Alban
was a man living in the town of Verulamium at the beginning of the
4th century. Although he was a worshipper of Roman gods he gave shelter
to a Christian priest fleeing from the persecution of the Romans.
With the help of Alban the priest escaped. However, Alban was arrested
and taken for execution. Legend tells us that on the hill-top a spring
of water miraculously appeared to give the martyr a drink. The original
executioner refused to carry out the deed, and that after his replacement
had killed Alban the executioners' eyes dropped out.
Alban
was beheaded and in 793 King Offa of Mercia
founded a monastery on the site of the execution and was renamed St.
Albans.
The
first written account of Alban's story was provided by Gildas in 560.
However, it was Bede
who
first claimed that at the place of execution "sick folk are healed
and frequent miracles take place." In 793 King
Offa of Mercia founded a monastery on the site of the execution
and Verulamium was renamed St. Albans.
On 25th June, 1177, Robert,
a citizen of the town, had a vision where St. Alban told him that
his relics were at Redbourne. The abbot of the monastery sent some
monks to Redbourne and the relics were transferred to St. Albans.
The religious shrine of St. Alban was a popular place for pilgrims
to visit in the Middle Ages.
Henry
VIII ordered the closure of St Alban's Abbey on 5th December,
1539. The Abbott and his 39 monks were not harmed and received comfortable
pensions.
Matthew
Paris, Execution of St Alban (c.1250)
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