Saint Lewina (or Lewinna, Levinna, Lewine, Leofwynn; 7th century) was a British virgin and martyr who was put to death by Saxons invaders.
Her feast day is 24 July.
Life
Little is known of Lewinna's life.
One source says she was a British woman who lived during the reign of King Ecgberht of Kent (r. 664–673).
As a virgin, she was killed by a Saxon heathen due to her faith during the life of Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus (died 690).
She was buried at a monastery in Sussex dedicated to
Saint Andrew.
Possibly Saint Lewinna's name is connected with that of the town of
Lewes, which once had a church of Saint Andrew and is near Seaford.
Lewinna may be the Latin version of Leofwynn, a Saxon rather than British name.
She has been associated with Bishopstone, also near Seaford.
A Benedictine monk called Drogo from the abbey of Bergues in Flanders wrote a lengthy account of the removal of Lewina's relics in 1058 by another monk of Bergues named Balgerus.
Balgerus sailed in a merchant vessel to England, and after riding out a storm landed in Sevordt (Seaford).
The next day he went to Saint Andrew's Abbey, away, where he was told Lewinna's body lay.
He heard of the miracles wrought by the saint, and after struggling with his conscience stole her relics and took them to his ship.
They were carried to the monastery at Bergues and stored in a chest adorned with gold and silver.
In 1522 they were destroyed during some religious disturbances.
Monks of Ramsgate account
The Monks of Ramsgate wrote in their
Book of Saints (1921),
Dunbar's account
Agnes Baillie Cunninghame Dunbar (1830–1920) in her
Dictionary of Saintly Women (1904) wrote,
Butler's account
The hagiographer
Alban Butler (1710–1773) wrote in his
Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, under July 24,
Notes
Sources
