BOTULPH OF ICANHOE, ST.

Abbot and monastic founder; fl. 7th century. Very little is known about him, for the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states merely that in 654 "Botulf began to build a minster at Ycean-ho," and the anonymous Historia abbatum, once mistakenly attributed to bede, mentions him as "a man of distinguished achievement and learning, dedicated to the spiritual life," who was already famous in his own lifetime. It was only in the 11th century that Folcard, Abbot of thorney, recorded the historically unreliable and legendary life. According to this legend, Botulph was the brother of St. Adulph, an alleged bishop of Utrecht, of whose existence at Utrecht there is no record. The two brothers left their native England to become monks on the Continent, but Botulph returned and founded a benedictine monastery at Icanhoe, a location now generally identified with Boston (Botulphstown). He is said to have died c. 655 and to have been buried with Adulph in the sanctuary of his foundation, which, however, was destroyed in the Danish invasions. His cult was widespread, especially in Norfolk, and the brothers share the same feast day in most calendars.

Feast: June 17.

Bibliography: Sources. "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," ed. h. petrie et al., in Monumenta historica britannica (London 1848) 1:312. "Historia abbatum auctore anonymo," in Venerabilis Baedae opera historica, ed. c. plummer, 2 v. (Oxford 1896) 1:389. j. mabillon, Acta sanctorum ordinis S. Benedicti, 9 v. (Paris 1668–1701; 2d ed. Venice 1733–40) 3.1:3–7. Acta Santorum, June 4:324–330. Literature. f. wormald, ed., English Kalendars before A.D. 1100, v.1 (Henry Bradshaw Society 72; London 1934) 161, 203, 245, 259. f. s. stevenson, Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and Natural History (Ipswich 1922) 29–52. a. m. zimmerman, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktineorderns und seiner Zweige, 4 v. (Metten 1933–38) 2:322, 324–325. f. o'briain, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillat et al. (Paris 1912– ) 9:1433–34. s. brechter, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 2:625–626.

[j. brÜckmann]