Henry of Coquet explained

Saint Henry of Coquet
Death Date:1127
Feast Day:16 January
Venerated In:Catholic Church
Death Place:Coquet Island, England
Titles:Hermit

Henry of Coquet (died 1127) was a Dane who lived in a hermitage on Coquet Island, off the Northumberland coast.

Life

A Dane of noble birth, Henry is said to have been directed by a vision to make good his escape from a marriage his parents were endeavouring to force upon him, and to serve God all his days as a hermit on Coquet. He landed at Tynemouth, and obtained the prior's consent to build a small cell on the island.[1]

He died there in 1127. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. There is a stained glass window in the church of St Thomas of Canterbury in Deal, Kent, England, showing an image of 'St Henry the Dane'. He is wearing a horned helmet.[2]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fusilier.co.uk/coquet_island/northumberland_1.htm Hodgson, John Crawford. A History of Northumberland, Vol. V, 1899
  2. Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. .