Edburga was the only daughter of
King Centwine and Queen Engyth of
Wessex. According to
Stephen of Ripon, Engyth was a sister of Queen Iurminburh, second wife of King
Ecgfrith of Northumbria. Centwine was not a Christian, but towards the end of his reign, converted and became a monk. Edburga was a friend and student of
Saint Mildrith, abbess of Minster-in-Thanet. She was reputed to be zealous in the pursuit of knowledge. In 716, Edburga became a
Benedictine nun at the abbey. She corresponded with
Saint Boniface and
Lullus. Between 718 and 720 her mother wrote to Boniface and soon after, in 720, Edburga herself wrote to him, sending him fifty shillings and an altar cloth. In 716, Boniface addresses to her a letter containing the famous
Vision of the Monk of Wenlock. She succeeded Mildrith as the abbess around 733, and presided over about seventy nuns. During her time as an abbess she was able to secure royal charters for the abbey, as well as having a new church (Ss. Peter and Paul) built there, to provide a shrine for the relics of St Mildrith. ==References==