A Basic Celtic Timeline

Patrick

D.circa 461

Finnian

D circa 549

D.circa 432

Brigid

D.circa 500

Pelagius

D.circa 350

Brendan

D circa 577

David Columba

D.circa 680 D.circa 687

CaedmonCuthbert Bede

b. 673

Hilda

D. 680

Fursey

D.circa 589 D. 597 D.circa 601 D. 615 D.634 D. 651

Ninian

AidanColumbanusAugustine

A Celtic Chronology

500 BC Celts emerged as a distinct race from Central Europe

c. 400 Celts plunder Rome55/54 Julius Caesar reconnaissance of Britain

BCE (BC)

CE (AD)c40 ?Joseph of Aramathea in Glastonbury 40/50 Paul converts the Galatians 43 Romans invade Britain60 Boudicca is military commander of Icenes -

leads rebellion71 Romans start moving into Scotland117 Rebellions in the North - Hadrian’s Wall178 Irenaeus leader of Christian community in

Lyonc180 Roman villa near Gloucester with Christian

monograms200 Tertullian writes of places in Britain that have

yielded to Christ313 Conversion of Emperor Constantine; Edict of

Milan314 Council of Arles - Bishop of London, York and

?Colchester present315-373 Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers; first

Celtic influential churchman

325 Athanasius reports that British church accepts decision of Nicaea

c354 Birth of Pelagiusc371 Martin elect Bishop of Tours, founds monastic

community388 Emperor Maximus killed; Welsh wife Elen

returns to Wales394 Pelagius in Rome397 Death of Martinc400 Christian Community founded at Whithorn410 Sack of Rome by Vandals. Roman army leaves

Britain416 Council of Carthage - Pelagius condemnedc418 Birth of Patrick (perhaps in DumbartonC425 Birth of Illtyd 429 Sack of Carthage by vandals

Death of Augustine of Hippo431 Palladius sent as Bishop to the Christians in

Ireland435 Patrick in Ireland444 The Church in Rome accepts the Alexandrian

computation of the date of Easterc450 Ninian at Whithorn / Candida Casa455 Birth of Brigid in Irelandc480 Birth of Benedict in Irelandc486 Birth of Samson in Britainc486 Birth of Brendan in Irelandc490 Britain attacked by Angles, Saxons, Jutes

A Celtic Chronology493 Death of Patrick498 Kings of Dalriada migrate to KintyreLate 5th C

Illtyd founds large monastic school at Llantwit Major

505 Death of Illtydc516 Battle of Badon Hill

Arthur defeats the AngloSaxons?521 Samson becomes Bishop

Birth of Comulba (Columcille) in Ireland524 Death of Brigid, Abbess of Kildare530 - 560 Travels of Brendan the Voyager533 Kentigern baptised folk at Calbeck wellc537 ?Death of Arthur at Battle of Canlann540 Gildas writes The Ruin of Britainc540 David becomes Bishop of Caerleon543 Death of Petroc of Cornwall543 Birth of Columbanus in Ireland546 Columba’s first monastic settlement in

Derry547 Ida founds Anglian kingdom of Bernicia with

capital at Bamburgh557 Foundation of Monastery of Bangor by

Comgall560 Death of Samsonc561 Foundation of Monastery of Clonfert by

BrendanC562 Foundation of Monastery of Lismore by

Moluag565 Columba founds monastery on Ionac 573 Battle of Ardderyd (referred to in Welsh

ballads) the Christian King of the Cumbri, Rhyderch of Strathclyde defeated Gwedolen, the pagan Scots king, and brought Kentigern back from Wales to head the church. (80,000 slain)

577 Death of Brendan560 - 580 North Atlantic Travels of Cormacc589 Death of David591 Columbanus begins continental mission597 Death of Columba, June 9th

Augustine arrives in Kent, sent by Pope Gregory the Great in mission to

Angles601 Further Roman mission, including

Paulinus603 Conference of British Bishops and Abbots

with Augustine of Canterburyby 609 Death of Augustine613 Columbanus founds monastery at Bobbio614 Birth of Hilda615 Death of Columanus616 Edwin of Deira defeats Ethelfrith of

Bernicia.Ethelfrith’s sons (including Oswald) flee to

Argyll, educated on Iona.617 Edwin established as king north of the

Humber(Northumbria) Chase (Doncaster). Ethelburgh and Paulinus flee to KentOsric becomes king of Deira; Eanfrith

returns from Iona and becomes king of Bernicia. Both apostasize. In further fighting both are killed by Cadwallon.Death of Fursey

618 St Donan killed on Eigg by ?Vikings624 Birth of Adomnan, Abbot of Iona,

Columba’s biographer625 Marriage of Edwin of Northumbria and

Ethelburgh of Kent; Ethelburh brings Bishop Paulinus with her to Bamburgh

626 Eanfled, daughter of Edwin and Ethelburh, baptised, with twelve others.

627 Edwin converts and is baptised at York. Mass baptisms, including Hilda (now aged 13) Paulinus baptising at Yeavering

628 Birth of Benedict Biscop 630 Fursey of Ireland founds monastery in East

Anglia633 Cadwallon of Gwynned and Penda of

Mercia attack and kill EEdwin at Battle of Hatfield

634 Oswald plants cross in the soil and defeats Cadwallon at Battle of Heavenfield. Becomes king of the united kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia.Birth of Wilfrid Birth of Cuthbert

635 Mission of Corman to Bernicia - Mission fails -Aidan consecrated Bishop on Iona and sent toNorthumbria, bases his mission on Lindisfarne. Goes on to found monastery at Melrose and other northern sites; encourages Hilda to the religious life.

636 South of Ireland accepts Roman Order642 Oswald killed by Penda at Oswestry

Oswy (Oswald’s younger brother) becomes king of Bernicia.Oswin becomes King of Deira and close friend of Aidan

651 Oswin killed at instruction of OswiuAidan dies at Bamburgh (August 31st),buried at Lindisfarne.Finan becomes Bishop of LindisfarneCuthbert enters monastery at Melrose under Boisil as Prior

A Celtic Chronology652 Wilfred and Benedict Biscop visit Rome653 Cedd evangelizes the East Saxons and

becomes their bishop. Builds stone church at Bradwell (Essex)

654 Cuthbert becomes guest-master at newly founded monastery at Ripon

655 Repentant Oswy unites Deira and BerniciaPenda killed. Mercia open to the Gospel

657 Wilfrid and king’s son Alcfrith move Cuthbert and his abbot Eata from Ripon - they return to Melrose. Wilfrid becomes Abbot of Ripon and introduces Benedictine rule.

659 Cedd builds monastery at Lastingham and becomes first Abbot

661 Colman bishop at Lindisfarne662 Boisil dies of plague; Cuthbert becomes

Prior of Melrose; engages in missionary journies.

664 Synod of Whitby chaired by King OswyColman resigns as Bishop of Lindisfarneand returns to IonaCedd and his brother ynebil die of plagueChad becomes Bishop of York, based at

LastinghamCuthbert becomes Prior of Lindisfarne

666 Wilfrid consecrated Bishop in Gaul668 Theodore of Tarsus becomes Archbishop of

Canterburyc664-669 Cummene’s Life of Columba669 Theodore ‘reconsecrates’ Chad and moves

him to Lichfield Wilfrid becomes Bishop of York

670 Death of Oswy , succeeded by second son Ecgfrith

672 Chad dies of plague, March 2nd673 Birth of Bede, monk historian of Jarrow

674 Benedict Biscop founds monastery at Wearmouth

676 Cuthbert becomes hermit on the island of Inner Farne

679 Adomnan becomes Abbot of Iona680 Death of Hilda, November 17th

Death of Caedmon, poet of Whitby681 Benedict Biscop founds monastery at

Jarrow684 Cuthbert appointed Bishop ofLindisfarne,

after persuasion by King Ecgfrith and is consecrated (March 26th 685) at York by Archbishop Theodore

685 Death of Ecgfrith in battle of NechtansmereAldfrith, scholar and artist, becomes King of Northumbria

686 Cuthbert returns to Inner Farne687 Death of Cuthbert , March 20th688 Eadbearht becomes Bishop of Lindisfarnec.692 Adomnan‘s Life of Columba written697 Adomnan’s Law of Innocents, safeguarding

women and children from violence, confirmed at synod of Birr, Ireland.

698 Translation of Cuthbert’s body, found uncorrupted. Death of Bishop

Eadbearht Eadfrith becomes Bishop of Lindisfarne

700 Life of Cuthbert written by an anonymous monk of Lindisfarne

700 Writing of the Lindisfarne Gospels by Eadfrith

704 Death of Adomnan on Iona705 John becomes Bishop of York709 Death of Bishop Wilfrid716 Iona accepts the Roman Order, under

influence of Bishop Ecgbert717 Monks from Iona expelled from Pictland

A Celtic Chronology721 Ethelwald (who bound the Lindisfarne

Gospels) appointed Bishop of Lindisfarne729 Death of Bishop Ecgbert on Iona 731/2The Ecclesiastical History of the English

People completed by Bede735 Death of Bede755 Roman order accepted in Wales

793 First Viking raid on Lindisfarne - ‘Viking Age’ dated from this raid.

794 Viking raids across the Scottish islands795 Iona sacked802 Iona monastery burned to ground806 Viking raid on Iona -68 monks killed at

Martyrs’ Bay807 Ionan Community moved to Kells 825 Blathmac martyred by Vikings on Iona847-858 Kenneth macAlpin, King of the Scots875 Suggested date for the abandonment of

Lindisfarne by Bishop Eardulf and the community. Cuthbert’s coffin and the Lindisfarne Gospels taken on 7 year journey, ending in Chester le StreetHebridean Norse migrate to Iceland

989 Viking raids in Wales; St David’s, Llanilltyd and Llancararn all burnt

995 Viking presssure uproots Cuthbert’s People, who take his remains to Ripon, and then to Durham

998 Church built in Durham to house Cuthbert’s relics

1066 Last Viking raid in England - William of Normandy (2nd generation Viking) takes the English crown

1069 Ethelwine, last of the Saxon Bishops, takes Cuthbert’s relics back to

Lindisfarne, to escape King William. Returned them to Durham in 1070

1093 Durham Cathedral and Lindisfarne Priory foundedCuthbert’s relics investigated and found

uncorrupted in 1104 and 1537. Last opening of coffin in 1827; body decayed.

1537 Lindisfarne Priory dissolved by Henry VIII

A Celtic Chronology