FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR

St Albans Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in AD793, is thought to have been built on the site of the execution of Britain’s first known Christian martyr, Alban, pictured right. Little is recorded about his life beyond the fact that he was executed by the Romans for sheltering a Christian priest, who was given the name of Amphibalus. Two undoubtedly embellished accounts by the monks Bede, circa AD673-735, and Gildas, circa AD500-570, give the date of Alban’s death as either AD251 or AD304 and while both agree that he was an inhabitant of Verulamium, Gildas places some of the events in London, rather than St Albans. Bede offers the most fulsome account in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Alban is said to have offered sanctuary to the priest fleeing persecution by the Romans, and became so impressed by the man’s piety that he converted to Christianity. When soldiers came to apprehend the priest, Alban donned the priest’s cloak and presented himself in his place: the name Amphibalus comes from the Latin word for cloak. He was taken away, but refused to accept pagan beliefs. Alban was sentenced to a whipping, but apparently bore this so stoically that the judge ordered his beheading. En route to his execution, Alban and his captors came across a fast-flowing river and were unable to cross because the bridge was so crowded. Alban allegedly raised his eyes to heaven, and the river dried up, his would-be executioner dropping his sword and falling at Alban’s feet in awe. As the party moved up what is now Holywell Hill, Alban prayed for water, and a spring is said to have appeared. It is also claimed that when Alban and his reluctant executioner were subsequently beheaded by a second soldier, that soldier’s eyes popped out of his head. On hearing of the miracles, the judge halted further persecutions.