184 THE MARRIAGE OF ST. CUTHBURGA. 



In conclusion it should be stated that it is a matter of doubt 

 whether the marriage of St. Cuthburga and her husband was 

 ever really consummated or not, i.e., whether they separated 

 immediately after the religious ceremony, or whether it was 

 not until after some years of married life. We have already 

 seen that, interesting as this MS. is, it is valueless as historical 

 evidence, seeing that it was not written until more than six 

 hundred years after St. Cuthburga's death. The Monkish 

 Chroniclers, almost without exception, compiled their histories 

 some time after the Norman Conquest, or four centuries after 

 the date of the marriage, and consequently had merely 

 tradition, or some older chronicles to go by. William of 

 Malmesbury (c. 1125) says that the connection was dissolved 

 soon after marriage ; Matthew of Paris (d. 1259) states that 

 it was " during his life time ; " Florence of Worcester (d. 1118) 

 and Ralph Higden (d. 1363) affirm that " before the end of 

 life both for the love of God separated." The Acta Sanctorum 

 states that Cuthburga was espoused to the King of Northum- 

 bria, and " being released shortly after " became a nun, &c. 

 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, under the year 718, chronicles the 

 death of Ingild, the brother of Ina, and continues as follows : 

 — " Their sisters were Cwenburge and Cuthburga. And 

 Cuthburga built the monastery at Wimborne ; and she was 

 given in marriage to Alfrid, king of the Northumbrians ; and 

 they separated during his life-time." The Sarum Office 

 Books, which, of course, would not be anterior to the last 

 quarter of the eleventh century, commemorate her on the 

 31st day of August, and she is described in the Sarum Kalendar 

 and Sanctorale as " a Virgin, not a Martyr." 



This, however, at any rate, is certain, that St. Cuthburga 

 was a Saxon Princess, the sister of Ina, King and Lawgiver ; 

 that she was married to Alfrid, King of Northumbria ; and that 

 by mutual consent she separated from her husband, either 

 immediately after their marriage, or at some later period 

 of their lives ; that she embraced the Religious Life, and, 

 after being trained at Barking, she founded the Monastery at 

 Wimborne and ruled over it as Abbess. There she was 



