A Basic Celtic Timeline
Pelagius
Ninian
D.circa 350
D.circa 432
David
D.circa 589
Hilda
D. 680
Columba
D. 597
Caedmon
D.circa 680
Patrick
Brigid
Finnian
D.circa 461
D.circa 500
D circa 549
Augustine
Columbanus
D.circa 601
Cuthbert
D.circa 687
D. 615
Bede
b. 673
Fursey
D.634
Brendan
D circa 577
Aidan
D. 651
A Celtic Chronology
BCE (BC)
500 BC Celts emerged as a distinct race from Central
Europe
c. 400 Celts plunder Rome
55/54
Julius Caesar reconnaissance of Britain
CE (AD)
c40
40/50
43
60
?Joseph of Aramathea in Glastonbury
Paul converts the Galatians
Romans invade Britain
Boudicca is military commander of Icenes leads rebellion
71
Romans start moving into Scotland
117
Rebellions in the North - Hadrian’s Wall
178
Irenaeus leader of Christian community in
Lyon
c180 Roman villa near Gloucester with Christian
monograms
200
Tertullian writes of places in Britain that have
yielded to Christ
313
Conversion of Emperor Constantine; Edict of
Milan
314
Council of Arles - Bishop of London, York and
?Colchester present
315-373
Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers; first Celtic
influential churchman
325
c354
c371
388
394
397
c400
410
416
c418
C425
429
431
435
444
c450
455
c480
c486
c486
c490
Athanasius reports that British church accepts
decision of Nicaea
Birth of Pelagius
Martin elect Bishop of Tours, founds monastic
community
Emperor Maximus killed; Welsh wife Elen
returns to Wales
Pelagius in Rome
Death of Martin
Christian Community founded at Whithorn
Sack of Rome by Vandals. Roman army leaves
Britain
Council of Carthage - Pelagius condemned
Birth of Patrick (perhaps in Dumbarton
Birth of Illtyd
Sack of Carthage by vandals
Death of Augustine of Hippo
Palladius sent as Bishop to the Christians in
Ireland
Patrick in Ireland
The Church in Rome accepts the Alexandrian
computation of the date of Easter
Ninian at Whithorn / Candida Casa
Birth of Brigid in Ireland
Birth of Benedict in Ireland
Birth of Samson in Britain
Birth of Brendan in Ireland
Britain attacked by Angles, Saxons, Jutes
A Celtic Chronology
493
Death of Patrick
498
Kings of Dalriada migrate to Kintyre
Late 5th C
Illtyd founds large monastic school at Llantwit Major
505
Death of Illtyd
c516
Battle of Badon Hill
Arthur defeats the AngloSaxons?
521
Samson becomes Bishop
Birth of Comulba (Columcille) in Ireland
524
Death of Brigid, Abbess of Kildare
530 - 560 Travels of Brendan the Voyager
533
Kentigern baptised folk at Calbeck well
c537
?Death of Arthur at Battle of Canlann
540
Gildas writes The Ruin of Britain
c540
David becomes Bishop of Caerleon
543
Death of Petroc of Cornwall
543
Birth of Columbanus in Ireland
546
Columba’s first monastic settlement in Derry
547
Ida founds Anglian kingdom of Bernicia with capital
at Bamburgh
557
Foundation of Monastery of Bangor by Comgall
560
Death of Samson
c561
Foundation of Monastery of Clonfert by Brendan
C562 Foundation of Monastery of Lismore by Moluag
565
Columba founds monastery on Iona
c 573 Battle of Ardderyd (referred to in Welsh ballads) the
Christian King of the Cumbri, Rhyderch of
Strathclyde defeated Gwedolen, the pagan Scots
king, and brought Kentigern back from Wales to
head the church. (80,000 slain)
577
Death of Brendan
560 - 580 North Atlantic Travels of Cormac
c589
Death of David
591
Columbanus begins continental mission
597
Death of Columba, June 9th
Augustine arrives in Kent, sent by Pope
Gregory the Great in mission to Angles
601
Further Roman mission, including Paulinus
603
Conference of British Bishops and Abbots with
Augustine of Canterbury
by 609 Death of Augustine
613
Columbanus founds monastery at Bobbio
614
Birth of Hilda
615
Death of Columanus
616
Edwin of Deira defeats Ethelfrith of Bernicia.
Ethelfrith’s sons (including Oswald) flee to
Argyll, educated on Iona.
617
Edwin established as king north of the
Humber(Northumbria) Chase (Doncaster).
Ethelburgh and Paulinus flee to Kent
Osric becomes king of Deira; Eanfrith
returns from Iona and becomes king of
Bernicia. Both apostasize. In further fighting
both are killed by Cadwallon.
Death of Fursey
618
St Donan killed on Eigg by ?Vikings
624
Birth of Adomnan, Abbot of Iona, Columba’s
biographer
625
Marriage of Edwin of Northumbria and
Ethelburgh of Kent; Ethelburh brings Bishop
Paulinus with her to Bamburgh
A Celtic Chronology
626
627
628
630
633
634
635
636
642
651
Eanfled, daughter of Edwin and Ethelburh,
baptised, with twelve others.
Edwin converts and is baptised at York. Mass
baptisms, including Hilda (now aged 13)
Paulinus baptising at Yeavering
Birth of Benedict Biscop
Fursey of Ireland founds monastery in East Anglia
Cadwallon of Gwynned and Penda of Mercia attack
and kill EEdwin at Battle of Hatfield
Oswald plants cross in the soil and defeats
Cadwallon at Battle of Heavenfield. Becomes king
of the united kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia.
Birth of Wilfrid
Birth of Cuthbert
Mission of Corman to Bernicia - Mission fails Aidan consecrated Bishop on Iona and sent to
Northumbria, bases his mission on Lindisfarne.
Goes on to found monastery at Melrose and other
northern sites; encourages Hilda to the religious life.
South of Ireland accepts Roman Order
Oswald killed by Penda at Oswestry
Oswy (Oswald’s younger brother) becomes king of
Bernicia.
Oswin becomes King of Deira and close friend of
Aidan
Oswin killed at instruction of Oswiu
Aidan dies at Bamburgh (August 31st),
buried at Lindisfarne.
Finan becomes Bishop of Lindisfarne
Cuthbert enters monastery at Melrose under Boisil
as Prior
652
653
Wilfred and Benedict Biscop visit Rome
Cedd evangelizes the East Saxons and becomes
their bishop. Builds stone church at Bradwell (Essex)
654 Cuthbert becomes guest-master at newly
founded monastery at Ripon
655 Repentant Oswy unites Deira and Bernicia
Penda killed. Mercia open to the Gospel
657 Wilfrid and king’s son Alcfrith move Cuthbert and
his abbot Eata from Ripon - they return to Melrose.
Wilfrid becomes Abbot of Ripon and introduces
Benedictine rule.
659 Cedd builds monastery at Lastingham and
becomes first Abbot
661 Colman bishop at Lindisfarne
662 Boisil dies of plague; Cuthbert becomes Prior of
Melrose; engages in missionary journies.
664 Synod of Whitby chaired by King Oswy
Colman resigns as Bishop of Lindisfarne
and returns to Iona
Cedd and his brother ynebil die of plague
Chad becomes Bishop of York, based at
Lastingham
Cuthbert becomes Prior of Lindisfarne
666 Wilfrid consecrated Bishop in Gaul
668 Theodore of Tarsus becomes Archbishop of
Canterbury
c664-669 Cummene’s Life of Columba
669 Theodore ‘reconsecrates’ Chad and moves him to
Lichfield Wilfrid becomes Bishop of York
670 Death of Oswy , succeeded by second son Ecgfrith
672 Chad dies of plague, March 2nd
673 Birth of Bede, monk historian of Jarrow
A Celtic Chronology
674
676
Benedict Biscop founds monastery at Wearmouth
Cuthbert becomes hermit on the island of Inner
Farne
679 Adomnan becomes Abbot of Iona
680 Death of Hilda, November 17th
Death of Caedmon, poet of Whitby
681 Benedict Biscop founds monastery at Jarrow
684 Cuthbert appointed Bishop ofLindisfarne, after
persuasion by King Ecgfrith and is consecrated
(March 26th 685) at York by Archbishop Theodore
685 Death of Ecgfrith in battle of Nechtansmere
Aldfrith, scholar and artist, becomes King of
Northumbria
686 Cuthbert returns to Inner Farne
687 Death of Cuthbert , March 20th
688 Eadbearht becomes Bishop of Lindisfarne
c.692 Adomnan‘s Life of Columba written
697 Adomnan’s Law of Innocents, safeguarding women
and children from violence, confirmed at synod of
Birr, Ireland.
698 Translation of Cuthbert’s body, found
uncorrupted. Death of Bishop Eadbearht
Eadfrith becomes Bishop of Lindisfarne
700 Life of Cuthbert written by an anonymous monk of
Lindisfarne
700 Writing of the Lindisfarne Gospels by Eadfrith
704 Death of Adomnan on Iona
705 John becomes Bishop of York
709 Death of Bishop Wilfrid
716 Iona accepts the Roman Order, under influence of
Bishop Ecgbert
717 Monks from Iona expelled from Pictland
721
Ethelwald (who bound the Lindisfarne Gospels)
appointed Bishop of Lindisfarne
729 Death of Bishop Ecgbert on Iona
731/2 The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
completed by Bede
735 Death of Bede
755 Roman order accepted in Wales
793 First Viking raid on Lindisfarne - ‘Viking Age’
dated from this raid.
794 Viking raids across the Scottish islands
795 Iona sacked
802 Iona monastery burned to ground
806 Viking raid on Iona -68 monks killed at Martyrs’ Bay
807 Ionan Community moved to Kells
825 Blathmac martyred by Vikings on Iona
847-858 Kenneth macAlpin, King of the Scots
875 Suggested date for the abandonment of Lindisfarne
by Bishop Eardulf and the community.
Cuthbert’s coffin and the Lindisfarne Gospels taken
on 7 year journey, ending in Chester le Street
Hebridean Norse migrate to Iceland
989 Viking raids in Wales; St David’s, Llanilltyd and
Llancararn all burnt
995 Viking presssure uproots Cuthbert’s People, who
take his remains to Ripon, and then to Durham
998 Church built in Durham to house Cuthbert’s relics
A Celtic Chronology
1066 Last Viking raid in England - William of Normandy
(2nd generation Viking) takes the English crown
1069 Ethelwine, last of the Saxon Bishops, takes
Cuthbert’s relics back to Lindisfarne, to
escape
King William. Returned them to
Durham in 1070
1093 Durham Cathedral and Lindisfarne Priory founded
Cuthbert’s relics investigated and found
uncorrupted in 1104 and 1537. Last opening
of coffin in 1827; body decayed.
1537 Lindisfarne Priory dissolved by Henry VIII