St Wilfrid

Wilfrid, St (c.634-c.709). Bishop of Northumbria. Noble, Northumbrian, sent by Queen Eanflæd to study at Lindisfarne, Wilfrid then travelled to Kent, to Lyons, and to Rome. Back home, he introduced Roman ways in the monastery of Ripon, given to him by Alchfrith of Deira, was ordained by Agilbert, Frankish bishop of Wessex, for whom he spoke at the Synod of Whitby (664) in favour of the Roman Easter, which won the day, and was sent for consecration in Paris as bishop for the Northumbrians.

His subsequent career was very stormy, involving deprivation (664-9, 678-86, 691-706) and divisions of his see, appropriation of assets of his monasteries, disagreements with the Northumbrian kings Ecgfrith and Aldfrith and with the archbishops of Canterbury Theodore and Berhtwald. While not at home, he worked amongst the South Saxons, the West Saxons in the Isle of Wight, and in Mercia. He died as bishop of Hexham at Oundle in 709 or 710 and was buried at Ripon. His relics were moved to Canterbury, probably in 948, by Archbishop Oda.

Wilfrid was in many respects—his ferocity, retinue, the loyalty of his followers, and his death-bed distribution of treasure—an ecclesiastical version of a traditional aristocratic warlord. The intensity of feeling Wilfrid aroused is testimony to his importance.