Bede

Bede, also known as the Venerable Bede (Beda Venerabilis in Latin), lived circa 672/3–735. He was an English Benedictine monk and scholar who worked at the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow in Northumbria, together known as Wearmouth-Jarrow. He is widely regarded as the father of English history for his methodical approach to writing and his extensive use of sources.

His best known work is Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Historia ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum), written in Latin and completed around 731. It covers the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons and the history of the English church from Roman times to the early eighth century, with particular attention to church organization and biography of saints such as Wilfrid and Bede’s contemporaries. The work is celebrated for its careful use of earlier authorities, its inclusion of church councils, and for introducing the Anno Domini dating system to chronicle time. Beyond this, Bede wrote computistical and theological treatises, and The Life of Saint Cuthbert, among other hagiographies.

Death and legacy: Bede died at Jarrow in 735. He was venerated as a saint in the medieval church, and his legacy as a learned monk and historian has made him a central figure in the study of early English history. His Ecclesiastical History remains a foundational source for the history of Britain and the Christian church in the region.