Sigbert

Family: East Angles · Role: king · First appears: Book II · Chap. XV

Around c.627, after succeeding his brother Earpwald to the East Anglian kingdom, Sigbert made it his business to bring his entire province to Christianity. By 631, he had been baptized in Gaul during his banishment; after ascending the throne, he founded a school for boys with the help of Felix, who supplied teachers from Kent. At last he abandoned royal affairs, entrusting them to his kinsman Ecgric and entering a monastery, but he and Ecgric were killed in battle against the forces of Penda.

Around c.644, Sigbert gave Fursa land at Cnobheresburg, where Fursa built a monastery and established its rule. In the c.653 account, Sigbert was a friend of Oswy, who offered him repeated counsel “like a brother”; Sigbert accepted the Christian faith and was baptized with his companions by Finan. He then asked Oswy for teachers to convert his nation, before being murdered by his own kindred.

Relationship record

Life events

• c. 627 · Sigbert worked to convert his entire province to Christianity.(Book II · Chap. XV)
  • “whereof he made it his business to cause all his province to partake as soon as he came to the throne.”
• 631 · Sigbert was baptized while living in banishment in Gaul.(Book III · Chap. XVIII · 📍 Gaul)
  • “had been baptized in Gaul, whilst he lived in banishment”
• 631 · Sigbert founded a school, assisted by Bishop Felix, to teach boys letters.(Book III · Chap. XVIII)
  • With: Felix
  • “he founded a school wherein boys should be taught letters, and was assisted therein by Bishop Felix”
• 631 · Sigbert abandoned royal affairs, entrusted them to Ecgric, and entered his monastery.(Book III · Chap. XVIII)
  • With: Ecgric
  • “quitting the affairs of his kingdom, and committing them to his kinsman Ecgric”
• 631 · Sigbert and Ecgric were killed in battle against Penda's forces.(Book III · Chap. XVIII)
  • With: Ecgric
  • “was killed with King Ecgric”
• c. 644 · Sigbert gave Fursa land, where Fursa built a monastery and established its rule.(Book III · Chap. XIX · 📍 Cnobheresburg)
  • With: Fursa
  • “Being confirmed by this vision, he set himself with all speed to build a monastery on the ground which had been given him by King Sigbert, and to establish a rule of life therein.”
• c. 653 · Sigbert accepted the Christian faith and was baptized with his companions.(Book III · Chap. XXII)
  • With: Oswy
  • “King Oswy having often, with friendly counsel, like a brother, said this and much more to the like effect to King Sigbert, at length, aided by the consent of his friends, he believed, and after he had consulted with those about him, and exhorted them, when they all agreed and assented to the faith, he was baptized with them by Bishop Finan”
• c. 653 · Sigbert was murdered by his own kindred.(Book III · Chap. XXII)
  • “it happened that the king, at the instigation of the enemy of all good men, was murdered by his own kindred.”

Book II · Chap. XV

• siblings with Earpwald “and from that time the province was in error for three years, till Sigbert succeeded to the kingdom, brother to the same Earpwald, a most Christian and learned man,”

Book III · Chap. XVIII

• siblings with Earpwald “the kingdom of the East Angles, after the death of Earpwald, the successor of Redwald, was governed by his brother Sigbert”
• with Felix (Felix assisted Sigbert in establishing and supplying his school.) “was assisted therein by Bishop Felix, who came to him from Kent, and who furnished them with masters and teachers after the manner of the people of Kent”
• with Ecgric (Sigbert delegated the affairs of his kingdom to his kinsman Ecgric.) “quitting the affairs of his kingdom, and committing them to his kinsman Ecgric, who before had a share in that kingdom”
• enemies with Penda “A long time after this, it happened that the nation of the Mercians, under King Penda, made war on the East Angles; who finding themselves no match for their enemy, entreated Sigbert to go with them to battle”
• with Felix (Felix assisted Sigbert in establishing the school and furnished teachers.) “he founded a school wherein boys should be taught letters, and was assisted therein by Bishop Felix, who came to him from Kent, and who furnished them with masters and teachers after the manner of the people of Kent”
• with Ecgric (They are explicitly called kinsmen, and Ecgric shared rule with Sigbert.) “committing them to his kinsman Ecgric, who before had a share in that kingdom”

Book III · Chap. XIX

• protégé: Fursa “Being confirmed by this vision, he set himself with all speed to build a monastery on the ground which had been given him by King Sigbert, and to establish a rule of life therein.”

Book III · Chap. XXII

• friends with Oswy “For Sigbert, who reigned next to Sigbert surnamed The Little, was then king of that nation, and a friend to King Oswy”
• mentor: Oswy “King Oswy having often, with friendly counsel, like a brother, said this and much more to the like effect to King Sigbert, at length, aided by the consent of his friends, he believed”
• mentor: Finan “he was baptized with them by Bishop Finan”
• with Oswy (interaction) “King Sigbert, having now become a citizen of the eternal kingdom, returned to the seat of his temporal kingdom, requesting of King Oswy that he would give him some teachers, to convert his nation to the faith of Christ”

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Extracted from the original text of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England. Made with Rho MD.