Pioneers, Power Brokers & Saints: St Augustine of Canterbury

There were Christians in Kent in Roman times and later, long before St Augustine arrived. His mission was to bring Christianity to the pagan Anglo-Saxons living in south-east England, starting with the Kentish royal household. Christian communities had been established in northern England by missions from Ireland and in the west survived as a result of continuing Roman Christian practices. Augustine was prior of the monastery of St Andrew in Rome when he was chosen by Pope Gregory in 596 to lead a group of 30 monks and head north. The date of Augustine's birth in Italy is not known but we do know that he died in Canterbury in about 604 having landed in Kent in 597. There was at least one Christian church in Canterbury before 597 and the Frankish princess, Bertha, had practised her Christian faith there after her marriage to King Ethelbert of Kent sometime before 580. Indeed, she brought Bishop Liudhard as her personal chaplain, although the fact that he was a bishop indicates that it was intended that he should be more than simply Bertha's chaplain. The marriage is only one indication of the close links between Kent and Frankish Gaul, and evidence of trade is provided by archaeological finds.

Augustine and his monks landed on or near the Isle of Thanet, most likely at Ebbsfleet but possibly either at Stonar or the former Roman port of Richborough. According to Bede writing some years after the event, Ethelbert went to meet the party, which by this time had been augmented by monks from Gaul and interpreters. We know that Gregory had written to Ethelbert in advance of Augustine's arrival and Kent was chosen as the mission's destination not just because it was close to Gaul, where there were already Roman Christian communities, but also because Ethelbert was a powerful ruler whose influence extended north on the eastern side of England to the Humber and even to the West Midlands.

It is clear that Gregory envisaged that archbishoprics should be established in London and York (the capitals of the Roman British provinces) but, although Augustine did establish a See in London as well as in Rochester – both places within Ethelbert's sphere of influence – he did not chose London for his seat as archbishop. Gregory had given Augustine clear authority over all the bishops of Britain but it is possible that the Pope was unaware of the independent Christian communities in the west of the country. Rome is a long way from Canterbury and Augustine was in better position than Gregory to determine what was possible and what was not. There has been speculation that Ethelbert discouraged Augustine from leaving, but that is not borne out by Bede's references to Augustine's visits to Gaul nor from the early successes in Rochester and London. It is more likely that Augustine quickly realised that Ethelbert was a powerful king and that his support would be vital to the success of the mission.

Augustine not only made an impact on the spiritual life of Kent but also on buildings and cultural developments. At first, Gregory had written to Ethelbert ordering the destruction of non-Christian centers of worship but he countermanded that almost as soon as Augustine left Rome with the new proposal to 'cleanse' and use the places where people were accustomed to worship as churches. There is archaeological evidence that that happened in Canterbury, including the building that became the first cathedral. Housing for the monks and other buildings were also erected. While it may be fanciful to assume that the existence of the King's School Canterbury has been continuous in some form since the arrival of the mission, Augustine would have needed to train natives to be priests and deacons and there is documentary evidence that there was such a 'school' at Canterbury in the 630s. There would certainly have been a requirement for books and we know that Ethelbert's laws were written down so there were scribes in Kent during his reign. Gregory sent presents to Ethelbert and Augustine would certainly have brought some texts for use in services as well as study. Bertha and Liudhard would also have had Frankish books for their use and so there was probably the start of a library in Canterbury. The gospels used in Canterbury today on occasions such as the enthronement of an archbishop may have been brought by Augustine. They are known as The Gospels of St Augustine but their provenance is not known for certain. This volume is now lodged at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Augustine's achievement in establishing a base for Roman Christianity in southeast England in less than ten years should not be under-estimated. Throughout a period of uncertainty following Ethelbert's death in 616, Christianity continued to be the official religion of the court and was enshrined in law. Augustine gained influence in East Anglia and some of the areas in the south-west in addition to the bishoprics of Rochester and London but it was in Kent that his success was clear for all to see.

Mary and Peter Berg

Further reading: St Augustine and the Conversion of England, ed. Richard Gameson (Sutton, 1999) provides good bibliographies by subject area.