Saint Rumwold of Buckingham

Oct 112009

Also known as

Rumbald of Brackley
Rumbald of Buckingham
Rumbold of Brackley
Rumbold of Buckingham
Rumwald of Brackley
Rumwald of Buckingham
Rumwold of Brackley

3 November
28 August (translation of relics)

Profile

Son of the Christian queen Saint Cyneburga (Cuneburga), and the pagan King Alchfrid (Aldfrith) of Northumbria. Grandson of Penda, king of Mercia. He lived only three days during which time he repeated several times “I am a Christian”, and asked for Baptism (which he received from bishop Wilderin) and Holy Communion. Immediately after Baptism, he made a confession of faith the Holy Trinity, preached a sermon on the Trinity, reciting Scripture and the Athanasian Creed as part of his proofs. He completed this performance by predicting his death, and outlining his desired burial arrangements.

A statue of Rumwold at Boxley Abbey could supposedly only be moved by people who lived pure lives. Purity was apparently measured by the size of a donor’s gift to the abbey since if it was sufficient, one of the monks would operate a ratchet mechanism that helped move the statue. This was exposed and the statue burned during the Reformation.

One Sir Alured was chastised by the saint for swearing on his wedding day in 1282. Alured repented and cleaned up his language. However, at a royal feast some ice cream made his tooth ache, which caused him to curse with gusto. Romwold suddenly appeared in a window, and Sir Alured’s bride disappeared in a puff of perfume, leaving behind her clothes.

There are churches dedicated to him in Kent, Essex, Northants, Lincolnshire, Dorset, and North Yorkshire in England.