HILDA, ST., strictly HILD (614-680), was the daughter of Hereric, a nephew of Edwin, king of Northumbria. She was converted to Christianity before 633 by Paulinus. About 65o she became abbess of Hartlepool, where she remained several years. From Hartlepool Hilda moved to Whitby, and in 657 founded the famous double monastery which in her time included among its members five future bishops, Bosa, Aetta, Of tf or, John and Wilfrid II. as well as the poet Caedmon. Hilda exercised great influence in Northumbria, and ecclesiastics from all over England and from Strathclyde and Dalriada visited her mon astery. In 6S5 after the battle of Winwaed Oswio, King of Northumbria, entrusted his daughter Aelfled to Hilda, with whom she went to Whitby. At the synod of Whitby in 664 Hilda sided with Colman and Cedd against Wilfrid, and in spite of the defeat of the Celtic party, remained hostile to Wilfrid until about 679. Hilda died in 680.
See Bede, Hist. eccl. (ed. C. Plummer, Oxford, 1869) ; Eddius, Vita W it f ridi (Raine, Historians of Church of York, Rolls Series, vol. i., 1879), c. liv.