Saint Osyth was the daughter of a Mercian king and the wife of Sighere, King of Essex. The sources tell of her devotion and dedication to Christianity despite her pagan husband. She persuaded her husband to give her land at Chich, where she founded a convent and lived as an abbess. Legend tells of her miraculous abilities; determining the location of a hidden well, she established a water supply for her convent. After her husband’s death, Osyth devoted herself entirely to her religious life.However, the peaceful existence of the monastery would soon end. In the 8th century, Danish pirates invaded the Essex coast. They attacked the monastery, capturing Osyth. The revered abbess refused to renounce her faith, which enraged the invaders. They beheaded her, fulfilling her martyrdom.Here, the legend takes an unusual turn. It is told that following her execution, Osyth rose, picked up her decapitated head, and walked. She journeyed to the door of a local church, where she knocked three times before collapsing dead once more. The place of her demise became the site of holy reverence, and the water from her well was sought after for its supposed healing properties.Centuries later, King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and the church became part of a private estate. Nonetheless, the legend of Saint Osyth lived on. During the Reformation, her remains were reportedly found, with a wound around the neck consistent with her legendary beheading.Today, the village of St Osyth sits near the coordinates provided, bearing her name as a tribute to her faith, bravery, and miraculous legends linked with the area’s history.