Ninnoc

Saint Ninnoc or Ninnog of Breton (c. 4 June 467 (Ninnocs's year of birth is estimated by subtracting the 38 years she supposedly lived in Brittany, and her mother Meneduc.) They had 14 sons, all of whom left their parents' home after they were inspired to become missionaries.

When Ninnoc was 15, a Scottish prince asked to marry her. Ninnoc, who had recently met and heard the preaching of Germanus, a disciple of St Patrick, instead wanted to devote herself to God, and after Germanus's intervention, her father granted her wish and sent her to Brittany with a "ship, money and attendants". The house was a double monastery for men and women. The establishment became known as Lannennoc after her: the suffix "-nennoc" is said to derive from Ninnoc. after a short illness. This date, combined with her feast day of 4 June, has become her reported date of death. Since there is doubt over the veracity of the Vitae, these dates are not certain.

It has been proposed that Ninnoc's double-house at Lannénec near Ploemeur was destroyed by Vikings in the 9th or 10th century. The church was rebuilt in the 12th century, but no trace of the earlier building remains.

Whilst Wales is generally accepted as her place of birth, Scotland or Cumbria have both been suggested. Others consider her a Cornish saint.

Vita Sanctae Ninnocae In common with other Vitae, the Life of St Ninnoc is likely to be an exaggerated account of the truth. The production of the Vitae in the 12th century was also a political act, which aimed to legitimise the holdings of the Sainte-Croix Abbeyin this case to assert its rights over the land around Lannennec. This use of her Vitae as a tool for legitimacy is compounded by the fact it is not placed at the start of the cartulary but is in the local property sections. The cartulary does not claim her relics.