St Bertelin's Chapel, Stafford

Immediately west of the Church of St Mary in Stafford are to be seen the foundations of St Bertelin's Chapel. He was an eighth-century Saxon saint, though his name is variously recorded as Beorhthelm, Bertoline, Bertram and Bettelin. Little is known about him and a mixture of legends exist regarding his life. He was most likely the son of a king of Mercia, of which Staffordshire was then a part, who converted many pagans to Christianity. Persecution drove him from the island of Bethnei (Stafford) to the more remote Dovedale. This chapel may be a later, medieval shrine for his veneration, or it may be the site of his own devotions which later generations saw fit to preserve.

Unpicking the legends and medieval fantasies is difficult, and the documentary sources for his life are few and far between. Suffice to say that the Lord knows His own, and will recompense those above who served Him well below, irrespective of later generations' ability or willingness to offer recognition.