Editing Wilfrid (section)

=== Childhood and early education ===
Wilfrid was born in Northumbria around 633.<ref name=Harting107>Mayr-Harting ''Coming of Christianity'' p. 107–112</ref> James Fraser argues that Wilfrid's family were aristocrats from Deira, pointing out that most of Wilfrid's early contacts were from that area.<ref name=Fraser190>Fraser ''Caledonia to Pictland'' pp. 190–191</ref> A conflict with his stepmother when he was about 14 years old drove Wilfrid to leave home, probably without his father's consent.<ref name=Hindley78>Hindley ''A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons'' pp. 78–83</ref> Wilfrid's background is never explicitly described as noble, but the king's retainers were frequent guests at his father's house, and on leaving home Wilfrid equipped his party with horses and clothes fit for a royal court.<ref name=Barbarian175 />

Queen [[Eanflæd]] became Wilfrid's patroness following his arrival at the court of her husband, King Oswiu.<ref name=Hindley78 /> She sent him to study under Cudda, formerly one of her husband's retainers, but by that time in about 648 a monk on the island of Lindisfarne.<ref name=DNB>Thacker "Wilfrid" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''</ref> The monastery on the island had recently been founded by [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]], who had been instrumental in converting Northumbria to Christianity.<ref name=Barbarian175 /> At Lindisfarne Wilfrid is said to have "learned the whole [[Psalter]] by heart and several books".<ref name=QConversion181>Quoted in Yorke ''Conversion of Britain'' p. 181</ref> Wilfrid studied at Lindisfarne for a few years before going to the Kentish king's court at [[Canterbury]] in 652, where he stayed with relatives of Queen Eanflæd.<ref name=DNB /> The queen had given Wilfrid a letter of introduction to pass to her cousin, King [[Eorcenberht of Kent|Eorcenberht]], to ensure that Wilfrid was received by the king.<ref name=Barbarian175 /> While in Kent, Wilfrid's career was advanced by Eanflæd's cousin [[Hlothhere of Kent|Hlothere]], who was later the [[List of monarchs of Kent|King of Kent]] from 673 to 685.<ref name=Kings36>Yorke ''Kings and Kingdoms'' pp. 36–37</ref> The Kentish court included a number of visiting clergymen at that time, including [[Benedict Biscop]], a noted missionary.<ref name=Earliest36>Kirby ''Earliest English Kings'' p. 36</ref> Wilfrid appears to have spent about a year in Kent, but the exact chronology is uncertain.<ref name=World156>Blair ''World of Bede'' p. 156</ref>