Saint Edmund the Martyr

St. Edmund

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Saint Edmund the Martyr - King of East Anglia - Reign c. 855 – 20 November 869

The painting of St Edmund is at the bottom left of the group on the North Wall of St. Mary the Virgin, Belchamp Walter.

The scene is common depiction of St. Edmund tied to a tree and shot with arrows.

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Background on St Edmund

St Edmund could have been the patron saint of England, as opposed to St. George.

Belchamp Walter is only 10 miles south of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Bury Saint Edmunds is the site of the former Benedictine abbey.

Wikipedia says:

" Edmund the Martyr (also known as St Edmund or Edmund of East Anglia, died 20 November 869) was king of East Anglia from about 855 until his death. "

English Heritage say:

" Located in the heart of Bury St Edmunds, the abbey was once one of the richest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England.
Its remains are extensive and include the complete 14th century Great Gate and Norman Tower, as well as the impressive ruins and altered west front of the immense church. "

" The relics of the martyred Anglo-Saxon king St Edmund, whose remains were moved to this site in 903, and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. The abbey itself was founded in 1020 and grew in power and wealth up until its suppression in 1539. "

Edmund of Abingdon

Edmund the Martyr should not be confused with St. Edmund of Abingdon, born in 1174 and Archbishop of Canterbury, 1134.

Edmund of Abingdon had some dispute with Henry III and was sent to the Welsh Marshes to negotiate peace with Llywelyn the Great. He was also involved with Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and the 2nd Baron's War. He condemed the marriage of Simon to Eleanor of England as Edmund Rich.

Order of the Garter - Edward III - 1348

Edward III

Saint Edmund the Martyr - King of East Anglia - Reign c. 855 – 20 November 869

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