Withburgh was the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, England.

After her father's death, Withburgh built a convent in East Dereham, Norfolk. A traditional story says that the Virgin Mary sent a pair of female deer to provide milk for her workers during the monastery's construction.

The local overseer did not like Withburgh or her miracles. He decided to hunt down the deer with dogs and prevent them from coming to be milked. However, one day during a ride, he was thrown down from his horse and broke his neck, a seeming punishment for his wickedness.

Withburgh died in 743 and was buried in the cemetery of Ely abbey. When her body was dug up 55 years later, it was found not to have decayed. This was considered a miracle and her remains were re-interred in the church which she had built in Dereham. The church became a place of pilgrimage, with people visiting Withburgh's tomb to pray.

In 974 Brithnoth, the abbot of Ely, elected to steal her body so that he could profit from the pilgrims' visits. Brithnoth and some armed men went to Dereham and organised a feast. When the Dereham men were properly drunk, the Ely mob stole Withburgh's body and set off for home. Dereham men soon found out that this crime had taken place and set off after the Ely tomb-robbers.

The two sides had a pitched fight. As the men approached Ely, however, the thieves had the advantage of knowing their way through the swamps and marshes. They escaped with the body of Withburgh and got it buried in Ely.

When the Dereham men returned home, they discovered that a spring had arisen in Withburgh's violated tomb. The water in this spring was considered to be compensation for the loss of their saint; pilgrims continued to come and now could drink from the water. The spring has never run dry. The water in Withburgh's tomb can be visited even today.

Other Saints of the Day

1. Saint Grimbald
2. Saint Albert of Genoa
3. Saint Kilian
4. Saint Maria Chaira
5. Saint Morwenna

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