lved to find a
substitute in the body of S. Withburga, the youngest sister of S.
Etheldreda. Her youth had been spent at Holkham, in Norfolk, where the
church is now said to be dedicated to her, and afterwards founded a
nunnery at Dereham, in the same county, where she died and was buried. A
long account is given by Bentham[6] of the trickery by which her body
was purloined and brought to Ely, where it was interred near the bodies
of the three abbesses.[7] Brithnoth is said to have been murdered at
the instigation of Queen Elfrida, having grievously offended her in many
ways, especially by reproving her infamous and abandoned life. This is
the same Elfrida who, two years before, had caused her stepson, King
Edward (thence called the Martyr), to be assassinated in order that her
own son, Ethelred (the Unready), might have the crown. Edward only
reigned four years; but during that time much that his father, King
Edgar, had done towards establishing the monastic rule in England was
set aside. In some instances "the monastic rule was quashed, and
minsters dissolved, and monks driven out, and God's servants put down,
whom King Edgar had ordered the holy bishop Ethelwold to establish."[8]
The queen confessed before her death to having compassed the death of
Abbot Brithnoth. His body was conveyed to Ely for interment.

He was succeeded by #Elsin# (981-1016), "of a noble family." In his
time very considerable donations and bequests were made to the
monastery. In some cases members of the house who rose to eminence and
obtained lucrative appointments became benefactors; sometimes the
parents of young men who joined the society testified their confidence
by munificent gifts; sometimes widows gave manors and lands in their
lifetimes or in their wills. In one case at least much wealth was
acquired by way of penance. Leofwin, a man of large possessions, in a
violent fit of anger had occasioned the death of his own father. In his
remorse he betook himself to Rome to obtain absolution, undertaking to
perform any penance that might be enjoined. The pope required him to
dedicate his eldest son to the religious life in some monastery which he
was liberally to endow, and to bestow largely of his substance to the
relief of the poor. His son Edelmor was accordingly devoted to the
service of God at Ely, and very large estates were assigned by Leofwin
to the monastery. He further improved the church, rebuilding and
enlarging the south aisle,