alth ild , ▁wife ▁of ▁King ▁Clo vis ▁II ▁( 6 3 9 - 6 5 7 / 6 5 8 ), ▁an ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁arist ocrat ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁to ▁Ga ul ▁as ▁a ▁slave , ▁founded ▁the ▁ab bey ▁in ▁ 6 5 8 ▁on ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁Cl oth ilde ' s ▁chap el ▁as ▁a ▁monaster y ▁for ▁women . ▁She ▁gave ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁two ▁great ▁end ow ments ▁to ▁its ▁construction , ▁en abling ▁the ▁ab bey ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁new ▁Church ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Cross ▁to ▁be ▁built . ▁Though ▁no ▁char ters ▁surv ive , ▁in ▁" Life ▁of ▁Saint ▁B alth ild ", ▁there ▁are ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁g ifts ▁she ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁ ▁B alth ild ▁and ▁the ▁abb esses ▁quickly ▁established ▁an ▁impress ive ▁reputation ▁for ▁encourag ing ▁learning , ▁which ▁attract ed ▁mon ks ▁to ▁Ch elles ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁its ▁conversion ▁to ▁a ▁double ▁monaster y ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁ ▁B alth ild ▁herself ▁retired ▁to ▁Ch elles ▁in ▁ 6 6 4 , ▁bringing ▁with ▁her ▁a ▁second ▁end ow ment , ▁and ▁died ▁there ▁in ▁ 6 8 0 , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁buried . ▁Her ▁poss essions ▁were ▁treated ▁as ▁re lic s ▁at ▁Ch elles , ▁including ▁a ▁ch as ub le , ▁a ▁vest ment ▁emb roid ered ▁with ▁a ▁p ector al ▁cross ▁and ▁an