Modwenna, or Modwen, was a nun and

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, who founded Burton Abbey in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

in the 7th century. According to the medieval ''Life of St Modwenna'' she was an Irish noblewoman by birth and founded the abbey on an island in the

River Trent The Trent is the third Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, longest river in the United Kingdom. Its Source (river or stream), source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands ...

. Modwenna is reported to have performed many holy miracles at Burton Abbey, and to this day the well on the site is said to have healing properties. After a time Modwenna left Burton-upon-Trent and travelled to Scotland where she died in Langfortin, near

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

, reportedly at the age of 130. Her body was returned to Burton-upon-Trent for burial. Another abbess and saint, Osyth (died 700), was raised under Modwenna's direction. Others, however, say that she has been confused with St Monenna ( Moninne) of Ireland and with a Scottish saint also called Modwenna, said to have established seven churches in Scotland, including one in Longforgan, near Dundee, and that the Anglo-Norman text of her life has little historical value. This may be how she comes to be associated with

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfr ...

, whom she is said to have known, even though he lived in the 9th century, some two hundred years later. St Modwen's, Burton upon Trent is dedicated to her as is the chapel at Pillaton Hall and the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

St Mary and St Modwen Church, Burton-on-Trent.SS Mary and Modwen, Burton upon Trent
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modwen Anglo-Saxon nuns Mercian saints Medieval Irish saints 7th-century Christian saints Burials in Staffordshire 7th-century Irish nuns 7th-century Christian nuns 7th-century Irish abbots Irish expatriates in England Christian female saints of the Middle Ages 7th-century English women Female saints of medieval Ireland