Repton

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For other uses, see Repton (disambiguation).

Repton
Repton shown within Derbyshire
District	South Derbyshire
Shire county	Derbyshire
Region	East Midlands
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DERBY
Postcode district	DE65
Dialling code	01283
Police	Derbyshire
Fire	Derbyshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
European Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	South Derbyshire
List of places: UK • England • Derbyshire

Coordinates: 52°50′N 1°33′W / 52.83, -1.55

Repton is a large village in Derbyshire, England between Derby and Burton upon Trent, situated at the edge of the River Trent floodplain.

It was the traditional royal burial place of the kings of Mercia, one of the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Christianity was reintroduced to the Midlands at Repton,^{[citation needed]} where the Mercian royal family, under Peada, were converted to Christianity in 653. Soon a double abbey under an Abbess had been constructed.

St Wystan's Church, Repton

The centre of the village is dominated by the Church of Saint Wystan, also called Wigstan of Mercia, which is notable for its Saxon crypt. Built in the 8th century, the Repton crypt was to serve as a mausoleum for the Mercian royal family. Wigstan was a prince of Mercia who was murdered by his guardian in 850, under the reign of Wiglaf. His remains were buried in the crypt at Repton and miracles were ascribed to them. Repton proceeded to become a place of pilgrimage; Wigstan was later sanctified, and became the patron Saint of the church.

Repton was the original seat of Christianity in the English Midlands, though in 669 the Bishop of Mercia moved his See from Repton to Lichfield. Offa, King of Mercia seemed to resent his own bishops paying allegiance to the Archbishop of Canterbury in Kent who, whilst under Offa's control, was not of his own kingdom of Mercia. Offa therefore created his own archbishopric in Lichfield, who presided over all the bishops from the Humber to the Thames. Repton thus became a origin for a third split in the English Church; Canterbury, York and Lichfield. This only lasted for 16 years however, before Mercia being returned under the Archbishopric of Caterbury.

Remains of a priory founded in 1172 have been incorporated into the buildings of Repton School, a public school established in 1557.

[edit] Notable Residents

A 19th century engraving of the crypt at Repton where Æthelbald was interred.

Æthelbald King of Mercia was interred here in 797 AD.^[1]
Beornrad of Mercia was buried here^[2]
Saint Guthlac of Croyland was a monk here^[3] in c 697 AD
Russell Osman, International footballer was born here in 1959^[4].
King Wiglaf of Mercia was buried here
King Wigstan of Mercia was reburied here ^[5]

This list does not include staff or students of Repton School. Notable persons are listed in that article.

[edit] References

^ Kirby, D.P. (1992). The Earliest English Kings. Routledge, 134. ISBN 0-415-09086-5.
^ ASC manuscript E, 755 (757); translated by Michael Swanton, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1996.
^ Saint Guthlac in EarlyBritishKingdoms.com accessed June 2007
^ Russell Osman at EnglandStats.com accessed June 2007
^ Swanton, Michael (1996). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Routledge, 48–49. ISBN 0-415-92129-5.