Earconwald
Earconwald or Erkenwald was Bishop of London between 675 and 693.Life
Earconwald was born at Lindsey in Lincolnshire, and was supposedly of royal ancestry. Earconwald gave up his share of family money to help establish two Benedictine abbeys, Chertsey Abbey in Surrey in 666 for men, and Barking Abbey for women. His sister, Æthelburg, was Abbess of Barking, while he served as Abbot of Chertsey.
In 675, Earconwald became the Bishop of London, after Wine. He was the choice of Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury. While bishop, he contributed to King Ine of Wessex's law code, and is mentioned specifically in the code as a contributor. He is also reputed to have converted Sebba, King of the East Saxons to Christianity in 677. Current historical scholarship credits Earconwald with a large role in the evolution of Anglo-Saxon charters, and it is possible that he drafted the charter of Caedwalla to Farnham. King Ine of Wessex named Earconwald as an advisor on his laws.
Earconwald died in 693 and his remains were buried at Old St Paul's Cathedral. His grave was a popular place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, and was destroyed together with a number of other tombs in the cathedral during the Reformation.
Earconwald's feast day is 30 April, with translations being celebrated on 1 February and 13 May. He is a patron saint of London.Citations
