Mike Pearce

St Mildred Mike Pearce

There is often a fine line between fact and fiction. Even reports from centuries ago can be elaborated to make events more interesting . Often the true outcomes or heroes of events or discoveries may never reach the light of day or be depicted in history books. This book attempts to place Thanet in a time of turbulence and invasion. Romans, Saxons, Danes all have stepped foot on this island. Thanet provided an extraordinary fertile land for settlement as well as a stepping stone for further invasion across Britain. Parallel with this is the spread of Christianity already in Europe and further introduction by St Augustine landing at Ebbs Fleet and baptising the Jutish king. Within this flowering of Christianity many Abbeys were built. The one at Minster had royal patrons and was an excellent platform for the Benedictine discipline and doctrine. There is little information on the life of St Mildred. Much written about her may have little evidence to support this. The lives of the Anglo-Saxons are also fragmentary. I have attempted to knit with fiction a role for St Mildred and her community at this time and apologise for any inconsistencies and errors made in this book. Shining out from this publication is that St Mildred as Abbess at Minster in Kent, devoted her life untiringly to peace and humility and even when dying thought of others and sang praises to God. Throughout the ages many miracles have been attributed to her and through her blessed spirit even today miraculous things are still achieved. St Mildred remains the only patron saint of Thanet-The White Lily.