Etheldreda's Desire to Be a Nun Led to the Founding of Ely
She developed the Isle of Ely into a religious site.
IN THE TOWN OF ELY in England stands a great cathedral, dating from shortly after the Norman Conquest (1066). A less imposing cathedral stood nearby in Saxon times. The site originally was consecrated through the efforts of Etheldreda to create a monastery there.
Etheldreda was born around 630, the daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia. She desired to live as a nun, and rejected offers of marriage until her father persuaded her to marry Tonbert, a nobleman whose support was essential to the kingdom. In the marriage settlement, Tonbert assigned the region of Ely to Etheldreda. He died within three years.
Following Tonbert’s death, Etheldreda inherited Ely and went to live within its territory, Finally she was able to give herself to worship and good deeds. For five years she rejected all offers of marriage. But then her Uncle Ethelwold, who had become king of East Anglia, pleaded with her to make an alliance with the Oswys of Northumbria for the sake of East Anglia. Reluctantly, Etheldreda consented, although she was thirty and her prospective husband, Egfrid, only fourteen. She played the part of mentor rather than wife. Ten years later, in 670, Egfrid inherited the throne of Northumbria.
Etheldreda lived at the court of Northumbria two more years, wearing down her husband’s resistance with repeated entreaties that she be allowed to enter a convent. Aided by Archbishop Wilfred of York, Etheldreda finally obtained Egfrid’s consent and went to Coldingham where her great aunt was the abbess.
Egfrid changed his mind and decided to reclaim Etheldreda, but she fled south at his approach. The legend is that he was prevented from pursuing her by a high tide which rose and stayed that way for seven days. At any rate, she got away, disguised as a commoner, and reached the Isle of Ely with two female companions. There she made plans for a new monastery, possibly with the assistance of Archbishop Wilfred who had now left York owing to political squabbles. Building commenced in 673 when Etheldreda would have been above forty years old. Neighboring villagers came to live near the rising religious houses.
Etheldreda endowed the new double monastery with her entire estate, and oversaw both monks and nuns in it. Believing it was self-indulgent to take the hot baths she loved, she permitted herself only four baths a year, and then only in water which others had used first. She did not live long to enjoy the fulfillment of her religious dreams, dying of an unidentified plague on this day, 23 June 679.
Etheldreda’s monastery flourished for another two hundred years until the Danes sacked it in 870. Defeated once (the site was quite defensible), they returned with larger numbers, looted everything of value, and burned the buildings to the ground.
—Dan Graves
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