Saint Edith of Wilton

Edith of Wilton
Born	961 Kemsing, Kent
Died	984 Wilton Abbey
Venerated in	Anglican Communion, Roman Catholic Church
Feast	16 September
Attributes	learning, beauty
Patronage	Wilton Abbey

Saint Edith of Wilton (961-15 September 984) (also known as Eadgyth, her name in Old English, or as Editha or Ediva, the Latinised forms of her name) was an English nun, a daughter of King Edgar of England (born 943, died 975; ruled 959-975) The Peaceful. She was born at Kemsing, Kent, in 961. Following her death in 984, she became the patron saint of her community at Wilton Abbey in Wiltshire and churches were dedicated to her in Wiltshire and in other parts of Anglo-Saxon England. Her biography was written by Goscelin and her feast day is on 16 September.

Edith was the daughter of Edgar, by Wilfrida (or Wulfthryth), a woman of noble birth whom Edgar carried off from the nunnery at Wilton Abbey. He took her to his residence at Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, where Edith was born. Under Dunstan's direction, Edgar did penance for this crime by not wearing his crown for seven years. Although forms of bride abduction were a traditional part of Anglo-Saxon society, whether Edgar took Wulfryth forcibly is unclear. What we do know is that she stayed with him for at least a year, and that for some time after her return to Wilton, they were on good terms. As soon as Wulfthryth could, she returned to Wilton, taking Edith with her. Edgar continued to support the abbey monetarily and with land grants.

Edith was educated by the nuns of the abbey, where her mother had become abbess. Standing not far from a royal residence at Wilton, the abbey included as part of its devotional work the contemporary equivalent of a boarding school for young ladies, as did many abbeys at the time. As was the custom of the time, Edith probably took the veil in her latter teens. Edgar died in 975, when Edith was about 14.

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