but farther inland; it was dedicated in the name of SS. Cuthbert, Mary, and Ebba.
Oxford is said to have been the first place where a church was built in honour of Ebba.
AA.SS. Forbes, Scot. Kalendars, Butler, Lives, Carr, History of Coldingham, Bede, Ecc. Hist., book iv. cap. 25.
St. Ebba (2), April 2, V. + 870. Abbess of the Benedictine double monastery of Coldinghame, near Berwick, founded 202 years before by St. Ebba (1). About the year 860 the seven pirate sons of Regner Lodbrog, king of Denmark, haying conquered Norway, invaded England, wintered among the East Angles, sailed northward in summer, and landing at the mouth of the Tweed, laid waste the country with fire and sword, apparently actuated as much by cruelty and love of destruction as by desire of plunder. They attacked the monastery of Coldinghame, at that time the largest in Scotland. St. Ebba assembled all her nuns in the chapterhouse, and exhorted them to save themselves by voluntary disfigurement from falling into the hands of the barbarians. She set the example by cutting off her own nose and upper lip; all the nuns did the same, and are commemorated with her, although their names are not preserved. The Danes broke into the convent, and disgusted with the horrible spectacle presented by the nuns, set fire to the house, and burnt them all in it. In the same expedition many other monasteries were demolished and the inhabitants massacred. Butler, Lives: "St. Edmund," Nov. 20. Carr, Coldingham. Forbes. AA.SS.
St. Echea, Aug. 5 (Achia, Echi, Ethehea). 5th century. Sister of St. Lalloca. Daughter of Conis and St. Darerca, sister of St. Patrick. Echea had a nunnery at Killglaiss, in Longford. Smith and Wace.
St. Echi, Echea.
St. Echtach. Ectacia.
'St. Ecolace, Soholastica.
St. Ectacia or Echtach, Feb. 5. Irish. Anciently much venerated in the county of Mayo. Smith and Wace, from Colgan's Life of St. Corbmac.
St. Edana, July 5 (Edæne, Edania, Edœna), V. Irish. Date uncertain. Bishop Forbes says she is the same as Modwenna, and that it is probable Edinburgh was named from her. She gives her name to two parishes and a famous holy well in Ireland. Butler.
SS. Edberga and Edgitha. (See Edburga (2) and Edith.)
St. Edburga (1), or Eadburgis, V. 7th century. Said to be the first Anglo-Saxon virgin dedicated as a nun. Daughter of Ethelbert, first Christian king of Kent. Sister of St. Ethelburga (1), and nun with her in the first English nunnery, at Lyming. Montalembert, Monks of the West. Butler appears to think there was no St. Edburga at Lyming with St. Ethelburga, and that this is a confusion between St. Ethelburga (1) and a later St. Edburga, abbess of Menstrey.
SS. Edburga (2) and Edith (1), July 18. 7th century. Daughters of Frewald, a prince or earl of the East Angles. Edith renounced a marriage which was arranged for her, and begged of her father the gift of the little town of Aylesbury, where the two sisters built a small monastery. The village of Edburton is said to be named after Edburga. Brit. Sancta. Gynecæum. Cahier. Cardinal Newman, in the list of English Saints appended to his Apologia, calls them Edberga and Edgitha. The AA.SS. and Bishop Stubbs consider this Edburga fabulous. Wion, Lignum Vitæ, gives Oct. 7 as Edith's day, 600 as her date, and calls her sister of St. Osithe.
St. Edburga (3), June 20 (Idaberga, Idberg, Iduberg, Itisberga), V. 7th century. Daughter of Penda, heathen king of Mercia. One of four sainted sisters—Kyneburga (1), Kynedride (1), and Kyneswitha. They were all nuns at Dormundcaster, or Caister, otherwise called Kuneburgcaster, in Northamptonshire, founded by their brother Peada, c. 655. Their relics were translated to Peterborough, and part of them were carried, about 1040, from there to Berg St. Winnok, in Flanders, where the memory of St Edburga is still honoured. Butler. Smith and Wace.
St. Edburga (4), June 26. + 735. Widow of Wulphere, king of the
