Nothhelm facts for kids

Nothhelm (died 739) was an important church leader in Anglo-Saxon England. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very high position in the church.

Nothhelm was friends with two famous people of his time: Bede, a well-known historian, and Boniface, a missionary. Nothhelm helped Bede by finding old documents and information for his history books. After he became Archbishop in 735, he worked on church matters and held important meetings. He was later considered a saint after his death.

Early Life of Nothhelm

Nothhelm lived at the same time as Boniface and Bede. He once traveled to Rome and brought back letters from the Pope's library for Bede. He also helped Bede research the history of Kent and nearby areas. He sent this information through the abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

Before becoming Archbishop, Nothhelm was a main priest, called an archpriest, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. This church was built by the Anglo-Saxons.

Nothhelm Becomes Archbishop

Nothhelm was chosen to lead the church in Canterbury in 735. He was officially made Archbishop that same year. The Pope, Gregory III, sent him a special scarf called a pallium in 736. This scarf showed his authority as an Archbishop.

Some historians think that King Æthelbald of Mercia might have chosen Nothhelm for this role. Nothhelm was one of several church leaders from Mercia who became Archbishop of Canterbury during this time. This showed that Mercia was becoming more powerful.

Church Meetings and Decisions

Nothhelm held a church meeting, called a synod, in 736 or 737. Nine bishops attended this meeting. They settled a disagreement about who owned a monastery in Withington. What was special about this meeting was that no king was present. Usually, kings helped oversee such decisions. But the synod still made a judgment on its own.

Nothhelm also helped reorganize the church areas, called dioceses, in Mercia in 737. He made Witta the Bishop of Lichfield and Totta the Bishop of Leicester. This helped to firmly establish the diocese of Leicester. In 738, Nothhelm also signed an important document, called a charter, for King Eadberht I of Kent.

Nothhelm's Connections to Scholars

Bede, the famous historian, wrote a book for Nothhelm. It was called In regum librum XXX quaestiones. In this book, Bede answered thirty questions Nothhelm had asked about the biblical book of Kings. Another of Bede's works, De VIII Quaestionibus, might also have been written for Nothhelm.

While Nothhelm was Archbishop, Boniface wrote to him. Boniface was a missionary who spread Christianity in other lands. He asked Nothhelm for a copy of an important letter from Pope Gregory I, called the Libellus responsionum. This letter was very helpful for Boniface's missionary work. Boniface also wanted to know when the Gregorian mission, which brought Christianity to England, first arrived.

Death and Legacy

Nothhelm passed away on 17 October 739. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. He is remembered as a saint, and his special day, or feast day, is 17 October.

Some older writers, known as antiquaries, thought Nothhelm had written several books. However, later studies showed that other people actually wrote those works. There is a poem praising Nothhelm that still exists today.