Ermenburga, St.

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ERMENBURGA, ST.

Anglo-Saxon queen and abbess, known also as Domna Ebba or Domneva; d. Thanet, c. 695. She was the daughter of Ermenred of the royal line of Kent. In her youth, she was married to Merewald, son of Penda, king of Mercia; by Merewald she had three daughters and one son. Her brothers had been killed in a family struggle in Kent and in compensation, King Egbert of Kent gave her estates on the island of Thanet. After her husband's death she retired there and founded the Abbey of Thanet, being blessed as first abbess by Abp. theodore of canterbury. After a rule of many years she died, and was succeeded as abbess by her daughter, St. mildred.

Feast: Nov. 19.

Bibliography: w. stubbs, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, ed. w. smith and h. wace, (London 18771887) 2:133. a. m.. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige (Metten 19331938) 3:329332.

[j. l. druse]

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