Bertha of Kent

Bertha
Bertha
Queen consort of Kent
	Bertha of Kent: Stained glass window in the chapter house of Canterbury Cathedral, England
Born	c. 565
Died	c. 601
Spouse	Æthelberht of Kent
Issue	Eadbald of Kent; Æthelburg of Kent; Æðelwald
Dynasty	Merovingian
Father	Charibert I
Mother	Ingoberga

Bertha or Aldeberge (c. 565^[1]– d. in or after 601) was a Frankish princess who became queen of Kent. She enabled the 597 Gregorian mission, led by Augustine, which resulted in the conversion to Christianity of Anglo-Saxon England.

Life

Bertha was a Frankish princess, the daughter of Charibert I and his wife Ingoberga, granddaughter of the reigning King Chlothar I and great-granddaughter of Clovis I and Clotilde.^[2] Her father died in 567, her mother in 589. Bertha had been raised near Tours.^[3] Her marriage to the pagan Æthelberht of Kent, in 580, was on condition that she be allowed to practise her religion.^[4] She brought her chaplain, Liudhard, with her to England.^[5] A former Roman church was restored for Bertha just outside Canterbury and dedicated to Martin of Tours. It was the private chapel of Queen Bertha before Augustine arrived from Rome. The present St Martin's Church, Canterbury continues on the same site, incorporating Roman walling of the original church in the chancel. It is acknowledged by UNESCO as the oldest church in the English-speaking world where Christian worship has taken place continuously since 580. St Martin's (with Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine's Abbey) make up Canterbury's UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[6]

Pope Gregory I requested that Bertha converted her husband to Christianity and upbraided her for not doing so. When Gregory decided to send a mission led by Augustine to restore Christianity to England in 596, the Pope requested that Bertha incline her husband’s heart to give a favourable reception. Augustine was supposed to move on but upon arrival in 597 he decided to found the Abbey of St Peter and Paul on land granted by Æthelberht.^[7] Without her support and Æthelberht's good will, monastic settlements and the cathedral would likely have been developed elsewhere.^[8] In 601, Pope Gregory addressed a letter to Bertha, in which he complimented her highly on her faith and knowledge of letters.^[4]

Anglo-Saxon records indicate that Bertha had two children: Eadbald of Kent and Æthelburg of Kent. She is named in the genealogies of various of the medieval accounts of the 'Kentish Royal Legend'.^[9]

The date of her death (possibly 606) is disputed.^[4]

Legacy

The City of Canterbury celebrates Queen Bertha in several ways.

The Bertha trail, consisting of 14 bronze plaques set in pavements, runs from the Buttermarket to St Martin's Church via Lady Wootton's Green.
In 2006, bronze statues of Bertha and Æthelberht by Stephen Melton were installed on Lady Wootton's Green as part of the Canterbury Commemoration Society's "Ethelbert and Bertha" project.^[10]

There is a wooden statue of Bertha in St Martin's Church.^[8]

Images of St Martin's Church, Canterbury, Kent, England

West elevation
Interior view
St Bertha wooden statue, south wall of the church

References

^ Nelson, Janet L. (2006). "Bertha (b. c.565, d. in or after 601)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2269. Retrieved 30 March 2008. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
^ Gregory of Tours (539-594), History of the Franks, Book 4 at fordham.edu
^ Taylor, Martin. The Cradle of English Christianity Archived March 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c Wace, Henry and Piercy, William C., "Bertha, wife of Ethelbert, king of Kent", Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the sixth Century, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. ISBN 1-56563-460-8
^ Bede, Ecclesiastical History
^ "Canterbury", World Heritage Site Archived May 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^ Thurston, Herbert. "Bertha." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 7 May 2013
^ ^a ^b "Queen Bertha", Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society
^ Rollason, D. W. (1982), The Mildrith Legend: A Study in Early Medieval Hagiography in England, Leicester: Leicester University Press, p. 45, ISBN 0-7185-1201-4
^ "6th Century royal statues on show", BBC News, 26 May 2006

External links

Bertha 1 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England

[1] Nelson, Janet L. (2006). "Bertha (b. c.565, d. in or after 601)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2269. Retrieved 30 March 2008. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

[2] Gregory of Tours (539-594), History of the Franks, Book 4 at fordham.edu

[taylor-3] Taylor, Martin. The Cradle of English Christianity Archived March 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine

[dcb-4] Wace, Henry and Piercy, William C., "Bertha, wife of Ethelbert, king of Kent", Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the sixth Century, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. ISBN 1-56563-460-8

[5] Bede, Ecclesiastical History

[6] "Canterbury", World Heritage Site Archived May 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine

[7] Thurston, Herbert. "Bertha." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 7 May 2013

[chas-8] "Queen Bertha", Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society

[9] Rollason, D. W. (1982), The Mildrith Legend: A Study in Early Medieval Hagiography in England, Leicester: Leicester University Press, p. 45, ISBN 0-7185-1201-4

[10] "6th Century royal statues on show", BBC News, 26 May 2006

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v t e Saints of Anglo-Saxon England
British / Welsh	Aldate of Oxford Barloc of Norbury Brannoc of Braunton Branwalator of Milton Credan of Evesham Congar of Congresbury Dachuna of Bodmin Decuman of Watchet Elfin of Warrington Ivo of Ramsey Judoc of Winchester Melorius of Amesbury Nectan of Hartland Neot of Cornwall Patrick of Glastonbury Rumon of Tavistock Samson of Dol Sativola of Exeter
East Anglian	Æthelberht of East Anglia Æthelburh of Faremoutiers Æthelflæd of Ramsey Æthelthryth of Ely Æthelwine of Lindsey Athwulf of Thorney Blida of Martham Botwulf of Thorney Cissa of Crowland Cuthbald of Peterborough Eadmund of East Anglia Eadnoth of Ramsey Guthlac of Crowland Herefrith of Thorney Hiurmine of Blythburgh Huna of Thorney Pega of Peakirk Seaxburh of Ely Sigeberht of East Anglia Tancred of Thorney Torthred of Thorney Tova of Thorney Walstan of Bawburgh Wendreda Wihtburh of Ely Wulfric of Holme
East Saxon	Æthelburh of Barking Hildelith of Barking Osgyth Sæbbi of London
Frisian, Frankish and Old Saxon	Balthild of Romsey Bertha of Kent Felix of Dommoc Helier of Jersey Grimbald of St Bertin Monegunda of Watton Odwulf of Evesham Wulfram of Grantham
Irish and Scottish	Aidan of Lindisfarne Boisil of Melrose Echa of Crayke Ultan the Scribe Indract of Glastonbury Maildub of Malmesbury
Kentish	Æbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe) Æthelberht of Kent Æthelburh of Kent Æthelred of Kent Albinus of Canterbury Berhtwald of Canterbury Deusdedit of Canterbury Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet Eanswith of Folkestone Eormengyth of Thanet Mildrith of Thanet Nothhelm of Canterbury Sigeburh of Thanet
Mercian	Ælfnoth of Stowe Ælfthryth of Crowland Æthelberht of Bedford Æthelmod of Leominster Æthelred of Mercia Æthelwynn of Sodbury Aldwyn of Coln Beonna of Breedon Beorhthelm of Stafford Coenwulf of Mercia Cotta of Breedon Credan of Evesham Cyneburh of Castor Cyneburh of Gloucester Cynehelm of Winchcombe Cyneswith of Peterborough Eadburh of Bicester Eadburh of Pershore Eadburh of Southwell Eadgyth of Aylesbury Eadweard of Maugersbury Ealdgyth of Stortford Earconwald of London Egwin of Evesham Freomund of Mercia Frithuric of Breedon Frithuswith of Oxford Frithuwold of Chertsey Hæmma of Leominster Merefin Mildburh of Wenlock Mildgyth Mildrith of Thanet Milred of Worcester Oda of Canterbury Oswald of Worcester Osburh of Coventry Regenhere of Northampton Rumbold of Buckingham Tibba of Ryhall Werburgh of Chester Wærstan Wigstan of Repton Wulfhild of Barking
Northumbrian	Acca of Hexham Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham Ælfflæd of Whitby Ælfwald of Northumbria Æthelburh of Hackness Æthelgyth of Coldingham Æthelsige of Ripon Æthelwold of Farne Æthelwold of Lindisfarne Alchhild of Middleham Alchmund of Hexham Alkmund of Derby Balthere of Tyningham Beda of Jarrow Bega of Copeland Benedict Biscop Bercthun of Beverley Billfrith of Lindisfarne Bosa of York Botwine of Ripon Ceadda of Lichfield Cedd of Lichfield Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth Ceolwulf of Northumbria Cuthbert of Durham Dryhthelm of Melrose Eadberht of Lindisfarne Eadfrith of Leominster Eadfrith of Lindisfarne Eadwine of Northumbria Ealdberht of Ripon Eanmund Eardwulf of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Ecgberht of Ripon Eoda Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth Hilda of Whitby Hyglac Iwig of Wilton John of Beverley Osana of Howden Osthryth of Bardney Oswald of Northumbria Oswine of Northumbria Sicgred of Ripon Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth Tatberht of Ripon Wihtberht of Ripon Wilfrith of Hexham Wilfrith II Wilgils of Ripon
Roman	Augustine of Canterbury Firmin of North Crawley Birinus of Dorchester Blaise Florentius of Peterborough Hadrian of Canterbury Honorius of Canterbury James the Deacon Justus of Canterbury Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus of Canterbury Paulinus of York Peter of Canterbury Theodore of Canterbury
South Saxon	Cuthflæd of Lyminster Cuthmann of Steyning Lewina of Bishopstone
West Saxon	Æbbe of Abingdon Ælfgar of Selwood Ælfgifu of Exeter Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfheah of Canterbury Ælfheah of Winchester Æthelflæd of Romsey Æthelgar of Canterbury Æthelnoth of Canterbury Æthelwine of Athelney Æthelwold of Winchester Aldhelm of Sherborne Benignus of Glastonbury Beocca of Chertsey Beorhthelm of Shaftesbury Beornstan of Winchester Beornwald of Bampton Centwine of Wessex Cuthburh of Wimborn Cwenburh of Wimborne Dunstan of Canterbury Eadburh of Winchester Eadgar of England Eadgyth of Polesworth Eadgyth of Wilton Eadweard the Confessor Eadweard the Martyr Eadwold of Cerne Earmund of Stoke Fleming Edor of Chertsey Evorhilda Frithestan of Winchester Hædde of Winchester Humbert of Stokenham Hwita of Whitchurch Canonicorum Mærwynn of Romsey Margaret of Dunfermline Swithhun of Winchester Wulfsige of Sherborne Wulfthryth of Wilton
Unclear origin	Arilda of Oldbury Juthwara of Sherbourne Rumbold of Mechlin Urith of Chittlehampton