Eanfled
Family: Northumbrians · Role: daughter of Edwin · First appears: Book II · Chap. IX
Around c. 624, Eanfled was born to Edwin and Ethelberg on Easter night. On Pentecost, Paulinus baptized her, making her “the first to be baptized of the nation of the Northumbrians”; the record also states that in 626 she was baptized with twelve others. Around c. 644, Utta was sent to Kent to bring her as the intended wife of Oswy.
Later, Eanfled was associated with Oswin’s memory, asking Oswy to grant Trumhere land for a monastery in expiation of Oswin’s unjust death. She observed the Kentish Catholic practice with the help of the priest Romanus, and was buried at the monastery with Oswy, their daughter Elfled, and her father Edwin. Eanfled also supported Wilfrid: by her counsel and support he had been admitted to a monastery, and she sent him to her cousin Earconbert with a request that he be honorably sent to Rome.
Relationship record
Life events
- c. 624 · Eanfled was born to Edwin and Ethelberg.(Book II · Chap. IX)
- With: Edwin
- “the queen had brought forth to the king a daughter, called Eanfled.”
- c. 624 · Paulinus baptized Eanfled, the first Northumbrian baptized.(Book II · Chap. IX)
- With: Paulinus
- “She was the first to be baptized of the nation of the Northumbrians, and she received Baptism on the holy day of Pentecost”
- 626 · Eanfled was baptized with twelve others.(Book V · Chap. XXIV · part 1)
- “In the year 626, Eanfled, daughter of King Edwin, was baptized with twelve others, on the eve of Whitsunday.”
- c. 644 · Utta was sent to Kent to bring Eanfled for her intended marriage to Oswy.(Book III · Chap. XV · 📍 Kent)
Book II · Chap. IX
- parent: Edwin “On that same holy Easter night, the queen had brought forth to the king a daughter, called Eanfled.”
- mentor: Paulinus “as a pledge that he would perform his promise, he delivered up that same daughter to Bishop Paulinus, to be consecrated to Christ. She was the first to be baptized of the nation of the Northumbrians”
- parent: Ethelberg “On that same holy Easter night, the queen had brought forth to the king a daughter, called Eanfled.”
Book II · Chap. XX
- with Paulinus (Eanfled travelled with Paulinus.) “having with him Eanfled, the daughter, and Wuscfrea, the son of Edwin, as well as Yffi, the son of Osfrid, Edwin’s son”
- parent: Edwin “having with him Eanfled, the daughter, and Wuscfrea, the son of Edwin”
Book III · Chap. XV
- parent: Edwin “Eanfled, the daughter of King Edwin”
- courtship with Oswy “to bring thence, as wife for King Oswy, Eanfled, the daughter of King Edwin”
- with Utta (interaction) “Intending to go thither by land, but to return with the maiden by sea”
Book III · Chap. XXIV
- child: Elfled “In this monastery, she and her father, Oswy, her mother, Eanfled, her mother’s father, Edwin, and many other noble persons, are buried in the church of the holy Apostle Peter.”
- parent: Edwin “In this monastery, she and her father, Oswy, her mother, Eanfled, her mother’s father, Edwin, and many other noble persons, are buried in the church of the holy Apostle Peter.”
- with Oswin (interaction) “for Queen Eanfled, his kinswoman, in expiation of his unjust death, begged of King Oswy that he would give Trumhere, the aforesaid servant of God, a place there to build a monastery,”
- with Oswy (Eanfled requested that Oswy grant Trumhere a place to build a monastery.) “Queen Eanfled, his kinswoman, in expiation of his unjust death, begged of King Oswy that he would give Trumhere, the aforesaid servant of God, a place there to build a monastery,”
Book III · Chap. XXV · part 1
- with Romanus (Romanus was accompanying Eanfled.) “Queen Eanfled and her followers also observed it as she had seen it practised in Kent, having with her a Kentish priest who followed the Catholic observance, whose name was Romanus.”
Book IV · Chap. XXVI
- child: Elfled (Eanfled is Elfled's mother.) “The royal virgin, Elfled, with her mother, Eanfled, whom we have mentioned before, then presided over that monastery”
Book V · Chap. XIX · part 1
- cousins with Earconbert “She, being pleased with the youth’s good purpose, sent him into Kent, to King Earconbert, who was her uncle’s son, requesting that he would send him to Rome in an honourable manner.”
- with Wilfrid (She counselled and supported his admission to the monastery.) “He forthwith went to Queen Eanfled, for he was known to her, and it was by her counsel and support that he had been admitted into the aforesaid monastery, and he told her of his desire to visit the threshold of the blessed Apostles.”
- with Earconbert (She requested that Earconbert send Wilfrid to Rome.) “She, being pleased with the youth’s good purpose, sent him into Kent, to King Earconbert, who was her uncle’s son, requesting that he would send him to Rome in an honourable manner.”
- protégé: Wilfrid “it was by her counsel and support that he had been admitted into the aforesaid monastery”
Book V · Chap. XXIV · part 1
- parent: Edwin “Eanfled, daughter of King Edwin, was baptized with twelve others, on the eve of Whitsunday.”
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Extracted from the original text of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England. Made with Rho MD.