Devon's Saints |
There are a number of saints who have a personal connection with Devon, and in many
cases that association survives to the current day. Most (but not all)
of those Saints are Celtic in origin. Many of Devon's saints date from the 'age of saints' in the fifth and sixth centuries, and the Saints are not only of interest for their religious significance. The fact that many of these saints are still remembered and venerated to the present day is evidence of a continuity of people and survival of Celtic belief. Many of these saints date from the ancient 'British' church, which was separate and distinct from that of the Anglo-Saxons. Had the Celts been 'pushed back across the Tamar' as some suggest it is inconceivable that the new inhabitants would have continued to recognise the 'British' saints from a different custom and would have almost certainly replaced the dedications with their own 'favourites'. This clearly did not happen as Devon is covered with dedications to its Celtic past - often in churches but also in schools and public buildings. These dedications can shed some surprisingly specific light on our past. For example Celtic church dedications have been used to shed light on which specific areas within the old walled city of Exeter were inhabited by the Celtic population even after the Anglo-Saxons arrived ('The Celt and the Teuton in Exeter' article by Thomas Kerslake explores this - and the answer is they lived generally in the central and northern parts of the city, and the area to the north of the city). The stories that are attached to a number of these saints are of interest in their own right as they include a number of miraculous and strange events which makes for entertaining reading even for those with little religious interest. So let us look at some of these Devon Saints. St Rumon - is usually associated with Tavistock but also with Romansleigh. St Rumon was the Bishop and Confessor of Devon in the sixth century. A tenth century church was dedicated to him in Tavistock. His relics were held in Brittany until 914AD and were then relocated to Locronan in Cornwall. However in 960AD the relics were moved to Tavistock where his relics remained into the middle ages. It is recorded that St Rumon was accused by his wife of being a werewolf but was tested by a Breton King and found to be innocent. 5 January is Devon's feast day to mark the movement of his relics to Tavistock, but he is also celebrated on 28th August. St Rumon may have been the brother of St Tudwal. He is also venerated in Cornwall, Brittany, and East Anglia. St Brannock - usually associated with Braunton, he is believed to have migrated from South Wales to establish a monastery at Braunton in the sixth century. He is believed to have been buried there. It is believed that St Brannock built his church on a hill overlooking Braunton, but it fell down. In a dream he was told to look for a sow and piglets for the site to build his new church. The story is still commemorated in one of the stained glass windows and in a roof beam of the present St Brannock's church in Braunton. In both cases you can see the sow and her litter. Braunton celebrates St Brannock each 26 June but Exeter celebrates his feast day on 7 January and 7 April. St Petroc - a 'pan-Celtic' saint from the sixth or seventh century with many dedications in his honour in both Devon and Cornwall, and he is also the patron saint of Timberscombe in Somerset. In addition there are dedications to him in Brittany and Wales. Although he based himself in Cornwall for part of his life (chiefly at Padstow and on Bodmin moor) he is considered to be a significant Devon Saint and is responsible for the placename Petrockstow In Devon. Overall there are many more church dedications to him in Devon (18) than there are in Cornwall (9), and to these can be added hospitals and public buildings. One story recalls how whilst St Petroc was travelling in North Devon a stag fleeing the hunters of the Dumnonian King Constantine surprised him. Petroc sheltered the stag from the hunters in his hermit cave and after saving the animal's life then converted Constantine to Christianity. St Petroc is generally acknowledged as being a patron of wildlife. In more recent times the Devon Flag has been named in his honour. St Petroc's day is 4th June and this may be considered a key day to fly the Devon Flag! St Budoc - St. Budoc is reputed to have landed in Budshead Creek, part of the present district of Plymouth called St. Budeaux. His activity provides evidence of the foundation of a church in Plymouth. St Budoc's feast day is each December 8th. St Nectan - St Nectan left Wales and landed at Hartland Point in Devon in the late fifth century. He built a church and hermitage in a valley with a never failing spring (Stoke St Nectan). It is reported that in 510AD when his two cows were stolen he tracked down the bandits only to have his head severed by them. According to legend he picked up his head and returned to his sanctuary at Stoke St Nectan. He is believed to have been buried on Lundy. St Nectan's day is on 17th June. St Urith - otherwise known as Iwerydd, Urith was born near Barnstaple in the seventh century. She was a popular saint and Urith was a popular Devon personal name up until the seventeenth century. She is reported to have been killed by female haymakers who cut her down with a scythe. Miraculously a spring of pure water started to flow where she fell. She is remembered on her feast day on 8th July. St Kea - Kea was a bishop of Devon and Cornwall in the sixth century, and as well as being remembered in church dedications his name also survives in the Devon town of Landkey and in Kea in Cornwall. St Kea is apparently the saint you call on when you have toothache (!) and for non-sufferers he is remembered on 5th November. St Geraint - was a King of Dumnonia and is reported to have fought against the Anglo-Saxons in the eighth century. However there are also records showing him corresponding with Saxon Bishop Adhelm, including the granting of some land. Geraint was believed to be influential in bringing the British (Celtic) and Roman church (which the Saxons then followed) closer together. He is remembered on 10 August. St Sidwell - a well-celebrated and still popular saint from the eighth century. It is reported that when beheaded at the behest of her jealous mother in law a spring started to flow where her blood landed. The site is still known as St Sidwell's well in Exeter. She is venerated on 2nd August. St Juthware - sister of Saint Sidwell, she is also reported to have been martyred by ritual beheading in Dorset. She is remembered on 13th July. St Congar - perhaps also known as St Cumgar, it is believed that he was born in Devon in either the 6th or 8th century. Taking up the life of a monk he founded monasteries in Somerset (Congresbury) and Llangonys (Wales). He has two feast days - 2nd and 7th November. St Boniface - is the patron saint of Germany and Holland but he was born in Crediton in 675AD. It is reported that his father was a Saxon noble and his mother a Celt and he was christened "Wynfrith" being Saxon for 'friend of peace' to show two peoples coming together. After studying at a monastery in Exeter and/or Southampton he set out on a number of campaigns to convert the pagans of Germany and Freesia. He had some success (some claim great) including personally felling Thor's sacred oak in front of hostile tribesmen. However in 754AD when aged almost eighty he was attacked and killed by Saxons when travelling in Germany. He is remembered on each 5th June. St Gudwal - born in Wales in the sixth century St Gudwal founded a monastery for 88 monks on a mere ocean rock. He later moved to Cornwall and then into Devon where he "betook himself to the most holy, perfect, and useful state of a solitary anchorite" (!!). He later visited Brittany. St Gudwal's day is 6th June. St Gwenn Teirbron - It is recorded that St Gwenn married a cousin of King Cado of Dumnonia in the early fifth century and that she had three male children - for which Gwenn may have been well suited because it is reputed that she had three breasts. Because of local pestilence she later relocated her family to Brittany. Twice captured by Anglo-Saxon pirates she simply walked back to Brittany over the Channel. In her latter years she moved back to Britain and settled in Dorset where the Anglo-Saxon pirates finally caught up with her and after ransacking her home they murdered her. She is celebrated on 3rd March. St Piran - or St Perran - is normally associated with Cornwall and the Cornish Flag and with Brittany. However he is more properly the patron saint of tin miners - of which Devon had its fair share. He is reported to have discovered tin in local rocks in the sixth century. He is remembered on 5th March. It should be stated that the above list of saints is not exhaustive. The names and tales described above, and the fact that they are remembered in placenames, dedications and special services even to the present day, gives you a flavour of the continuity of the Celts in Devon (and south west Britain) over the centuries. return to homepage |