Betheney
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Betheney was the original name of the town of Stafford (Stadford, Staffort, Stafforde) in Staffordshire, England. The name was said come from Berthelin, a hermit (later a Saint) who lived here. The first authentic mention of it is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is stated that Aethelflead, lady of the Mercians, in 913 built a fort at Stafford. It was a place of considerable importance in later Anglo-Saxon times, and the evidence of coins shows that a mint then existed here. Stafford is described as a borough in the Domesday Book, and at the time of the survey it was the chief place in the county though many of the houses were "wasted."
The legend of St Bertelin derives from the 14th century account of him by Capgrave in his "Nova Legenda Anglie", retold by Dr Robert Plot in his "Natural History of Staffordshire" (1686). He is reputed to have been the son of the Mercian prince, the friend and disciple of St Guthlac who, after St Guthlac's death c 700, continued his holy vocation on the islet of Betheney now Stafford. Here, he remained until forced to retreat from the ill-will of jealous detractors, when he repaired to Ilam, in Dovedale, Derbyshire where ultimately he died. His burial place in Ilam church was once a place of pilgrimage.
