Saint Wite

Saint Wite (pronounced Wee-ta[1]) was a 9th-century Saxon holy woman from Dorset who was killed by marauding Danes.[2] She is venerated in the Orthodox Church,[3] is the patron saint of Dorset and her feast day is on 1 June,[4] also celebrated as Dorset Day.[5]

Historiography

The chroniclers William of Worcester and John Gerard recorded the history of Saint Wite in the 15th and 16th centuries.[4] Thomas More recorded the custom of offering cakes or cheese to the saint on her feast day.[4]

Local oral tradition recounts that Saint Wite lived as a hermit on secluded cliffs in prayer and solitude.[6] She maintained fires as beacons to guide sailors.[3] She was killed by Danish Vikings during a 9th-century raid on Charmouth, which corroborates with a landing at Charmouth of around 15,000 Vikings and the battle of Chardown Hill in 831AD.[1]

Wite is an Old English word with no Latin connections.[5]

Other theories have suggested that Saint Wite was actually the 4th century martyr Saint Candida who was killed in Carthage or the 6th-century Breton Saint Gwen Teirbron.[5] Sabine Baring-Gould suggested that she was the fifth-century Breton Saint Blanche.[7]

Shrine

Saint Wite's shrine at the Church of St Candida and Holy Cross in Whitchurch Canonicorum

The shrine containing her relics is located in the north transept of the parish Church of St Candida and Holy Cross in Whitchurch Canonicorum, in the Marshwood Vale between Bridport and Lyme Regis, Dorset.[6]

During the medieval period, her shrine became one of England's most visited pilgrimage sites. The 13th century base of the limestone and marble shrine has three oval openings into which were placed diseased limbs or articles belonging to the sick. They would then pray for her intercession.[6] There were separate openings in the outside wall for people afflicted with leprosy.[6]

Her shrine escaped desecration during the 16th century Reformation in England, which prohibited the veneration of saints. Holy Cross and St. Candida Church is one of two churches in England that still holds the bones of a saint,[5] the other survivor is that of the King and Saint Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey, London.[4]

In 1900, a crack developed in her tomb.[1] It was opened and was found to hold a lead casket containing the bones of a small woman about 40 years old.[8] On the casket was the Latin inscription "HIC-REQESCT-RELIQE-SCE-WITE" ("Here lie the remains of St Wite").[9] It was then restored.

There is a holy well associated with Saint Wite at Morcombelake nearby.[7] It was first documented in 1630 and is currently managed by the National Trust.[10]

Patron saint of Dorset

Saint Wite's Cross on the flag of Dorset

Saint Wite is the patron saint of the county of Dorset and her feast day is 1 June, which is also celebrated as Dorset Day.[5]

In 2008, Dorset County Council organised a design competition and vote to adopt a Flag of Dorset.[11] 54% of the 3,868 votes cast[11] were for the design featuring Saint Wite's Cross, with the colours of gold representing the Wessex dragon and red representing a Dorset military regiment.[5] The flag has been registered at the Flag Institute and added to their UK Flags Register.[12]

References

1. "History". St Wites Way. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
2. Smythe, C. (1983). Woman in Irish Legend, Life and Literature. Canadian Association for Irish Studies International. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-86140-159-8.
3. Lapa, Dmitry (14 June 2019). "Saint Wite of Dorset". Ortho Christian. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
4. Farmer, David. (2011). "Whyte" In The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, 5th ed. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199596607.
5. Stiles, Helen (1 June 2022). "Dorset Day: Who was Saint Wite?". Great British Life. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
6. Hudston, Sarah (28 January 2013). "The Historical Cathedral of the Vale and shrine to Saint Wite". Saint Candida and Holy Cross. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
7. Anderson, Andy. St Wite's Well. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 5 Janaury 2025.
8. Lehane, Brendan (2006). Dorset's Best Churches. Dovecote Press. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-904349-41-9.
9. Crook, John (2011). English Medieval Shrines. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-84383-682-7.
10. Hayward, Guy; Mayhew-Smith, Nick (6 August 2020). Britain's Pilgrim Places: The first complete guide to every spiritual treasure. Heartwood Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9544767-9-3.
11. "Dorset Cross becomes Dorset flag". BBC News. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
12. "Dorset". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 5 January 2025.