Local Heroes

In the year 925, Editha was to be given in marriage by her father, Athelstane the King of Mercia, to Sigtrygg, one of the Norse rulers in the North of England, whose actual title was Jarl of Northumbria.

It wasn't exactly a love marriage! It was meant as a symbol of peace between the two kingdoms.

Mercia at that time was a huge kingdom covering much of the central Midlands, with its capital at Tamworth. And conflict was the order of the day – in fact, just fifty years earlier, Danes like Sigtrygg had invaded from the north, and ransacked the town.

The legend goes however that Editha (who was apparently very devout) put her foot down, and only consented to marry the brutal old Jarl if he would convert to Christianity. 

The ceremonies duly took place (in the church that later was to bear her name), but Sigtrygg reneged on the deal – and stormed off – meaning the marriage was null.

Or... Sigtrygg just deserted her anyway, and went back north, leaving her behind. Who knows?

Abbess… and saint

At this point, Editha – who, according to the legend, had always wanted to be a nun – goes off to head a convent at nearby Polesworth (this convent may have been founded by that other Staffordshire saint, St Modwen). 

She becomes Abbess of Tamworth, and is known for her charitable deeds, inspiring great devotion to her in Tamworth and surroundings. In 960 she dies.

Three years later, after yet another Danish invasion of the Staffordshire area saw the destruction of the town, King Edgar of England had to rebuild Tamworth, and saw to it that she was canonised a saint at the same time. 

The town's church, St Editha's, has been dedicated to her ever since.

Marmion

But her story is not over. After Editha's death, Mercia falls into disarray, and seizing his time, William The Conqueror, invades England.

William gives the lands around Tamworth to the area’s new lord, Marmion, who fought by William’s side at the Battle of Hastings.

Marmion seizes what property he can… including Editha's old nunnery, only to, surprisingly, then allow the Church to have it back.

Why? Well, the legend goes that Marmion, after a hard day's hunting in nearby Hopwas Wood, falls into a sleep in which he dreams that Editha strikes him with her crozier of office, causing a deep wound. He wakes, and sure enough he has been badly wounded.

When the wound refuses to heal, he gets the message – and the nunnery is restored to the Benedictine nuns, who build a new convent on the site. Or so the story goes!

Church

This particular version of Editha's life (and after-life!) is the one recounted in St Editha's itself, the huge parish church in the centre of Tamworth. The incidents of her life are depicted in some stained glass windows high above the altar.

The windows themselves are a story. The saint after all might have been amazed to learn that her story was still important nearly one thousand years later. 

But, it was then, in the late nineteenth century, that the church commissioned Ford Madox Brown, one of the greatest painters of his day, to design the windows, which were then made by the equally famous William Morris Company.

Stories and legends

So, what is true, and what's not? The history chronicles themselves get very muddled, and it's possible to find four of five versions of ‘Saint Editha’, some of whom lived at distinctly different times.

But, maybe it doesn't matter. For Tamworthians, this St Editha is their saint – and that's all that matters!

**

NOTE: Spellings get a bit confused. Athelstane is also known as Athelstan or Athelston; Sigtrygg as Sihtrigg.

For more about St Editha, click the links in the top right-hand corner of this page. To throw in your penny-worth about St Editha, please email us:

email: staffordshire@bbc.co.uk >
Among the comments you've emailed in are these:
Mark - Did you know that there is another church of St Editha in mid-Staffs, at Church Eaton, and near to the village is 'St Edtha Well' which can be seen from the bridge over the canal?