Cuthbert of Canterbury facts for kids

Cuthbert (who lived from an unknown date until October 26, 760) was a very important church leader in Anglo-Saxon England. He became the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was the top church job in southern England.

Before becoming Archbishop, Cuthbert was the head of a monastery, called an abbot. Some records suggest he might have also been a Bishop in a place called Hereford. During his time as Archbishop, he led important church meetings and built a new church in Canterbury. It was also while he was Archbishop that the church in York became an archbishopric, just like Canterbury. Cuthbert died in 760 and is now remembered as a saint.

Cuthbert's Early Life

Cuthbert came from a noble family. The first time we hear about him, he was the abbot of a monastery called Lyminge Abbey. From there, he was chosen to be a bishop in Hereford in 736.

However, whether this Cuthbert was the same person who later became Archbishop of Canterbury is not completely clear. Some old writings from after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 say he was. But a very old record from his own time, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, says he was "consecrated" (officially made) Archbishop. If he had already been a bishop in Hereford, he would have been "translated" (moved) to Canterbury, not consecrated again.

Even though it's not 100% certain, it's very likely that the Bishop of Hereford and the Archbishop of Canterbury were the same person. If he was the Bishop of Hereford, he served there for four years before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury in 740.

Cuthbert probably became Archbishop because of the influence of Æthelbald of Mercia, who was the King of Mercia. Many church leaders from Mercia were chosen for important jobs in Canterbury during this time. This suggests that the Kingdom of Mercia was becoming very powerful in the area of Kent.

Leading the Church in Canterbury

As Archbishop, Cuthbert received a long letter from a famous church leader named Boniface. Boniface wrote about how some church leaders in Britain were not following the rules very well.

Cuthbert also wrote letters to Lullus, who was the Archbishop of Mainz in Germany and was originally from England. During Cuthbert's time, the Archbishop of Canterbury no longer had authority over all of Britain. This changed because in 735, the Pope sent a special cloth called a pallium to the bishop of York. This made York an archbishopric, just like Canterbury.

Because York was now also an archbishopric, Cuthbert only consecrated (officially made) bishops in the southern part of England, below the Humber River. Also, the church meetings he held were only attended by bishops from southern England.

The Council of Clovesho

In 747, Cuthbert led an important meeting called the Council of Clovesho. King Æthelbald of Mercia was also there. This council made many rules for the church.

• It said that all church leaders should explain the basic ideas of Christianity to everyone.
• It also made rules about what church leaders should wear.
• It set rules for how monasteries should be run.
• It gave guidelines for how church leaders should behave.

The council also decided that every church area (called a diocese) should hold its own meeting to share these new rules. Cuthbert sent one of his assistants, a deacon named Cynebert, to the Pope with a report about the council's decisions. This might have been because Boniface had complained to the Pope about Cuthbert and King Æthelbald. The rules from the council were also written down under Cuthbert's direction.

Cuthbert continued to write to Boniface until Boniface died in 754. After Boniface's death, Cuthbert sent a message of sympathy to Boniface's replacement. Cuthbert held another church meeting in 758, but we don't know what decisions were made there.

Building a New Church

Cuthbert also built a new church in Canterbury called St. John the Baptist. Sadly, this church was destroyed by fire in 1067. He was buried in this new church.

The new church was located next to the main cathedral. It was used as a baptistery, which is a place where people are baptized. Later, it also became a burial place for many archbishops. It was even used for "trials by ordeal," which were old ways of deciding if someone was guilty or innocent. While we don't have clear proof that Cuthbert planned all these uses, dedicating the church to St. John the Baptist strongly suggests he intended it to be a place for baptisms.

After Cuthbert, the way archbishops were buried changed. They started to be buried inside churches or churchyards instead of outside the city. Some historians believe Cuthbert might have started this change, but the evidence is not completely clear.

Death and Legacy

Cuthbert died on October 26, 760. He is now considered a saint, and his feast day is on October 26. He was buried in his new church of St. John. He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury who was not buried in St Augustine's Abbey.

His letters to Anglo-Saxon missionaries (people who spread Christianity) in Europe show that he was a very educated person.