330:. This charter is a late 11th or early 12th century forgery, written for Peterborough Abbey – meaning that it nonetheless existed there before Hugh Candidus wrote his chronicle – but it is of historical interest for some of the locally important information which it contains. It describes Seaxwulf as a recently orphaned foreigner, and this biographical detail is not found in any other known, surviving source.
197:
284:
Beyond the details recording
Seaxwulf's foundation and abbacy of Medeshamstede, and his episcopacy in Mercia, there are scattered references suggesting that Seaxwulf had previously been an important nobleman, and that he played a similarly important role as abbot, and later as bishop.
322:, a 12th-century chronicler of Peterborough, described Seaxwulf as a "man of great power", and a man "zealous and , and well skilled in the things of this world, and also in the affairs of the ." Another biographical reference to Seaxwulf is in a
361:
Taken together, Blair and
Whitelock place Seaxwulf in East Anglia prior to his involvement with Medeshamstede, and suggest that he may have been royal. Also, the charter for Mercian Medeshamstede describes him as a recently orphaned foreigner.
381:
personal name giving within families. Further, these names are extremely uncommon: while
Seaxwulf is the only recorded bearer of that name before the 11th century, only two "Seaxburh"s are recorded, the other being a contemporary princess of
414:
Given his subsequent elevation to the
Mercian bishopric, clearly Seaxwulf was successful in his work at Medeshamstede, "one of the greatest monasteries of the Mercian kingdom". This success, and the reported shelter given by Seaxwulf to
419:, also indicate a close political relationship between Seaxwulf and the Mercian King Æthelred: Putta had abandoned his see at Rochester when, according to Bede, King Æthelred had destroyed it.
827:
299:
It seems likely that
Seaxwulf was a layman of high rank who adopted the religious life and used his worldly wealth to found a monastery for himself, in the mould of his near-contemporary
349:
state of Mercia prior to the mid 7th century. Also, while East Anglia had been under sustained attack from Mercia through much of the 7th century up to
Seaxwulf's time, his contemporary
609:
in the manuscript. Also, where the cited online edition has "præeunte", meaning "going before", the manuscript on which it is based has "pereunte", meaning "dying" (Kelly, S.E.,
353:
is seen as a "Mercian dependent". Thus the entire region in which
Seaxwulf operated was, at the time, under Mercian domination. The following details suggest a possible
333:
Blair's "reasonable conjecture" suggests in effect that
Seaxwulf may have been a member of local royalty, since Bede records the existence of a prince of the
184:, this name is found in numerous different forms in medieval writings; but it is most commonly rendered into modern English as "Saxwulf" or "Sexwulf". An
159:, as Medeshamstede was known by that time. This suggests that he began his career as a nobleman, and that he may have had royal connections outside
759:
200:
Seaxwulf, and a unique biographical reference, in King Æthelred's charter (S 72): taken from the 12th-century manuscript, he appears here in the
1319:
834:
605:
See the image of the manuscript, on this page. Interpretation of this biographical detail depends on a careful reading of a passage of clumsy
1211:
684:
680:
676:
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377:, who was a daughter of King Anna. Alliteration such as that between the names "Seaxwulf" and "Seaxburh" was a common feature in
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151:
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ASChart
Project. Retrieved on 11 May 2008. See Stenton, F.M., 'Medeshamstede and its Colonies', in Stenton, D.M. (ed.),
951:
366:
died in about 653, at the beginning of the period in which
Medeshamstede is believed to have been founded (c.653–656).
641:
Dumville, D., 'Essex, Middle Anglia, and the expansion of Mercia in the South-East Midlands', in Bassett, S. (ed.),
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Preparatory to Anglo-Saxon England Being the Collected Papers of Frank Merry Stenton
735:
Stenton, Sir Frank.M. (1970). D.M. Stenton (ed.). "Medeshamstede and its Colonies".
711:
Preparatory to Anglo-Saxon England Being the Collected Papers of Frank Merry Stenton
594:
Preparatory to Anglo-Saxon England Being the Collected Papers of Frank Merry Stenton
577:, Peterborough Natural History, Scientific and Archæological Society, 1941, pp. 3–4.
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613:, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 107). Blair, J., 'Seaxwulf (d. c.692)',
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Mellows, William Thomas (1941). "The Peterborough Chronicle of Hugh Candidus".
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145:. Very little is known of him beyond these details, drawn from sources such as
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Stenton, F.M., 'Medeshamstede and its Colonies', in Stenton, D.M. (ed.),
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In the title for Blair's entry for Seaxwulf, "d. c.962" means "died
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472:
Retrieved on 11 May 2008 ("seax", "Seaxe", "wulf"; cf. "seaxbenn").
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155:. Some further information was written down in the 12th century at
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Peterborough Natural History, Scientific and Archæological Society
393:, were both located in the territory of the Gyrwas. Listed in the
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520:(3rd edition, revised), Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 218.
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has summarised what is known of Seaxwulf, in his entry for the
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Whitelock, D., 'The pre-Viking age church in East Anglia', in
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551:, Cambridge University Press, 1927 (reprinted 1985), c.xlv.
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248:, before 676 AD; he died about 692. During his episcopate,
213:
146:
675:. Retrieved on 23 August 2010 (also see this source for "
264:. In a similar development, Seaxwulf's near contemporary
188:
name, it means "dagger wolf", or possibly "Saxon wolf".
397:, they were long fought over by East Anglia and Mercia.
619:, summarises all that is otherwise known of Seaxwulf.
341:
believed that Seaxwulf had probably been educated in
212:
It is not known when or where Seaxwulf was born, but
1477:
1072:Robert de Limesey (previously Bishop of Chester)
881:, Bishop of the Mercians & the Lindisfaras
549:The Life of Bishop Wilfrid by Eddius Stephanus
828:
587:Anglo-Saxon Charter S 72 Archive Peterborough
216:identifies him as founder and first abbot of
573:Mellows, William Thomas (ed. & trans.),
658:(2nd edition), Phillimore, 1988, pp. 163–4.
645:, Leicester University Press, 1989, p. 132.
575:The Peterborough Chronicle of Hugh Candidus
835:
821:
236:". He was consecrated as bishop, with his
166:Seaxwulf's earliest appearance is in the
713:, Oxford University Press, 1970, p. 191.
385:Medeshamstede, founded by Seaxwulf, and
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532:Blair, J., "Seaxwulf (d. c.692)", in
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643:The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms
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308:John Blair, "Seaxwulf (d. c.692)",
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538:, Oxford University Press, 2004-8.
410:as a "prince of the South Gyrwas".
260:. In 676, Seaxwulf gave refuge to
14:
1507:
744:
547:Colgrave, B. (ed. & trans.),
250:Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury
1496:Anglo-Saxon bishops of Lichfield
616:Dictionary of National Biography
596:, Oxford University Press, 1970.
535:Dictionary of National Biography
357:within which Seaxwulf operated.
311:Dictionary of National Biography
292:Dictionary of National Biography
1473:7th-century Bishop of Lichfield
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141:, and an early medieval
328:King Æthelred of Mercia
1303:Episcopacy abolished (
762:Ecclesiastical History
698:Ecclesiastical History
501:Ecclesiastical History
484:Ecclesiastical History
407:Ecclesiastical History
317:
272:'s period of exile in
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152:Ecclesiastical History
126:692) was the founding
78:Abbot of Medeshamstede
1132:Alexander de Stavenby
1116:Alexander de Stavenby
656:Signposts to the Past
630:Anglo-Saxon England 1
297:
256:into several smaller
199:
177:Vita Sancti Wilfrithi
1345:Frederick Cornwallis
1106:Geoffrey de Muschamp
844:Bishops of Lichfield
170:form "Sexwlfus", in
1111:William de Cornhill
1069:, Bishop of Chester
791:Bishop of Lichfield
280:Identity and status
122:(before 676 –
29:Bishop of Lichfield
1162:Robert de Stretton
632:, 1972, pp. 38–41.
222:Peterborough Abbey
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1172:Richard le Scrope
1137:Hugh de Pateshull
1096:Gerard la Pucelle
1067:Robert de Limesey
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802:Succeeded by
470:OEME Dictionaries
339:Dorothy Whitelock
220:, later known as
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900:
789:
761:
736:
727:
710:
705:
697:
692:
663:
655:
650:
642:
637:
629:
624:
614:
610:
601:
593:
582:
574:
569:
561:
556:
548:
543:
533:
517:
513:
508:
500:
482:
477:
465:
448:
444:
440:
436:
431:
413:
405:
345:, given the
332:
318:
309:
298:
290:
283:
211:
182:proper nouns
175:
165:
150:
119:
118:
110:Denomination
89:Consecration
15:
1486:690s deaths
1370:Henry Ryder
1320:Thomas Wood
1315:John Hacket
1248:Rowland Lee
1232:Rowland Lee
1101:Hugh Nonant
391:Æthelthryth
379:Old English
371:alliterates
343:East Anglia
186:Old English
54:Predecessor
1480:Categories
1330:John Hough
1212:John Hales
1187:James Cary
751:Seaxwulf 1
458:References
287:John Blair
258:bishoprics
252:split the
240:seat, or "
92:before 676
43:Term ended
38:before 676
1384:Lichfield
977:Burgheard
962:Cynefrith
957:Hunberght
952:Æthelwold
936:Hygeberht
926:Cuthfrith
889:Lichfield
774:Christian
503:, iv, 12.
268:mentions
246:Lichfield
238:episcopal
206:Latinised
168:Latinised
135:monastery
113:Christian
64:Successor
35:Appointed
1454:(acting)
1060:Coventry
1037:Wulfsige
1032:Brihtmær
1007:Cynesige
992:Wilferth
982:Eadberht
972:Wulfsige
967:Tunberht
947:Herewine
942:Ealdwulf
931:Berhthun
901:Seaxwulf
896:Winfrith
869:Trumhere
864:Ceollach
784:Winfrith
700:, iv, 19
685:Seaxburg
669:Seaxwulf
487:, iv, 6.
306:—
230:Mercians
202:genitive
120:Seaxwulf
58:Winfrith
22:Seaxwulf
1042:Leofwin
1027:Leofgar
1017:Elphege
1012:Wynsige
1002:Wulfgar
997:Ælfwine
987:Wulfred
911:Aldwine
874:Jaruman
776:titles
760:Bede's
441:Sexwulf
437:Saxwulf
382:Wessex.
347:heathen
324:charter
270:Wilfrid
254:diocese
226:Lindsey
192:History
132:Mercian
130:of the
1022:Godwin
921:Hemele
906:Headda
852:Mercia
805:Headda
696:Bede,
681:Sewulf
677:Saxulf
514:et al.
499:Bede,
481:Bede,
449:Sexulf
445:Saxulf
355:milieu
335:Gyrwas
274:Mercia
244:", at
161:Mercia
105:c. 692
84:Orders
68:Headda
1047:Peter
916:Witta
859:Diuma
607:Latin
562:circa
423:Notes
128:abbot
49:. 692
879:Chad
799:691
795:675–
683:", "
679:", "
673:PASE
564:962"
402:Bede
232:and
214:Bede
147:Bede
102:Died
753:at
687:").
447:or
443:or
439:or
435:Or
404:'s
387:Ely
326:of
242:see
174:'s
149:'s
137:of
1482::
797:c.
671:"
525:^
516:,
492:^
295::
204:,
163:.
124:c.
1307:)
836:e
829:t
822:v
766:.
730:.
667:"
314:.
47:c
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