Bregwin

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Saint Bregwin
Archbishop of Canterbury
Enthroned {{{began}}}
Ended 764
Predecessor Cuthbert of Canterbury
Successor Jaenbert
Consecration 759
Birth name Bregwin
Died 764
Buried Canterbury

Sainthood

Venerated in Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion
Commemorated 26 August
Saints Portal

Bregwin (or Breguivine or Breguwine or Bregowine) was a medieval Archbishop of Canterbury.

[edit] Life

Various stories have been told about Bregwin's origins, including that he was a nobleman and a continental Saxon who converted to Christianity and came to Canterbury because of the saintly reputation of Theodore of Tarsus. Others say that he owed his elevation to Æthelbert II of Kent, but all these stories rest on works that were written after the Norman conquest of England. There are no contemporary records of Bregwin before he was archbishop.[1] Whatever his upbringing, he was consecrated as archbishop on September 27, 761.[2] His election took place in a brief period when Kent was free of Mercian dominance between 756 and 764, so the story that he owed his election to Æthelbert does fit with the time frame.[3] He wrote letters to Saint Lullus of Mainz which still exist,[4] and later his life was written by Eadmer.[5] He died in 764[2] and was originally buried in the baptistry in Canterbury, but his remains were moved to the Romanesque cathedral's choir in 1123.[1]

He was later canonized with a feast day of August 26.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Williams, Ann "Bregowine (d. 764)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press, 2004 Online Edition accessed November 7, 2007
  2. ^ a b Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology, Third Edition, revised, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 214. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. 
  3. ^ Brooks, Nicholas (1984). The Early History of the Church of Canterbury: Christ Church from 597 to 1066. London: Leicester University Press. ISBN 0-7185-0041-5. 
  4. ^ a b Catholic Online Saints and Angels St Bregwin accessed on September 6, 2007
  5. ^ 1911 Britanica Encyclopedia Entry for Eadmer accessed on September 7, 2007

[edit] External links

Roman Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Cuthbert of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
759–764
Succeeded by
Jaenbert
Persondata
NAME Bregwin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Breguivine; Breguwine; Bregowine
SHORT DESCRIPTION Archbishop of Canterbury
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH 764
PLACE OF DEATH


Languages