldingham nunnery.

This was not the end of matters however for Ecgfrith soon changed his mind and Etheldreda and two of the Coldingham nuns fled to the Isle of Ely to avoid being “carried off” (such a lovely euphemism for rape) by the king.

She founded the double monastery of Ely in 673, on the site of what is now Ely Cathedral and as abbess led a life of austerity and devotion, becoming a revered figure for her spiritual leadership and piety. Her monastery became a centre of learning and spirituality. jon rosling

According to Bede, she died on June 23, 679 of a neck tumour, something which she interpreted as sent by God in his goodness to relieve her of guilt for her youthful vanity and love of necklaces.

She was buried in a common grave at Ely initially but her sister Seaxburh disinterred her bones and moved them into the new church there in 695AD.  According to legend, her body was found incorrupt 16 years after her death, which was considered a sign of her sainthood. This discovery contributed to her growing veneration.

The shrine holds a central place within the cathedral at Ely, as much as Saint Etheldreda holds a central place in the foundation of the religious community there.

The original shrine was a marble tomb that had been taken from the ruins of a Roman temple at Grantchester by Etheldreda's sister, Seaxburh, when she moved the Saint's relics into the new church at Ely in 695AD.

Etheldreda’s legacy is honored in various ways within the Anglican tradition and the cathedral at Ely contains a shrine dedicated to her. She is considered a patron saint of throat ailments, a tradition linked to her own suffering before her death.

The English word tawdry is derived from the common version of her name – Saint Audrey – and the fact that her admirers bought modestly concealing lace goods at an annual fair held in her name in Ely. By the 17th century, this lacework had become seen as old-fashioned, vain, or cheap and of poor quality, at a time when the Puritans of eastern England disdained ornamental dress.

The Church of England, maintaining many of the traditions from its pre-Reformation heritage, continues to recognize and celebrate saints who played significant roles in the early Christian history of England. St. Etheldreda is one such figure, and her contributions to the Christian faith in England, particularly through her establishment of Ely as a center of religious life and learning, ensure her continued commemoration in the liturgical calendar.

Her story of piety, dedication to a religious life, and the founding of the double monastery at Ely resonate with many in the Church and her feast day provides an opportunity for the faithful to reflect on her example of spiritual dedication and leadership.

A stained glass window of Saint Etheldreda at Ely Cathedral