Hildelith of Barking, also known as Hildelitha was a 8th Century Catholic saint,[1] from Anglo-Saxon England.
Very little is known of the life of this saint, however, she is known to history mainly through the hagiography of the Secgan Manuscript,[2] and the "Life of St Hildelith" written in 1087 by the Medieval Benedictine hagiographical writter, Goscelin.[3] She was abbess of the nunneryatBarkinginEngland,[4] succeeding the role from the abbeys founder, Æthelburh of Barking. It is not known who replaced her as the next known abbess is Wulfhild of Norway, three centuries latter and just prior to the Norman Invasion. Hildelith was unique in that under her control the Abbey acted as a Double monastery.[5]
She was also the superiortoCwenburhofWimborne prior to that saints founding of Wimborne Abbey. She was abbess until about 700AD and she died about 725AD, being buried in Barking.
