HE was son of Eldred, and brother of Osred, kings of the Northumbrians.
During his temporal prosperity, the greater he was in power, so much the
more meek and humble was he in his heart, and so much the more affable
to others. He was poor amidst riches, because he knew no greater
pleasure than to strip himself for the relief of the distressed. Being
driven from his kingdom, together with his father, by rebellious
subjects, in league with Danish plunderers, he lived among the Picts
above twenty years in banishment; learning more heartily to despise
earthly vanities, and making it his whole study to serve the King of
kings. His subjects, groaning under the yoke of an insupportable
tyranny, took up arms against their oppressors, and induced the royal
prince, upon motives of compassion for their distress and a holy zeal
for religion, to put themselves at their head. Several battles were
prosperousiy fought; but at length the pious prince was murdered by the
contrivance of king Eardulf, the usurper, as Matthew of Westminster,
Simeon of Durham, and Florence of Worcester, say. Dr. Brown Willis, in
his Notitia of parliamentary boroughs, writes, with some ancients, that
he was slain by the Danes, about the year 819. His body was interred at
Lilleshult, in Shropshire; but afterwards translated to Derby, where he
was honored with great devotion as patron of the town, on the 19th of
March. An old manuscript sermon preached in his church at Derby, about
the year 1140, extant in a manuscript collection of sermons of that age
in my hands, folio 138, gives a particular history of this translation
of his relies to Derby, where his church became famous for miracles, and
for the resort of pilgrims. See on this saint the history of John of
Glastonbury, Matthew of Westminster, the manuscript sermon above
mentioned, and Henschenius t. 3, Mart. p. 47.
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