Wulfhad and Ruffin

Saints Wulfhad and Ruffin (Wulfhad and Rufinus) are, according to tradition, two brothers, princes of the royal family of Mercia in England, of the seventh century. They were baptized by Saint Chad, bishop of Lichfield, around 670, and then put to death, also according to tradition, by their father, still unconverted, at Stone in Staffordshire. The story is regarded as legendary.

Alban Butler says they were sons of King Wulfere of Mercia, brother and successor of Peada, and that they were baptized privately and then slain while at prayer by order of their father, who out of political views then favored idolatry; he afterwards did remarkable penance. According to another account, the murder was contrived by pagan courtiers without the king's knowledge. Queen Emmelinda, mother of the two princes, had their bodies buried at Stone, a place named from the great heap of stones raised over the tomb according to the Saxon custom. She later used the stones to build a church on the spot, famous for the names of these martyrs, who were patrons of the town and of a priory of regular canons. The procurator of that house prevailed on the pope to enroll the two among the saints and left the head of Saint Wulfhad in the church of Saint Laurence at Viterbo. After this, Wulfere and his brother Ethelred abolished idols throughout Mercia. They are commemorated on 24 July as saints of the undivided Church, by the New Calendar.