▁King ▁of ▁Mer cia ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 7 9 4 . ▁Off a ▁had ▁cons ented ▁to ▁give ▁his ▁daughter ▁to ▁Eth el bert ▁in ▁marriage : ▁why ▁he ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁and ▁dep riv ed ▁him ▁of ▁his ▁head ▁histor ians ▁do ▁not ▁know , ▁although ▁tradition ▁is ▁at ▁no ▁loss ▁to ▁supply ▁him ▁with ▁an ▁ade qu ate ▁mot ive . ▁The ▁execution , ▁or ▁murder , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁taken ▁place ▁at ▁S utton , ▁four ▁miles ▁( 6   km ) ▁from ▁Here ford , ▁with ▁Eth el bert ' s ▁body ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁c athedral ▁by ▁' a ▁p ious ▁mon k '. ▁He ▁was ▁buried ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁c athedral . ▁At ▁Eth el bert ' s ▁tomb ▁m ira cles ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁occurred , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁century ▁( about ▁ 8 3 0 ) ▁Mil fr id , ▁a ▁Mer cian ▁no blem an , ▁was ▁so ▁moved ▁by ▁the ▁tales ▁of ▁these ▁mar vel s ▁as ▁to ▁re build ▁in ▁stone ▁the ▁little ▁church ▁which ▁stood ▁there , ▁and ▁to ▁dedic ate ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁saint ed ▁king . ▁ ▁Before ▁this , ▁Here ford ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁a ▁bishop ric . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁a ▁dioc ese ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 6 7 0 s ▁when ▁The odore ▁of ▁T ars us , ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Can ter bury , ▁divided ▁the