BRITHWALD OF CANTERBURY, ST.

Benedictine monk, archbishop of Canterbury; b. c. 650; d. probably Jan. 13, 731. Neither his family nor birthplace is known but his training, presumably at the Canterbury school, earned him a reputation for ecclesiastical learning. Before 679 Brithwald (Bertwald, Beorhtwald) became abbot of the new monastery at Reculver, Kent; for in that year there is a charter—the earliest Anglo-Saxon charter in contemporary text—that records a gift of land by King Hlothhere of Kent to Brithwald and his monastery. Having been elected Theodore's successor (see theodore of canterbury, st.) as archbishop of Canterbury on July 1, 692, and consecrated by Abp. Godwin of Lyons on June 29, 693, he was enthroned Aug. 31, 693. As archbishop he participated in several great councils and presided over those dealing with wilfrid of york. His tenure of office for 37½ years, the longest in Canterbury's history, is particularly noteworthy as a period of diocesan reorganization. He was buried in the church of SS. Peter and Paul, Canterbury (see st. augus tine, abbey of).

Feast, Jan. 9.

Bibliography: bede, Ecclesiastical History, 5.8, 19, 23–24. william of malmesbury, Gesta pontificum Anglorum, ed. n. e. s.a. hamilton, Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores, 244 v., 7 (London 1870), 52, 53–55, 235–242, 376. c. j. von hefele, Histoire des conciles d'après les documents originaux, tr. and continued by h. leclercq, 10 v. in 19 (Paris 1907–38) 3.1:587, 591–596. w. r. w. stephens, Dictionary of National Biography from the Earliest Times to 1900 (London 1885–1900; repr. with corrections, 21v., 1908–09, 1921–22, 1938; suppl. 1901–) 2:1251–52. f. m. stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (2d ed. Oxford 1947) 142–145.

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