Thurcytel facts for kids
Thurcytel (also spelled Thurkytel) was an important religious leader in England a long time ago. He was an abbot at Crowland Abbey and possibly also at Bedford Abbey. An abbot is like the head of a monastery, a place where monks live and pray. Thurcytel is thought to have died around June 28, 975.
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Who Was Thurcytel?
Thurcytel's story mainly comes from an old book about Crowland Abbey. This book was supposedly written by someone named Ingulf, but historians now think it was written much later by someone else, sometimes called "Pseudo-Ingulf." This old account has some parts that might not be completely accurate, like saying Thurcytel was a "Lord Chancellor of England." A Lord Chancellor was a very important advisor to the king.
Thurcytel's Life and Role
According to the old book, Thurcytel was related to and served several Kings of England, starting with Edward the Elder. He even fought in a famous battle called the battle of Brunanburh. This shows he was involved in important events of his time.
Later in his life, Thurcytel decided to leave his everyday life and become a religious leader. During the time of King Eadred, Thurcytel became the abbot of Crowland Abbey. He had a big role in making Crowland Abbey strong again. In 948, he helped "refound" the abbey, which means he helped rebuild or restart it. He also "endowed" it, meaning he gave it land and valuable items to help it grow and become wealthy. The old book says Thurcytel passed away on June 28, 975.
Thurcytel and Bedford Abbey
For a long time, people believed that Thurcytel of Crowland was the same person as a Thurcytel who was an abbot at Bedford Abbey around the same time. However, it's not completely certain if they were the same person.
Connections to Archbishops
This Thurcytel from Bedford Abbey was related to two important church leaders: Oscytel, who was the Archbishop of York, and Oscytel's successor, Oswald of Worcester. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an old record of English history, mentions that Archbishop Oscytel was buried at Bedford Abbey by Thurcytel in 971.
Some later stories suggest that Thurcytel of Bedford might have been removed from his position. These stories say he then joined the canons (a type of priest) at St Paul's Cathedral in London, where he had been a priest before.
