Billfrith

early 8th century) is an obscure Northumbrian saint credited with providing the jewel and metalwork encrusting the former treasure binding of the Lindisfarne Gospels.Symeon of Durham's Libellus de Exordio (ii.13), which calls him "St Billfrith the Anchorite", says he was a goldsmith and that he gilded an important book written by Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne.[3] Symeon probably derived this information from a colophon added to the Lindisfarne Gospels by a scribe named "Aldred" at some point between 950 and 970.[4] The colophons describes how:Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne church, originally wrote this book for God and for St Cuthbert and—jointly—for all saints whose relics are in the island.And Æthelwald, bishop of the Lindisfarne islanders, impressed it on the outside and covered it ... And Billfrið the anchorite forged the ornaments which are on it on the outside and adorned it with gold and gems and with gilded-on silver-pure metal ...[5] The Gospels today are in a different binding, as Billfrith's craftsmanship has not survived.
shrineDurham CathedralAttributesOld EnglishNorthumbriantreasure bindingLindisfarne GospelsLibellus de ExordiogoldsmithEadfrithBishop of Lindisfarnegospel bookcolophonDurham Liber VitaeConquestconfraternity bookDurhamBalthere of TyninghameAlchmund of HexhamKing OswineabbessesSharpe, RichardRollason, DavidCotton DomitianWoolf, AlexSaints of Anglo-Saxon EnglandAldate of OxfordBarloc of NorburyBrannoc of BrauntonBranwalator of MiltonCredan of EveshamCongar of CongresburyDachuna of BodminDecuman of WatchetElfin of WarringtonIvo of RamseyJudoc of WinchesterMelorius of AmesburyNectan of HartlandNeot of CornwallPatrick of GlastonburyRumon of TavistockSamson of DolSativola of ExeterÆthelberht of East AngliaÆthelburh of FaremoutiersÆthelthryth of ElyÆthelwine of LindseyAthwulf of ThorneyBlida of MarthamBotwulf of ThorneyCissa of CrowlandEadmund of East AngliaEadnoth of RamseyGuthlac of CrowlandHerefrith of ThorneyHuna of ThorneyPega of PeakirkSeaxburh of ElySigeberht of East AngliaWalstan of BawburghWendredaWihtburh of ElyWulfric of HolmeÆthelburh of BarkingHildelith of BarkingOsgythSæbbi of LondonBertha of KentFelix of DommocHelier of JerseyGrimbald of St BertinWulfram of GranthamAidan of LindisfarneBoisil of MelroseEcha of CraykeIndract of GlastonburyMaildub of MalmesburyÆbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe)Æthelberht of KentÆthelburh of Kent Æthelred of KentAlbinus of CanterburyBerhtwald of CanterburyDeusdedit of CanterburyEdburga of Minster-in-ThanetEanswith of FolkestoneMildrith of ThanetNothhelm of CanterburyÆlfnoth of StoweÆlfthryth of CrowlandÆthelmod of LeominsterÆthelred of MerciaAldwyn of ColnBeorhthelm of StaffordCoenwulf of MerciaCyneburh of CastorCynehelm of WinchcombeCyneswith of PeterboroughEadburh of BicesterEadburh of PershoreEadgyth of AylesburyEaldgyth of StortfordEarconwald of LondonEgwin of EveshamFrithuric of BreedonFrithuswith of OxfordFrithuwold of ChertseyMildburh of WenlockMildgythMilred of WorcesterOda of CanterburyOswald of WorcesterOsburh of CoventryRumbold of BuckinghamTibba of RyhallWerburgh of ChesterWærstanWigstan of ReptonAcca of HexhamÆbbe "the Elder" of ColdinghamÆbbe "the Younger" of ColdinghamÆlfflæd of WhitbyÆlfwald of NorthumbriaÆthelwold of FarneÆthelwold of LindisfarneAlchhild of MiddlehamAlkmund of DerbyBalthere of TyninghamBeda of JarrowBega of CopelandBenedict BiscopBercthun of BeverleyBosa of YorkBotwine of RiponCeadda of LichfieldCedd of LichfieldCeolfrith of MonkwearmouthCeolwulf of NorthumbriaCuthbert of DurhamDryhthelm of MelroseEadberht of LindisfarneEadfrith of LeominsterEadfrith of LindisfarneEadwine of NorthumbriaEaldberht of RiponEardwulf of NorthumbriaEata of HexhamEcgberht of RiponEosterwine of MonkwearmouthHilda of WhitbyHyglacIwig of WiltonJohn of BeverleyOsana of HowdenOsthryth of BardneyOswald of NorthumbriaOswine of NorthumbriaSicgred of RiponSigfrith of MonkwearmouthTatberht of RiponWihtberht of RiponWilfrith of HexhamWilfrith IIWilgils of RiponAugustine of CanterburyBirinus of DorchesterFlorentius of PeterboroughHadrian of CanterburyHonorius of CanterburyJames the DeaconJustus of CanterburyLaurence of CanterburyMellitus of CanterburyPaulinus of YorkPeter of CanterburyTheodore of CanterburyCuthflæd of LyminsterCuthmann of SteyningLewina of BishopstoneÆlfgar of SelwoodÆlfgifu of ExeterÆlfgifu of ShaftesburyÆlfheah of CanterburyÆlfheah of WinchesterÆthelflæd of RomseyÆthelgar of CanterburyÆthelnoth of CanterburyÆthelwine of AthelneyÆthelwold of WinchesterAldhelm of SherborneBeornstan of WinchesterBeornwald of BamptonCentwine of WessexCuthburh of WimbornCwenburh of WimborneDunstan of CanterburyEadburh of WinchesterEadgar of EnglandEadgyth of PolesworthEadgyth of WiltonEadweard the ConfessorEadweard the MartyrEadwold of CerneEarmund of Stoke FlemingEdor of ChertseyEvorhildaFrithestan of WinchesterHædde of WinchesterMærwynn of RomseyMargaret of DunfermlineSwithhun of WinchesterWulfsige of SherborneWulfthryth of WiltonArilda of OldburyJuthwara of SherbourneRumbold of MechlinUrith of Chittlehampton