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Remains found on building site (Bicester UK) believed to be those of patron saint
Bicester Advertiser ^ | August 12, 2011 | Sam McGregor

Posted on 08/14/2011 8:44:33 PM PDT by NYer


The Chapel Street excavation site where the remains of St Edburg may have been found

ARCHAEOLOGISTS believe they may have found the remains of Bicester’s patron saint, St Edburg, underneath a former block of flats.

The team believe it could be the first time in the country the bones of a saint have been found.

It could take up to a year to confirm the date of the bones using specialist carbon dating technology.

Archaeologists discovered the entire north transept of the Priory Church, which is believed to stretch to Old Place Yard, Priory Road and Chapel Street. They are working in the area ahead of a huge redevelopment.

Site archaeologist Paul Riccoboni, of Beckley-based John Moore Heritage Services, said: “We have found a reliquary which is probably the bones of St Edburg.

“It is really exciting. A first- class reliquary is actually the bones of a saint and a second- class is the clothes of a saint.

“It is the first time I am aware of, or come across, others being found. I am assuming they are the bones of St Edburg.”

Mr Riccoboni said some of the saint’s bones were moved to Flanders in the 1500s, but thinks while half the bones were taken across the Channel, the other half remainedburied at the Priory site.

The remains, which would date back to 650 AD when St Edburg died, were found wrapped in a lead sheet near the original St Edburg shrine.

Around 13 other skeletons have been found so far at the former flats Bryan House, in Chapel Street, which is being redeveloped into 23 homes.

The bones are believed to date back to the 14th century and may be monks or local dignitaries, including the Priory Church founder, Gilbert Bassett and his wife Egeline.

Mr Riccoboni said: “There is only one other excavation like it to a modern standard. It’s a very rare excavation.”

Bob Hessian, chairman of Bicester Local History Society, and local historian David Watts, also joined the dig.

Mr Hessian said: “The actual Priory Church was massive compared to St Edburg’s Church, probably two-and-half times the size.

“We could have bodies sited all over the place.”

Mr Watts said as a schoolboy he was involved in a dig at land where care home St Edburg’s House now sits, where more then 30 skeletons and tiles were found in the late 1960s.

He said: “It is a very important site and it is a great shame it is not being preserved for posterity.”


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; History
KEYWORDS: bicester; godsgravesglyphs; saint; uk

1 posted on 08/14/2011 8:44:38 PM PDT by NYer
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To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; SumProVita; ...
A slight inconsistency in the reporting. The saint is actually

St. Edburga of Bicester

Feastday: July 18
7th century

Nun at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, the daughter of Penda , the pagan king of Mercia. Her shrine is at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, but her relics, originally at Bicester, were taken to Flanders, Belgium.

Source: Catholic Online

2 posted on 08/14/2011 8:48:16 PM PDT by NYer ("Be kind to every person you meet. For every person is fighting a great battle." St. Ephraim)
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To: NYer

Interesting, but I actually posted to say, what a good tag line, I’ll try and remember that advice.

Because it is true, I’m old enough to know that now. Let me try and remember it.


3 posted on 08/14/2011 9:42:49 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: NYer

What a great tagline you have.


4 posted on 08/14/2011 10:17:15 PM PDT by unkus (Silence Is Consent)
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To: SunkenCiv

ping


5 posted on 08/14/2011 10:30:38 PM PDT by MilicaBee
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To: MilicaBee; NYer

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
Thanks MilicaBee and NYer.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


6 posted on 08/14/2011 11:12:00 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: NYer

Bookmark for St. E!..... maybe..... or maybe not? Love this stuff.


7 posted on 08/14/2011 11:14:55 PM PDT by antceecee (Bless us Father.. have mercy on us and protect us from evil.)
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To: NYer

Just to help you all with the pronounciation, Bicester is pronounced BISTER not BY-CEST-ER


8 posted on 08/15/2011 5:14:13 AM PDT by Mitch86
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To: NYer

Wouldn’t it be more fruitful to find living saints?


9 posted on 08/15/2011 5:43:44 AM PDT by RoadTest (Organized religion is no substitute for the relationship the living God wants with you.)
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To: Mitch86

In that same vein:

Worcestershire sauce is pronounced, “Woostershire” with the two o’s making the u sound as in “push”

Leicester is pronounced, “Lester”


10 posted on 08/15/2011 5:52:30 AM PDT by Drawsing (The fool shows his annoyance at once. The prudent man overlooks an insult. (Proverbs 12:16))
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To: Drawsing

I live in Worcestershire, and often have to clear this one up for tourists :)

Leicster is pronounced Lester, you’re right, unless you come from there, when it is pronounced Lestoh!


11 posted on 08/15/2011 6:14:23 AM PDT by Mitch86
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To: Mitch86
Just to help you all with the pronounciation, Bicester is pronounced BISTER not BY-CEST-ER

Thank you, Mitch! I was wondering about that earlier, dissecting the name and wondering how the village earned that moniker.

12 posted on 08/15/2011 9:03:19 AM PDT by NYer ("Be kind to every person you meet. For every person is fighting a great battle." St. Ephraim)
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To: NYer

As with most ancient english towns, the name has evolved many times over the 2000 or so years since it was first settled.

From wiki: “The name Bicester, which has been in use since the mid 17th century, derives from earlier forms including Berncestre, Burencestre, Burcester, Biciter and Bissiter”


13 posted on 08/15/2011 10:22:19 AM PDT by Mitch86
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To: Mitch86; NYer

Mitch...Are you familiar with the Sacred Heart Church? There’s a stained glass window dedicated to Edward Knollys which was done specifically done by William Morris. It occasionally crossed my mind if the dedication, done by William, was a poke in the eye to Catholics? I never did look to deeply into it...
http://www.sacredheartng.org.uk/windows.htm

I also love your tagline NYer.


14 posted on 08/15/2011 2:08:17 PM PDT by bronxville (Sarah will be the first American female president.)
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To: bronxville; unkus; jocon307
I also love your tagline NYer.

Thank you! It serves as a reminder of the reality of the world around us. In the Oriental Churches, St. Ephraim is known as the "Harp of the Holy Spirit".

Another of my favorite favorite quotes does not fit within the limited space of the tagline.

Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch.”
Psalm 127:1

I used it in this week's parish bulletin :-)

15 posted on 08/15/2011 2:36:00 PM PDT by NYer ("Be kind to every person you meet. For every person is fighting a great battle." St. Ephraim)
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To: RoadTest

Not if you’re talking about relics, no.


16 posted on 08/15/2011 4:54:28 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Sweden - one of the next Muslim countries)
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To: RoadTest
Wouldn’t it be more fruitful to find living saints?

And just how do you propose a team of archaeologists go about finding living saints? I'm pretty sure that's God's job, not theirs. Archaeologists generally dig things up.

17 posted on 08/15/2011 8:36:03 PM PDT by Campion ("Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies when they become fashions." -- GKC)
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