The Monks of Bangor put to the Sword, c1778

by Middleton, Charles Theodore

by Order of Ethelfrid (King Ethelfrith) antique print.

From c593 until his death in c616, King Ethelfrith ruled Bernicia, a northern Anglo-Saxon kingdom that by the end of that century had joined with neighbouring Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. The oldest monastery in Britain, established in c180, was in the current borough of Wrexham in Wales. during the last great battle between the Britons of Wales and the Aglo-Saxons, the monks of Bangor-Is-coed rallied to pray for the Britons when they were attacked between 613 and 616. Armed only with their bibles and their voices, over 1,000 monks were killed. Only 50 survived.

This is a copperplate engraving by Charles Grignion, the Younger (1721-1810) after a drawing by Samuel Wale for The Complete English Traveller, first issued in 1771 by Nathaniel Spencer. This popular series of engravings were reissued by others for similar style historic English publications until the end of the 18th century. This wonderful engraving has been highlighted by hand colour at some time since its publication.

Page size is 363 x 225mm (approximately 14 x 9 inches) with deckled vertical edge.