A Brief History and Description of the Conventual and Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Ely (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ...Wulfere, king of Mercia, and at the time Abbess of the Monastery of Sheppey in Kent, was elected her successor, and departing hence on Feb. 18th, though in what year is not known, her body was interred next to that of her saintly mother. The fourth Abbess was Werburga, ' Ermenilda's daughter, who 1. S. Bedse, H. E. iv. 19. 2. Represented on the eighth capital. Here again the chronology does not regulate the order of the sculptures. The subject of the seventh capital is the liberation of a captive from prison by the joint offices of St. Etheldreda and St. Benedict. The date of this event is five centuries later than the Translation. The whole eight sculptures are etched by Mr. Carter with extreme fidelity, and explained by some very valuable letter-press from the pen of the Rev. Mr. Milner. 3. Hist.Elien. 595. 4. Cressy's Ch. H. xx. 17. 5. Hist. El. 596. 6. Ibid. had also the rule of several religious houses in Mercia, as well as of that at Sheppey, and resided first at one then at another. Her decease took place on the 3rd of Feb., but the year is not recorded; and her body being first buried at her Monastery of Hanbury in Staffordshire, was afterwards, through fear of Danes, removed to Chester. It is remarkable that though St. Etheldreda's Monastery enjoyed a regular succession of Abbesses, and an observance of its order and discipline for one hundred and ninety-seven years, yet after St. Werburga the name of no one of its superiors is preserved. Protected by its situation in the midst of waters, meres, and fens, it was little molested by external troubles until the year 870, when the Isle of Ely being captured by the Danes under Hubba, the Religious, as well Nuns as Monks, were put to the sword, and the Monastery and its Church were plundered...