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Anglo-Saxon Medway 410 - 1066

The first Anglo-Saxons were pagans (non-Christians) and it was their custom to bury their dead with a selection of personal belongings. Many of the Anglo-Saxon artefacts found in Medway come from the graveyards of this early period. In 586, however, St Augustine arrived in Kent and with the co-operation of Aethelbert, the local king, began his Christian mission at Canterbury.

Rochester was Augustine’s second foundation, in 604. The town grew in importance, with a cathedral and later, during the reign of Aethelred II (978-1016), a mint established within its walls.

Related pages

Suggested further reading

Faith and Fabric: a History of Rochester Cathedral, 604–1994 edited by Nigel Yates. The Boydell Press, 1996.

Resources

The following information and resources can be downloaded and used by teachers, students and parents as a part of their lessons or just for fun. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the pdf files. If you do not have this on your computer please use our advice page.

  • Textus Roffensis – 12th century manuscript in the archives of Rochester Cathedral. A facsimile copy is available at Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre. Find it on the City Ark document gallery (cityark.medway.gov.uk/gallery).

Cutha's Chronicles : Adventures in Anglo-Saxon England (courtesy of Widowinde Journal of Da Engliscan Gesithas (The English Companions)).

 

For more information contact Medway Archives and Local Studies by telephone: 01634 332714 or by email: malsc@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Medway Archives and Local Studies, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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