▁P enda ▁of ▁Mer cia . ▁Although ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁she ▁and ▁all ▁her ▁sib lings ▁converted . ▁B ede ▁wrote ▁that ▁P enda ▁toler ated ▁the ▁pre aching ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁Mer cia ▁itself , ▁despite ▁his ▁own ▁belief s : ▁" N or ▁did ▁King ▁P enda ▁ob struct ▁the ▁pre aching ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁among ▁his ▁people , ▁the ▁Mer ci ans , ▁if ▁any ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁hear ▁it ; ▁but , ▁on ▁the ▁contrary , ▁he ▁h ated ▁and ▁des pis ed ▁those ▁whom ▁he ▁perce ived ▁not ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁faith , ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁once ▁received ▁the ▁faith , ▁saying , ▁They ▁were ▁cont empt ible ▁and ▁w retch ed ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁obey ▁their ▁God , ▁in ▁whom ▁they ▁believed . ▁This ▁was ▁begun ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁King ▁P enda . ▁Their ▁mother ▁was ▁Queen ▁C yn es wise . ▁Tib ba ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁relative . ▁ ▁Ky ne burg a ▁married ▁Al h fr ith ▁of ▁De ira , ▁co - reg ent ▁of ▁North umb ria ▁( who ▁attended ▁the ▁Syn od ▁of ▁Whit by ▁in ▁ 6 6 4 ), ▁ ▁but ▁later ▁founded ▁an ▁ab bey ▁for ▁both ▁mon ks ▁and ▁n uns ▁in ▁Cast or , ▁in ▁the ▁So ke ▁of ▁Peter borough . ▁She ▁became ▁ ▁the ▁first ▁abb ess ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁joined ▁by ▁K yn es wide ▁and ▁Tib ba