Billfrith
Encyclopedia
Billfrith is an obscure Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...

n saint credited with providing the jewel and metalwork encrusting the former binding of the Lindisfarne Gospels
Lindisfarne Gospels
The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the British Library...

. His name is thought to mean "peace of the two-edge sword".

Symeon of Durham's Libellus de Exordio
Libellus de exordio
The Libellus de exordio atque procursu istius, hoc est Dunhelmensis, ecclesie , in short Libellus de exordio, is a historical work of marked literary character composed and compiled in the early 12th-century and traditionally attributed to Symeon of Durham...

(ii.13), which calls him "St Billfrith the Anchorite", says he was a goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...

 and that he gilded an important book written by Eadfrith
Eadfrith of Lindisfarne
Eadfrith of Lindisfarne , also known as Saint Eadfrith, was Bishop of Lindisfarne, probably from 698 onwards. By the twelfth century it was believed that Eadfrith succeeded Eadberht and nothing in the surviving records contradicts this belief...

, Bishop of Lindisfarne. This book is the gospel book
Gospel Book
The Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament...

 known today as the Lindisfarne Gospels
Lindisfarne Gospels
The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the British Library...

. Symeon probably derived this information from a colophon
Colophon (publishing)
In publishing, a colophon is either:* A brief description of publication or production notes relevant to the edition, in modern books usually located at the reverse of the title page, but can also sometimes be located at the end of the book, or...

 added to the Lindisfarne Gospels by a scribe named "Aldred" at some point between 950 and 970. The colophons describes how:
Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne church, originally wrote this book for God and for St Cuthbert and—jointly—for all saints whose relics are in the island. And Æthelwald, bishop of the Lindisfarne islanders, impressed it on the outside and covered it ... And Billfrið the anchorite forged the ornaments which are on it on the outside and adorned it with gold and gems and with gilded-on silver-pure metal ...
The Gospels today are in a different binding, as Billfrith's craftsmanship has not survived.

The name Billfrith occurs in the Durham Liber Vitae
Durham Liber Vitae
The Durham Liber Vitae is a confraternity book produced in north-eastern England in the Middle Ages. It records the names of visitors to the church of the bishopric of Durham, and its predecessor sees at Lindisfarne and Chester-le-Street...

, and the latter is the only pre-Conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...

 source other than the Lindisfarne colophon containing Billfrith's name. Although this confraternity book
Confraternity book
A confraternity book is a medieval memorial book that records the names of people who have entered into a state of brotherhood with a church in some way, often by visiting it in the capacity of a pilgrim.-Confraternity books:...

 did not begin until the 9th century, the name's position indicates that this Billfrith was from the 8th century. His name is in the same group as that of the Irish monk Echa, who died in 767.

The Libellus further relates that in the 11th century his venerated bones were among those taken from the monasteries and churches of Northumbria to Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

 by Ælfred the Priest; Ælfred also took the bones of Balthere of Tyninghame, Acca
Acca of Hexham
Acca , Bishop of Hexham.Born in Northumbria, Acca first served in the household of Bosa, the future Bishop of York, but later attached himself to Saint Wilfrid, possibly as early as 678, and accompanied him on his travels. On the return from their second journey to Rome in 692, Wilfrid was...

 and Alchmund of Hexham, King Oswine
Oswine of Deira
Oswine was a King of Deira in northern England. He succeeded King Oswald of Northumbria, probably around the year 644, after Oswald's death at the Battle of Maserfield. Oswine was the son of Osric....

, and abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....

es Æbbe and Æthelgitha. Billfrith's name appears in a relic list of the church of Durham dating to the mid-12th century. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints says that the "feast of Bilfrith and Baldred" was celebrated on 6 March.
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