WILLIBROD, or WILBRORD, SAINT, first bishop of Utrecht, and "apostle of the Frisians," claims notice as being one of that meritorious band of British and Irish missionaries by whom Christianity was established in northern Germany. He was b. about the year 658, in the kingdom of Northumbria; and, although educated in the monastery of Ripon, where he received the tonsure, was sent, for final instruction, like most of the monks of that age, to the schools of Ireland. After a sojourn of 13 years in that country, he resolved to devote himself to the conversion of Friesland, in which some of his fellow-monks had already engaged with little success. In 690 he sailed with 12 companions, and passing up the Rhine, arrived at Ultrajectum, the present soon after the victory of 'Pepin over th(eFrisians. By Pepin, they were warmly received; and Willibrod having established the first beginnings of his mission, went to Rome in 692, whence he returned, with the sanction of the pope, Sergius I., and con tinued, his labor till 695, when he again visited Rome, and received episcopal consecra tion, together with the pallium of an archbishop. Fixing his see atUtrecht, he converted a large number of the inhabitants. and extended his missionary colonies from that center
as far as the Danish provinces; and, although he received some check upon the death of Pepin in 714, yet the successes of Charles Martel enabled him soon afterward to resume, under similar favorable auspices, the work which, after many alternations, ended in the successful establishment of Christianity. 1Villibrod died at a very advanced age in 738, at the monastery which lie had founded at Echternach, near Treves. His festival is Nov. 7. See Bede's Ecclesiastical History, chaps.10 and 11.
a village in the town of Windham, Windham co., Conn., on the New York and New England, the Boston and New York Air Line, and the New London Northern railroads; pop. '80, 8,265. It has churches, schools, banks, hotels, and 2 news papers. The streets are wide and lighted with gas. The manufacturing interests are extensive, and include prints, silk, thread, metal wares, etc. The Willimantic river affords ample water-power. The thread manufactured by the Willimantic Linen com pany is well known