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The holy Martyr Alkmund was the son of Alchred and brother of Osred, kings of Northumbria. He succeeded to the throne of Northumbria after the murder of his brother, and ruled with great humility and love, being a liberal father to the poor, the orphans and the widows. He always longed to die for Christ, and this the Lord in His goodness granted him.

In 802, Alderman Athelmund of the Hwicce (South-West Mercia) was enraged against the men of Wiltshire and threatened to invade that territory. On hearing this, King Alkmund, who had the intention anyway of going to Wiltshire to protect some lands that he possessed there, called the two warring sides together and urged them to peace. The Mercians were persuaded to return home, but in their hearts they were not pacified, and they soon returned with a great army.

At this juncture the men of Wiltshire called on King Alkmund to help them. And he, wishing to die for Christ, and remembering the words of the Lord, Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends, consented to their desire. In the ensuing battle, the Wiltshire men won, but both of the leaders and Alkmund were killed.

The place where the holy Martyr-King fell was the scene of many miracles. His body was transferred to the ancient Church of Lilleshall, and then later to the White Church in Derby. This was the scene of further miracles. The sick, the deaf, the blind and those suffering from various diseases were brought to the tomb, and there they received healing through the intercessions of St Alkmund. Some years later, when at the request of many of the faithful, the priests of this Church raised the Holy relics, a most beautiful fragrance issued from the tomb. This fragrance persisted for a long tome, as the people praised and glorified God and his Holy Martyr. However, when a certain unbeliever entered the Church and behaved in an unseemly and impious manner, the fragrance suddenly ceased.

When there were further incursions by the Danes the body of St. Alkmund was taken further south for safety and arrived in Derby on March 19th which has been kept as his feast ever since. Devotion to the young King and Martyr grew and this may be due to the interest shown in him by the Queen of Mercia, Ethelfreda, a daughter of Alfred the Great. She is responsible for the dedications at Shrewsbury and Derby and quite possibly to two other churches which have Alkmund as their patron, Whitchurch in Shropshire and Blyborough in Lincolnshire.

The people of Derby took Sr. Alkmund to their hearts and as the church was on the Ryknald Street, the Roman road to the north and one of the main thoroughfares in the Middle Ages, pilgrims abounded. The fame of the shrine survived its destruction and the Vicar of St Alkmunds in the eighteenth century reported miracles and said journeymen still asked for the tomb and set their packs upon it. Unfortunately the Victorian builders and road makers have caused the disappearance of both the church and St Alkmund's Well but in the Derby Museum there is a sarcophagus found when the church was demolished. It is decorated with a beautiful Anglo-Saxon inter-lace design and is thought to be the coffin in which the body of the saint rested.



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