Saint Editha

For the historical figure also named Editha, see Eadgyth. Saint Editha Born 10th century, EnglandDied 10th centuryVenerated in Roman Catholicism, AnglicanismMajor shrine Tamworth, Staffordshire, England Feast July 15 Saints Portal

Saint Editha was an early English abbess, who lived in the 10th Century. She is often said to have been the daughter of the Anglo-Saxon king Egbert of Wessex, and although scholars seem to agree that she was of Royal blood, there are differing opinions as regards her actual ancestry. Her feast day is July 15.

She was the first abbess of the Benedictine settlement founded at Polesworth Abbey by St. Modwena and King Egbert. The abbey exists to the present day and is still used for regular services.

The saint is commemorated in a number of churches around the Midlands, the most notable of these being Polesworth Abbey Church and the Collegiate Church of Tamworth, which bears her name. Other churches dedicated to St. Editha include Church Eaton in Staffordshire, Amington Parish Church (in Tamworth), as well as a number of churches in Louth, Lincolnshire.