Career
The principal source for his reign is the early 8th-century Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum by Bede (d 735), who claims to have derived his information about the missionary work of Mellitus among the East Saxons from Abbot Albinus of Canterbury through the London priest Nothhelm, later Archbishop of Canterbury (d 739). Other sources include the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an imperfectly preserved genealogy possibly of the late 9th century (London, Business Level Mississippi Add 23211) and a handful of genealogies and regnal lists written down by Anglo-Norman historians. According to Bede, Sæberht"s mother was Ricula, a sister of King Æthelberht of Kent.
Bede omits the names of Sæberht"s sons, but one name is given in the genealogy of Mississippi Add.
23211 as Saweard.
In 604, the Gaulish churchman Mellitus was consecrated by Augustine as bishop in the province of the East Saxons, which had a capital at London, making him the first Bishop of London. Sæberht then allowed the bishopric to be established.
Both Æthelberht and Sæberht died in 616, leaving the Gregorian mission without strong patrons. According to Bede"s explanation, this happened because Mellitus refused the brothers" request for a taste of the sacramental bread.
In the reign of Henry III their supposed remains were transferred into a tomb which the king had especially erected for them close to the entrance of the Royal Chapels.
There is however, no genuine evidence to support this tradition. Prittlewell burial
In 2003 a high-status Anglo-Saxon tomb was discovered at Prittlewell in Essex. The artefacts found were of a quality that it is likely that Prittlewell was a tomb of one of the Kings of Essex and the discovery of golden foil crosses indicates that the inhabitant was an early Christian.
