Aelfgythe was a Saxon woman who had been accepted into the Christian faith and made a saint as a result of her good deeds. William of Malmsbury (c1095-c1143) wrote in his chronicles about how she ‘redeemed condemned men, gave away precious garments to the poor and stoically endured prolonged physical suffering’.
A Saxon charter shows that Athelstan, King of England (895-939), gave an area of 20 hides to the Bishop of Worcester in 930. This land included Werst Felda (Wast Hills/West Heath), Hoppwdda (Hopwood), Coftune (Cofton), Wreodan Hale (Rednal) and the site of the present village of Alvechurch. The site of the subsequent bishop’s palace can still be seen near the centre of the village.
King Athelstan was the grandson of Alfred the Great and Aelfgythe became his sister-in-law posthumously when she became the first wife of his half-brother and successor, Edmund the Magnificent (921-946) in 940. Edmund conquered the midlands in 942 and was murdered in 946 at Pucklechurch, in south Gloucestershire so this may account for a connection with the Alvechurch area. Aelfgythe died in 944 having given birth to two boys who subsequently became King Edwig All-Fair (942-959) and King Edgar the Peacemaker (943-975). It is not recorded how old she was when she died, or what caused her death but soon after she was buried, a number of invalids were healed at her graveside in Shaftsbury and she quickly became a revered saint and cult figure. In about 943AD a church on the site of the present church was dedicated to her or possibly founded by her, though this seems unlikely as the land by this time belonged to the Bishop of Worcester. The first church was probably a timber structure and was quickly demolished by the conquering Normans in the 12th century. They completely rebuilt it with stone and rededicated it to St. Laurence but Aelfgythe lived on in the village name …….… and ours!
The kind assistance of the Alvechurch Village Society and Alvechurch Public Library are gratefully acknowledged in providing this information.
