Tomb of Withburga, Dereham, Norfolk

Tomb
Withburga/Wihtburh/Withburgh died in 743 and was buried at Dereham.
Withburga was supposedly one of the daughters of King Anna of East Anglia who was a son of Eni, a member of the Wuffingas dynasty, and a nephew of Rædwald king of the East Angles (you may know him from his Sutton Hoo ship burial ) from 600 to 625.
After the death of her father in 653, Witburga built a convent in Dereham.
Withburga’s body was said to be uncorrupted by age or decay when her tomb was opened half a century after her death, and the church and the tomb subsequently became a place of pilgrimage.
In 974, Brithnoth, the abbot of Ely, accompanied by monks and armed men, travelled to Dereham with the intention of taking Withburga’s body by force. They organised a feast for the townspeople as a diversion tactic. After waiting until the Dereham men were properly drunk, Brithnoth stole Withburga’s body and set off during the night for the Isle of Ely. After discovering the theft, the people of Dereham set off after the tomb-robbers, who were attacked at Brandon by the townspeople. Using their knowledge of the Fens to evade their pursuers, Brithnoth and his men successfully reached Ely, and Withburga’s remains were re-interred at Ely next to her sisters Æthelthryth and Seaxburh. When the Dereham men returned home, they discovered that a spring had arisen in Withburga’s tomb.
In 1106 Withburga’ body was again examined and found to be intact.
It is said that while she was building the convent she had nothing but dry bread to give to the workmen. She prayed to the Virgin Mary and was told to send her maids to a local well each morning. There they found two wild does that were gentle enough to be milked, and so provided a drink for the workers. A local official did not approve of the miracle, and decided to hunt down the does with his dogs. His punishment for this cruelty was that he was thrown from his horse and broke his neck.
Bishop Bonner’s Cottages, a timber-framed, thatched building, is the oldest surviving domestic building in Dereham.
The row of three cottages survived the great fire of 1679 as well as the Zeppelin raid of 1915. The Zeppelin passed almost overhead, dropping bombs in Church Street to the East and near Church Farm to the West but missed the cottages and the Church.
Dereham Church
Historical time line
654 Saint Withburga laid the foundation of a church and convent
870 The church was destroyed by Danish Raiders
974 The Abbots and Monks of Ely stole Saint Withburga’s body and removed her to Ely to lie with her sisters
1120 After it was given to the refounded abbey at Ely a Norman church was built on the site. Only the south west doorway and part of the chancel arch remains.
1200 The chancel and most of the nave built during this century.
1300 In this century the central lantern tower was built, possibly due to a collapse of the old tower. The Nave was extended and the north and south aisles added.
1464-1466 Work is done on the south aisle windows
1468 font added
1515-1525 The magnificent detached bell tower was built
1539 central tower was reduced in height
1800 The poet William Cowper was buried in the north transept.
1850 - 1858 During the incumbency of Benjamin Armstrong, the chancel was restored and re-opened. During this century galleries were removed and most of the stained glass inserted.
1949 The screen was added it came from Oxburgh church after its tower collapsed.
1957 A new tenor bell cast. The wooden bell frame was replaced by a steel one and the bells re-hung.
1995 Church organ restored and moved from the south transept to its present position in the north transept. Thus allowing more light into the center of the church.
1999 The east window was removed and restored.
2007 Roof re-leaded.
Interesting things of note:
The Eagle Lectern - Made in Liege around 1475 on of the few surviving lecterns of this age.
The Font - Made in 1468, it is a ‘Seven Sacrament’ font with the churches sacraments carved on the sides.
William Cowper -The poet William Cowper 1731 - 1800 has had many of his poems introduced into modern hymnbooks. William Cowper is buried in the North transept and a plaque and stained glass window to his memory can be found there too.
Tudor Ceilings - The two Tudor ceilings are at the north and south transepts. They were painted in the 15th century.
The Lantern Tower - The Lantern tower allows the center of the church to be lit with natural daylight. It also houses the Sanctus bell which was first mentioned in 1553.
The Lady Chapel - The screen enclosing the chapel was made in 1488 and originally stood in Oxburgh church. The screen contains a painting of St Withburga.
Outside - Near to St Withburga’s well is a memorial to a French prisoner of war who was shot in 1799 while trying to escape from the bell tower.
The Bell Tower - was used as a prison and was a holding point during the transportation of the prisoners. The separate tower houses 8 bells.