Alban, Saint (?-209), is commemorated as the first martyr in Britain. He was a citizen of the Roman city of Verulamium, now St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, England. Alban sheltered a priest fleeing from Roman persecution, and the priest converted him to Christianity. Soldiers searching for the priest found Alban wearing the priest’s cloak, and they seized and killed Alban.
Versions of the legend differ, and even the date of the martyrdom has been a controversial issue. Historians had originally placed Saint Alban’s death in the early 300’s. However, the currently accepted date in 209 has been inferred from information discovered in the late 1970’s. In 797, Offa, the Saxon king of Mercia, founded St. Albans Abbey on the site of the martyrdom. Saint Alban’s feast day is June 22 but is recorded as June 17 in the Book of Common Prayer.
