On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 18:10:25 +0100 Clive D. W. Feather wrote:
} In article , Matthew
} Malthouse writes
} } Kent has been around a *long* time. The reason we have an Archbishop of
} } Canterbury rather than one of London (the obvious centre for a province)
} } is because Kent was at war with everyone else.
}
} The reason was that Kent had a Christian queen, Bertha, who brownbeat
} her hubby Ethelbert into giving Augustine a chuch.
} [...]
}
} I don't dispute it. But I thought there was also an issue with Kent
} being at war with the surrounding pagan territories.

Almost certainly. Although distinguishing between Kent and "surrounding
pagan territories" is a bit moot since Ethelbert _wansn't_ a Christian.
Later he did convert but didn't require it of his people. One really
has to wonder if he did so just to stop the wife nagging... ;-)

Yup, there was political mileage in having Augustine stay on his patch.
And advantage for Augustine too as London was then much disputed, very
likely a dangerous place to be.

Mind you, what Augustine got was just a _little_ church and rather out
of the way so Ethelbert may well have been hedging his bets.

It doesn't really matter if London to Canterbury is a five day trip by
ox-cart or an hour an a half on the train; people don't change that much
:-)

Matthew
--
Il est important d'être un homme ou une femme en colère; le jour où nous
quitte la colère, ou le désir, c'est cuit. - Barbara

http://www.calmeilles.co.uk/