At the ends are half-length figures _of St.
John the Evangelist (IOHANNES EVI) and
St. John the Baptist (IOHANNES B). On
the ends at the reverse side occur the same
inscriptions as on the stole ends. These
inscriptions are of the utmost importance,
recording as they do that the stole and
maniple were made by order of Aelfflaeda,
for Bishop Fridestan. Aelfflaeda was queen
of Edward the Elder,* to whom she was
married about the year 900, dying some
sixteen years later. Bishop Fridestan pre-
sided over the see of Winchester from 905
to 931.
The question arises how these vest-
ments, made for a Bishop of Winchester,
found their way to Durham. St. Cuthbert
(d. 687), in whose tomb they were placed,
was the last of the line of Irish bishops at
Lindisfarne. The bones of this holy man
were much revered. After many wanderings,
they found a resting-place at Chester-le-Street
* n 833, being there for more than a century.
The body was thence removed to Durham,
where it has ever since remained, except for
a short period (in 1069-70)
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